Australian Foreign Aid
Where does Australia’s new aid budget leave gender equality?
With the region currently confronting multiple crises, from the Covid-19 pandemic to climate change, Australia’s new aid budget, announced by the Labor government on 25 October,…
Five reasons Australia should establish a Development Finance Institution
The Australian government has recently announced a Development Finance Review. One big idea actively under consideration is establishing an Australian development finance…
Economic diplomacy: Priorities shift amid a budget aid boost
Back to the future
The Morrison government gave the development aid sector an unexpected surprise with a budget spending increase mostly in the Pacific, just as the latest crisis…
Commentary
Telstra’s Digicel Pacific challenge
The deal with the government insulates the telco from financial risk. But accepting the role of Australia’s lead business ambassador in the region makes it no set-and-forget…
Podcasts
Lowy Institute Conversations: Richard Marles on Australia in the Pacific
In this episode of Conversations, Jonathan Pryke speaks with Richard Marles.
Australian aid: How low can it go?
In Australia’s budget last year, delayed until October responding to the unprecedented global health and economic crisis brought on by Covid-19, the Coalition government increased…
Timor-Leste’s floods and Covid lockdown aggravate political rifts
The recent floods in Timor-Leste have now caused 45 deaths and some 10,000 people to be displaced, including 7000 in the capital, with widespread damage to roads and bridges, and…
Dili floods a costly consequence of poor urban planning
Heavy rains from 29 March to 4 April caused floods and landslides in many parts of Timor-Leste, claiming more than 40 lives, displacing thousands of people and destroying critical…
Policy Briefs
Avoiding a Pacific Lost Decade: Financing the Pacific's COVID-19 Recovery
The Pacific's post-pandemic economic revival will rely on an international
multi-year recovery package of grants and loans led by Australia
The UK’s unwelcome foreign aid cut
The recent move to cut billions of pounds from the United Kingdom’s foreign aid budget was long feared by advocates. As result, one minister has flagged her resignation, and…