The Rev Tim Costello has defended the necessity of international aid last night in a debate with Professor Helen Hughes on Bishop Rob Forsyth's radio program, calling her position "ideological'.
Bishop Forsyth invited both guests to speak on his Sunday night 2CH program after reading Professor Hughes' article in The Australian arguing that aid is "harming' people in developing countries. She says that trade, not aid, is the most effective means for tackling poverty.
Mr Costello, CEO of World Vision and Co-chair of Make Poverty History Australia, said that international aid was one of ‘three planks’ in the campaign.
"Trade is the biggest plank in making poverty history," he says. "But aid given to responsible Australian companies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to build bridges and ports hastens the opportunities for the poor to get access to the markets."
"Talking about trade just doesn't get you there," he says.
Professor Hughes has worked for the World Bank and the United Nations, and is now a senior fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney.
She says she is "more than determined' to make poverty history.
"You can't just be compassionate," she says. "You have a responsibility to understand what is happening in the world."
She says that the countries with the highest aid have the lowest growth, and that this is no accident.
"Aid is keeping the worst governments in power," she says, citing Australia's closest neighbours as an example. "We have not been able to do anything with aid in Papua New Guinea or the rest of the Pacific except keep kleptocratic governments in power."
Aid programs, she suggests, should be selective and small-scale, "showing what can be done'.
Mr Costello agrees that bad governance is a serious problem, but insisted that while aid should always be a "small component', removing it would have "apocalyptic' consequences.
He labels Professor Hughes' stance as "ideological'.
He says that the vast majority of Australia's foreign aid goes to companies running development projects and NGOs.
"The money is people-to-people. The lack of confidence that aid gets to where is needs to is misplaced," he says.
He cites Uganda's effective fight against HIV/AIDS and huge growth in Tanzanian primary education as key examples of successful aid programs.
Bishop Forsyth has been filling in for regular Sunday night host the Rev Ross Clifford. Mr Clifford will return to 2CH next week.
