Australia has been spending almost half of its aid budget to pay for expensive consultants, some earning even more than the annual pay for Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Citing data from AusAID, The Australian and Radio New Zealand International reported that “Australian tax payers are providing billions of dollars” for services of highly paid consultants, though exact figures were not available. The reports said consultants earned at least USD400,000 in annual salaries and allowances tax-free, more than Rudd’s USD350,000 yearly pay.
