Australia’s federal election is expected “in a matter of weeks,” according to Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, with the budget announced in Canberra on March 29, a last-ditch effort to attract voters — who polls suggest are souring on Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s coalition government in droves. Domestically, the rising cost of living, health, and economic impacts of COVID-19 and climate change have been factors for voters, and new measures announced aim to respond to these concerns.
But the growing concern about China’s influence in the Pacific and the social and economic instability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has also produced a budget boost for Australia’s aid program with a total of 4.55 billion Australian dollars ($3.4 billion) allocated for the 2022-2023 financial year, up from a total spend of AU$4.46 billion in 2021-2022.
Australia’s aid program has seen a range of new measures announced in recent months that boosted projected spending for the current financial year up from a forecast of AU$4.3 billion. The total includes increased funding support for Pacific labor mobility, with AU$9.9 million; humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, with AU$50 million; and global health security, with AU$77.5 million.