Does a decline in Australian aid communications reveal a lack of political leadership?

CANBERRA — Communication and engagement with the public on the Australian aid program has been in decline under the leadership of foreign minister Marise Payne, analysis by Devex has revealed. Payne took over the role of foreign minister in August 2018 from Julie Bishop, who was appointed to the role after the coalition government came to power in September 2013. Under Bishop, some 8 media releases for the aid program were released monthly with a peak of 28 releases recorded in March 2018. Under Payne, this dropped by half, with a peak of 13 statements released in November 2019. For the Australian aid program, this is a concerning trend. Visibility is an important part of ensuring that development assistance is understood by the public and valued by the government. With budgets under strain in response to COVID-19 and the unknown future impacts of the pandemic, it creates a risk that lack of value for communication could lead to cuts, either in programming or among staff administering the program at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. How Australian ministers communicate aid The Australian aid program is led by the foreign minister and minister for international development and the Pacific, with the foreign minister having the primary responsibility for the direction of development and humanitarian assistance. While there have been two foreign ministers since 2013 — Payne and Bishop — the ministry for international development and the Pacific has seen a greater rotation. Steve Ciobo, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Anne Ruston, and now Alex Hawke have all been ministers. How each minister has chosen to communicate varies. DFAT publishes and archives their official communications — media releases, speeches, television and radio interviews, and op-eds — used for this analysis. Bishop was a strong communicator for her portfolio. From her 1,806 days in office, these official channels of communication saw an average of 45.7 engagements for every 30 days. Media releases accounted for 44.7% of her communication, followed by interviews (39.5%), speech (14.7%), and articles (1.1%). In her 770 days as foreign minister to date, Payne has averaged 20.5 engagements for every 30 days — a 55% reduction on foreign policy communication. Media releases are her preferred channel of communication, accounting for 72.3% of engagements followed by interviews (23.3%), speeches (4%), and articles (0.4%). Among the ministers for international development and the Pacific, communication is significantly lower as their portfolio has less responsibility. Fierravanti-Wells was the most public-facing minister in this role, with an average of 11.4 engagements for every 30 days in office, followed by Ciobo (8.7 engagements per 30 days), Hawke (3.9 engagements per 30 days), and Ruston (2.1 engagements per 30 days). For all, media releases were the preferred channel of communication. But this covers all engagements in their respective roles, which can include opinions on national issues and announcements in their electorate. Focusing on media releases, the preferred engagement method by each minister, we can analyze better which announcements are aid related — and how communication is changing. Focusing on media releases with an Australian aid angle, communication drops significantly. But Bishop still remains the most engaged, releasing an average of 8.3 media releases related to the Australian aid program for every 30 days in office. Payne drops in the rankings, releasing just 4.5 releases per 30 days, and is overtaken by Ciobo who produced 5.2 releases every 30 days with an Australian aid angle. Hawke and Ruston remain the lowest engaged ministers on Australian aid — despite their titles. And this has helped the downward trend in Australian aid communication seen under Payne’s leadership. Why is declining communication a problem? According to a survey of 1,056 Australians conducted by World Vision in August, Australians believe development assistance should be scaled up to support the global response to COVID-19. But surveys also reveal Australians don’t know what is actually being spent. Ministers are the public face for the programs they represent and are the ones explaining what is being spent and why. Just as government ministers justify buying land valued at $3 million Australian dollars ($2.5 million) for AU$30 million, these ministers should be publicly promoting and justifying the AU$4 billion aid program — and also pushing for a greater budget where resources are challenged. The lack of engagement also risks the aid program operating in the shadows — with changes such as the disbandment of the Office of Development Effectiveness being discovered through parliamentary hearings rather than directly from the relevant ministers. An upcoming cabinet reshuffle, which will take place following the retirement of the finance minister later this year, may see changes ahead for the aid program. Dave Sharma, elected as a member of parliament in 2019, used his first speech to highlight his foreign policy credentials. His interest in the Pacific has led to his chairing of a joint committee on foreign affairs, defense and trade which, in February, launched an inquiry into strengthening Australia’s relationships with Pacific region countries. And he has been engaging the media with his ideas of how Australia should be supporting the Pacific region in its recovery from COVID-19. Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson, Penny Wong, has accused Sharma of “auditioning” for the role of foreign minister — but a leap from backbencher to foreign minister is unlikely, and Payne has not received any criticism for her performance. A position as minister for international development and the Pacific is more likely. Hawke’s performance has shown his lack of interest in the portfolio — not just through scant media engagement but with his personal website listing his role as assistant minister for defense above his role as minister for international development and the Pacific. Hawke is believed to have received these roles as a reward for the part he played in helping Scott Morrison overthrow Malcolm Turnbull to become prime minister. International development is a low-profile ministry in Australia — and a stepping stone for a more visible and rewarding position within the cabinet. Hawke also faces the possibility of a demotion if an ongoing review of his involvement in party corruption is founded. Either way, a new minister for international development and the Pacific is a possibility, and a minister with interest in the portfolio may help the aid program overcome its declining public presence.