Follow the logic... Thanks to John Howard's legendary economic management, the government now has billions of my taxpayer dollars to throw away in this campaign. But when it comes to money for
Foreign Aid, Howard suddenly cannot make any promises. Why not?
Mr Howard says he will assess the country's domestic financial position before making aid commitments beyond 2010...
Labor's policy, launched in July, is to raise foreign aid to [a miserly] 0.5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2015-2016, up from 0.35 in 2010-2011. The Coalition has so far refused to match the policy.
And of course, he's not going to match the Labor target, is he? Because the Libs are busy accusing Labor of
stealing all their policies. So he just lies:
"We have significantly increased our foreign aid, we've doubled it, and it's working."
And once again - twice in a day! - congratulations to whoever at News Ltd let this get past the editorial team:
However, it was revealed in May that $644 million of aid earmarked for Iraq in 2006-07 never left Australia, and that the Government included funding for the so-called Pacific Solution and the AWB inquiry's legal bill in it's foreign aid figures.
Speaking of dodgy logic, Howard says he will be handing over to Treasurer Peter Costello "well into the next term":
"The average Australian understands exactly what I am saying and they accept it," he said.
"They know at some point everybody has to be part of a transition - it happens to everybody, it happens to Australian cricket captains.
"So if it happens to them it has got to happen to the prime minister."
Well, Australian cricket captains also get hit in the groin quite regularly...
