Howard's Australia: The Stingiest Country On Earth

Somebody should have told Brisbane's Lord Mayor Campbell Newman (the most senior Liberal in the country, if the Coalition loses on Saturday) that Sir Bob Geldoff really, really doesn't like Mondays.

Newman today appointed Geldof an honorary ambassador for Brisbane. But Geldof used the occasion to slam Howard's stingy foreign aid budget:

Sir Bob said Australia's contribution did not match that of other developed countries.

"It's embarrassingly pathetic. In fact, it's one of the meanest in the planet," Sir Bob said.

"For a country that keeps boasting about its huge growth, which is absolutely correct, you should boast and be proud of it, (but) is 99.5 per cent not enough for you?

"And not only that, it's way behind the rest of the developed world."

Sir Bob said Australia had agreed to reach a commitment of 0.7 per cent GDP by 2015 under the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals - globally accepted targets that aim to substantially reduce poverty.

"If people think that's a lot of money - what, 99.3 (per cent) is not enough for you all, does that not do it? It's tragic," Sir Bob said.

But, but, but.... What about the title of International Ambassador For Brisbane, Bob?

"It's an honorific, it's an honorary thing, I'm not literally going to go: 'and while I'm here, did you know I'm ambassador of Brisbane?' You know, shut up."

Meanwhile, John Howard is quietly insisting that GOD fully supports Coalition policies. A million dead Iraqis say otherwise.

Burn in Hell, you bastard.