Great promotion for Julie Bishop and Foreign Aid in this morning’s Age Amanda Vanstone.  You  couldn’t help yourself though taking a swipe at Australians on Social Welfare  suggesting most who are on welfare are malingering and want to stay there. You suggest we live in a nanny state and those on welfare should be seriously reassessed. I agree we do have too many regulations but it’s not in welfare. We have become a litigious society the nature of insurance has changed such that government bodies have set up countless regulations that have left individuals stranded. No win no pay lawyers are better insured than their clients. They now sit and cherry pick.

Those on welfare without family live below the poverty line Amanda and it’s increasing.  With unemployment running so high what jobs do you suggest they take on begging? With rents so high I guess garages are regarded as suitable accommodation for pensioners. When Coles and Woolies sell tomatoes for $8.99kg but pensioners would be only to happy to buy misshapen ones for $2kg if only they could find them. Public health doesn’t allow fruit and veg barrows on the street you pollies and councillers have seen to that. One and all are leaners and not true deservers like the Cambodians what a bitch.

You fail to mention Julie Bishop’s cut of 5 billion in Foreign Aid or that the once standalone  department has been merged with Foreign Trade. That the new government policy is Aid for Trade and no longer supports non-profit NGO’s. They are no longer  guaranteed of their funds. You don’t have regard for the turnover of staff at the embassies that have little or no experience in their postings compared to those NGO’s that have been there for years and gave feed back. What’s the new model of operation Amanda profit? The Cambodians that have eye problems seem less short-sighted than you Amanda  and more easily cured. If that program you think so highly of is not delivering some sort of return  Amanda it just might find itself blind sided.

Tell me Amanda accounting wise which department is the humanitarian aid to Iraq going to be billed?  Who is on the ground insuring it’s delivered to those that need it and not to some black market? Are the arms being dropped coming out of the Aid budget or Defence? Who and how is is this being audited Amanda??