Murmurs percolated around the annual Outlook
discussion dinner at Melbourne University last night when 2004 Young
Australian of the Year Hugh Evans revealed his version of a
conversation with Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

According to Evans, who runs the corporate-sponsored Oaktree Foundation,
Downer told him that the UN foreign aid target of 0.7% of GDP was
“purely aspirational” and “wasn’t going to happen” for the foreseeable
future (Australia is currently spending 0.26% of GDP on aid).

“But
what about the Government’s claims that we might make some inroads into
the UN target?” Evans asked. “That was before the Budget Hugh… that’s
what we say, but it’s never going to happen.”