Summary

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The majority voted against increasing the International Development Assistance Budget from 0.5% of Gross National Income (GNI) to 0.7%.

Motions

That the Senate—

(a) congratulates the Prime Minister (Ms Gillard) on her appointment to co-chair a global leadership group on achieving the Millennium Development Goals;

(b) notes that:

(i) in 1970, Australia endorsed the United Nations target to allocate 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) to foreign aid,

(ii) the former Prime Minister (Mr Howard) endorsed the 0.7 per cent target when he signed on to the Millennium Development Goals, and

(iii) on 22 November 2011, the Senate voted to reaffirm a bipartisan commitment to increase the International Development Assistance Budget to at least 0.5 per cent of GNI by 2015; and

(c) calls on the Government to:

(i) recommit to 0.5 per cent of GNI to be allocated to Australia's foreign aid budget by 2015, and

(ii) commit to re-evaluating the provision of 0.7 per cent of GNI to the foreign aid budget in order to bring Australia in line with achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Votes Not passed by a modest majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (89% turnout) 8 Yes 0 No
Richard Di Natale Victoria Yes
Sarah Hanson-Young SA Yes
Scott Ludlam WA Yes
Christine Milne Tasmania Yes
Lee Rhiannon NSW Yes
Larissa Waters Queensland Yes
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania Yes
Penny Wright SA Yes
Rachel Siewert WA Absent
Australian Labor Party (63% turnout) 0 Yes 19 No
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania No
Mark Bishop WA No
Doug Cameron NSW No
Jacinta Collins Victoria No
Don Farrell SA No
Mark Furner Queensland No
Alex Gallacher SA No
Joe Ludwig Queensland No
Kate Lundy ACT No
Gavin Marshall Victoria No
Anne McEwen SA No
Jan McLucas Queensland No
Claire Moore Queensland No
Helen Polley Tasmania No
Louise Pratt WA No
Lisa Singh Tasmania No
Ursula Stephens NSW No
Glenn Sterle WA No
Lin Thorp Tasmania No
Carol Brown Tasmania Absent
Bob Carr NSW Absent
Kim Carr Victoria Absent
Stephen Conroy Victoria Absent
Trish Crossin NT Absent
Chris Evans WA Absent
John Faulkner NSW Absent
David Feeney Victoria Absent
Matt Thistlethwaite NSW Absent
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Nigel Scullion NT Country Liberal Party No
John Madigan Victoria Democratic Labor Party No
Stephen Parry Tasmania Deputy President No
Nick Xenophon SA Independent Absent
Liberal Party (26% turnout) 0 Yes 7 No
Michaelia Cash WA No
Richard Colbeck Tasmania No
Mathias Cormann WA No
Sean Edwards SA No
David Fawcett SA No
Mitch Fifield Victoria No
Helen Kroger Victoria No
Eric Abetz Tasmania Absent
Christopher Back WA Absent
Cory Bernardi SA Absent
Simon Birmingham SA Absent
Sue Boyce Queensland Absent
George Brandis Queensland Absent
David Bushby Tasmania Absent
Alan Eggleston WA Absent
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells NSW Absent
Mary Fisher SA Absent
Bill Heffernan NSW Absent
Gary Humphries ACT Absent
David Johnston WA Absent
Ian Macdonald Queensland Absent
Brett Mason Queensland Absent
Marise Payne NSW Absent
Michael Ronaldson Victoria Absent
Scott Ryan Victoria Absent
Arthur Sinodinos NSW Absent
Dean Smith WA Absent
National Party (20% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
Bridget McKenzie Victoria No
Ron Boswell Queensland Absent
Barnaby Joyce Queensland Absent
Fiona Nash NSW Absent
John Williams NSW Absent
John Hogg Queensland President Absent
Totals (50% turnout) 8 Yes – 30 No