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ORGANISATIONS which campaigned for the Rudd Government's election in 2007 are among those given hundreds of thousands of dollars from Australia's foreign aid budget.
Under new rules announced in 2009, Ausaid can now fund education and awareness campaigns in Australia.
Labor-friendly organisations are big winners from the $1.3 million handed out so far.
The ACTU has collected $147,000 for a campaign to educate workers on the Rudd Government's international development aid program.
Another $150,000 has gone to the Oaktree Foundation, founded by former young Australian of the Year Hugh Evans, for 1000 young people to travel the country educating the public about poverty alleviation and the UN's Millennium Development Goals.
The foundation was part of the 2007 Make Poverty History campaign and during that year's election Mr Evans said it was planning a "full-scale" campaign urging people to support Labor's position on foreign aid.
Other winners include a program to bring Australian and Afghani youth together via the internet for an arts project showing they understand poverty and a rickshaw ride for 400 from Queensland to Tasmania.
Under the new rules, 10 per cent of Ausaid's Australian NGO Co-operation Program's budget can be spent in Australia on awareness campaigns.
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop said the foreign aid budget should be used to improve the lives of people in developing countries.
"Australians are generous and want to support other nations, but they expect their funds to be spent efficiently in support of less fortunate people around the world," she said.
The Government did not respond to a request for comment.
The ACTU is the Australian Council of Trade Unions. What it's doing with $147,000 of money that could do a lot of good in the Third World, I have no idea. Why someone shouldn't be strung up by their gonads and flogged senseless with wet noodles for this, I also have no idea. But as with the building business, it looks fishy.
Under new rules announced in 2009, Ausaid can now fund education and awareness campaigns in Australia.
Labor-friendly organisations are big winners from the $1.3 million handed out so far.
The ACTU has collected $147,000 for a campaign to educate workers on the Rudd Government's international development aid program.
Another $150,000 has gone to the Oaktree Foundation, founded by former young Australian of the Year Hugh Evans, for 1000 young people to travel the country educating the public about poverty alleviation and the UN's Millennium Development Goals.
The foundation was part of the 2007 Make Poverty History campaign and during that year's election Mr Evans said it was planning a "full-scale" campaign urging people to support Labor's position on foreign aid.
Other winners include a program to bring Australian and Afghani youth together via the internet for an arts project showing they understand poverty and a rickshaw ride for 400 from Queensland to Tasmania.
Under the new rules, 10 per cent of Ausaid's Australian NGO Co-operation Program's budget can be spent in Australia on awareness campaigns.
Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop said the foreign aid budget should be used to improve the lives of people in developing countries.
"Australians are generous and want to support other nations, but they expect their funds to be spent efficiently in support of less fortunate people around the world," she said.
The Government did not respond to a request for comment.
The ACTU is the Australian Council of Trade Unions. What it's doing with $147,000 of money that could do a lot of good in the Third World, I have no idea. Why someone shouldn't be strung up by their gonads and flogged senseless with wet noodles for this, I also have no idea. But as with the building business, it looks fishy.