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August 31st, 2013 
THOUSANDS of people have protested at two events across Sydney calling on whoever wins the election to increase foreign aid and drop “xenophobic” refugee policy.
More than 3000 people converged on Manly Beach in Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s northern Sydney electorate on Saturday.
They want the man polls indicate will be prime minister after next Saturday’s election to increase aid spending to 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI), or 70 cents in every $100, by 2020, organiser Vikki Howorth told AAP.
Presently Australia spends 0.37 per cent of GNI on aid, she added.
But she said this must be increased if Australia wanted to meet the UN’s Millennium Development goals of halving poverty by 2015.
“Whist we’ve got one of the strongest economies amongst developed nations we’re actually ranked just thirteenth out of 23 developed country aid donors,” she told AAP.
“Is that really giving our fair share?”
Sweden, which gives 1.4 per cent of it’s GNI away as aid is the world’s most generous donor, Ms Howorth said.
Across the harbour about 400 protesters marched on Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s inner west office.
Spokesman Ian Rintoul told AAP they were protesting the immigration policies of the Labor and Liberal parties.
“We’re absolutely opposed to the PNG solution, we’re absolutely opposed to offshore processing and temporary protection visas,” he said.
“We need a welcome refugee policy under which asylum seekers are welcomed into Australia, processed in Australia and settled in Australia.”
Winning an election predicated on “xenophobia and refugee bashing… is not a victory worth having,” he added.
Another Sydney protest against immigration policy is planned for September 29, Mr Rintoul said.
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