Wasteful

Greg Sheridan in The Australian on some of the wasteful exercises of diplomacy being carried out in your name - Carr must restore sinew of diplomacy

The aid budget is out of control and poorly spent. No area illustrates this more graphically than aid to Palestinian groups. Some of it goes to organisations with clear links to terrorist organisations.

And some of it goes to UN organisations that members of the government themselves deride as "notoriously corrupt".

The Palestinian Union of Agricultural Work Committees has received $5m of Australian taxpayers' money via payments from AusAID through World Vision.

According to Gillard government officials in devastating Senate estimates committee testimony this week, one Bashir al-Kheiri was president of UAWC from 2008 to last year. He is closely associated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a proscribed terrorist organisation, and has served substantial jail time for terrorist offences. There are many other connections between UAWC figures and the PFLP.

The government's entire defence on this matter has rested on the narrow legal argument that in funding the UAWC it is not breaching laws against funding terrorists because there is no formal organisational connection between UAWC and PFLP, and there is no diversion of funds.

No doubt the government is right that it is not breaking the law. But what possible reason is there for Australian taxpayers to labour so that they can provide resources to individuals associated with the PFLP? It is complete madness, morally repugnant and against common sense.

That's right. Your dollars are probably buying a nice villa for a corrupt official in Gaza or the West Bank as well as financing some missiles to be fired at innocent woman and children. Shows how much we care!