Floods in Oz
 

Have you seen this on the news, in Queensland - an area the size of France and Germany combined. My heart goes out to those affected.

Her Maj has sent a message of sympathy.

Now when Pakistan had terrible flooding we (the UK) promised $50m in aid.

So far we have promised nothing to Australia, one of our oldest and closest allies. They even speak English FFS.

I wonder why?

Re: Floods in Oz
 

Because Australia is far more able to fund itself.

Re: Floods in Oz
 

So we give aid to a nuclear and space power where a large proportion of the population despise us, instead of to our friends?

Re: Floods in Oz
 

i'd be given f'all to any middle east country at the moment-would quite happily give aid to oz -providing they let anyone born and bred from the uk in to work and live there.

Re: Floods in Oz
 

Don't quite see why we should always be giving money to everyone else, especially when they have plenty of money themselves.

signed

E.Scrooge Esq.

Re: Floods in Oz
 

E Scrooge Esquire, you have missed the point. If you had the choice of helping a friend or a stranger, who would you prioritise?

Re: Floods in Oz
 

Australia is one of the few countries in the world whose economy is in the black, with no debts to anyone else. No matter how much money you throw at countries like Pakistan, they will always be third world and undeveloped, and their population will always be at poverty level. So why do we waste our hard earned tax money on them? I'd rather it went to Australia at times like this, despite them having money of their own because I know it will be well spent and not stolen by corrupt officials

Re: Floods in Oz
 

If we can I think we should help anyone in need irrespective of who they are and whatever their political leanings are. However I would say its about time some other countries got their wallets out of their pockets.

The UK gives more in aid than any other country. The UK gave 4 times more than Germany and a whacking great 14 times more than the USA last year - hundreds of millions of pounds. The largest economy in the world, China, gave a lot less than £1,000,000 last year. If the burden of support was shared fairly it wouldn't hurt anyone's economy.

Re: Floods in Oz
 

We should send them pipes.Then they could pump the flood water from Queensland to Victoria and South Australia where they suffer from forest fires and drought.

And we have to give money to Pakistan to placate the large Pakistani population here and persuade them not to become suicide bombers when on day trips to London.

Re: Floods in Oz
 

+1

The Aussies are already our mates, and will be whether we pay them or not.

Some in Pakistan would take offence that we had the money and didn't help.

Foreign aid is often a bribe. Not right, but just the way it is.

Plus it's worth noting that they are both Commonwealth countries.