ABSTRACT
The Liberal-National Coalition under the leadership of Malcolm Fraser, which won the subsequent election in December, faced a number of challenges when it first came to power, including a flagging economy and high inflation. Concerned that Australia's credentials as a supportive partner would be undermined by the steadily falling ODA/GDP ratio, Fraser and Street began searching for initiatives. The rationalisation of government administration was one of the bitter pills that the Coalition believed Australia had to swallow. Despite being newly formed, ADAA ultimately fell victim to the machinations. Within months, Cabinet abolished it, replacing it with the semi-autonomous Australian Development Assistance Bureau (ADAB) within the Department of Foreign Affairs. James Ingram identifies several achievements in his time as director – including the creation of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Development Import Finance Facility (DIFF) – and one failure – the continuation of budget support to Papua New Guinea.
