ABSTRACT
The Abbott government came to power on the back of a strong policy narrative about ALP fiscal waste and mismanagement. The budget was in deficit, but Abbott claimed this could be reversed via a series of cost-cutting measures. Certainly, having toppled Abbott in 2015, Malcolm Turnbull may prove to be more sympathetic to aid than his predecessor. Putting to one side the obvious caveat that there is still time to improve, it is hard to avoid the assessment that no government in the last four decades has valued aid less than the Coalition under Abbott and now Turnbull. Formally, the explanation for abolition was that: Integration will enable DFAT to better pursue Australia's national interests by ensuring closer alignment and mutually reinforcing linkages among the Government's aid, foreign affairs and trade efforts. A small change management team of senior AusAID and DFAT staff was formed to manage integration.
