The Wire

It’s been revealed that some aid workers in Papua New Guinea can earn more in a year than Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. These consultants are paid for by Australian taxpayers through the government’s overseas aid agency, AusAID, and can earn up to 360,000 dollars a year. Experts say that aid money often finds its way back to Australia in the form of consultancy fees or company profits. AusAID says the rates paid to consultants in PNG are comparable to rates paid for the same kind of work around the world.