Julie,
Just as important as raising the living standards of impoverished peoples (and even more important, ethically), is lowering the standard of living of the rich. Since no Western governments have the metal to tax the rich appropriately (least of all your own party), I'd suggest Australia's winning a UN seat could serve a double agenda. Perhaps the Gillard government could lobby for a steep wealth-tax being imposed on all member nations, levied perhaps against the wealthiest five or ten percent. Some of the money raised could then be committed to foreign aid (the same could be done to address global warming). To any thinking, disinterested person it should be scandalous that our paltry foreign aid is taken from consolidated revenue, while the privileged classes and the super rich continue to enjoy tax havens and a raft of perks designed only for them.
Such a UN scheme would take humanitarianism, and indeed democracy, out of domestic political arenas.
We don't only have to address the gross imbalance in wealth, globally, but domestically as well. And I'm not talking about wealth redistribution, I'm talking about taxing obscene individual wealth heavily
Of course we can't look to the Liberals for democratic capitalism, can we?
Though we can't look to Labor either!
It's a measure of the effectiveness of ideology that people by and large still don't question the gross elitism in this and other so-called democratic countries when they PAYE their tax!
Hit those who can afford it first, nationally and internationally.
It shouldn't be a matter of AID, but a matter of BALANCE.

African Countries do not need Western Imperialists to loan them money to keep them in perpetual debt.Like China they can create their own money and exploit their own resources.

Gadaffi of Lybia was in the process of creating a currency backed by gold and break away from US hegomony.This and his oil reserves was the real reason he had to go.China was also there developing their oil.

Giving aid to Africa is nothing more than a ruse for exploitation.The Western Oligarchs constantly back ruthless dictators like Saddham Hussein and they screw their own people while the Western Corporate culture cream it off the top.

China is in Africa securing it's energy/resources and the Western Oligarchs are wild with rage because China has not been subdued.Note the recent demonisation of China and the movement of US forces to our region.

The Australian Aid program was can always be improved as was shown by the recent review of Aid effectiveness. Diasporas in Australia as well as the aid recipients should have regular and meaningful input into how the aid budget is shaped and delivered