Australia $23.6 Billion
SPQR,
WHAT ? Can you break that down for us a little & show us how this money is spent ?
Who is getting this money for what ?

Waste of time money and effort, better spent right here at home! Say in providing homes for the homeless, or any one of a thousand more important ways to throw away taxpayers' funds.
Why are we there?
It might make some sense, if any of the major powers didn't possess a veto, that can and does make a complete nonsense of the term, UN!
Perhaps it would make more sense if we had pro rate voting rights?
I mean, It seems tiny Luxembourg's vote is equal to mighty mother Russia's, with it's comparatively massive population!
The only thing to like about the UN, is the fact that every vote is a secret one.
Ditto Putin's rubber stamp Russian parliament, which has a key operated system under a cowl, that prevents all other members from observing which button you press.
Green for agree, red for no.
And wouldn't that be great if all of our parliaments adopted such a system? [Minus the constitution altering, power hungry psychotics, of course?]
Meaning, every vote on every issue would be a conscience one!
And or, the most compelling evidence and oratory would win the day instead of bully boy arm twisters.
And, we'd likely not waste scarce resources chasing the often inordinately expensive wish lists, of the self serving or the power hungry?
Who arguably see the property and the financial resources of the taxpaying community as their personal private province to use for any patent absurdity or personal empire building outcome, or post politics employment or business opportunities or agenda!?
I mean, will we eventually see the likes of a lip licking, dry mouthed Greg Combey, installed in a very well appointed office, replete with voluptuous personal secretary, inside a prestigious inner city building, "earning" buckets of money, as a global, ["united nations",] carbon trading broker?
Rhrosty.

Hi Individual,

<<Australia $23.6 Billion
SPQR,
WHAT ? Can you break that down for us a little & show us how this money is spent ?>>

That was The Telegraph’s assessment –see here:

“The bill for Australia's campaign for a two-year seat on the UN Security Council is $23.6 million according to official figures. Foreign aid has increased by more than $3 billion since Kevin Rudd launched the UN bid in 2008.”
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-news/australia-wins-un-security-council-seat/story-e6freuzi-1226498886440

Now of course, it could be mere coincidence that we (or rather Kevin & co) got overly generous around the time they started the campaign for the UN seat--I’ll leave that to your fair judgment.

Just ask yourself, would politicians ever stoop to bribing electors with hand-outs to obtain a UN Security Council seat -- and along with it, better prospects for themselves of a cushy UN appointment after politics --perish the thought!)

BUT --and here's the fly in the ointment--if I was to apply Bugsy's favored template i.e. an increase in CO2 followed by a spike in temperature proves conclusively they are related. Then, I’d have to conclude that a spike in our generosity followed by a bid for a security council seat (or, was it, vice versa) were ALSO very likely to be closely related.

At least I can tell the difference between a million and a billion.

I notice that individual took that 'billion' and swallowed it whole. Instant outrage, no fact checking. No wonder the BS industry thrives among your types.

Ok Bugsy,
you can change hands now. 23 million is criminal in anyone's language. What will Australia's role be in that security council that hasn't as yet achieved any security anywhere I know of. Perhaps you can tell me when you're in for the next hand change.
Who will be Australia's principal figure in that circus. Not Kevin for crying out loud. Hasn't he cost us more than enough already ?

Downer and Howard spent $36 million in their efforts for the seat and hardly got one vote.

It's 25 cents per person per year, get over it.