Uproar as Anthony Albanese pledges $100million of taxpayer's money to Vietnam
Australians have been left outraged after pledged $105million to help Vietnam tackle as the Prime Minister is urged to take responsibility for his country's crisis. The deal was announced by the Prime Minister in Hanoi on Sunday, following a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh. Mr Albanese said Australia was keen to work together with its neighbours, especially when dealing with the challenges of transitioning to clean energy. Australia promised $105 million towards sustainable infrastructure planning, private investment in clean energy and technical assistance to the critical minerals sector. While the talks in Indonesia aim to discuss the countries' shared interests and foster future trade deals, many Australians complained there were larger domestic issues at hand. One called on the prime minister to take responsibility for the cost of living crisis before he 'threw away taxpayers' hard earned dollars on foreign countries'. 'With Australians struggling in the economy at the moment... women and children sleeping in cars, the elderly freezing and families going hungry and he gives away millions to another country to fight climate change, not good,' one wrote. 'And we can't afford to turn our heaters on in the freezing cold Melbourne winters! This is ridiculous!' a second said. A third shared: 'I would love to put the A/C on right now and warm my little place for the night but now we can't because my bills have increased for the last 4 cycles and I can't guestimate how much I will have to pay.' 'Imagine what he could provide the homeless with using that same amount of money,' a fourth said. 'We need help here in Australia,' another said. Mr Albanese's overseas trip marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam, as the countries work towards a comprehensive strategic partnership. He announced Australia would be stepping up its support for Vietnam's energy transformation. 'With an important package of new overseas development assistance of $105 million for supporting sustainable infrastructure planning,' he said. 'For stimulating private investment in clean energy infrastructure, and delivering technical assistance to develop Vietnam's critical mineral sector.' Mr Albanese said the trip marked a milestone in marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam. 'I'm very pleased to be here on my first official visit to Vietnam as Australia's Prime Minister, to mark the 50th anniversary of our diplomatic relationship,' he said. 'We are strategic partners and we've been enduring friends over that 50 years.' Locals swarmed to catch a glimpse of Mr Albanese as he enjoyed a beer in a bahn mi restaurant in Hanoi on Saturday night. Back in Australia, Ben Fordham hit out at the prime minister over the rising cost of living and urged him to take responsibility for the burden on households. 'Welcome to Albo's cost-of-living crises. It's not ours. It's the Prime Minister's,' Fordham said on his 2GB radio show on Wednesday. 'We're being hit from every single angle - mortgages, rent, food, petrol, power, you name it, it's costing us more, and I don't think people will tolerate it much longer.' Fordham claimed many Australians have had a 'gutful' of the Reserve Bank after it raised interest rates yet again on Tuesday. Interest rates are now sitting at a decade-high of 4.1 per cent after 12 consecutive hikes in 13 months. 'On an average loan of a million dollars, a borrower is paying $2,200 more a month or $26,000 more a year. Where do people find the money?' he asked. According to data from research firm Roy Morgan, there are now 1.3 million Australian households under 'mortgage stress'. Fordham said the interest rate increases not only affect mortgage holders but also small businesses borrowers and renters, who get the hikes funnelled onto them by landlords. Electricity prices, which are set to rise again on July 1 and food prices, are also going 'through the roof' the radio host said, adding the government can't escape responsibility after being in power for more than a year. Fordham said Mr Albanese can't 'keep on dodging' the fact Australians are being asked 'tighten their belts while the government spends away'. 'The Prime Minister can keep deflecting, this is Anthony Albanese cost-of-living crises,' he said.