People Are Fuming After Australia Pledges $150 Million To Help America Get To The Moon

Australia made a big pledge over the weekend to help America's space project get to the Moon and Mars.

As he was hanging with his buddy, US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Scott Morrisoncommitted $150 million towards 'Australian businesses to develop new technologies that will support NASA on its campaign to return' to space.

ScoMo released a statement on Facebook saying: "We're backing Australian businesses to the moon, and even Mars, and back! Today we signed an agreement that will see NASA and the Australian Space Agency working together.

"There is enormous opportunity for Australia's space sector, which is why we want to triple its size to $12 billion to create around 20,000 extra jobs in Australia by 2030.

Scott Morrison/Facebook

"This investment will benefit all Australians with more jobs, new technologies and more investment in businesses that will grow our economy.

"We're getting behind Australian businesses so they can take advantage of the pipeline of work NASA has committed to."

While there were many people who celebrated the Prime Minister's monetary offering to Aussie businesses and America, there were loads who thought that money should have been directed to struggling farmers.

Loads of areas across Australia have suffered through an incredibly dry winter and they're worried their towns could soon run out of water.

One person on Facebook wrote: "How about looking in your own backyard. We are in severe drought and you want to give $150 million to go to the moon and back. What about building dams, building pipelines from the catchments, stop selling off our land to foreign countries."

Channel 9

Another said: "We have towns with no water and you are giving money to a world super power to go to Mars? Please explain how you prioritised those two items so poorly."

A third added: "Meanwhile, we have towns that resemble Mars... no water, not for drinking, showering, for cattle or crops. Come on ScoMo, how about we look after rural Australia."

Mr Morrison has responded to the criticism, saying his government is working hard to help the farmers but 'we can't make it rain'.

"We're working to build drought resilience for today and the future," the Prime Minister wrote on Facebook. "One of our focuses has been on boosting the responsiveness and turnaround of getting our cash and support into communities as quickly and effectively as possible.

"We've also been working closely with the NSW government in particular on projects that will help secure water supply for those areas that are struggling with the devastating impacts of the drought."

Topics: News, Australia, politics

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie