Foreign policy

Earlier this week Mr Kilman suggested that the government was not being consistent with its foreign policy.

Vanuatu governments have long been vocal globally on the issues of human rights abuses in Indonesia's Papua region and the West Papuan self-determination cause.

But according to Mr Kilman, who is currently an opposition MP, Vanuatu was not taking the same stands with similar issues in other parts of the world.

The comment from Sato Kilman, a former prime minister, comes after another call on West Papua by Vanuatu at the United Nations.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, current prime minister Charlot Salwai called for an investigation into alleged killings and abuses of the indigenous people of Indonesia's Papua region.

Mr Kilman said the UN was the right place in which to raise concern on Papua.

But he questions whether Vanuatu takes the same stand on similar issues in other parts of the world.

The call comes after new aid data released by the OECD showed Australia slipping from 16th to 17th among the 29 wealthy OECD nations that provide aid.

At 0.22 percent of national income Australia's international aid budget is the lowest in its history.

But World Vision Australia's chief advocate Tim Costello said the upcoming foreign policy whitepaper is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change that.