Geldof sledges Aussies

Outspoken Irish rocker and activist Sir Bob Geldof has labelled Australia one of the meanest countries in the world for its "embarrassingly pathetic" foreign aid contribution.

The former Boomtown Rats singer and Make Poverty History campaigner, in Brisbane to accept his new role as honorary ambassador for the city, described the nation's foreign aid commitment as "tragic" in the face of its booming economy.

"It's embarrassingly pathetic. In fact, it's one of the meanest in the planet," Geldof said.