Paris Hilton is in Australia for a paid appearance for New Year’s Eve. While visiting the continent she’s doing what she does best – shopping. Instead of accepting that shopping is an inevitable part of Paris’ life/media cycle – she shows up to promote stuff, makes money and then spends it – the Australian press is pointing out all the charities she could have supported with the coin she dropped in less than an hour. That’s about as foreign to Paris as suggesting she would have better spent the time educating herself.

The hotel heiress arrived yesterday morning and wasted little time before hitting the upmarket Wayne Cooper boutique in South Yarra, where she spent $5560 in 40 minutes.

World Vision Australia chief Tim Costello said Hilton’s spree would have been enough to feed a Third World village.

“In World Vision terms, $5000 would ensure that a village of 2000 people in Africa or Asia would have clean water for the rest of their lives,” Mr Costello said.

Open Family social worker Les Twentyman said Hilton’s spree was disgraceful.

“It is quite obscene spending money like that. Some people are homeless and thousands of people a week are losing their jobs and it is quite obscene in some ways,” Mr Twentyman said.

As they hit out, Melbourne’s retailers and hospitality industry bent over backwards trying to meet her demands.

[From News.com.au via E! Online]

Remember when Paris went on Larry King after she got out of jail a year and a half ago and told him she was going to work with charities and stuff now that she was a changed person? Paris told King that children, breast cancer, and multiple sclerosis were the charities she was interested in supporting. She did appear in those weird nude ads for a water campaign started by a corporation and she showed up to some charity events. She even donated to a children’s hospital this summer. Paris has made some strides in the charity department, but she still doesn’t come close to rivaling her former BFF Nicole Richie, who started her own foundation. Maybe Paris will take some time off shopping to start thinking harder about how to help others instead of pondering which flashy dresses look best on her rail thin frame. She’s still got a few hours left to take advantage of the tax benefits for 2008.

Update: Paris has issued a response to the criticism of her shopping:

“I’m in Australia, I think it’s important to help out, you know, the economy out here, everywhere in the world … And what’s wrong with doing a little shopping? It’s New Year’s, I need a New Year’s dress.” [via Evil Beet]

Here’s Paris on 12/31 in Sydney at a Bongo event. Credit: Icon/Fame Pictures