Liberals buck global trend in 'doubling down' on foreign aid, as sector urges G7 push
Foreign aid groups are hailing the federal Liberal government's return to a policy of increasing humanitarian and development spending each year, while asking for a plan to push allies to reverse a global decline in aid.
"It was a good moment for Canada to step up and show global leadership by making this commitment of additional, new humanitarian money," said Kate Higgins, the head of Cooperation Canada, which represents more than 100 non-profits.
The Liberals pledged in their Tuesday budget to increase humanitarian aid by $150 million in the current fiscal year and $200 million the following year.
Global Affairs Canada says that means total foreign aid for this fiscal year "is projected to exceed $7 billion," though the department did not offer a precise number.
"When others are withdrawing, or talking about withdrawing from the world, we are doubling down on our engagement," International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said Wednesday.
The Liberals faced persistent criticism a year ago from the aid sector when they earmarked $6.9 billion in funding for development and humanitarian needs, a 15 per cent decline from the previous year.
The Trudeau government has pledged to increase foreign aid ever year they're in office, but the Liberals said they made exceptional increases to aid spending to account for the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, eventually exceeding $8 billion.
The new humanitarian funding comes at what Higgins calls an unprecedented state of need and complexity, with major wars in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine and Sudan, along with conflict and mass migration crises in Myanmar, Nigeria and Venezuela.
Countries known for their aid spending such as the U.K. and France have cut back on foreign aid, citing pressures on their domestic economies. UNICEF Canada says nearly a quarter of the world's children are living in or fleeing from conflict zones.
Hussen said Canada's aid will continue to put a focus on supporting women and helping them create the conditions for peace.
"Our government believes and knows the value of international aid, and the results that it delivers all around the world, and right here at home. So Canada is shaping a world that is more peaceful, more prosperous, and more resilient," he said.
The budget also reaffirms Canada's pledges to push for the reform of multilateral financing institutions like the World Bank. The aim is to help poor countries escape debt traps and the financial burden of catastrophic natural disasters, moving instead toward being able to invest in infrastructure that's more resilient to climate change.
Higgins was glad to see that commitment reiterated, but stressed that Ottawa needs to be more transparent in how it reports its data, particularly since the budget did not outline the cumulative figure of foreign aid for this fiscal year.
On Tuesday, Cooperation Canada and other aid coalitions called on Ottawa to use its chairmanship of the G7 next year to push some of the most powerful countries on earth to get back to boosting foreign aid.
The G7 has countries like the U.S., Japan and Germany send ministers for meetings throughout the year in the host country, culminating in a leader's summit.
That means Ottawa can use its clout now to start pushing countries to boost their aid funding in 2025, and have the G7 pay more attention to crises beyond the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Higgins said.
"We will be pushing the government to really look at the breadth and scope of the humanitarian crisis around the world."
Hussen would not say whether Canada plans to push its G7 peers on aid, and instead lambasted the Conservatives for a "reckless" pledge in February to divert an unspecified amount of "wasteful" foreign aid toward military spending. The Tories did not respond to an interview request.
NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson said the increase in humanitarian aid doesn't make up for cuts the Harper and Trudeau governments have made over recent years.
"We're not meeting the moment," McPherson said, considering famine-like conditions in Haiti, Sudan and Gaza.
She noted that Canada still isn't meeting the global target for rich countries, set out by former Prime Minister Lester Pearson as 0.7 per cent of gross national product for foreign aid. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development tabulates Canada's spending last year as half that target, at 0.38 per cent.
"The world needs Canada to be paying its fair share, and needs Canada to be playing a meaningful role," McPherson said.
She also argued it was "short-sighted" of the Liberals to boost military spending at a much higher rate than aid or diplomacy. The NDP supports more help for Ukraine's defence, but Canadian diplomats and aid workers could help undercut the factors that are driving crises worldwide, McPherson said.
"We've got such a strong, capable international development sector that could accomplish so much. We have such strong diplomats that could accomplish so much, if they were just given the tools."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2024.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Israeli military says it killed a top commander with Hezbollah's missile and rocket unit
The Israeli military says it has killed a top commander with Hezbollah’s missile and rocket unit in a strike in Beirut.
What Justin Trudeau told Stephen Colbert in the PM's late-night TV debut
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said many Canadians are taking their cost-of-living frustrations 'out on me for understandable reasons,' during his U.S. late-night television debut on 'The Late Show' with Stephen Colbert Monday night.
The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.
Spotify expands AI Playlist feature to new markets including U.S., Canada
Spotify is expanding its tool that helps create playlists using generative artificial intelligence for premium users to four new markets, including the United States and Canada, the Swedish streaming giant said on Tuesday.
Coca-Cola is pulling its newest 'permanent' flavour from store shelves
Coca-Cola is discontinuing the production of its new Spiced flavour just six months after the soda hit shelves, marking the end of a disappointing attempt to attract younger drinkers.
Suspected death in a 'suicide capsule' in Switzerland; several detained
Police in northern Switzerland said Tuesday that several people have been detained and a criminal case opened in connection with the suspected death of a person in a new 'suicide capsule.'
Is COVID XEC worse than other variants? Expert shares what's known about the virus in Canada
While many Canadians no longer stress as much about COVID-19 as they did during its peak, health experts say a new variant has been spreading in some parts of the world and is now present in Canada.
These buildings would have transformed skylines, but they were never built
On a different timeline, the New York Stock Exchange might have been housed inside an imposing, Mayan temple-shaped tower; Disney World would exit to an after-party companion park named Night World.
Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton are apparently distant relatives
Genealogy and family tree tracking site Ancestry announced on Monday that by using “billions of historical records and public family trees,†they’ve discovered that the two music powerhouses are actually seventh cousins, once removed.
Local Spotlight
Giant gourds took over a Manitoba community this weekend.
Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.
Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.
Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.
Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.
An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.