Canada's aid: too little, and the wrong kind

The pundits say Canada is risking its international reputation by skimping on international aid.

Canadians like to think of ourselves as compassionate global citizens. But with the UN meeting this week to discuss the now seemingly unattainable Millennium Development Goals, Stephen Harper announced only a modest increase to Canada’s contribution to the Global Fund, from $450-million to $540-million.

“It remains to be seen … if this announcement signals the emergence of a socially conscious, globally engaged Mr.Harper or simply the latest cynical political calculation,” says an editorial in the Saskatoon Starphoenix, noting that the announcement came as Canada vies for a temporary seat on the UN Security Council. It’s tough to understand such a “relatively meager” donation when “Most Canadians would not oppose a more substantial increase to the Global Fund.” The paper says throwing another $100 million into the collection plate “will save lives and help Canada inch up toward its long-stated goal of devoting a mere 0.7 per cent of its (GDP) toward foreign aid.”

“It is hard to escape the conclusion that Canada is a far less generous global donor today than it was 25 years ago,” writes Patrick Johnston in the Globe and Mail. He throws out some disheartening statistics, including that Canada is ranked 14th in quantity and 29th in quality of aid. Given those numbers, our leaders’ continuous invocation of our legendary generosity is mere “political spin.” Yet many Canadians do care deeply about the world’s poor, and Johnston says they should make it a major issue in the next election.

Writing for The Mark, Dina Epale criticizes the government for omitting family planning from its maternal health strategy. “Poor sexual and reproductive health perpetuates poverty by affecting those in the prime of their economically productive lives,” she writes, “and has a disproportionate effect on the most vulnerable sectors of the population.” Harper is avoiding the controversial family planning issue Epale argues, despite the fact that “(f)amily planning is one of the most cost-effective interventions in health and development. A dollar spent on providing contraceptives results in a saving of $1.40 in health costs due to unintended pregnancies.”