EDITORIAL: Realigning foreign aid makes a lot of sense
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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan recently made provocative remarks at the United Nations, which bordered on threats of commencing a nuclear war against India.
The country has previously been accused by many observers of being a state sponsor of terror. Yet Canadian taxpayers shell over money to the Pakistan government each year.
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In 2018, Canada’s international assistance to Pakistan was to the tune of $71 million. This is the country that seeks to enforce a hard line interpretation of Islam through its laws.
Sun columnists Tarek Fatah and Farzana Hassan have long cautioned Canadians about the extreme elements that have taken root in Pakistan.
Last year, the Pakistan government even notified Twitter that a post made several years ago by Sun columnist Anthony Furey contravened their blasphemy laws, ones that come with the death penalty.
Is this the sort of country we want to be offering Canadians’ hard-earned tax dollars? Absolutely not. Yet you hardly hear any questions about the over $6 billion the federal government doles out annually to countries all around the world.
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Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is changing that. He’s proposed to reduce the foreign aid budget by 25% and re-align our priorities so the money is only going to poor countries that actually need our help.
It’s a wise idea. The foreign aid system is in need of a shakeup and definitely greater scrutiny.
While Canadians will disagree on specific funding projects and exactly which countries are deserving of our money, Scheer is right to push the conversation.
People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier had previously promised something similar, to eliminate all foreign aid except for emergency assistance.
There are so many segments of Canadian society that could certainly do with a greater cash infusion. Whether it’s public transit, veterans or First Nations communities – it’s not hard to find things to spend money on in Canada that most people would agree are worthy of our support.
Yet while these priorities continue to lack funding, the feds have been sending money to countries like Russia, China and North Korea.
It’s time for a change. Realigning our foreign aid funding levels and priorities only makes sense.
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