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Press Releases: Commons Unanimously Adopts NDP Motion Committing Canada To 0.7% International AiPosted on Sunday, July 03 @ 10:39:44 CDT by capebretoner
OTTAWA- Today, in the House of Commons, a motion from NDP Foreign Affairs Critic Alexa McDonough (Halifax) calling on the government to honour its commitment to the UN Millennium Development Goals, and by 2015, to increase Canada’s international aid to 0.7% of GNP was unanimously adopted.
“Thanks to the good will and collaborative efforts of Parliamentarians from all political parties, the unanimous motion requiring government action, now adds further significant pressure on the federal government to finally meet our international obligations and shed the embarrassment of Canada’s poor record on international aid,” said McDonough.
The federal government’s International Policy Statement released earlier this year was deeply disappointing because it lacked any commitment, let alone any enforceable timetable to meet Lester Pearson’s international aid goal of 0.7% adopted as the international standard developed nations must meet, in order to help eradicate poverty and disease around the world.
Musician Tom Cochrane, a spokesperson for Make Poverty History campaign who has offered the Prime Minister his tickets to the Live 8 concert this coming Saturday, repeated his call for the government to meet the Pearson goal.
"If the Prime Minister doesn’t act on this, he will have to explain to Canadians and to the International Community at Gleneagles why he’s ignored the unanimous voice of the Parliament when it comes to 0.7%," said McDonough.
“The NDP will continue to work with progressive parliamentarians from all political parties and civil society efforts such as the Make Poverty History campaign dedicated to ending poverty around the world and here in Canada, to make 0.7 by 2015 a reality,” said McDonough
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