Justin Trudeau’s conspicuous absence at the global financing summit in Paris last month was preceded in March by a foreign aid budget cut of $1.3-billion, or 16 per cent, from last year. No surprise that at the Paris summit, Canada could only muster a paltry $50-million for new development projects.
As to helping confront the climate crisis that is devastating poor countries in Africa and elsewhere: Compare Canada’s parsimonious climate financing of slightly over $1-billion a year, with Germany’s €5.4-billion . If Canada wishes to demonstrate international leadership, our Prime Minister should show up at important gatherings and offer urgently needed funding for the world’s most beleaguered countries.
But “rights” to a healthy diet, good housing, clean water, cooling? Someone has to provide it, and pay for it. They’re not rights, simply aspirations. Each of us should decide whether we agree to provide such entitlements to everyone. It would be admirable if we could do so. But no one should have a “right” to these things. We should decide as a society whether to pay to provide such benefits.