Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Hello.
My name is Jonathan Larochelle, and I am a member of the Université Laval chapter of Engineers Without Borders Canada.
With regard to the international assistance envelope, I would like Canada to commit, in budget 2019, to a 10-year schedule for the predictable annual increase of 15%.
This request is based on recommendation no. 85 in last year's pre-budget consultations report and on a report on Canada published in mid-September by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD.
The commitment made in budget 2018 to increase support for the official development assistance program or ODA is encouraging. However, despite this increased support, Canada's ODA spending remains close to its historic low and falls well below the support promised by our global peers.
ODA is fundamental to our global prosperity, and investments in that regard support vital services, such as health care and education, in some of the least developed countries.
Increasing ODA based on a predictable schedule in budget 2019 would show that Canada is a committed world leader that is helping to create a better world for everyone.
Thank you very much.