Ms. Higgins, I understand that, sometimes, we aren't as big a player as we think we are. Canadians still think that they're a bigger country than they actually are. That may be due to the geographic reality, but there are still direct repercussions on Canadians' living conditions, public health and the protection of sexual minorities. Canadian policy has consequences.
I would like us to take a broader look at public opinion on international aid.
Let us remember that there were major controversies during the Harper government, including when the government interfered in the decisions of the Canadian International Development Agency and there were impacts on funding. The Harper government did essentially what the Carney government is doing now. At the time, that was talked about a great deal. Public opinion was sensitive to it. People reacted strongly to it.
How is it that, today, we're having trouble getting the message through to the public that not only is international aid important and a vector for equality and equity, but also that public health everywhere on the planet affects us directly as Quebeckers and Canadians? We have gotten rid of many infectious diseases, but some may come back. We have an interest in this issue as well.
How do we go about convincing the public of the importance of international aid? Why has the public changed its level of awareness regarding matters of international co-operation?