Foreign Affairs Committee on June 6th, 2006

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

I don't have that information, Ms. McDonough. I can ask the deputy minister to answer you, but I don't have any information on that.

[Robert Greenhill, President, Canadian International Development Agency]

Thank you very much, and thank you for noting the efficacy of the global drug facility, which in fact Canada helped to develop. It's true that with Canadian support over the last five years, it's estimated by the World Health Organization that Canada has probably contributed to saving over half a million lives through TB programs, at a cost of less than $200 per life saved. So it is actually one of the most effective health interventions today.

As the minister noted, the $250 million in the global fund also helps support TB. We continue to be a very significant participant, both financially and in terms of thought leadership, in the global drug facility. There has been no change in that approach.

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Madam, you have three more minutes, if you wish.

[Alexa McDonough, NDP, Halifax, NS]

I guess I'd like to come back, then, to the figures I heard you mention with respect to budgetary increases. Of course, you will know that this rate of increase doesn't get us anywhere close to meeting 0.7%. One of the great ironies is that under the previous Conservative government, the level of ODA was already at 0.5%, and, regrettably, the Liberal government dragged it down to 0.23%.

The question is really whether the commitment is there on your part, and the government's—but in particular yours—to champion that commitment to reach 0.7%, which there's no question will require an escalation in the kind of international development assistance money that is made available.

The figures you cited would get us, at the maximum, to 0.43%, and that's only because of the NDP budgeted amount we were able to get at the eleventh hour in the last Parliament, which you've referred to in your figures. But with all of that, we would only be at 0.43%, which means we're a very long way from meeting our obligations and from the millennium development goals ever being achieved. By all experts' assessments, it depends on the donor nations reaching 0.7%.

So my question is still whether that's something to which you're committed, and whether we can count on you to fight for that, since there's such a strong consensus on it among the parties in this Parliament.

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

My answer will be in two parts. You know that our political party is committed to increasing international aid amounts. However, I believe we also have to work very hard on aid effectiveness and responsibility. The populations concerned must get the full benefit of our aid. We've committed ourselves to that, in particular in the throne speech.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Thank you, Madam Minister.

Just in closing, today in your testimony you have referenced a number of things. First of all, you said you had provided high-level advisers to the transitional government. I think we're all aware of Canada's involvement there. But you also stated that the advisers were able to provide the new government with a white paper outlining the progress achieved to date. I'm wondering if the committee can gain access to that white paper. That's the first question.

Also, in the same vein, you say you are providing a technical adviser to the President of Haiti. Who would that technical adviser be?

[Josée Verner, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

As regards the white paper, a Liberal colleague asked the question earlier, and we answered that we were going to provide it. As for the adviser who works with Mr. Préval, he's a consultant, Mr. Fernand Yvon.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Thank you, Madam Minister.

Thank you for joining our committee today. We've certainly looked forward to you, and now we've had both ministers here. We appreciate your coming here.

We hear the bells ringing, so it's time to go and vote. We will adjourn.