Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Bloc for his question.
I would like to mention that, in the last federal budget, the government increased the allocation for international aid by $435 million over three years. This means that each year, for three years, it will be increased by some $135 million.
This year, in the Speech from the Throne, the government made a commitment, and I will read the quote in English because I do not have it in French:
“We will increase Canada's official development assistance and use these new investments to advance efforts to reduce international poverty and to strengthen democracy, justice and social stability worldwide”.
We will increase Canada's official development aid and use these new investments to advance efforts to reduce international poverty and to strengthen democracy, justice and social stability worldwide.
I think the question is relevant. The government had already made the commitment to increase considerably the allocation for international aid and, in the Speech from the Throne, it clearly made the commitment to continue increasing it.