Mr. Speaker, on January 12, when the devastating earthquake hit the poorest country in our hemisphere, Canadians responded as Canadians do: we opened up our hearts and we opened up our wallets.
The government announced it would match dollar for dollar donations made to the Haiti earthquake relief fund following a desperate appeal for immediate help. Canadians could give to the charity of their choice with the understanding that was where the money would stay and believing that it would go to the desperate people of Haiti right away.
It turns out that is not the case. The government now admits that it will not respect Canadians' charities of choice. The government, not donors, will decide where the money will go, designating the World Bank as a charity of choice. What arrogance. When generous Canadians part with their hard-earned dollars, they have every right to choose the charity they want.
Incredibly, the government also admits CIDA has not dispersed one red cent of this money two long months after the earthquake struck. This is serious. Canadians who donated their hard-earned money want it fixed.