Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for giving me an opportunity to speak in this House on such an important matter.
Our government's foreign affairs record is impeccable. We have doubled our aid to Africa. We have doubled our total aid to an unprecedented $5 billion and our aid has become more effective, targeted and responsible. The purpose of foreign aid is obvious: to reduce poverty in developing countries. Improving the lives of mothers and children lays the groundwork for reducing poverty permanently.
What the opposition does not say about this issue is the simple fact that the NGOs that support this initiative are experts. We have worked with World Vision, UNICEF, Results Canada, Care Canada, Plan Canada and Save the Children. These NGOs support our initiative because they know, based on to their expertise, that it is an excellent initiative. These NGOs are not intimidated by the opposition's tactics.
I would like to reiterate some points made in previous speeches. Our government has no interest in reopening the debate the opposition is pushing. That is their agenda, not ours. The opposition is playing political games, and we will not stoop to their level. Our G8 initiative is about saving lives. We want to promote results-driven solutions that will help mothers and children in an effective, focused and accountable manner.