Mr. Speaker, today Chancellor George Osborne announced that the United Kingdom would be the first G8 country to hit the international target of committing 0.7% of GDP to overseas development aid. This is a proud moment for the British government, which kept its promise to meet the United Nations goal, despite internal opposition and very tough economic times.
The UN target to commit 0.7% of GDP to international aid was a pledge put forward by Canada's very own Lester Pearson and is a very integral part of our reaching our millennium development goals. However, the Conservative government is far from the goal, with our percentage falling closer to 0.2% after drastic cuts in last year's omnibus budget.
Looking to tomorrow's budget, we hope that the government will be reinvesting funds for life-saving development aid and join the United Kingdom as a leader on the world stage in our long-lasting commitment to the world's poorest of poor.