Aileen Carroll

[International Aid, June 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to increasing its aid budget by a minimum of 8% per year and we are committed to doing that well out in excess of 2010. In fact, the increase last year was 30% and that shows the commitment of the government to continue to assign to development assistance a higher percentage than to any other department of government.

We keep in mind our international reputation of always fulfilling our commitments but we will not make one unless we can.

[China, June 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, last week in question period the hon. member, the new critic, tabled a statistical report on official development assistance from my agency.

While well-meaning, she mistook the figure of approximately $38 million as moneys being directed directly to the government of China. What that figure represents is the sum total of all of the development programs taking place in China but those are carried out by agencies such as Simon Fraser University and the Canadian Bar Association.

The term represents the total of bilateral aid and that, as opposed to multilateral, means between two countries.

[China, June 15th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as I have advised the House in the past, and I repeat again, the Government of Canada does not give any money directly to the government of China.

Instead, we are engaging the government of China, helping it to build its human rights legislation and to grow its capacity. In that regard we are working with Simon Fraser University, the Alberta Research Council and the Canadian Bar Association setting up legal aid clinics for women in the poorest of the poor areas.

[International Cooperation, June 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, over a year ago, Canada invested $100 million in the World Health Organization's “three by five” initiative. With this investment, Canada has become the biggest donor to this initiative, which was on the brink of folding for lack of support.

I am therefore pleased to inform the House that the “three by five” initiative is now an enormous success. Close to 1 million people are undergoing treatment, which is five times more than barely a few years ago. It goes without saying that this initiative is a great success of which Canada can be extremely proud.

[China, June 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, this question was brought forward from the statistical analysis that has been described by the critic's predecessor. That question was answered by my department.

I will repeat very clearly for the House, for that party and for the people of Canada that the Government of Canada does not give money directly to the government of China through our development programs.

[China, June 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the connections between a legal aid system and better protecting women and the poor, the connection between that kind of capability and exactly the point the member is trying to make is eluding her.

We are helping China build human rights. The manner in which we are doing that is through the very strong programs that we are running.

I will repeat this again. The Government of Canada is giving no money to the government of China. I hope that with this explanation she will be able to comprehend the situation.

[China, June 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I will answer really slowly, so the hon. member and new critic can understand. I explained to her predecessor and I explained it very well, so that most people in the House and in committee were able to understand. The government does not give money directly to the government of China.

Instead, we work with a valuable partner such as the Canadian Bar Association in building governance and in building the very basis of human rights that the member wants us to do. In that regard, we are building just the rules-based society that we need with a very important partner like China.

[International Aid, June 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, it is very important, for example, that our international aid budget increased by 30% last year. That is one example.

[International Aid, June 9th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the government has committed to an annual 8% increase that will set us on a path that triples the volume of our aid from the year 2001 to 2015. To put this in perspective, I think we need to understand that 8% is roughly twice the rate of growth of government revenue and virtually no other part of government is growing this quickly.

Our commitment is very clear. We understand exactly what we are doing and where we are going. What I am confused about is that the hon. member is a member of a party that will not even support Bill C-48 with half a billion dollars coming to my aid projects.

[Canada Border Services Agency Act, June 8th, 2005]

moved that Bill C-26, An Act to establish the Canada Border Services Agency, be read the third time and passed.