Canada

The MP overseeing foreign aid says Ottawa wants to focus its international assistance efforts on countries that can generate economic spinoffs for Canadians.

“The first priority is focusing our development dollars in a trade and development nexus,” Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, told The Canadian Press.

“Due to the new trade realities that the world is facing — and specifically Canada — I think we need to use development as a positive tool to help create new pathways and create mutual prosperity for the partner countries as well.”

Sarai’s comments come as the federal government moves to slash $2.7 billion from the foreign aid budget over four years. Ottawa insists the cuts will bring Canada’s spending back to pre-pandemic levels.

The aid sector has argued that by cutting aid and pushing to spend less on global health, Prime Minister Mark Carney is breaking his promise during last year’s election campaign to leave the aid budget alone.

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Sarai said he also wants to engage Canadians on Ottawa’s support for “many of the lands and diasporas that they come from — not just the two or three that are usually loud in the media.”

That means more federal top-ups for Canadian programs in regions like Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean and small Pacific islands, he said.