Canada to raise disaster aid to $425M

OTTAWA - Canada will earmark more than $425 million over five years to help countries rebuild after the devastating tsunami. Prime Minister Paul Martin made the announcement this afternoon in Ottawa.

The funds – a dramatic jump from the $80 million already pledged – would bring Canada's contribution almost even with that of the United States, which currently stands at about $427 million Cdn.

Martin said the package comes in two parts.The $265 million represents the government's immediate response to the disaster, which includes direct humanitarian aid, matching funds program, the debt moratorium and deployment of the DART.

An additional $160 million will be allocated over four years to the Canadian International Development Agency for use in rehabilitation and rebuilding projects.

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http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/01/10/tsunami-canada-050110.html

That one-upmanship is soooo fucking "last week". To me, this is LBN because it was just announced, and I like how it deals with financial aide in the long term...

As far as comparing it with other countries, FUCKING GET OVER IT.

It says, simply, we're cool. I think raising our contribution IS cool and necessary. If others see it as a horse race, so be it. The more contributions given the more likely those countries that were hit will be able to rebuild.

The longer term question is if all those countries that pledged funds, including Canada, actually come through over the long term. We shall see but upping our contribution is something to be happy about, imo, and that is how I read the post.

I'm just getting really sick of this so-called competition between countries, and to be fair, it was the article cited that compared it to the US - not you personally.

Somebody further down this thread mentioned how it was "interesting" how Jan Englund (sp?) started a "bidding war" of sorts. (And again, I must point out, he never mentioned any country specifically). I find that quite interesting as well, and it probably did a lot of good.

However...

Over at Satan's Slop Bucket (Free Republic), they're STILL discussing what's for dinner tonight aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, and how that chow should be added to "the US total". I'm cringing with embarrassment just being from the west having to read this stuff. (And yes, I know...they're freepers, I shouldn't even be over there...)

It WAS getting really obscene last week, yet it still seems to happening.

Put it this way: We're a rich country. Half a billion over five years is no biggie, and it will SERIOUSLY be needed for rebuilding over the next few years. End of story.

to have some serious infections over there!

Canadians have much they can be proud of in their record of involvement in world affairs.
This contribution and long term commitment puts the US to shame.

It is interesting though how that "stingy" remark has paid off. Let the world go into a bidding war about providing aid. let's shame the Saudis for example. I just hope it is aid for all the places that need it and not just this monumental catastrophe. And aid that is paid not just promised and for the long-term.

So it is a guarantee that the 80$ million that was given this year will carry on for the next 5 years. This is good, but one must be careful about comparisons once multi-year commitments are made.

On edit: Well that would be if the money was evenly averaged out over five years. I see the article says about half the money is in the first year, with the remainder in the future years.