(New York) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced pointed questions about his government’s cuts to foreign aid spending Thursday at a conference in New York where he hoped to show himself as an international agent of change.
Mr. Trudeau’s appearance at Global Citizen Now, a gathering of world leaders, celebrities and activists focused on promoting sustainable development internationally, was to be a platform to showcase new federal funding to promote women’s rights.
But host and former CTV anchor Lisa LaFlamme has repeatedly asked the prime minister about his government’s latest federal budget, which reflects an overall reduction in development assistance spending of about 15%.
“That’s $1.3 billion that just disappeared from organizations that depended so heavily on it,” Ms. LaFlamme said. How, first of all, do you justify this? »
Prior to 2019, the Liberal government had pledged to steadily increase humanitarian aid each year, “and we have,” replied Mr. Trudeau.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year and other crises around the world, including in Afghanistan, resulted in outsized one-time spending, he said. .
It is likely that there will be other humanitarian disasters before the end of the fiscal year that will require Canada to make additional commitments, but “the baseline continues to grow,” Trudeau said.
“We increased it massively because of the pandemic, because of various crises that we had to respond to,” he said.
From there, Mr. Trudeau continued with what he had mainly come to talk about in New York: an investment of $195 million over five years — plus $43 million each year thereafter — in the defense of women’s rights around the world.
He said the program, Women’s Voice and Leadership, has helped more than 1,500 organizations since its launch in 2017. This far exceeded the original target of 400 groups, which are receiving the aid unconditionally.
“We know that these types of initiatives — advocating for women’s rights from this grassroots community level, led by women, impacting other women — is one of the most powerful ways to effect changes,” said the Prime Minister.
New Democratic Party (NDP) Women’s and Gender Equality Critic Leah Gazan issued a missive on Thursday scolding Trudeau for cutting funding to women’s shelters in Canada.
“He has a moral obligation to support women internationally and here in Canada. It needs to do both,” said Ms. Gazan, who accused the government of cutting funding by 150 million.
“A true feminist government would never turn its back on any woman, whether in Canada or around the world, during a time of such critical need,” she added.
Eventually, the conversation in New York turned to abortion rights, which has been under legal siege in recent months in the United States — a chance for Mr. Trudeau to draw a contrast between his liberals and the conservatives in the US. ‘opposition.
Mr. Trudeau began his first full day in the city with a visit to the UN, where he met briefly with Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley to talk about one of their shared passions: advancing the goals. sustainable development in the countries of the South.
The two leaders also hosted a meeting of the UN committee they co-chair together: the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Advocates, a group of international activists and experts focusing on a list of ambitious sustainable development goals by 2030.
International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan used Thursday’s announcement to effectively pit the Liberals against the Conservatives. “When it comes to women’s rights, our government is steadfastly pro-choice,” he told a news conference on Parliament Hill.
Abortion rights have long been a political lightning rod in both countries, but the debate gained momentum in the United States last year when the Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 abortion rights ruling. abortion, Roe v. Wade.
The Conservatives’ stance on abortion in Canada has never been fully aligned with that of their Republican counterparts south of the border, but opponents of abortion are a strong voice among the party’s base. . On the other hand, chef Pierre Poilievre described himself as pro-choice.
Mr. Trudeau’s trip to New York will also focus on the trade in essential minerals.
Experts on both sides of the border are hoping to hear more about how Ottawa plans to quickly grow its critical minerals sector.
Former diplomat Louise Blais, now a senior adviser to the Business Council of Canada, believes it’s time to lay out the plan to get these 21st century riches out of the ground.
Mr. Trudeau is aiming to build on the momentum of what most observers see as a successful and productive visit by President Joe Biden to Ottawa last month.
