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Article: We can't afford to ignore poverty.
- Article from:
- Presbyterian Record
- Article date:
- September 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Presbyterian Record. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Last year, Canada's economy generated about $1.25 trillion dollars. Last year, Canada's economy grew by about $30 billion. Last year, Canada had a federal budget surplus of about $8 billion, the provinces another $4 billion. Last year, federal debt charges declined for the fourth year in a row.
Last year, if Canada had met the UN standard (0.7 per cent of a country's gross national income)--set in 1969 with instrumental support by the late Lester Pearson--we would have contributed about $8.7 billion to international aid. Instead, last year, Canada spent about $3 billion in foreign aid. This year, the federal government plans to spend only a little more, about ...