By Canadian Press

Erin O’Toole says a Conservative government wouldn’t cut foreign aid

Mar 16, 2021 | 11:54 AM

OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says a government he led wouldn’t cut Canada’s spending on foreign aid.

O’Toole made the commitment in a session with the international development community this morning, laying out some of the principles that would underpin his foreign-policy approach. 

He says advancing peace, justice, and human rights would be a central tenet of foreign policy under his government. 

O’Toole says that would include reopening the Office of Religious Freedom, and also reworking tax rules to make it easier for Canadian charities to operate abroad. 

O’Toole says a Conservative government also wouldn’t cut aid funding, but would place a greater focus on measuring outcomes associated with that money.

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During the last federal election campaign, then-Conservative leader Andrew Scheer pledged that if elected he’d slash the international aid budget, arguing Canada was too generous with countries that didn’t need the money. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2021.

Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press