The Liberal government announced a whopping $485 million in new funding to be put towards delivering vaccines in developing countries.
The announcement was made by International Development Minister Karina Gould and Procurement Minister Anita Anand on Monday morning.
“We are part of a global community, and our health at home depends on the health of everyone everywhere,” said Gould in a statement on the announcement.
“Canadians understand that no one is safe from COVID-19 unless everyone is safe, and today’s new commitments will help to make that possible.”
The funding will be funnelled into the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT) program which was founded in cooperation with the World Health Organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, France and the European Commission.
Prior to the new spat of foreign aid funding, international organizations accused Canada of hoarding vaccines for its own population.
This is not the first time the Trudeau government has opted to use the pandemic as an opportunity to increase foreign aid.
In April, the federal government allocated $109.5 million towards global coronavirus assistance initiatives, targeting areas such as “women’s reproductive health.”
“Canada’s investment also aims to ensure that its international partners can maintain their services for vulnerable populations where possible, including support for sexual and reproductive health and rights,” stated a Global Affairs Canada press release.
“Canada’s investment in these programs is in line with its feminist international assistance approach, since this global crisis has the potential to exacerbate inequalities and reverse development gains.”
While the Liberal government continues to dole out millions to international bodies, Canadians at home have had to suffer with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdowns.
In Ontario, food banks have seen a 26.5% increase in first-time visitors since the pandemic began, according to a report by Feed Ontario.
