Sunday, November 25, 2012

Canada retools foreign aid to benefit mining conglomerates

The topic of "foreign aid" has always been fraught with controversy. Harper government initiatives will erase some of the ambiguities about what "aid" should be and who it is aiding.

In the past we have always sought to foster the illusion that our "aid" is intended to help the less fortunate of the world. According to International Cooperation Minister Julian Fantino in a speech delivered  Friday, that idea is so last century.

Going forward we will use our foreign aid budget to do PR work for Canadian mining companies like Barrick and RioTinto Alcan and Inmet. Canadian tax dollars will go to private sector groups like World Vision to make host communities "investment ready".

Host communities will be selected on the basis of where these mining conglomerates want to develop new projects.

Sounds like a sure-fire win-win for the mining companies and the government.

The government gets to dress up corporate welfare as "foreign aid".

The mining companies get an unnecessary subsidy. Barrick made $4.5  billion last year.

The only losers are the recipients of our largess.

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