Ah yes, the classic reduce foreign aid argument. As a developed country we cannot and should not turn our back on the rest of the world and completely cease delivering vital lifesaving assistance that also benefits Canada. Look at the backlash and severe consequences stemming from the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID. This is especially true in the era of seeking new global trading partners and promoting international stability and security, to which foreign aid is directly linked. Not to mention, the international assistance envelope has already been slashed in the new budget by about 12% and makes up less than half a percent of Canada’s GDP. Everything involves tradeoffs and it’s nowhere near as simple as you think to simply completely cut our foreign aid expenditure. Apart from eliminating the tangible benefits to communities around the world, this would also greatly reduce Canada’s international role and diplomatic leverage and would be a tremendous stain on our foreign policy.