Canada increase disaster aid to 40 million

[HEyHEY]

OTTAWA -- Canada is dramatically increasing the aid it's providing to tsunami victims in south Asia.
Defence Minister Bill Graham says Canada will provide 40 (m) million dollars in relief money.
That includes the four (m) million already announced.
A team of a dozen Canadians will also go to the region, to see if the military's emergency response unit should be deployed.
An additional planeload of relief supplies is also going to Indonesia.
An Airbus filled with supplies took off yesterday from C-F-B Trenton, Ontario headed to Sri Lanka.
(BN)
---
TAP

[htuttle]

1. I bet it's not a loan, either

[diddlysquat]

3. Good point n/t

[justinsb]

9. Nope

definitely not a loan - I think that most of these nations are going to have their debts cancelled in the near future anyway.

[Tinoire]

23. "Line of credit" is what they're spinning it as lol

or as one clever poster put it a "Halliburton credit card".

[Spazito]

2. Thanks, HeyHey, for posting this...

I am very glad we upped the amount of aid, it is so badly needed.

[ilovenicepeople]

35. Canadians doing what Canadians do

I just heard on the evening news that Canada upped it's aid to the American level(about 6 days of Helliburton profits)How bad does a natural disaster have to be before it would interupt bUSH's vacation??(FOUR EFFing DAYS,FOUR EFFing DAYS!!):puke:

[Spinzonner]

4. Sounds like a bidding war

So, what's happening on eBay ?

[PST]

10. or a horse race

"and down the stretch they come with Spain now in the lead, followed by Canada and the US in third.."

silly to be blaming or praising countries at this point in my opinion.

[glarius]

14. What a PATHETIC thing to say!

Who cares about blaming or praising....Whatever it takes to help those poor souls....Where's your heart?

[PST]

19. pathetic?

that's what's going on isn't? with every new list countries are being praised and critizised for their contributions. I'm just saying that these figures are changing every hour, so no point in discussing it now.
o and I do agree they should get all the help they need.

[shadowknows69]

21. the more countries that wave their financial dicks in the air

the more help the people will hopefully get. Let the auction continue. I hear canada with 40 mil USA do I hear 45...45.45.45. do i hear 48. Just make sure the checks get there promptly.

[pacifictiger]

38. But thats the only language these people understand.

"well, so and so gave such and such, so, it will make you look like a fool if you don't give more."
How do you think Bushie raises so much for his politial campaigns? They're either shamed into it, or want to brag about how much 'influence, wealth and prestige' they have.
Shrub, probably understands those tactics only too well - look how he bullied other countries for support of his war. Its about ego not heartfelt generosity.

[shadowknows69]

40. As I was saying...

shamefully raised money spends just as well to a person who just lost everything.

[Benhurst]

20. Yeah. Besides this is the kind of "aid" BushAmerica is so fond of giving:

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

[KamaAina]

5. Score: Canada 40, USA 35

Could a huge upset be in the making here? After all, the USA has ten times Canada's population, so it should be contributing ten times as much, right?

Assuming, that is, that the US is still a civilised nation...

An Airbus filled with supplies took off yesterday from C-F-B Trenton, Ontario headed to Sri Lanka.

a) Where are the US relief planes? Probably bringing more bombs to Iraq :(

b) You guys have got a lot of nerve buying the evil Airbus from Freedomland instead of Our Great American Boeing Planes which are made so close to your country that Boeing workers can actually get your free press on cable! </sarcasm>

[aquart]

Yeah, but Canada has a surplus and we're broke.

They have money to donate to worthy causes. WE can't afford anything because at this point, we're all debt and multi-billionaires.

[aneerkoinos]

32. Military spending

Half the US federal budget goes to military spending. US can certainly afford something.

[Darranar]

43. Canada isn't spending 9 billion an hour to occupy a nation, either. n/t

[Darranar]

42. Score: Canada 40, US 15. Loans don't count...

and that's not taking population into account.

[Carni]

45. The dickhead today said he's giving 35 BILLION

He even made sure to stress the B--was this a major gaffe on his part?
(which I totally expect that it was but he should be called on it)

[KamaAina]

46. That's still less than half of $87 billion

The dickhead, as you so tactfully put it, clearly has billions on the brain... oh, wait, he doesn't have a brain...

[Carni]

58. I was wrong anyway

I saw the clip again and the idiot was babbling about spending 2.4 billion for something else (probably to grease Jeb's palms in Florida after the hurricanes)

It is indeed 35 mil that bushit has allocated to Asia for this recent tragic event (after all that's a whole 11 cents per person)

The man has no soul but I guess I knew that already.

[Robbien]

6. What a poke in the eye

You rock Canada. Not only money but time and action.

:yourock:

[daleo]

7. Glad to hear this, too

It helps to be running a surplus at times like this.

[justinsb]

8. Hopefully they can still do more

in the long term. 40 million is much better than 4 but it's still just a little over $1 per Canadian - Ideally I'd like to see them give $5 per Canadian (160 million) but I think that $2 per should be the minimum ($64 million)

[glarius]

11. Thanks for posting....I meant to watch Graham's press conference.

I'm so glad they upped the amount....Those poor people need SO MUCH!...The Norwegian United Nations guy (Egelund?) seems to be getting a result from his comment yesterday....I agree with what he said about the wealthy nations needing to do more...It seems to be bugging the rightwingers on CNN though...They are taking it as a personal insult againts the U.S.A.

[Spazito]

12. Everything that doesn't kiss bush's butt is an insult to them...

sadly.

[nine23]

13. Thanx for the update, dude...

I just stepped out to the store and missed the news conference. THIS IS GOOD; IT'S THE LEAST I EXPECTED OUT OF THEM (RATHER, US!!!); THIS IS A GOOD START.

Also, did you hear: "Corporate" Canada are having a quiet field day amongst themselves, challenging each other to fess up on corporate donations (ie. TD Bank donated $75,000 and "challenged" Scotiabank, who responded with $100,000 - they're now awaiting the other chartered banks to follow suit. Sure, these banks have gazzilions, but it's a start...)

AND LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT US AS INDIVIDUALS: A donation of one toonie each could be SIXTY MILLION BUCKS. Let's do it!!!

[justinsb]

17. Already gave more than a toonie

Donated to Care and later felt guilty for not giving more and donated to Oxfam.

[Spazito]

18. Agree, nine! I intend to donate to the International Red Cross

tomorrow for sure!

[saskatoon]

56. Red Cross?

The reason I don't donate to the Red Cross is because of the ridiculous huge amount they pay the person in charge. I can't remember what it was but i read about it when Elizabeth Dole was the Head.

[Spazito]

57. Actually, after doing a bit of homework, I donated to...

Doctors Without Borders instead. I support the international Red Cross but felt Doctors Without Borders also need our support.

[rawstory]

15. LINK?

[justinsb]

16. Link!

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/29/dart-tsunami041229.html

:)

[oscar111]

24. 105 Trillion is US wealth

using Truman's ninety percent top tax rate, fed budget tax pool would increase by another 2. 7 Trillion instantly

Now, the rate is a pathetic third of truman's healthy rate.

2.7 T would double tax pool instantly.

end all our poverty with 2. 3 T or so , left over.

http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/current/accessible/l5.htm

see bottom line

[HEyHEY]

22. it's off a newswire there's no link

[rawstory]

29. What's the wire...and is the dollar amount in Canadian?

thanks.

[rawstory]

30. Here's a link

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104355151375_99764351/?hub=Canada

[phusion]

25. Is that Canadian dollars, eh? --n/t

[BrightKnight]

31. Not much difference anymore: $ 1USD = $ .83 CAD - n/t

[TahitiNut]

26. Given a population less than 1/9th of the US ...

... that's the equivalent of more than $360 million from the US, still over $300 million if exchange rates are figured.


CA - 31,846,900 population
US - 293,271,500 population

[Lefty48197]

27. US: 35 million for humanitarian relief. 50 million for Bush victory party

priorities anybody?

[pacifictiger]

39. I think everyone needs to email this point to the news media

and our representatives so they get swamped with the message.
Maybe if enough of us make enough noise it will show how shallow the pubbies priorities are.
Nero fiddles while Rome burns.

[VegasWolf]

28. Way to go Canada! Their elected officials do more than just take

corporate bribes.

[HEyHEY]

33. BC is donating 8 million now too so we're at 48 million

[ilovenicepeople]

37. You can add $50 to the BC donation .

www.redcross.ca

[SnowBack]

34. Just donated $100 to Medicins Sans Frontiers

Not sure if it counts as Canada, since I'm Canadian and live in the States, but it means this Canadian gave a little extra, since it was in US dollars...

[neuvocat]

36. A quote I saw in GQ

Canada is like that younger sister to the U.S. only its cooler.

[Darranar]

41. Good for Canada!

Far more generous than the Empire....

[eleonora]

44. And France is offering more than $30 million

Those frogs, daring to offer almost just as much as the US, shame on them! </sarcasm>

[Spazito]

47. Ontario just announced they are contributing 5 million...

TORONTO - The Ontario government pledged $5 million in aid and promised to send a top forensic expert to Asia to help the region struggling to recover from last weekend's devastating tsunami and earthquake.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/30/ontairo-tsunami-041230.html

[daleo]

48. Maybe Alberta's Ralph Klein will even get into the game

His government is sitting on a $4 billion surplus.

[u4ic]

49. I bet Newfoundland or another 'poorer' province

will donate before that a$$ does. Nice to see the people of Alberta aren't quite as stingy.

[daleo]

60. The Alberta govt has now donated $4 million to the Red Cross

As of Thursday, according to the Edmonton Journal. That is in addition to the $8 million in relief aid by Ontario, $5 million by B.C., and $40 million by the federal government. So, I guess that is fairly respectable, although the extent of the devastation becomes clearer every day, so the escalating donations are in keeping with the escalating need.

[Javaman]

50. But more so, the Canadians are delivering on the promise...

Has a single plane will supplies left the US for that area?

[Spazito]

51. To be fair, I believe planes have left with supplies from the...

island of Diego Garcia (sp?)where a big US base is located. I stand to be corrected of course but thought I read that aid was on the way and at least one aircraft carrier that can desalinate water.

[smedwed]

52. on bbc

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4136153.stm
KEY AID PLEDGES
World Bank $250m
UK $96m
EU $44m
US: $35m
Canada: $33m
Japan: $30m
Australia: $27m
France: $20.4m
Denmark: $15.6m
Saudi Arabia: $10m
Source: Reuters, United Nations

[Spazito]

54. BBC has the wrong amount for Canada...

it is at 40 million at this time for the federal pledge.

[Boswells_Johnson]

53. No sources yet, but at a news conference I saw on the CBC

Pierre Pettigrew announced that Canada is having a debt moritorium for all countries affected.

[Spazito]

55. I saw that as well, I am glad this is to be done...

I also heard it announced that the Federal Government will match, dollar for dollar, all donations by Canadians to aid agencies, they listed them but I didn't write it down, until Jan 11th, so please if you have plans and are able to donate please do so BEFORE the 11th!

Will look for a link with the list of recognized agencies.

Edited to add link to story:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104443723554_8/?hub=TopStories

[tiredofthisstuff]

59. AND THE WINNER IS?

This is turning into a big competition and rightfully so. In the last days we have been embarrassed, laughed at, and taken for the hypocrites we are. From our initial offering of $100.000 to our now 40 million dollar line of credit. The world now knows that Bush's inauguration will cost us at least that much and for what. A big Fu***** Republican jerk off fest. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of people lie dead and many others are dying.

AND THE WINNER IS....

There is no winner, just more pain from the USA.