Support for foreign aid up: Poll

Canadians would spend less at home Asian tsunami sparked public interest

OTTAWA— An increasing number of Canadians want the government to contribute more to foreign aid, even if it means spending less on other pressing issues at home. A poll conducted by EKOS Research Associates found that 43 per cent of those surveyed in August agreed with the statement “ Canada should increase its humanitarian aid to poor countries even if it means less spending in other important areas.” Of those surveyed, 39 per cent disagreed, and 18 per cent replied “ neither.”

This showed a significant increase in support for foreign aid since January, when only 31 per cent agreed, and 46 per cent disagreed with the statement. Frank Graves, president of EKOS, said this was part of a trend that has been building over several years, and increasing after the Asian tsunami. “We find Canadians see the world as more important today, and coming closer together,” he told the Toronto Star.

“ Canadians are becoming more cosmopolitan, and those under 30 are more ethnically diverse. The values of tolerance and diversity are getting stronger, and the receptivity to immigration is getting higher.”

Canadians also see foreign aid as part of a long- term strategy to reduce the threat of terrorism, Graves said.

Gerry Barr, president of the Canadian Council on International Co-operation and cochair of the Make Poverty History campaign, called the poll results “ an incredibly encouraging outcome.”

“ Canadians are very interested in seeing aid go up — provided they are assured it is going to poverty eradication,” Graves said. Since January, Canadians have watched the destruction of the Dec. 26 tsunami and heard the issue of foreign aid discussed by world leaders at the G-8 summit in July and at the Live 8 concerts. The EKOS poll of 1,506 people was conducted between Aug. 2 and Aug. 16. The survey’s margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.