Thursday, May 10, 2012

About That Foreign Money



Peter Kent has accused environmental organizations of "laundering" foreign money, implying that they are enemies of the state. But, according to the Canada Revenue Agency, the organizations which receive the most foreign support are not focused on the environment. The Canadian Press lists the following organizations as the largest recipients of foreign financial largesse:

Care Canada reported the largest amount of foreign funding. It has accepted nearly $99 million over the years from foreign donors.

Most of that money came from United Nations agencies, foreign governments and the charity's international members.

Second was World Vision Canada, which has reported $89 million in foreign income. World Vision Canada says the vast majority of that money comes from gift-in-kind donations from UN organizations and international corporations with branches in Canada.

Third spot is interesting:

Third was Hamilton's McMaster University, which, like many post-secondary institutions, has charitable status. McMaster has reported $43 million in foreign income.

University spokesman Gord Arbeau says last year foreign students paid McMaster $25 million in tuition fees, while the school also received $13 million for research funding and $4 million from sales of medical isotopes from its nuclear reactor.

All that money counts as foreign funding for CRA's purposes.

In fourth spot there was UNICEF with $37 million. It's true that Ducks Unlimited came in fifth place, having received some $33 million. It has been around for seventy-five years -- and no one, to my knowledge, has accused its supporters of being part of a criminal conspiracy.

When dealing with anything from the Harper spin machine, it's always wise to check the facts. Clearly, the angry old men in the Conservative Party never do.

6 comments:

Nadine Lumley said...

Steve Harper, President, the Corporate Party of Canada

Harper’s not crazy nor stupid. Harper is just the front for corporate interests.


Harper’s Neoconservatism: This entire “hard right” movement is a crock. It is not a religious evangelist movement, OR a moral movement.

It is a corporate movement.

http://pushedleft.blogspot.com/2010/11/democracy-for-sale-and-my-epiphany.html


From Emily Dee:

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

It is the nature of ideological thinking that there is little interest in facts, particularly if they suggest an alternative view.

On another matter, I draw your attention to this article.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/05/09-10

Owen Gray said...

Thanks for the link, Philip. As the article suggests, the old ideology --what used to be called The Washington Consensus -- is being rejected in Europe.

Unfortunately, because Stephen Harper doesn't deal in facts, he does not see what is happening.

The sooner Canada elects a prime minister who sees the world as it is -- not as he wishes it to be -- the better off most Canadians will be.

Owen Gray said...

Thanks for the link, Nadine. As Emily says, there's nothing wrong with a healthy business structure. But gluttony is unhealthy.

Stephen Harper has bought the myth that gluttony is good for you.

Beijing York said...

Interestingly enough, CARE Canada, World Vision Canada and Save the Children were the highest recipients of CIDA grants in 2011.

Owen Gray said...

That's a really interesting piece of information, Bejiing. Clearly, there are some organizations whose foreign support receives official sanction.

On the other hand, like Richard Nixon, Harper is using the tax collector to punish his enemies.