CARE USA

By the time the dust settles from the federal budget, Canada will have slashed bilateral foreign aid to eight countries, mostly in Africa, with some of the highest rates of maternal and infant death in the world, Malawi and Niger among them.  

An increase in foreign aid cannot be sacrificed to produce a budget surplus because lives will be lost, key cross-bencher Andrew Wilkie says.  

Bob Carr says Australians will be impressed by the government's commitment to foreign aid in next week's federal budget.  

International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda says Canada's getting a bum rap for slashing foreign aid budgets.  

The rapid growth of foreign aid budget is tipped to slow as part of the govt's push to return to surplus.