Jan. 13, 2007: #1 CIDA Evidence to Senate Committee

Jan. 13, 2007: #1 CIDA Evidence to Senate Committee

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Where has Canada's Foreign Aid been going in Afghanistan?

Background:

Kevin Steele: In the Senators Defense , Oct. 26, 2006, Western Standard / Shotgun

westernstandard.blogs.com/shot
gun/2006/10/in_the_senators.html

The Senate Committee on National Security and Defence has been taking a drubbing lately lately over the cost of their recent trip to Dubai. I take the position that this trip was well-intended and ended up being inadvertently sidetracked by the then-ongoing Operation Medusa. Sure, hammer away at the expense, but let's not lose sight of the larger issue and the greater expense. The Senators were trying to get to Afghanistan to find out what the h-ll is going on with our foreign aid.

The problem is with CIDA [Canadian International Development Agency]. Since May, the committee has been trying to get information from CIDA about where the money is going (go here and skim down to the bottom, or use "Find" in your browser and search for CIDA officials "Phillip Baker" or "Hau Sing Tse").


Here is a quote from Chairman Colin Kenny at the May 29 hearing; [.... Also below it in the article is Senator Banks' commentary in full. Link to read it.]

CIDA: Evidence to the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence

CIDA in Afghanistan

2006-7: If you were under the misapprehension that it would be easy for the Senate Committee to get information on what CIDA is doing in Afghanistan from those involved, do not miss this. It is well worth reading. It would not be easy to condense the obfuscation. You must experience it or, at least, read it.

This was evidence presented about three months after the government had changed, not much time for the Minister responsible to learn what had been happening. She had not been to Afghanistan.

Did Senator Kenny's Committee get full and clear disclosure from CIDA? See Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence
Issue 2 - Evidence , OTTAWA, Monday, May 29, 2006

www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/
Com-e/defe-e/02ev-e.htm?Language=
E&Parl=39&Ses=1&comm_id=76

Senator Colin Kenny (Chairman)


Search for the following paragraph which is the beginning of the exchanges. Note the questions asked of these bureaucrats and their answers, Hau Sing Tse and Phillip Baker:

We are fortunate to have with us now the Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of International Cooperation. Ms. Verner was elected to the House of Commons in 2006. Prior to becoming a member of Parliament, she spent close to 20 years working in the field of communications and the public service. In the last Parliament, Ms. Verner was critic for the Economic Development Agency of Canada, for the Regions of Quebec and la Francophonie. She also serves as Chair of the Quebec Conservative Caucus.

... [Min. Verner's] first appearance before the committee [.... ]

[The Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of International Cooperation] is accompanied today by two officials from the Canadian International Development Agency: Hau Sing Tse, Vice-President of the Asia Branch, and Phillip Baker, Director of the Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka Division.

Continue to the complete report here:

Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence
Issue 2 - Evidence , OTTAWA, Monday, May 29, 2006

www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/commbus/senate/
Com-e/defe-e/02ev-e.htm?Language=
E&Parl=39&Ses=1&comm_id=76

There are excerpts below, along with more information on the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) and where that leads.