UBCO's Engineers without Borders hosts local candidates forum

As election candidate forums across the country focus in on local and national issues, UBCO's Engineers without Borders students are more interested in candidates' thoughts on our international foreign aid commitments.

The group hosted an event with local MP candidates in the Kelowna-Lake Country riding on Oct. 12, inviting candidates to share their views on Canada's role in international development and giving students the opportunity to meet them.

Liberal MP Stephen Fuhr, Green Party candidate Travis Ashley and NDP candidate Justin Kulik attended the forum. Conservative candidate Tracy Gray was invited but was unable to attend. 

The foreign aid target of 0.7 per cent of GDP established by the UN was a popular topic during the evening as candidates debated how to increase Canada's contribution, which currently sits at about 0.26 per cent.

Kulik reinforced his party's commitment to reaching the 0.7 per cent target and said compassion is an overarching value that relates to all people internationally, not just Canadians. 

"When it comes down to spending, it comes down to priorities and where humanitarian foreign aid comes into those priorities. It comes down to the sentiment of recognizing that the ultra rich are getting richer, the workers aren’t, and our neighbours internationally who need assistance aren’t getting the assistance they need." 

In regards to tackling international issues at the same time as helping Canadians with problems at home, such as homelessness and poverty, Fuhr said it is important to do both, and not choose one or the other. 

"Humanitarian compassion would be a reason why - that’s just the core value of Canada," says Fuhr. "We are a rich country and we have the ability to do this. It's something that we’ve always done and it’s just the way we are. I would say security is another very good reason why we would do this.” 

Ashley said he believes Canadians have an obligation to protect democracy and play our part on the world stage to help those in need.

"One thing I’ve learned in life, one thing that really drives my everyday, is that life is so fragile and so is democracy. Around the world democracy is in decline. We have this innate responsibility to realize that we live in the most privileged place in the world, so we have to stand up to that obligation and fight for democracy. We have to stand up to the injustices that face us all."

Kulik, Fuhr and Ashley all agreed oil and gas is a dying industry, but disagreed on the speed at which transformative change must take place for the sake of job security, and climate change impacts on future generations. 

Other topics discussed during Q&A time included the rising costs of tuition for domestic and international students, military spending forecasts, provincial investment into Lake Country and interest rates on student loans. 

Engineers without Borders is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing poverty and inequality across sub-Saharan Africa, with about 1600 members across nine provinces of Canada. EWB's ventures include startups and established businesses in the areas of agriculture, finance, and social development.