Carney's 2026 budget makes no mention of foreign aid, the first in more than 15 years, drawing criticism from the aid sector

A Canadian Press review of past budgets found that the 2026 budget tabled on November 5 by Prime Minister Mark Carney's government, titled "Masters of Our Destiny," is the first since 2010 to make no mention of foreign aid, international assistance or international development. The aid sector criticised the shift; Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said on November 6 that development assistance remains a priority and that the government will publish a foreign-policy review within weeks. (Photo: file photo of Parliament Hill, Ottawa.)

First time in 15 years a budget says nothing about foreign aid

The Canadian Press examined every federal budget tabled since 2010, and each one referred to foreign aid, international assistance or international development. The 2026 budget contains none of those terms. Its references to international issues are also minimal: Ukraine is mentioned only in connection with drone production, and humanitarian workers only in passing, in a section on an existing permit system for operating in areas controlled by listed terrorist organisations. The government stresses that the silence does not mean Canada has stopped providing foreign aid.

The $2.7-billion cut stays, and Global Affairs' budget shrinks

The silence comes on top of a large cut already announced: the 2025 budget set out a $2.7-billion reduction in international assistance over four years, returning aid toward pre-pandemic levels. Budget 2026 leaves that cut in place, adding nothing and restoring nothing. The 2026–27 Main Estimates put Global Affairs Canada's total planned spending at about $7.22 billion, down from about $8.44 billion the previous year. Oxfam Canada noted that the budget adds no new funding for international development assistance or humanitarian response.

Aid groups disappointed, days after the UN called Canada a "humanitarian superpower"

Doctors Without Borders said it was "profoundly disappointed" that the budget makes no mention of international humanitarian assistance or global health; Development and Peace said Carney had promised during the 2025 campaign not to cut international aid, yet the budget does not even mention it; and Co-operation Canada called on the government to set out its position in the forthcoming foreign-policy review. The irony is that only days before the budget, the UN's humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, had praised Canada as a "humanitarian superpower" for the world's most vulnerable people.

The budget's focus: business tax relief and defence

The budget's biggest item is a tax write-off for business, costing $36 billion over five years; it also includes $32 billion over 10 years for First Nations housing and infrastructure, and $2.3 billion over five years from 2027–28 for a defence drone initiative. Anand said on November 6 that development assistance remains a priority and that the foreign-policy review, due within weeks, will include the government's approach to development. Aid groups say they will be watching closely to see whether it sets a clear direction for foreign aid.