ARTICLE - CANADA PLEDGES SUPPORT

CANADA PLEDGES SUPPORT
(Montreal Gazette) - by Andrew Mayeda

Harper says tight federal finances won't stop Ottawa from meeting commitment

Canada will provide up to $12 million to support the construction of a temporary base for the Haitian government, which had most of its buildings destroyed or damaged in last month's earthquake.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the new funding yesterday after meeting Haitian President René Préval and Jean-Max Bellerive, Haiti's prime minister.

Many of the government buildings in Port-au-Prince lie in ruins from the Jan. 12 quake, including the presidential palace.

Since the disaster, Préval and his cabinet have been running the government from a small police station, with press conferences held in a tent under a mango tree.

Bellerive formally requested that Canada assist in building the temporary base, which will accommodate key ministries and Haitian public servants.

Harper said yesterday that tight federal finances will not deter Ottawa from meeting its commitment to fund Haiti's long-term reconstruction. "We were clear before the earthquake that Haiti is a long-term priority for the government," Harper told reporters after meeting with Préval.

"We don't intend to leave this time until the job is done."

Harper has warned that the government might have to rein in spending growth to eliminate a deficit that this year will hit $56 billion. But the prime minister said yesterday the government is still capable of making priorities, even in a tight fiscal environment. Harper has said the government is willing to fund Haitian reconstruction for at least a decade.

Canadian officials say the base, which will be in place up to a year, will allow the Haitian administration to create a central operations centre.

The base, the location of which has not been determined, will be equipped with semi-permanent shelters, office equipment, Internet technology and communications equipment, utilities and sanitation facilities.

Harper arrived in Haiti yesterday for the first leg of a two-day visit.

In his meeting with Préval, Harper was to discuss the relief effort as well as the long-term challenges of rebuilding the country.

Today he will tour the towns of Jacmel and Léogane, where most of Canada's relief efforts have been focused.