January 2, 2005 Immediate Prime Minister Paul Martin today announced new federal government response measures to the tragic earthquakes and tsunamis which struck South and South-East Asia on December 26, 2004. "This tragedy is beyond measure, beyond comprehension," said Prime Minister Martin. "All Canadians are heartbroken by the devastation. Sheila joins me in expressing our deepest sympathies on behalf of all Canadians to the families involved. This crisis has touched the global conscience; it has evoked a global response. "Today, we are continuing Canada's commitment to recovery and reconstruction and renewing our pledge to help those most in need with the following measures: Effective immediately, Canada is doubling its financial contribution from at least $40 Million to $80 Million, making Canada among the top financial contributors world wide. These monies will continue to go to direct relief of suffering, recovery efforts and longer-term reconstruction; To encourage even further giving, the Government will allow Canadians to claim contributions made up until January 11th, on their 2004 tax return, should they wish, for the purposes of claiming charitable tax deductions; The preliminary report from the Reconnaissance Team on the ground in Sri Lanka indicates the DART should be deployed. A final order will be given following an on-site assessment; The Government of Canada has informed the UN that it is making a significant portion of its national stockpile of emergency supplies available. The non-medical supplies such as flashlights and blankets from the National Emergency Stockpile are part of Canada's overall response; The RCMP is immediately deploying a team of 10 forensic specialists to Thailand to help identify those who perished in the disaster; All existing applications for permanent resident visas will be fast-tracked for those family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents from the region. A priority emphasis will be placed on spouses, partners and children. All processing fees will be waived for new applications. Regular security and medical reviews remain in place; Minister Dosanjh will leave tomorrow for India and Sri Lanka to meet with Canadian teams on the ground; Ministers Pettigrew and Carroll also leave tomorrow to represent Canada at the Association of South-East Asian Nations donors' meeting in Jakarta on January 6th; and, On January 8th there will be a national memorial held in Ottawa for all those lost in the tragedy. Until then, all Canadian flags on federal buildings will be lowered to half mast. "We recognize that the reconstruction efforts will take months, even years. The message we want to convey today - to the people of the region, to the UN donors and others contributing to this global relief effort, and to all Canadians - is that Canada will be there as a full partner for as long as it takes." Canadians with good reason to believe that Canadian friends or relatives are in the affected areas can contact Foreign Affairs Canada's Emergency Operations Centre at 1-800-606-5499, or visit the Foreign Affairs website at www.fac.gc.ca. For more information on how to help please visit the Canadian International Development Agency website at www.cida.gc.ca - 30 - PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555
