CANADA WON'T SUPPORT OAS QUOTA PAYMENT INCREASE

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000713

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AFIN ABUD AORC USOAS
SUBJECT: CANADA WON'T SUPPORT OAS QUOTA PAYMENT INCREASE

REF: STATE 50110

Embassy delivered reftel talking points to Alison Benn, OAS
coordinator in the Inter-American Division of DFAIT's Latin
America and Caribbean Bureau, on March 4. Benn told poloff
at that time that the question of increasing Canada's OAS
quota payment had not yet been discussed at DFAIT. In a
follow-up discussion March 14, Benn advised poloff that
Canada will not support an OAS quota payment increase at this
time. Benn said that Canada wants to see greater
accountability on OAS's part. She indicated that before
Canada would agree a quota increase is necessary, it would
have to do further research to identify what OAS costs are
increasing, and why they are increasing. (Note: in an
off-the-record comment, Benn (please protect) said she found
it ironic that Brazil and the U.S. were leading this effort,
as they had been in arrears on their OAS assessments. End
note.)

CELLUCCI