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We’ve all been there — on the sofa, watching a charity concert, when the celebrity host urges you to dial in and make a donation toward the worthy cause in question.

You reach for the phone or computer and make a pledge. The problem in this case: the commitment was for $50 million of other people’s money.

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On Sunday, Justin Trudeau tweeted at comedian Trevor Noah, the driving force behind the Global Citizen festival concert in South Africa, where Beyoncé, Jay-Z and a host of other stars were performing in celebration of Nelson Mandela’s centenary.

“Hey @Trevornoah — thanks for everything you’re doing to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s legacy at the @GlblCtzn festival” read the tweet from Trudeau’s account. “Sorry I can’t be with you — but how about Canada pledges $50M to @EduCannotWait to support education for women & girls around the world? Work for you? Let’s do it.”

Few would argue with the cause — educating women and girls in poverty has to be the smartest investment in the global aid business. But the glib fashion in which it was announced gave the impression Trudeau had wandered over to the federal government’s money tree and plucked off a few million to dispense overseas.