Campaign 2000 and Canada Without Poverty honor the work of the National Council of Welfare and further comment on its unnecessary closure on the Huffington Post Canada website. Here is an excerpt of the blog:
“The shock of the 2012 federal budget is just setting in, but the repercussions will be felt for years to come. Although deemed “moderate,” this budget has cut thousands of jobs and left a scar on our social welfare system. A particularly unsettling decision was to dismantle the National Council of Welfare (NCW), a renowned organization that offers in-depth information on poverty and also represents the needs of the poor in government.
Established in 1969 as an advisory group to the Minister of National Health and Welfare, the National Council of Welfare has played a crucial role in measuring the depth and breadth of poverty in Canada, linking citizens concerns about welfare and poverty with parliament. Specifically mandated to report to the minister, the NCW was unique in its research collection and reporting providing accurate pan-Canadian data that was used by various organizations, including Canada Without Poverty and Campaign 2000….
…The loss of important information gathering will leave a noticeable gap in the current knowledge of poverty in Canada. Such substantive reporting on social wellbeing is necessary in order to not only identify the cross-Canada trends and emerging issues, but also to help map out regional needs and develop targeted solutions. “
To read the full blog visit the Huffington Post website.
