HP Blog: Parliamentarians Want Action on Poverty

Today Canada Without Poverty posted a blog on the Huffington Post Canada website celebrating the launch of the federal all-party anti-poverty caucus.

Here is an excerpt:

“Partisan politics are to be set aside in the new All-Party Anti-Poverty Caucus as Senator Eggleton (Liberal) is joined by co-chairs the Hon. Michael Chong, Conservative MP, and Jean Crowder, New Democrat MP, with Rev. Don Meredith, Conservative Senator, acting as Treasurer. Following an event by the Dignity for All campaign in February of this year called “What’s Next? How to Address Poverty in Canada” Canada Without Povertyhelped to catalyze the formation of this bi-partisan caucus now boasting 45 members from all political parties.

“Poverty is not a Liberal concern, or a Conservative concern, or a NDP concern. It is a serious concern for all of Canadian society, as people, as fellow human beings with human rights,” stated Canada Without Poverty board president Harriett McLachlan, who spoke at the event. Recognizing that solutions lie in coming together, Ms. McLachlan further commented, “You all are the All-Star team, and your opponent is now Poverty.”

….

The launch of the caucus is timely considering that Statistics Canada released their annual look at incomes in Canada this week and exposed the reality that poverty remained unchanged between 2009 and 2010. A two-year delay means that this is the most recent information on the low-income population from the government.

In 2010, three million people were below the after-tax Low-Income Cut-Off — an unofficial poverty measurement tool that considers how many families are spending 20 per cent more on food, clothing and shelter than an average household. This means that millions of Canadians were struggling to ward off hunger, raise a family, improve physical and mental well-being, and participate fully in our society. Included in this enormous figure are 547,000 children.

To read the full blog click here.