One year after releasing Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy, Opportunity for All, the Government of Canada has introduced the Members of the newly formed National Advisory Council on Poverty.
For Immediate Release
Unceded Algonquin Territory [Ottawa] (August 22, 2019) — Dignity for All applauds the federal government’s institution of a National Advisory Council on Poverty, on the first anniversary of the National Poverty Reduction Strategy, Opportunity for All.
After years of advocating for a strong, comprehensive poverty reduction strategy, we were excited to see important first steps being taken to create, legislate, and begin funding both the National Housing Strategy (NHS) and the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) by Minister Jean Yves-Duclos and Employment and Social Development. Of particular importance are the introduction of human rights language and framing in the NHS, though this needs to be strengthened in the PRS.
DfA also welcomes the announcement that the updated MBM is anticipated to be released in 2020. As it stands, the current poverty line measured by the MBM has been heavily criticized for being outdated, because its calculations draw on data from 2008. As this measure relies on regional costings of a defined basket of essential goods and services, up-to-date data is essential in accurately assessing how many people in our country are able to meet their daily needs. As such, DfA awaits an updated MBM that aims to represent a modest, basic standard of living in Canada.
We look forward to working together with the National Advisory Council on Poverty to ensure the realities of poverty in Canada are accurately reflected in our public ambition and policies. We will continue to work alongside civil society and policymakers to realize a strong, comprehensive, and rights-based approach to ending poverty in Canada, not just reducing it.
Regardless of the results of the upcoming federal election, DfA will continue to advocate for more ambitious targets, more comprehensive strategies, and more adequate funding to put Canada on track to meet our international Human Rights obligations and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) of eradicating poverty.
The Dignity for All campaign (DfA) is co-led by Canada Without Poverty and Citizens for Public Justice, and represents individuals and organizations across Canada committed to the eradication of poverty.
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Dignity for All: the campaign for a poverty-free Canada, headed by Canada Without Poverty and Citizens for Public Justice, is a multi-year, non-partisan campaign supported by over 11,000 individuals and 700 local and national organizations calling for a comprehensive federal plan to eliminate poverty.
ChewOnThis! is a national campaign to raise awareness of food insecurity, and call for the implementation of an effective and comprehensive national anti-poverty plan to address the systemic issues poverty in Canada. Thousands of Canadians are demanding the federal government build on the first federal poverty reduction plan to eradicate poverty and hunger for the nearly 900,000 people in Canada who use food banks each month and for the millions of others struggling to get by. The Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy is a first step – but we need a plan that can end poverty in Canada.
Website: http://www.chewonthis.ca & https://dignityforall.ca/
Twitter: @DignityForAllCA & #ChewOnThis
Contact:
Deb Mebude, Citizens for Public Justice, at 613-232-0275 x225 or deb@cpj.ca.
Alexandra Zannis, Canada Without Poverty, at 613-789-0096 or alexandra@cwp-csp.ca.
