Pledge for MPs and Senators

Pledge: End Inequity, End Poverty

I, the undersigned, recognize that poverty is a violation of people’s inherent rights and dignity, and that the Government of Canada has a moral and legal obligation to honour its commitments to international human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

I recognize that poverty disproportionately affects certain communities because of systemic inequities in our systems and institutions. This includes people who are First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, Black, and People of Colour; women and gender diverse people; people who are disabled, 2SLGBTQQIA+, single, or who have precarious immigration status; and children, seniors, and youth who are aging out of care.

I pledge to work with Members of Parliament, Ministers, and Senators from all parties to adopt ambitious targets, timelines and budgets for poverty eradication among equity-seeking groups. To do this, I pledge to work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and organizations, as well as other equity-seeking groups and members of civil society to develop, implement, and monitor policies that are consistent with our human rights obligations and that are grounded in people’s lived experiences of poverty and other intersecting forms of systemic oppression.

Specifically, I pledge to support the legislation of the following targets, along with adequate federal investments and action plans:

• Ensure sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2023 and to adequate, culturally appropriate, nutritious food in the territories and on reserves by 2025. Eliminate food insecurity for all by 2030.
• Establish a minimum income floor for all people living in Canada, bringing them up to 60% of the median income of all Canadians by 2025. 
• Eliminate core housing need and homelessness by 2030, tracking data to ensure equitable progress along the way. Close the gap in funding for rural vs urban housing and homelessness immediately.
• Eliminate unmet medical needs due to financial constraints by expanding Canada’s public health care system to include in-community, culturally appropriate access to publicly funded pharmacare, mental health, dental, vision, and physiotherapy by 2025.
• Ensure all families can access affordable, flexible, accessible, publicly funded, and culturally appropriate early learning and child care, investing in the creation of additional subsidized spaces and fair compensation for staff by 2025.
• Close the gaps in employment rates and pay equity experienced by equity-seeking groups by 2030.