Government needs to act swiftly on poverty

As the number of Canadians forced to turn to food banks is climbing, the Liberals need to move quickly to adopt a robust poverty reduction strategy, the NDP said today. More than 850,000 Canadians rely on food banks each month to put food on the table.

“It’s unacceptable in a country as wealthy as Canada that so many people can’t afford food. The rising number of Canadians needing help finding enough food to eat should serve as a wake-up call,” said Brigitte Sansoucy (Saint-Hyacinthe – Bagot), NDP critic for Families, Children and Social Development. “Urgent action is needed from the federal government.”

The mandate letter for Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos included poverty reduction, but the Liberal government has not yet offered any details on timelines or strategies.

“A significant proportion of food bank users are working Canadians who can’t make ends meet on low wages,” added Sansoucy. “As part of their strategy, the Liberals should adopt a federal minimum wage and increase the Working Income Tax Benefit, to ensure that more Canadians are receiving a living wage.”