In the following letter, Dennis Howlett, from Make Poverty History, is appealing to you for your help to make a breakthrough on poverty in Canada:
“Dear Canadians,
An all party committee of parliament has just put forward a report that could change the face of poverty in Canada.
The report calls for the federal government to immediately commit to a federal action plan to reduce poverty in Canada. Make Poverty History has contributed and pushed for this report, now we must make its recommendations a reality.
The report, Federal Poverty Reduction Plan: Working in Partnership Towards Reducing Poverty in Canada, is the result of an extensive three-year study on the federal role in addressing poverty by the Parliamentary Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development (HUMA). They support the key goals of the Dignity for All campaign by recommending that the federal government immediately commit to a federal action plan to reduce poverty in Canada. Key components of a poverty reduction plan the committee recommends the federal government take action on include:
- Raising the Canada Child Tax Benefit and supplement to $5000 within 5 years;
- A long-term national housing and homelessness strategy;
- Measures to help the most vulnerable – a refundable Disability Tax Credit, easing EI qualifications, increasing adult literacy, increasing and indexing GIS for seniors, implementing an early learning and child care strategy; and
- Major help for Aboriginal People for housing, education and social services, including elimination of the two per cent cap on federal funding.
Recently, the government has ignored recommendations from similar reports on Poverty from the Senate. Don’t let this happen again.
We can’t let this excellent parliamentary report just be ignored and sit on a shelf to gather dust. It was the result of extensive public hearings in a number of communities across Canada – something that action by Make Poverty History supporters helped to make happen. Members of Parliament listened to people living in poverty and have responded to what they heard with very positive and thoughtful recommendations, which if adopted would help to make poverty history in Canada.
And if you haven’t done so yet, visit www.dignityforall.ca and sign up your support to the Make Poverty History sponsored movement to end poverty in Canada.
Thank you,
Dennis Howlett
Make Poverty History
Also…
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