News

(Penticton Herald, Opinion Section, July 8 2010)

Dear Editor:

Four years ago, I brought my 'End Poverty in Canada" campaign to Penticton, committing to foster national leadership for this worthy goal.

As an update, I wanted residents there to know that on June 16 this year I introduced my bill, C-545, An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada.

C-545, An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada, was introduced in the House of Commons by New Democrat MP Tony Martin on June 16, 2010. It was seconded by Liberal MP Michael Savage and Bloc MP Yves Lessard. The legislation provides for strong federal leadership to deliver a comprehensive poverty elimination strategy in partnership with provinces and territories and other key stakeholders.

Le projet de loi C-545, Loi visant à éliminer la pauvreté au Canada, a été présenté à la Chambre des communes par le député néo-démocrate Tony Martin le 16 juin 2010. Il a été appuyé par le député libéral Michael Savage et le député bloquiste Yves Lessard. Il prévoit que le gouvernement fédéral jouera un rôle de chef de fil dans la mise en place d’une stratégie globale visant à éliminer la pauvreté en partenariat avec les provinces, territoires et autres principaux intervenants.

The number is staggering: 3.4 million Canadians live in poverty.

Despite being one of the richest countries in the world, poverty continues to affect one in ten Canadians. It hurts our neighbours, our friends, even our children.

Millions of Canadians simply do not have enough to eat, struggle to pay their bills and don’t have the opportunities the rest of us take for granted.

New Democrats think this is unacceptable.

We’ve introduced a comprehensive, national poverty elimination strategy. It includes:

National Energy Board process currently fails to live up to parliamentary vote

OTTAWA – New Democrat Leader Jack Layton is calling on Prime Minister Harper not to break his promise for a full and complete review into the safety of Canada’s unconventional oil and gas sector.  As oil reserves become more remote and difficult to bring to market, much of the technology and techniques used are unproven and experimental.

Havi Echenberg, Social Affairs Division, 21 September 2009

Parliamentary Information and Research Service

Context
For years, advocates, scholars and policy analysts have been arguing that the elimination of poverty, or even a reduction, is a sound economic investment. The argument is that investments in poverty prevention and elimination reduce private and social costs and increase private and social economic benefits, with the combined savings far exceeding the costs of investing in poverty reduction.  

There's a difference between being "tough on crime," as the federal Conservatives profess to be, and being stupid about crime, which is what they are.

“Sustainable development that works for the earth, community and all”

(Toronto Star Editorial, June 19 2010)  Poverty is clearly not high on the agenda of the current federal government; it ranks somewhere between municipal infrastructure and climate change on the Conservatives' "to-do" list.

“I have said repeatedly that the best way not to have those blockades was for people to tell Ottawa and Ontario to honour historic treaty obligations with our First Nations.”