Sault MP Aims to Eliminate Poverty

(Elaine Della-Mattia, The Sault Star, June 16/10)   Sault MP Tony Martin is introducing a bill designed to reduce poverty across Canada.

The Act to Eliminate Poverty In Canada calls for strong federal leadership in partnering with the provinces, territories and other key stakeholders including First Nations communities to deliver a comprehensive poverty elimination strategy.

The bill will be seconded by Liberal MP Mike Savage, of Dartmouth-Cole Harbour and has the support of the Liberals and Bloc Quebecois.

Martin said he has spoken to some Conservatives about the bill who support it "but not to the same degree."

One in 10 Canadians are poor. Eliminating poverty will improve the health and economy of the communities, Martin said.

Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick have anti-poverty laws and six provinces have initiated poverty-reduction strategies.

He said the proposed legislation calls on the federal government to be a leader for the entire country.

It also acknowledges that each individual has the primary responsibility to take care of him/herself, but that responsibility is inextricably linked to the social cultural and economic development of the entire community, Martin said.

The elimination strategy includes core priorities of income security, housing and social inclusion, a strong human rights framework, picking a poverty measurement, gender-based analysis and providing government leadership with health and income security ministers leading the charge.

The bill also calls for an independent poverty elimination commissioner to monitor and hold the government accountable and a stronger, renewed national Council on Welfare to be called the National Council on Poverty and Social Inclusion.

"We should leave no one behind and build a Canada that includes everyone," Martin said. "This is nation building."

The bill fulfills an NDP 2008 election commitment that the NDP say is supported by groups like Canada Without Poverty and Citizens for Public Justice.
Martin has been working on this project for more than two years and was involved in the hearings at the standing committee of human resources and social development.

"My original reason to get into politics was to reduce poverty," Martin said.

"I want the federal government to take a lead and provide a vehicle to work with the provinces and develop the resources that will deal with the problem," he said.

An Ontario Association of Food Banks 2008 study put the cost of poverty for Canada at between $72 billion and $86 billion annually, with a combined loss of federal and provincial tax revenues at $25 billion.

Canada" s national poverty rate has fluctuated between nine per cent and 16 per cent over the past 30 years.

"Ending poverty will produce healthy communities and a strong economy. If we don't, there is not only the unacceptable human cost of leaving so many behind but we will continue to pay for it massively and for generations to come," Martin said.