Citizens for Public Justice

International Women’s Day is both a celebration of women and our successes in achieving women’s equality and a reminder of the challenges that we still face.

This prayer from the Sisters of Mercy is a reminder of the many roles that women play, as well as a call to honour those roles. It is an adaptation of Miriam Therese Winter’s “Valiant Women” by Cathy O’Keefe, a graduate of Mercy High School in Baltimore, Maryland.

CPJ has long advocated for an end to federal subsidies to the fossil fuel sector. In an effort to highlight this grave inconsistency in Canadian energy and climate policy, we made fossil fuel subsidies the focus of our 2018 Give it up for the Earth! campaign.

Budget 2018 is an important symbolic step for women, but doesn’t go far enough

Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) is encouraged to see the federal government release Federal Budget 2018 with a gender-based analysis, the first federal budget in Canada to do so. However, Budget 2018 lacks the ambition needed to make real advancements for all women in Canada, particularly those living in poverty or struggling to make ends meet. Without meaningful funding for a Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy, this budget leaves them behind for another year.

Budget 2018 is an important symbolic step for women, but doesn’t go far enough

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, ON: February 27, 2018 — Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) is encouraged to see the federal government release Federal Budget 2018 with a gender-based analysis, the first federal budget in Canada to do so. Proposing legislation on pay equity and improving women’s access to jobs are both important pieces in tackling women’s economic equity.   

A new infographic series shows how people in Canada are struggling to make ends meet FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ottawa, ON: February 8, 2018 — A new report from the Dignity for All Campaign highlights the precarious lives of people across Canada and the need for a comprehensive national, anti-poverty plan. Living in the Gap: A…

December 18 marks International Migrants Day! Today, CPJ upholds the right to migration, acknowledging that all people have a right to seek safety from terror, persecution, war, and natural disaster, as well as to pursue economic security. CPJ stands #WithRefugees and affirms that they are welcome in our communities!

December 2017

Read the letter

CPJ joined our partners from the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Environmental Defence, Oil Change International, Équiterre, the Climate Action Network Canada, and others to write a letter calling on Canada to take action on phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. The letter was addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President of the Treasury Board Scott Brison, Minister of Finance Bill Morneau, Minister of Natural Resources Jim Carr, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna, and Minister of International Trade François-Philippe Champagne.

With Canada taking on the G7 Presidency in 2018, now is the time to commit to end federal fossil fuel subsidies.

December 2017

Read the Letter

CPJ wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau to commend his decision to support Bill C-262, a private member’s bill that will ensure the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). By supporting the adoption of Bill C-262 – and subsequently following up with implementation – the Government of Canada can fulfill its commitment to realize the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and “renew the relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples.” In March 2016, CPJ issued a statement in compliance with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Recommendation #48, stating our full support of UNDRIP.

November 2017

Read the letter

CPJ responded to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, to continue to stress our concern over the extensive burden of travel loan repayment on resettled refugees’ ability to adjust to new life in Canada. We repeated our recommendation for the federal government to cover all costs for resettled refugee travel to Canada, while raising an inquiry over the costs of administering the program. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, ON: November 22, 2017 – To mark National Housing Day, the federal government unveiled the details of its National Housing Strategy (NHS), a national plan to address housing and homelessness in Canada. The Dignity for All campaign, co-led by Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) and Canada Without Poverty (CWP), welcomed the announcement as a step toward ending poverty in Canada.