The 2023 Federal Budget was announced at a time when Canadian residents share deep concerns about affordability, access to health care, and the ever-accelerating climate crisis. The question that CPJ asks around every federal budget cycle remains the same: Does this budget prioritize systemic solutions that could eradicate poverty, uphold the rights and dignity of…
From 2020-2022, CPJ’s Board of Directors and staff have been engaged in a process of building shared understanding of, and commitment to, rights-based and intersectional approaches to seeking justice both at the domestic federal policy level, as well as within our own organization. Facilitated by Bernadette Arthur of Co:Culture Collective, we have been working together…
Budget 2022 was announced in a moment of multiple overlapping crises. In Canada and across the world we are living with rising costs of living, social and political unrest, and an ever-accelerating climate crisis, all in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. Ahead of the budget, CPJ called for an approach that would reflect the…
An Interview with the Our Voices Matter Advisory Council by Natalie Appleyard, February 2022. This edition of the Catalyst focuses on the themes of public trust and accountability. CPJ’s Natalie Appleyard asked members of the Ontario-based Our Voices Matter advisory council to share their thoughts on what could help build a sense of trust and…
At the close of Governor General Mary Simon’s first Speech from the Throne, she called on parliamentarians to “be equal to the profound trust bestowed on you by Canadians,” and wished that Divine Providence guide them in all their duties. For Citizens for Public Justice, this resonates deeply. A parliament worthy of trust is precisely…
October 17 is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Every year CPJ releases our Poverty Trends report, a review of data on poverty in Canada and the state of government action, as well as a vision for how we can move forward. Using the latest data from Statistics Canada and research reports by…
Today, September 30th, marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Today we reflect on the devastating effects of on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples of Turtle Island, with particular attention to how this was carried out through the residential school system. We recognize that the violence of colonialism and residential schools is…
Creating a Just Canada 2021 Election Bulletin When the last federal election was called in 2019, no one could have imagined the events that would define the next two years: A global pandemic; over four million dead from COVID-19 (including 26,575 Canadians) exposing and exacerbating the pre-existing crises of poverty, homelessness, and inequity, as well…
Creating a Better, More Just Canada Dignity. Everyone living in Canada should have confidence that their human rights are respected and that they can live their life with dignity. Children must have the freedom to enjoy all the opportunities of a safe, healthy childhood with access to culturally appropriate education, health care, and homes. No…
We Can’t Settle for a Return to “Normal” Before the pandemic even started, 1 in 8 households in Canada were struggling to put food on the table. 5.9 million people were estimated to be living in poverty. While data for the most recent years is limited, we know that poverty and precarity have been exacerbated…