Anti-poverty group calls for Duclos to listen to Canadians with lived experiences of poverty
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ottawa, ON: October 4, 2016 — Today, Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development announced that he will be consulting with Canadians to develop a Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy (CPRS).
Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) believes that the federal government must develop a CPRS that is grounded in in human rights and is responsive to the experiences of the most vulnerable in Canadian society
“Canada is one of the world’s wealthiest countries, yet 4.9 million people live in poverty,” said Darlene O’Leary, CPJ’s socio-economic policy analyst. “The impact of poverty is far-reaching, hitting communities across Canada hard.”
Since 2009 CPJ, along with campaign partner Canada Without Poverty, has worked in collaboration with social policy, anti-poverty, non-profit and faith-based organizations through Dignity for All: the campaign for a poverty-free Canada. Dignity for All has developed a model National Anti-Poverty Plan for Canada that outlines recommendations in six policy areas: income security, housing and homelessness, health, food security, employment, and early childhood education and care. It also highlights the importance of a human rights framework guiding the plan, its development, implementation, and reporting.
CPJ recommends that the CPRS reflect the consultation process, human rights framework, and policy recommendations of the Dignity for All model plan.
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For more information, contact Brad Wassink at ac.jpc@darb or 613-232-0275 x. 225.
About Citizens for Public Justice
Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) is a national organization of members inspired by faith to act for justice in Canadian public policy. CPJ analyzes key issues of Canadian public life and, through in-depth research, develops alternative policy options based on our mission, core values, and public justice framing. We present these alternatives to citizens and decision makers in a wide variety of forms. For more than 50 years, Canadian Christians, local churches, and religious orders have joined their voices as CPJ.
