From the Catalyst, Winter 2016
On the Hill
On October 17, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Dignity for All, co-led by CPJ and Canada Without Poverty, held our fourth annual ChewOnThis! event. Over 60 groups participated, holding events in every province and territory. On Parliament Hill, we were joined by NDP MPs Ruth Ellen Brosseau and Brigitte Sansoucy.
CPJ joined Climate Action Network- Canada’s annual lobby day. Senior policy analyst Karri-Munn Venn met with Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, while public justice intern Asha Kerr-Wilson spoke with Catherine McKenna, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.
Carbon Pricing Response
CPJ responded to the federal government’s plans to introduce a national price on carbon in 2018. While we believe that this is a step in the right direction, the level at which this price is to be set will do little to meaningfully reduce Canadian greenhouse gas emissions.
Welcome Asha and Bolu!
CPJ is very excited to welcome Asha Kerr-Wilson and Bolu Coker to our team! For the first time, we have two public justice interns joining us this year. Asha will be working on ecological justice while Bolu will focus on refugee rights.
Anti-Poverty Recommendations
This fall, CPJ presented recommendations for national strategies on poverty and housing. Restoring Dignity: A Strong National Anti-Poverty Plan, our brief to the HUMA committee, calls for an antipoverty strategy that reflects the Dignity for All model plan. Ensuring Safe, Affordable, and Adequate Housing for All is CPJ’s call for a National Housing Strategy that sets clear goals and is developed in partnership with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit governments and organizations.
In October, CPJ signed an interfaith statement calling on the Ontario government to increase minimum wage and support more secure, safe, and stable work.
In the Community
CPJ participated in the “Climate Change and Faith Town Hall” in Toronto on October 1. At the event, people of faith discussed ways to continue our climate action work after the release of the federal government’s Climate Change Action Plan.
On October 20, CPJ, along with the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Office of OMI Lacombe Province (Oblates) and Saint Paul University, organized a conference in Ottawa called “Ending Poverty in Canada”. The daylong event included panel discussions and workshops on policy, research, community action and church engagement.
CPJ hosted “Faith and Climate Change,” a panel discussion in Edmonton on key issues related to energy, the environment, faith, and the economy. The panel, moderated by Dr. Elwil Beukes of The King’s University, included Karri Munn-Venn, Mike Hudema of Greenpeace, and Delia Warren, Kerry Oxford, and Matthew Linnitt of Iron and Earth.
In British Columbia, Karri Munn-Venn spoke at First Vancouver CRC and at A Rocha Canada about how individuals and communities can respond to the global climate crisis through local environmental action and political engagement.