I just have a couple of quick questions for Claudia, and I only really need a yes or no answer. I want to disabuse people of the idea that we actually don't have enough money for something like a poverty reduction strategy. I do believe that it's about political choices. So I have a very quick question for you. We lost $6 billion by cutting the GST by 1%. Would $6 billion help the housing situation in Canada?

10:20 a.m.

Program Director, Community Action on Homelessness

Claudia Jahn

It would solve it.

10:20 a.m.

NDP

Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS

How about the $250 billion in tax relief to big corporations? Instead we put it into a poverty reduction strategy.

10:20 a.m.

Program Director, Community Action on Homelessness

Claudia Jahn

It would be....

10:20 a.m.

NDP

Megan Leslie NDP Halifax, NS

Thank you.

Rene, I want to ask you a quick question as well. You mentioned that some of the solutions are transportation, early childhood education, etc. When we worked on the poverty reduction strategy together locally we talked a lot about the need to break down the silos. It's not about the department of community services, it's not about the HUMA committee.

Actually, Mr. Lobb, I know I'm not testifying, but I'll just let you know that in Nova Scotia we actually have higher rates of rural poverty. You were asking a question about that. We actually have higher rates of low-income home ownership rurally in this province, which is a bit unique.

But with these silos in transportation, education, etc., do you think, Rene, that we need to have a look at the Criminal Code and look at how the Criminal Code criminalizes poverty? Would any poverty reduction strategy need to have a look at that legislation?

10:20 a.m.

Executive Director, Stepping Stone Association, Community Coalition to End Poverty in Nova Scotia

Rene Ross

Yes, we most certainly need to do that. The criminalization of poverty in Nova Scotia is something of great concern. There are new provincial acts and policies that are coming down extremely hard on panhandlers and squeegee kids, as has been evident in Vancouver.

I do the tax returns every year for our clients at Stepping Stone. A couple of months ago, I did a tax return for somebody who has not worked in the sex trade for a long, long, time—a number of years. She was actually getting a refund. We were so excited. It was my first refund in all my tax returns. It was clawed back. It was $140. That was clawed back because of a prostitution fine she had from 10 years before.

I do tax returns for sex workers, current and former, where their total income for the year.... I did one two weeks ago, and her total income for the year was $948. Sometimes people will say, “Oh, how can people go out and do that?”, or “The things people do to survive.” I could not imagine living on $948.

There are some people who we work with for whom sleeping on the streets has become so unbearable that jail is a nice break for them. When I hear of people saying, “Fine, take me to jail because I need to get cleaned up because there are no detox beds; take me to jail because I'm tired of sleeping on the streets; put me in a cell for a couple of months because I need that break from my life and from my existence”--I think that is a pretty sad state of affairs. That's why it's a little bit quiet right now for us at Stepping Stone. It's not as busy as other months, not because the program users are doing well, but because a lot of them are in jail right now due to criminalization. Because of poverty, when they get out, the cycle starts all over again.

Thank you for your question, Megan.

10:20 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Once again, I want to thank our witnesses for being here today, not only for being here to talk to us, but also for the hard work you guys do at the front line. Thank you very much.

I'll adjourn the meeting. We'll be back again in about five minutes to start with the next panel.