Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Statistics Canada published figures showing that there were five million Canadians living under the poverty line, a 38 per cent increase since 1989. There are 1.4 million children living in poverty in Canada, 45 per cent more than in 1989.
Not only are families not getting any richer, but their average income has gone down by $2,800 since 1989, and this is before the new EI system comes into the picture and further reduces their standard of living.
Is the Prime Minister aware that it is incumbent on him as Prime Minister to do a little more for the poor than wish them "Good luck", which was all he had to say the other evening on television to those seeking work?