Mr. Speaker, I believe the hon. member is making reference to the market basket measure, a new measure to shed light on the complex issue of poverty, which was developed by the province and by the Government of Canada.
This measure was established out of consultation. Since 1998 we have been working with groups across the country to determine what would go in that market basket measure. It gives us an opportunity to look at the costs associated with living in Canada, in different regions in Canada: rural, urban, east coast or west coast. It is a very important addition to our understanding of poverty.