Finance committee  Yes. You're absolutely right on the history of that.

Finance committee  Actually, maybe I wasn't clear, but in our recommendation we are asking for a separate provincial and federal department, because, to echo these comments here, we need to go back and put programs into place that resemble something that was efficient and worked, and then develop those.

Finance committee  I'm aware that something's happening, and I think Paul O'Hara brought that up. There seems to be a synaptic gap between the federals saying, “Well, we've given you this money”, and then we're going into the provinces...“Well, where did it go?”

Finance committee  I do agree, but I think the federal government has to take some responsibility in setting the guidelines and monitoring programs to see that those moneys are going exactly where they're supposed to be going, as outlined by the policies.

Finance committee  Absolutely. Going back to the theme of being efficient, one of the biggest things that keeps people in poverty is the lack of appropriate services...but the way they're being delivered, which is violated....

Finance committee  I'd have to see it first.

Finance committee  In our submission, we did include the link to the whistle-blowing...and that's about the accessibility most Canadians have, that is, let's go on the computer and see what's available for it. We did not see any inclusions for people who are recipients of those programs who are locked into a relationship with civil servants.

Finance committee  If I can, I just refer to even some of our recommendations. I come from an immigrant family. We come from Scotland, and one of the things that was instilled as I was growing up in Canada was capitalism. Part of capitalism was talking about being efficient, but producing good quality at the same time.

Finance committee  I'll answer that question as briefly as I can, and I may rely on referring to one of the case samples we submitted. There are so many remedies, as we said. But which one is the most effective and the most cost-efficient? I believe we have to look at the human infrastructure. To give an example, I'm a person with three university degrees, and I know there's a push that says that education is the sole way to deal with poverty.

Finance committee  Okay.

Finance committee  Thank you.

Finance committee  Thank you. Our community-based organization, Response: A Thousand Voices, discusses and evaluates the ongoing conditions and treatment of the most vulnerable of Nova Scotian Canadians: the impoverished, in all of its guises. To paraphrase an adage, one is only as strong as the weakest link, and so are the provinces and territories in a nation like Canada.