Thank you.
My name is Caroline Di Giovanni. I'm a steering committee member of the Campaign Against Child Poverty, and since 1998 we have presented to this committee and to members of government at all levels--when we can get ourselves in the door--to focus on the issues of child and family poverty in Canada. Why does it continue, despite the fact that Canadians put a value on all citizens living out of poverty, and how can citizens and politicians of goodwill bring about a serious and meaningful reduction to child poverty over the next decade?
One of the main accomplishments of our little steering committee is to try to raise public awareness by putting ads in the papers that are distributed across the country. We also distribute them to all the MPPs and MPs across the country. You'll have a copy of our latest ad, which focuses on the effect of poverty on children in schools. We were partners in this particular ad with the teachers associations in Ontario, because this is a pressing issue and it affects our future. If children grow up in poverty or severe poverty, they will fail to become fully productive members of our citizenry twenty years from now.
We will keep at it. We'll continue to present to you reminders that the government has a leadership role to play in reducing the level of poverty.
I will go through the brief we sent you by highlighting certain sections. We recognize the committee's theme of Canada's place in a competitive world. In your material inviting us to speak, you state that our actions today must ensure that citizens and businesses must prosper, that citizens are healthy and skilled, and that businesses have a competitive tax regime. That will be helped incredibly if our children grow up in healthy environments, have stable homes to live in, and their parents are able to earn a decent living wage and receive the child tax benefit to the full extent, without clawbacks.
When members of CACP speak to cabinet ministers, we promote action and policies that enhance the well-being of our children, our community, and our future. The UNICEF report card number 6, “Child Poverty in Rich Countries 2005”, provides evidence that countries with the political will and an equity-based economic growth model can strengthen their social infrastructures, reduce child poverty, and at the same time enjoy a healthy GNP.
Several countries have reduced child poverty below 5% by setting targets and meeting their goals. Campaign 2000 referred to that in their brief, but Canada is not one of these countries. The incidence of child poverty in Canada still sits at a shameful 14.9%, and 23.3% of those children are living in deep poverty. This means we allow over one million of our children to grow up poor and disenfranchised. We feel this is really a disgrace.
Further, the section on Canada in the UNICEF report is entitled “Canada: children still waiting”, and it begins:
In 1990, an all party resolution committed the government of Canada to “seek to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000”. That promise has not been kept....
The good news is that we can keep the promise with political will, achievable targets, and an economic growth model built on equity and efficiency. Reducing child poverty and family poverty in Canada is very doable and it is the first duty of all governments. It is the fundamental responsibility of government to protect the vulnerable and protect the future. Children are both.
I will now refer to our action points, starting with a guaranteed income for all Canadians that ensures we all live out of poverty. Living wage rates and income security should be recognized as a key priority investment in a civil society. The second is to make early learning and child care facilities accessible, available, and affordable in every region of our country.
This is one of the critical factors known to contribute to the low child and family poverty rates in European countries that have reduced child poverty. The evidence is clear and is repeated in every major global and national report on poverty.
Third, include provisions for affordable housing in agreements with the provinces, territories, and municipalities. As you heard, there is action today to raise that issue because stability in housing is incredibly important to children who are growing up.
Our message, therefore, is simple. Set targets for significantly reducing child and family poverty in Canada from 14.9% to 9.9% by 2010 and direct significant and sufficient resources to the health, growth, education, care, and well-being of children and youth so that that happens.
Thank you very much for hearing from us again.