One of the things that we've seen pretty consistently with the government is an investment in charitable-based responses. It might seem weird coming from an organization like FoodShare, but to do the work we do with integrity and authenticity is to recognize that charity is not a solution to food insecurity and poverty. We absolutely need to look at income-based interventions.
We know the government finally moved forward on its promise to introduce a federal $15 an hour minimum wage. My goodness, it promised that years ago. A $15 minimum wage is not enough. People are going to be struggling.
The CERB has created an opportunity for a wider conversation about how we support people in the community. In one of the richest countries in the world, how can we provide the kinds of supports that people need, especially those who have been left behind? We need to be talking about livable incomes across the board and a basic income in this country.
There was none of that really mentioned in the budget. It was pretty disappointing for us, and disappointing for many folks whom our systems have made to struggle the most.