I'd like to pick up on a couple of the points.
I've appeared on many occasions before the UN committee that monitors our implementation of social and economic rights. In May of this year they looked at the delegation from Canada, looked at Canadian NGOs, and pointed out that we have something like a $12 billion surplus; we are a very wealthy country, with corporate profits at their highest in 30 years. They asked us, why on earth is there poverty in Canada? Why is there homelessness?
There is no reason for it. There is no necessity for it. This is not something that has to happen.
I agree with your point, Mr. Martin, that when we start talking about poverty, code happens, and it's code about responsibility. You're exactly right; the code means for many poor people that it's their own fault. We need to examine that language and examine our own assumptions.
On your last point, about what it is we can do, well, we had national standards around adequacy for 20 years. We repealed them in 1995. This committee should recommend to Parliament that we revisit the present conditionless transfer under the Canada social transfer and say that from now on, we want accountability when we transfer for social purposes, social welfare. We want our international obligations complied with provincially.