Yes, thank you.
As I said in my opening remarks today, we really do want to try to find out what we're really trying to do here, and that is to create a plan so that we can get away from a reputation of not meeting some sort of goal of eradicating poverty and deprivation. So I do think we have to try to find a formula, and that's where some of you have helped today.
To the Canadian Association of Food Banks, specifically, you probably could help us define that somewhat. We need to know the length, the breadth, and the depth of the needs, because you are talking about basic needs. So you could see a measurement basket being a very important component, and probably the most important.
I have to agree with some of the witnesses that we can't necessarily try to measure inequalities; we have to start thinking, first of all, about the deprivation. We know there is a lot out there. That has come to our attention. Some communities are really suffering.
I just want to mention to the association of food banks something that was said by another witness, who talked about seniors and mothers and said that some of the rates at which people are stepping out of poverty have increased significantly because of some of the raises in the guaranteed income supplement—and also for some of the lone mothers, because of the education many of them are now seeking.
But we want to get back to trying to decide the best way of measuring. So would you agree that perhaps it would be a really good start to measure the level of needs of those at food banks, which we could probably measure?
And perhaps the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and Monica Townson, and Mr. Sarlo as well would like to comment on this. I think we have to start with that. Would you agree?
I'm just thinking of the different things. Even the food banks have gone on from basic needs to training, which I think goes to show that you really are working very hard to help these people. So now we have to identify the people and then find ways to help them go on and have their training needs met. I thought it was very impressive, that this is something where you are already thinking outside the box, that it's not just about trying to keep these people fed at the food bank, but about actually helping them get a quality life.
We do know that mental illness and drugs and different addictions have definitely caused a lot of problems, and that's why the people are there—or some of the reasons why they are there. That's what we're trying to identify. Why are they there, and then how we can get them out? I say this because there are also rich people using those food banks, because they have somehow been forced to leave their homes and their families, and they end up homeless. We want to identify who these people are and how we can find strategies to get them out of poverty.
So I'd like you to please advise us on how best to make up that basket, because I'm beginning to think that “low income” isn't going to work.