Thank you, Chair.
First of all, I'm going to talk about how you have nine ministers involved in this. People who have worked in poverty and people who have worked in health have talked about the importance of bringing together all the social determinants to try to work across departments. Poverty is not just the responsibility of the Minister of Human Resources--that's obviously where it's led in Newfoundland--but there's housing, education, health, and all these other things. I think that sort of multi-faceted approach to bring everybody to the table is very positive.
There are a lot of people who work in anti-poverty issues on the ground. When you deal with people with disabilities, mental health issues, literacy, drug addictions, there are so many people on the ground across Canada working with these people who understand the concerns and the issues. They are working with virtually no resources, on bubble gum and toothpicks, to try to do good work, and then every now and then government has a habit of coming in and saying they're going to change the way this or that is done, and it's counterproductive.
It seems to me you referenced the Canadian Federation of Students in terms of people who are living the condition and have some suggestions. They obviously came to you and you met with them. I recall watching Danny speak to the CFS a year or two ago, and he got a standing ovation. That doesn't happen very often. There's obviously a dialogue with people who are living this experience.
Can you talk a little about how you have reached out to those people who understand poverty, who aren't sort of overarching bureaucrats--and we need bureaucrats, I have no problem with that--and who often get pushed aside when it comes to looking at solutions?
I'm not sure if I'm being clear enough, but I'd like to get your thoughts on that.