Thanks for that.
It is a serious issue, and it has been very much in the news lately. The good news is that according to Statistics Canada, as employment rates climb, poverty rates have fallen. And that is generally true across all the vulnerable groups. But there are some groups that tend to chronically struggle with these issues--single parents. Mr. Martin pointed this out. We also see it with aboriginals, particularly aboriginals on reserve. We see it with people who have disabilities. Recent immigrants make up some of those numbers, as well.
As Gord Mackintosh, the NDP social services minister in Manitoba, says, the path from poverty is employment. I agree with him. I think that's the best possible way to help people. But there are people who are not ever going to be in a position where they can step into a job. We're obliged to make sure we meet their basic needs as well, through income support, so they can live a decent life.