Ms. Leilani Farha at the Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Committee

Thanks.

I very much appreciate those comments and the question.

I need one point of clarification. There is no human right to economic freedom.

If you look at what Canada has signed and ratified, it is the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and then a whole bunch of other ones on specific populations—people with disabilities, women, etc. Those treaties say that everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living, which includes adequate housing, food, and clothing. Water and sanitation are now also included in that.

So there isn't actually a right to economic freedom, but I'm going to take your comments—