This is a really important conversation that we need to have. There is no reason why any Canadian should live in poverty.
I can assure you that when we look at targeted income supports, like the Canada disability benefit, reducing poverty levels is one of the primary goals. By targeting them to specific individuals and their specific lived realities, we are able to better tailor the supports to that group of individuals.
We have the CCB, which targets families; we have the OAS and GIS, which target seniors. By targeting working age Canadians with disabilities—ages 19 to 64—we will be lifting a significant number of Canadians with disabilities out of poverty. Again, the program parameters haven't been decided, but that is what's currently on my mind
I think it's a matter of a difference in approach, not a difference in desired outcome, where we are looking to target income supports at particular groups instead of a broad-based, one-size-fits-all approach that might not meet the needs of a specific group.