Mr. Speaker, the suffering generated by poverty is one of the worst violations of human rights and the greatest failure of our political institutions.
I salute the courage of the millions of children, women and men who, every day, struggle to survive, without ever having the right to express their distress.
Moisson Montréal tells us that the number of meals served in various help centers in Montreal has increased 38% in the last two years, and that children now make up 40% of their clientele.
What is the millionaire who owns Canada Steamship Lines doing in the face of this ever increasing poverty? He is about to take the $20 billion surplus accumulated in the employment insurance fund and give it to the rich.
As if this were not enough, the Minister of Finance refuses to repay the billions taken from the provinces and needed for health care, income security and education.
We condemn the insensitivity of a minister who is more concerned with his ships than with fairness and social justice.