Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Deputy Prime Minister.
Poverty is on the rise in Canada and the government is still refusing to admit its responsibility in this phenomenon, which affects close to 18% of the Canadian population and more than 61% of single mothers.
Does the Deputy Prime Minister admit that the government bears a considerable portion of the responsibility for the rise in poverty because of the cuts it has made to the employment insurance program and to transfer payments to the provinces for health and social assistance?