Mr. Speaker, back in December I asked the government how it could in good conscience defend its record on poverty.
Under the Liberal government homelessness is now a national disaster. Poverty is a new growth industry as a result of Liberal policy.
The 1989 unanimous House of Commons resolution to eliminate child poverty is a mere echo as child poverty has now increased by approximately 50%. The attack on the unemployed under the dreadful unemployment insurance program is a national disgrace. It is not just me who is saying this. Even the United Nations has condemned Canada for lack of compliance with the UN covenant on social, economic and cultural rights.
I recently completed a cross-Canada tour on homelessness. I saw for myself the awful circumstances that growing numbers of Canadians live in as a result of the federal government's abandonment of social housing in this country.
I want to ask the government: If the Liberals are genuine about eliminating poverty, why is the government not indexing the child tax benefit? Why is the government not ensuring that the child tax benefit goes to the poorest of the poor, the families on welfare? Why has this government ensured that income assistance is being cut across the country so that more and more people are living below the poverty line? If the government is genuine about eliminating poverty, why are the Liberals not ensuring that they return the UI program to its rightful owners, the unemployed workers of Canada?
If the Liberal government is genuinely concerned about poverty, why have we not seen a commitment to build social housing in this country, something that has not happened since 1993? Why have we not seen a commitment to live up to the UN covenant on social, economic and cultural rights?
Finally, why does the government not heed its own report from the finance minister? As an opposition MP in 1990 he said “The lack of affordable housing contributes to and accelerates the cycle of poverty which is reprehensible in a society as rich as ours”. That was the now finance minister speaking.
We want to know what is the commitment of this government to alleviate poverty in Canada?