Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is World Health Day. The theme this year is “Make Every Mother and Child Count”.
The global reality for women and children is that issues concerning their health are a low priority and Canada's Liberal government is no exception.
In a recent UNICEF report on child poverty, Canada ranked a shameful 19 out of 26. This confirmed what we already know; that the government has completely failed to live up to its 15-year-old commitment to eliminate child poverty.
Another report by the United Nations reveals that in the past decade the number of women living in poverty continues to increase.
Poverty is the number one determinate of ill health. If mothers are living in poverty then their children are living in poverty. It is that simple.
We call on the Liberal government to bring forward progressive legislation that will make a real difference in the lives of the thousands of mothers and their children who are now living in poverty. Let us get on with it.