Madam Speaker, Food Bank Canada's HungerCount 2009 report stated that Canadians' use of food banks has swelled by almost 17%. That is 800,000 people who depend on food banks, including almost 300,000 children. This is the largest increase recorded in Canadian history and it represents a severe condemnation of the failed economic policies of the government.
Government members need to understand that the recession is not just about decreased profit margins, it is also about real families across Canada struggling to feed their children.
In my hometown of Hamilton, this increase means that over 22,000 people are now relying on food banks.
The report included recommendations to implement a national poverty prevention strategy, to improve our EI system and to increase the GIS for low income seniors.
Food banks are not the cure; they are just a temporary relief from the symptoms. The disease is poverty, and it is made worse by the inaction of the government.