Madam Speaker, Sunday was the 36th annual World Food Day. I would like to take this opportunity to increase Canadians' awareness of poverty and hunger.
Too many people suffer from malnutrition because they do not have enough to eat. In Canada, one in six children is a victim of food insecurity.
Thanks to the Canada child benefit, the 2016 budget lifted more than 300,000 children out of poverty. This measure, along with those of other interested parties, is a step in the right direction. Those parties include community organizations, such as those in the great riding of La Prairie, that help alleviate food insecurity for thousands of people.
In the coming months, I will be helping my esteemed colleague, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, work with all stakeholders to develop a new food policy. The goal of the policy will be to ensure that all Canadian families have access to more healthy, high-quality food.