Human Resources committee  I just want to point out that apart from the effect on physical health, poverty also can cause mental health issues. A lot of the clients we see can't afford medication, as was mentioned, but poverty adds to their depression. I was at a CPP disability appeal this morning, and my client had fibromyalgia, DDD, all kinds of illnesses, and she can't afford to pay for the painkillers.

Human Resources committee  There are different programs--Trillium, and if you're on OW and ODSP you'd be able to get your drugs covered as well--but not everyone who is poor or working poor will be able to access all these programs. So in my particular case, my client is married with four kids, and her husband works.

Human Resources committee  No.

Human Resources committee  Can I make a comment?

Human Resources committee  Do you mean the provincial one?

Human Resources committee  Well, it was very short-lived, because it was introduced by the NDP government, and before it even had a chance to prove its success, it was repealed by the Progressive Conservative government that came in 1995. We never actually had a chance to test the employment equity program.

Human Resources committee  If you look at the balance sheet, it's expenses and revenue, right? The government receives tax from the taxpayers so it can pay for programs and services for the people who need them. If you look at the people who are most likely to benefit and rely on government programs and services, whether it's a child tax benefit or some other kind of program, they tend to be people who are poor.

Human Resources committee  I have to say that I'm very glad to hear you say there is no debate. We recently had a meeting with a provincial minister responsible for poverty reduction, and that was on April 30. She said the same thing, that there is no debate, that race and poverty are linked. We started this Colour of Poverty campaign just over a year and a half ago.

Human Resources committee  No. And the other thing I can think of would be the Canadian Index of Wellbeing that the Atkinson Charitable Foundation is looking at, but they don't specifically look at the issue of race. And how that is being incorporated in that, I'm not too sure.

Human Resources committee  Sure. I'll try to stick to my time. I really want to thank you and commend the committee for studying such an important issue. I understand you have had a long two days, so I hope I'm not going to bore you to death. We have submitted a written submission. It's a joint submission with the Colour of Poverty Campaign and OCASI.

Human Resources committee  I think there are skilled workers in many communities, including ours, of course, but there are many barriers to accreditation. In the situation of the Chinese Canadian community, I think language is still a much greater barrier. It's not as much a case for other immigrant communities as South Asian communities, because English is their language of instruction.

Human Resources committee  I guess there are many reasons why I think we need to have regularization. But I'll just respond to your concern, and I'll use the live-in caregivers again as an example. Certainly the Philippines as a country relies on remittances from Filipinos abroad. I can't remember how it's ranked as a country; it could be number one.

Human Resources committee  In fact, I think it's the norm rather than the exception now. People find work through temporary agencies. It's not that by working through temporary agencies they are not entitled to all these things, but it makes it harder for them. Temporary agencies are the employers. They are supposed to make deductions and they are supposed to respect the rights under the employment standards, but because they are temporary agencies, a lot of times they violate those rights or they make it difficult for workers to apply for EI.

Human Resources committee  They have to fulfill 24 months out of the 36. If they work two years, then they--

Human Resources committee  Yes, and I did raise it in my written submission; I simply didn't raise it in my seven minutes.