Human Resources committee  It's not considered to be a human right. That's right.

Human Resources committee  I think the Canada social transfer should have conditions attached to it. I know conditionality is pooh-poohed and people say it's impossible. I don't agree that it's impossible, and I'm seeing that move in the United States and in other countries as well, where you just simply s

Human Resources committee  I think what Ms. Milne is saying about women and the need for a gender lens absolutely applies to all disadvantaged groups, and we can name them and give you the rates of poverty for each group. People with disabilities are amongst the poorest in the country. Absolutely we need

Human Resources committee  Thank you. Actually, I don't share your concern, to be perfectly honest. I think the LIM is a decent measure and it's an international measure, so I think it's useful. I've never been an advocate for a poverty line necessarily. I think we kind of know how we're doing in the c

Human Resources committee  I think that in some cases there's going to be a link and in some cases—Harriett McLachlan is one—there won't be a link. I think poverty is incredibly complex, and the paths into poverty and the persistence of poverty in someone's life can be very complex.

Human Resources committee  Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of programs to direct people to in the country at the moment, beyond income assistance or welfare programs, and there are some scant housing programs, etc., so what can I say? One of the things we are very concerned about at Canada Without Pove

Human Resources committee  I would only add that social condition has been recognized across the country in many human rights acts, at the provincial and territorial level, as a ground of discrimination. It's clear that it is a matter of human rights. One's social condition has an impact on how one is trea

Human Resources committee  Thank you. International human rights law says that state governments have to realize economic and social rights progressively, that is, over time. They can't sit back and put their feet up on the table. They have to realize that it takes progressive steps, and they have to use

Human Resources committee  Sorry, are these questions for us or...?

Human Resources committee  I just wanted to give her the opportunity. She's in a disadvantageous position. Would you like to commence, given that there's a direct relationship with what you discussed with respect to women?

Human Resources committee  Thanks for the question. There is a lot that the government and governments—I use the plural because, of course, housing is a multi-jurisdictional issue. It's the federal government, as well as the provincial government, as well as municipal governments. There's a lot that can b

Human Resources committee  Thanks for the question. Yes, it's absolutely essential that there be some coordination, bearing in mind the sensitivities around federal jurisdiction versus provincial jurisdiction. But there's no doubt that we should at least be striving for some kind of national standards. I

Human Resources committee  Good morning. I am Leilani Farha, the executive director of Canada Without Poverty, and the UN special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. I am going to pick up where Harriett left off, on this idea that poverty is a violation of human rights, and I'm going to try to

Procedure and House Affairs committee  In actual fact, in my scenario the woman did not flee to a shelter. She fled to a friend's house, and that is an important distinction. I didn't say whether the woman had children or not, but when a woman with a child who's experiencing violence leaves the home, often she will no

Procedure and House Affairs committee  You said it yourself. It's not that easy, and I certainly wouldn't disagree. Homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and missions are extremely busy places, seeing hundreds of people. The idea that you can just waltz in and get an attestation letter, as I said earlier, is quite ridicul