Finance committee  Unlike the low-income measure, the market basket measure is an absolute measure of poverty. It doesn't change necessarily over time in the way the low-income measure does, based on how everyone else is doing in the country. The low-income measure is a better measure of income ine

Finance committee  By putting Canada's official poverty line into law.... As was mentioned, that would follow separately. By putting that into law in addition to these targets, it would create the data points by putting those two pieces together.

Finance committee  Budget 2018 reinforced the government's commitment to the United Nations sustainable development goals. They include the goal of eliminating poverty, which is the first UN sustainable development goal. The target that is part of that UN sustainable development goal is aligned wit

Finance committee  There are a number of different jurisdictions that have put targets into legislation. The United Kingdom did it for child poverty in 2010. In Canada, British Columbia is in the process of doing it right now. There are precedents for this.

Finance committee  Of course.

Finance committee  Yes. There is something called the low income cut-off.

Finance committee  Yes, but I have a point of clarification. Statistics Canada actually produces three different measures of low income. They have the low income cut-off. They have the low-income measure, which is a relative measure. They also have the market basket measure, on which Canada's offic

Finance committee  The targets by their very definition are aspirational. That is inherent in the legal definition of what a target is, so that is why you find the word “aspire” in the legislation.

Finance committee  During the consultations on the poverty reduction strategy, a broad range of stakeholder groups and Canadians called for legislation that would entrench a federal commitment to reducing poverty. By putting the targets in legislation, it provides Canadians and parliamentarians wit

Finance committee  The poverty reduction strategy committed to putting three things in legislation. The bill that's before you today only includes the targets, but the government has also committed to putting into legislation the establishment of Canada's official poverty line, which is that measur

Finance committee  I am just the messenger. There is no consequence set out in legislation; however, it does, again, as I said, give Canadians and parliamentarians a tool to hold government to account by asking, for example, challenging questions like the one you're asking now.

Finance committee  The amendment being made is simply an enabling authority. The actual details of the measure would be set out in regulations.

Finance committee  It could be determined, but it could be.

Finance committee  Yes.

Finance committee  Identifying the type of penalty... Other penalties could involve a ban from the program, for example. You could identify a—