Ordinary Canadians are rightly concerned about the growing affordability gap, poverty, and economic inequality in our communities. We are one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, but under successive Conservative and Liberal governments it keeps getting worse – the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and working families are getting squeezed.

Jack Layton and the New Democrats will meet this unacceptable trend head-on, with powerful poverty-fighting initiatives that will restore affordability, fairness and balance to families and individuals, including those who live in poverty.

Jack Layton and the New Democrats will:

Introduce a Poverty Elimination Act to eliminate poverty in Canada by the year 2020:

• This act will set firm targets, and make the government accountable for achieving these targets.
• The act will make the government accountable for eliminating poverty in Canada by 2020.
• Every five years the government will have to report on its progress and deliver an action plan, to be approved by the House of Commons.
• Initial targets will include reducing child poverty by more than 50 percent and the overall poverty rate by more than 35 percent in the first five years.
• The act will establish a poverty elimination office housed within HRDC to assume overall responsibility for implementing our poverty-reduction strategy and developing concrete poverty indicators.

To help families make ends meet – and to reach out to children living in poverty, we will:

• Phase in a new Child Benefit. This benefit, modelled on the existing Canada Child Tax Benefit, will expand in phases to $5,000 a year per child, and consolidate the current piecemeal system of benefits and tax credits for children into a single, better, non-taxable monthly cheque to parents.
• Work with provinces to eliminate the provincial claw-back of much needed Child Supplement Benefits for families receiving social assistance.
• Make substantial investments in affordable, accessible, child care for all Canadians.
• Provide aggressive incentives help ordinary families and those with low or fixed incomes become more energy-efficient, helping to both reduce rising energy costs and contribute to the fight against climate change.
• Establish a fair minimum wage of $10 and index it to inflation.
• Immediately reform the Employment Insurance system to ensure fairness and support for unemployed Canadians.
• Institute a "Bring Canada Home" affordable housing plan.
• Reinstitute a pan-Canadian affordable housing program.
• Improve workplace standards and protect workers' pensions.
• Expand literacy and skills training.