NDP Statement on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

NDP Critic for Families, Children and Social Development, Brigitte Sansoucy, issued the following statement :

“Over 700 million people in the world live in extreme poverty. Even though Canada is a wealthy country, one in 10 people live in poverty, that’s 4.8 million Canadians. This is unacceptable and we must act now.

Over 25 years ago, the NDP Leader at the time, Ed Broadbent, tabled a motion to end child poverty by the year 2000, and it received unanimous all-party support. It has now become clear that neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives before them have done enough to end child poverty since 1.2 million children in Canada continue to be affected.

Our country’s most vulnerable are forced to continue to live in difficult conditions, with low incomes, barely making ends meet. The NDP will continue to call on the Liberals to implement real social policies to effectively reduce poverty: pharmacare for all, a national housing strategy, a universal childcare system and a minimum wage of $15 per hour.”