Canada / Moore should remember that Poverty costs Canada billions of dollars every year

Here’s something Industry Minister James Moore should know, after making his remark that the federal government is not in the business of feeding Canada’s poor children. Every year, Campaign 2000, a non-partisan public education movement to build awareness around poverty issues in Canada, releases a report on the state of our country’s children. It doesn’t paint a rosy picture.

This year’s report shows that child poverty in Canada continues at a high and unacceptable level, with income inequality continuing to grow. Most provinces and all three territories have recognized this as a crisis, and have put in place poverty reduction plans.  Unfortunately, the federal government has yet to come to the table—or create a poverty reduction plan of its own—despite numerous recommendations from its own reports to do just that.

There’s one thing we know for certain: Poverty and inequality have a devastating effect on children and families.

Poverty means living with constant worry about having enough healthy food to eat, adequate housing, clothing, not to mention time to get outside, to exercise, and to socialize with friends and relatives. This applies not only to those living on incomes in the poorest 10 per cent but also to those at each rung up the income scale; the middle class experiences more stress, a higher prevalence of disease and earlier death than high earners, while those with low incomes and living in poverty suffer most of all.

via Poverty costs Canada billions of dollars every year | hilltimes.com.

The Statement before the excuse

Looks like Ottawa won’t be helping provinces out with child poverty.

In a report released on Sunday, Federal Minister of Industry James Moore told News1130 that it is not his job to help British Colombia end its growing child poverty problem.

“Is it my job to feed my neighbour’s child? I don’t think so,” Moore said at a media scrum on Friday, adding that the provinces should be the ones to deal with it, not the federal government.

According to The Canadian Press, a report released last month by the child and youth advocacy group First Call stated that B.C. has the highest rate of child poverty, with 18.6 per cent of children going to school hungry. Canada, nationally, has a rate of 13.3 per cent.

“Certainly we want to make sure that kids go to school full bellied, but is that always the government’s job to be there to serve people their breakfast?” Moore asked. He added that the federal government contributes to the flattening of poverty by creating more jobs for Canadians.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at 

via Child poverty is not a federal problem: minister – Canada Society & Culture | Examiner.com.