POVERTY _

coninued from page 9

problem. We have a very serious crisis in Canada around homelessness because we don’t have a national housing strat-

°°

egy. Most recently, a leaked cabinet memo showed a recommenda- - tion by Bradshaw to her colleagues to increase funding for housing by $700-million, in addi- tional to the $50-million © already being spent. Many of her recommen- dations address ideas from Golden’s report. As well, Bradshaw saw that $1.2-million _ was earmarked specifi- cally for Toronto to deal |

with emergency shelters |

this winter.

This is encourag- ing for those working on — the front lines of pov- erty. “Ann [Golden] believes it’s a step in the right direction,” says a United Way representa- tive for Ann Golden. “The government is giving it attention, but it requires a three govern- ment level approach.”

But whatever action needs to be taken to combat poverty in Canada, most activists recognize Bradshaw was — never appointed to come —

_ times as a country. ted

up with all the answers. The Campaign 2000 report recognizes this _ and turns the heat onto 7 other federal cabinet — ministers.

side of the House of a

In the foyer out- :

Commons, Minister of Human Resources and Development Jane Stewart goes to meet reporters following the release of the Campaign 2000 report and a round of intense debate during question period. Many of the group’s recom- mendations will require action from her depart- ment along with the

infusion of money from _

Finance Minister Paul Martin. “Without question,

it’s clear that we’ve been -

though some difficult — beat decade tes been

an increase to the Na- | tional Child Benefit, a program that gives increased benefits to’ families with incomes

levels under $26,000 and ;

increased funding to provincial services and benefits for low-income

families. : “What we have

| found though in the context of at least the time we’ve been here is _

we have coment’ to

some of the tl

dest’

“Balderdash,” responds Broadbent to Stewart’s claims. “The country to the south of us has the highest GDP in the world. It also has the highest disparities

| between the rich and the : Jo poor of any of the indus- |

a nations.” “What we’ve by he: continues, ° ‘is a deci at the outset ‘where there was some

| downturn in the

economy, but a decade

that, quit disproportion- _ : ki ate to the d one oe

‘Her SOOKE fein in | grou

2000 is far more than the | colder anc $700-million being requested by Bradshaw for housing, and the $2- billion being promised by Stewart for new HRDC programs. —_—_| heat Back at the release | | $0

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