Budget decisions are unquestionably moral decisions: they reveal our values, affect how resources are allocated, and shape our common future as Canadians.We believe that our economy should be an economy of care, putting the well-being of people and of the earth at the heart of economic planning. By promoting dignity for all Canadians, strengthening social security, and supporting fairness and equal opportunity, Budget 2010 can help Canada to take steps towards an economy of care for all Canadians. Read more »
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Ottawa, ON: Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) praised a new private member’s bill tabled in the House of Commons today calling for a federal poverty elimination strategy. The bill was tabled by Tony Martin of the New Democratic Party and seconded by Mike Savage of the Liberal Party and Yves Lessard of the Bloc Québécois.
“This is an important piece of legislation that will help to promote dignity for all Canadians,” said Chandra Pasma, CPJ’s public justice policy analyst. “We believe that developing a poverty elimination strategy is something all political parties, all Canadians and all people of faith should support. We are pleased to see this cross-party cooperation in introducing the bill, and we hope it will continue until the bill is adopted.” Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 - 3:16PM
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A Private Member’s bill mandating the creation of a federal poverty elimination strategy was tabled this afternoon in the House of Commons. The bill was presented by Tony Martin of the New Democratic Party and seconded by Mike Savage of the Liberal Party and Yves Lessard of the Bloc Québécois.
Bill C-545 directs the federal government to consultatively develop a federal poverty elimination strategy, creates a new, independent Poverty Commissioner to monitor progress of the strategy, and provides a stronger advisory role for the National Council of Welfare, to be renamed the National Council of Poverty and Social Inclusion. Read more »
The Executive Director of CPJ wrote to Prime Minister Stephen Harper to request that the federal government support Bill C-304, (“An Act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians.”) Unfortunately, Canada is the only major developed country that is without a national housing strategy. Citizens for Public Justice holds that a pan-Canadian housing strategy is a core element of the comprehensive poverty elimination plan that this country urgently needs. Bill C-304, a Private Member’s Bill originally proposed by Vancouver East MP Libby Davies, has been reviewed by Parliament’s Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. It calls for a National Housing Strategy that will bring all levels of government together to enact a plan to increase safe, affordable housing across Canada. The Bill could be voted on as early as this fall. Read more »
CPJ's AGM begins at 6:00pm with refreshments and music, followed by our business meeting at 6:30pm.
All are welcome to join us at 7:30pm for a talk from Richard Shillington, well-known social policy analyst at Informetrica Inc, entitled Recession, Recovery and Poverty: Is the End Near? CPJ's Karri Munn-Venn will provide a Christian reflection on the challenges Richard presents to us. Read more »
By Rebekah Sears | Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 - 10:06AM
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Yesterday CPJ launched a new research paper, Bearing the Brunt: How the 2008-2009 Recession Created Poverty for Canadian Families, on Parliament Hill. This paper looks rising economic insecurity and indicators of poverty including Employment Insurance, social assistance, costs of living and food bank usage caused by the latest recession.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Ottawa, ON: The 2008-2009 recession created poverty for hundreds of thousands of Canadian families, according to a new report released by Citizens for Public Justice (funded by World Vision Canada). Read more »
The recession has had a tremendous impact on Canadians. Job losses and a faltering safety net have added hundreds of thousands of people to the population of Canadians living in poverty. Economic stimulus and deficit spending are most certainly required to confront this vulnerability. Measures to create and sustain jobs and to build a strong and healthy country are needed. But this cannot be done at the expense of those on the margins, excluded from mainstream society. Read more »
The Dish on Dignity was a fantastic success. By enabling connections and breaking down barriers between parliamentarians and Canadians living in poverty, it provided an important moment for all involved to better understand the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and to rally around a common cause. Read more »
By Rebekah Sears | Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 - 1:56PM
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Check out the photos from the Dish on Dignity, an event hosted by Citizens for Public Justice,Canada Without Poverty and the Dignity for All Campaign. The Dish on Dignity brought together parliamentarians, social justice advocates and low income folks for a conversation about the reality of poverty in Canada and ways to eliminate it. Read more »
The recession has had a tremendous impact on Canadians. Job losses and a faltering safety net have added hundreds of thousands of people to the population of Canadians living in poverty. Economic stimulus and deficit spending are most certainly required to confront this vulnerability. Measures to create and sustain jobs and to build a strong and healthy country are needed. But this cannot be done at the expense of those on the margins, excluded from mainstream society. 
