CPJ on Goldhawk Live - watch the show!

For those of you that are regular readers of the CPJ website and blog, you will have noticed a few references last week to the fact that 20 years have gone by since the Canadian Parliament passed a unanimous resolution to end child poverty by the year 2000. You will also be aware that little has changed during that time. Last night, I had the opportunity to sit down with the man that introduced that famous motion 20 years ago, the Hon. Ed Broadbent. We discussed what has and hasn’t changed over the last two decades, what needs to be done, and the prospects for change in light of a new unanimous motion “… that the Government of Canada … develop an immediate plan to eliminate poverty in Canada for all,” passed last week in the House of Commons. Mr. Broadbent and I were guests on Goldhawk Live, a national call-in show, with host Dale Goldhawk. We heard from callers from across the country that – by and large – felt that the federal government needs to do more to address child poverty. If you didn’t get a chance to see the show live, you can see it online here.

Please note two corrections: (1) In 2007, one in every four children in First Nations communities were living in poverty (after-tax LICO); nearly half (49%) of off-reserve First Nations children under age 6 were in low-income families (before tax LICO).
(2) According to a 2008 statement by Parti Québécois Leader Pauline Marois, tax revenue from working mothers covers 40 per cent of the cost of child care in Quebec.