CPJ on Parliament Hill

The last two weeks have presented a couple of interesting opportunities for CPJ staff members to connect with and dialogue with federal members of parliament about the need to address poverty in Canada.

On Friday, February 27, CPJ Executive Director Joe Gunn and Socio-Economic Policy Analyst Karri Munn-Venn met with Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth in his office on Parliament Hill.

Both Joe and Karri – along with Policy Analyst Chandra Pasma and Intern Mariel Angus – first met Woodworth when he attended CPJ’s pre-budget workshop on poverty in Kitchener, Ontario in January. A dialogue was begun about the role of the federal government in reducing poverty in Canada, particularly during this period of economic downturn.

The meeting on Friday allowed Joe and Karri to continue this conversation and discuss how to work towards federal government action on poverty. Together, they explored some of the barriers to federal engagement on this issue and agreed to pursue an ongoing dialogue. CPJ’s upcoming Dignity for All campaign, with its goal of creating a poverty-free Canada by 2020, was also introduced.

The following week, on Tuesday, March 3, Joe Gunn and Mariel Angus met on the Hill with NDP MP Paul Dewar, the NDP representative for the riding of Ottawa Centre. Dewar has been a supporter CPJ’s work since we moved to Ottawa in July of 2007 and has attended a number of CPJ events, including the Feeding Change Dinner in November of 2007.

The meeting on Tuesday was an opportunity to update Dewar on the work CPJ has been engaged in, and dialogue on the need for a federal poverty reduction strategy in Canada. They discussed CPJ’s disappointment with the 2009 Federal Budget for its failure to adequately address the needs of low-income, vulnerable and marginalized Canadians. They also shared information about the Dignity for All Campaign.

On Thursday, March 12, Joe Gunn and Mariel Angus also met with Harold Albrecht, the Conservative MP for the riding of Kitchener-Conestoga. Other CPJ staff members previously met Albrecht when he attended our Open House in November 2007. The meeting provided an important opportunity to connect again with Albrecht, introduce the Dignity for All Campaign, and converse about the need to address poverty in Canada.

All three meetings provided great opportunities to connect with our federal representatives and dialogue on the need for government action on poverty.