What to ask your MP

CPJ’s Envisioning Canada Without Poverty campaign has ended. We thank CPJ members and supporters for contacting their MPs and sharing the important message that poverty must be addressed. Thanks to you, the campaign was a success. For new opportunities to get involved in the fight against poverty, check out CPJ’s new campaign: Dignity for All.

Here are some key messages to share with your MP in your meeting or your letter:

• Poverty is a significant concern for all Canadians. Poverty impacts the dignity and human rights of many Canadians, and it represents a serious cost to individuals, to our society and to our economy.

• The federal government needs to show leadership in combating poverty. It’s time for a comprehensive federal poverty reduction strategy.

• This strategy should include:
  • A long term vision with measurable targets and timelines.
  • A plan of action and a budget that coordinates initiatives within and across governments.
  • Accountability structures.
  • A set of agreed upon poverty indicators to plan and monitor progress.

• Will you commit to working towards a federal poverty reduction strategy announced in Budget 2009?

Here are some additional messages you can share with your MP:

• A federal poverty reduction strategy should address income insecurity and inequality, as well as other aspects of poverty including affordable housing, support for working Canadians, targeted strategies for aboriginal peoples and new Canadians, and support for provincial poverty reduction strategies.

• Initiatives the government could undertake immediately to demonstrate its serious commitment to reducing poverty could include:
  • Renew and extend the existing housing programs due to expire March 2009.
  • Commit to long-term strategic planning with appropriate funding on affordable housing.
  • Double the Working Income Tax Benefit and raise the cut-off for access so that someone working full-time, year round for minimum wage would qualify.
  • Reform EI to give access to people engaged in precarious or non-traditional employment.
  • Create a genuine national childcare and early learning plan.