Dear Alex and others:

In 1989, the Canadian government made a commitment to eliminate (not reduce,
eliminate) child poverty by the year 2000. A few years after that making that
promise, it joined an international effort, promising a certain percentage of
funds to an international effort to reduce poverty world-wide. The government
has not kept either promise.

A high percentage of Canadians say that they want poverty reduced. There is a
disconnect between what Canadians say they want and the people they vote
for...to say nothing of the broken promises of the government.

Rhonda


p.s. I just sent my email and fax as Beth requested from those of us living in
Canada...do it all of you who are here in Canada..and those who are Canadians
living abroad, let your MPs know how unacceptable this is.





Quoting Alex Clark <[log in to unmask]>:

> Rhona,
>
> In the UK, reducing child poverty has been a major government policy theme
> in the past few years. (See:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3509886.stm). Progress has been made
> with child poverty at its lowest since 1989 and over one million children
> being lifted out of poverty. That said, whether these effects will be
> sustained in the child population or into adulthood is less clear (see:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/4034731.stm). The cost of
> living in the UK is far higher than Canada.
>
> Clear commitment and action is needed at the highest level. Leaving
> criticisms aside, the Labour goverment in the UK have made child poverty
> reduction one of its key aims, stated this clearly and given more tax
> credits for young families, initiated poverty reduction intiatives such as
> health action zones. Having moved here from UK 18 months ago, I do not get
> the sense here that the Canadian Federal Government has such a clear
> stance on or prioritisation of reducing child poverty. I would be happy to
> be wrong about this... At the provincial level, in Alberta, at the recent
> elections (two days) ago, child poverty barely registered as an issue.
>
> Alex
>
>
>
>
> ************************************************************************'
> Dr Alex Clark
>
> 4th Floor Clinical Sciences Building
> Faculty of Nursing
> University of Alberta
> Edmonton, AB.
> Canada T6G 2G3
> Tel: (780) 492 8347
> Fax: (780) 492 2551

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