Poverty can be beaten: report

from The Edmonton Sun

OTTAWA -- Victory over poverty in Canada is achievable with the right plan and enough political will, says the National Council of Welfare.

Rich and poor Canadians want governments to better help almost five million people living below Statistics Canada's low-income cut-off, says a new council survey and report released yesterday.

Voters support efforts ranging from guaranteed livable incomes to more affordable housing, child care, education and training, suggests the online poll. "We have roughly the same percentage of people living below the poverty line as 25 years ago," council chairman John Murphy said yesterday.

"It's causing a great deal of harm to about 4.9 million people who aren't moving ahead."

A tattered patchwork of welfare programs and low-income benefits isn't working, says Murphy. Federal help is too often undermined when provinces claw back in other areas, he said.

"Solutions, however, are within our reach and Canada can have the kind of success that other countries are achieving. Poverty is not inevitable."

The council of labour, health, women and community groups advises Social Development Minister Monte Solberg, who was not immediately available for comment.

The council is promoting a four-step program it says has helped other countries spread wealth. Canada, it says, is falling behind countries such as Sweden, that have set measurable targets to cut poverty in recent years.

Murphy says Ottawa could mirror those successes but must first create a national poverty strategy with clear goals and timelines. It must then come up with a co-ordinated action plan.

A family of four living in a small city was considered low-income in 2005 if its after-tax earnings were $27,000 a year or less, says Statistics Canada.

The council's online survey was done last fall. Responses were drawn from 5,000 individuals and more than 400 organizations across Canada.