NEWS: Tabled in Parliament: Building Understanding: The First Report of the National Advisory Council on Poverty

 

In 2018, the Government of Canada made a historic commitment toward reducing poverty through Opportunity for All – Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy, which included the creation of the National Advisory Council on Poverty.

I am pleased to announce that I have tabled in Parliament the report Building Understanding: The First Report of the National Advisory Council on Poverty. The report highlights that if progress is maintained, the Government of Canada will meet its overall poverty reduction targets. The impacts of COVID-19 on our poverty reduction efforts remain to be seen, and we know there is more to do to ensure that every Canadian has a real and fair chance to succeed.

As part of its report, the National Advisory Council on Poverty made recommendations on five key areas which aim to improve poverty reduction efforts and the poverty data available for marginalized populations. Through programs like the Canada Child Benefit, which has lifted 367,000 children out of poverty, the Government of Canada is committed to continuing its poverty reduction efforts, and this report will help to inform government policies, programs and service delivery.

I would like to thank the Council for their efforts over the past year to produce Building Understanding: The First Report of the National Advisory Council on Poverty. I invite you to read the announcement and share the report with your colleagues and networks.

Sincerely,

Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Ahmed Hussen