POVERTY ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL

The Senate Report, In from the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness was passed by the Senate unanimously at the end of April this year.  It’s at http://www.parl.gc.ca/40/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/citi-e/subsite-dec09-e/Report_Home-e.htm

The Harper Government has 150 days to respond to it – by late September!

So we can write Stephen Harper and our own M.P.s too, to urge that the federal government adopt a national poverty reduction strategy.  Contact information for MPs is available at http://www.parl.gc.ca or you may write your MP postage-free at her/his office at the House of Commons.

** Bill C-304 is the federal Bill for a National Housing Strategy, for which a vote will likely occur when the House of Commons resumes sitting toward the end of September this autumn.  Downtown Vancouver MP Libby Davies, the NDP Housing critic, put forward this bill, and has gathered increasing support, so that it may be adopted.  With this too, we can write Libby and our own MPs, to urge its adoption.

**Tony Martin, MP (Sault Ste. Marie) introduced an Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada on June 17th this year.  This is another positive initiative with which most Canadians agree.  Once again with this, we can write Tony and our own MPs to offer support for this goal.

If you feel comfortable supporting this organization I’m a former board member and they do great work and deserve our support.

Canada Without Poverty is the national organization dedicated to ending poverty in this country.  Beginning in 1971 at a gathering called the Poor People’s Conference that year in Toronto , it formed the National Anti-Poverty Organization which evolved into the present organization of Canada Without Poverty.  Its website can be accessed at http://www.cwp-csp.ca/Blog/ .

Its campaign of Dignity for All seeks to convince the federal government to adopt a federal plan to eliminate poverty that complements provincial and territorial plans, and so cooperates with those governments to adopt a national plan.  The campaign website can be accessed at http://www.dignityforall.ca/ .

Thanks, Mike

Michael Creek

Speakers Bureau

Voices From the Street

203-1499 Queen Street West,

Toronto Ontario

phone 416-504-1693

email: speakersbureau@bellnet.ca

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