Inequality and homelessness are rising in Canada despite a sustained economic boom and repeated federal promises to cut poverty, says an international study.
Poverty is rising among children and new immigrants, the middle class is finding it increasingly difficult to afford education and housing, and there are 250,000 Canadians living on the streets, says the study by Social Watch, a coalition of 400 non-government organizations from 50 countries...(which) was founded to monitor commitments made at 1995 U.N. social summits in Copenhagen and Beijing...
More than 1.7 million households live on less than $20,000 a year, and most are precariously housed. They do not own their homes and spend more than 30 per cent of income on rent.
With the economy growing and corporate profits booming, it's reasonable enough to expect some period where inequality would increase...at least until wages catch up to profits, assuming that's allowed.
But two other factors do thoroughly undercut any claim that the Liberals are an even remotely progressive party: first, the precipitous drop in the federal government's role, and second, the absolute increases in poverty in the face of a generally booming economy.
That's not to say that government involvement is inherently good. But there's an obvious correlation between the lessened federal role and the increase in poverty - and an even more obvious set of ways in which the federal government could reduce that poverty by spending just a tiny fraction of the percentage amount cut over the past 12 years.
Unfortunately, it seems the Liberals are more interested in pushing toward even further inequality and poverty than in remembering this particular promise. And it'll take a lot more monitoring efforts, by Social Watch and by other groups concerned with poverty, before the issue will even register on the political scene.
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