On obvious solutions

Andrew Jackson's post on the modest amount of resources needed to outright eliminate poverty in Canada is jarring enough on its own:

In 2008, the incidence of low income for all persons in Canada measured by the LICO After Tax measure was 9.4%, and the average gap or income shortfall relative to the LICO AT line was 33%. That gap in turn is equivalent to 1% of the after tax income of all Canadians.

In short, we could eliminate poverty by shifting just 1% of our collective income to the almost one in ten Canadians living in low income.

But Jackson's observation is particularly noteworthy when compared to the growing income shares of the wealthiest Canadians. After three decades of increasing inequality, the entire amount of money required to eradicate poverty in Canada is equal to only one sixth of the increase in the income share of the top 1% since 1977. Or if one prefers to start higher up the income chain, one third of the increase for the top 0.1% would do the job as well.

Of course, merely dealing with poverty wouldn't itself solve all the issues raised by the growing income and wealth gaps. But it's well worth noting the potential to completely wipe out poverty with only a small slice of the gains of the upper classes - signalling that the reason for inaction has nothing to do with an inability to afford steps to tackle poverty, and everything to do with a lack of will to do so.