The 50th Anniversary of the UN Declaration: A Human Rights Meltdown in Canada THE NATIONAL ANTI-POVERTY ORGANIZATION The report was submitted to the United Nations Committee prior to their recent questioning of Canadian government representatives in Geneva on November 26 that governments in Canada have failed in its and 27. It provides clear evidence that governments in Canada have failed in its obligations to protect the rights of Canadians, including: The loss of the right to income support when in need. A National Child Benefit that discriminates against children in families on social assistance. An insurance program for unemployed workers that provides benefits to less than 40% of the unemployed. Minimum wages that are below the poverty line. The growth in income inequality between the rich and the poor. A poverty rate for single mothers that has been consistently around 60%. The growth in the numbers of children who are living in poor families. The abysmal economic and social conditions of native peoples. NAPO’s 2nd Vice President, Jacquie Ackerly stated, "The United Nations may rank Canada as #1 in the world in overall development, but this report provides clear evidence that the benefits of that development are not shared equally in Canada." Released on Febuary 17, 1999 Federal Budget Widens the Gap Between the Rich and The Poor OTTAWA – Yesterday’s federal budget has demonstrated once again the federal government’s lack of commitment to dealing with the growing inequality in this country between the rich and the poor. According to Mr. Martin: "Markets . . . cannot prevent the gap between rich and poor from becoming an unbridgeable gulf." But did he really need to add to the problem? Although some of the tax cuts provide relief to low income Canadians, the gap between many of the poor and the rich was made even wider by the proportionately larger tax benefits to Canadians who are better off financially. For example, compare the situations of two single people; one who earns $15,000 and one who earns $100,000 (approximately 40% of single Canadians earned less than $15,000 in 1996). The Gap between their incomes will actually increase by $658. GAP WIDENS BY $658 A clear link exists between income inequality and health. Some of the most serious health problems in this country are those faced by the poor. We know that increasing poverty means increasing demands on the health care system and yet despite the fact that cuts to social assistance programs have been almost 50% larger than cuts to the health care system; despite the fact that the lives of poor Canadians will be about 5 years shorter then those who are well off; despite the fact that homeless people are dying on our streets; despite the fact that over 700,000 Canadians had to rely on food banks last year; despite all of these clear indications of crisis, this budget does nothing to address the lack of adequate income support to those in need. President of NAPO, Pam Coates commented: "What we needed to see in this budget was a commitment to a new national program of income support that guarantees adequate financial assistance to every Canadian in need, with no strings attached. I am definitely disappointed." The budget was also silent on measures to help the unemployed in Canada. There was no indication in this budget that workers who have paid their insurance premiums will increase their chances of receiving benefits under the Employment Insurance program. Fewer than 40% of the unemployed are entitled to receive benefits, and with $20 billion surplus in the EI fund, the federal government has refused to make any commitment to reform the program. In response to the dire need of families with children in Canada, the finance minister re-announced additional funds for the National Child Benefit program. However, despite increased funding, Mr. Martin failed to address the program’s most glaring deficiency; not one penny of the benefit will increase financial support for families who are receiving social assistance (except in the provinces of Newfoundland and New Brunswick). Bev Brown, NAPO’s International Secretary, was clearly angered: "The federal government is ignoring the recommendations of the United Nations Committee, made up of 18 international experts in human rights, who concluded last December that the National Child Benefit discriminates against families on welfare. This budget stinks." FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 12, 1999 UNITED NATIONS REPORT BOOSTS CANADA'S POVERTY RATING The 1999 Human Development Report from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has ranked Canada 9th out of 17 of the top industrialized countries based on the Human Poverty Index (HPI), up from a ranking of 10th place last year. The HPI evaluates industrialized countries in terms of the proportion of people who are left out of their country's progress. The Human Poverty Index takes into account four factors: - The number of people who are not expected to live to the age of 60 years - The proportion of people who are functionally illiterate - The number of people living below the poverty line - The rate of long-term unemployment According to Mike Farrell, Assistant Director of the National Anti-Poverty Organization, "it is encouraging to see a small improvement in Canada's ranking, although with 5.2 million people still living in poverty, there is considerably much more work to be done." Canada still holds first place on the Human Development Index -- which measures average well-being -- and the UNDP has praised Canada for being "very successful in translating income into the well-being of its people." However, the report also notes that "Canada has not been as successful in reducing human poverty, and inequality remains a problem." По население Канада е два пъти по-малка от Западна Германия. Значи делиме на половина и прибавяме. 9 милиона гладни източногерманци + 1,5 бедни етнически немци от Източна Европа + 500 000 емигранти от войната в Югославия + 50 млрд помощи за братска Русия + 5 млрд за Израел ++++++ Ей това цялото като го прибавиме към Канада тя ще фалира като държава. А на всичкото отгоре Германия е в челнарта 3 по най-ниска бедност в света. Статистиката има винаги две лица. И когато използваш само едното става пропаганда.