HUGHES CALLS FOR ACTION ON POVERTY
“It is becoming clear that the high price of food is pushing more people into poverty,” Carol Hughes, MP Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing
HUGHES CALLS FOR ACTION ON POVERTY: FOOD BANK USE GROWS AS STIMULUS SET TO END
OTTAWA, ON – Ontarians are being forced to do more with less and the growth in poverty statistics has been mirrored by a huge increase in the number of people dependant on Food Banks, according to Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP, Carol Hughes. Hughes is calling on the government to take action on the issue and is questioning the value of ending federal stimulus in the face of such dire circumstance.
“The increase in the number of people who use food banks indicate a long standing problem which has only gotten worse due to the recession,” said Hughes in Question Period Tuesday, November 16th. “The situation will only get worse with the end of the economic stimulus program, the implementation of new budgetary constraints, and the government’s refusal to table a plan to eliminate poverty in our communities.”
Hughes question comes as poverty statistics show Ontario is slipping in all areas tracked. With the fourth highest poverty and child poverty rates in the country, Ontario lost over half of all jobs lost in Canada at the onset of the recession, shedding 3.1% of its economy between October 2008 and October 2009. During the same period, food prices grew by 4.7%, with the price of vegetables rising by an astonishing 10.4%.
“It is becoming clear that the high price of food is pushing more people into poverty,” said Hughes. “This government is going to have to come up with a plan to address this unacceptable trend, including questioning whether this is the best time to stop the stimulus program.”
New Democrat Poverty Critic, Tony Martin reported earlier in the day that the 2010 Hunger Count showed 870,000 people using food banks this year and that food bank use has increased by 25% over a two year period. These are troubling statistics that highlight how much work remains undone as Canada tries to climb out of recession.
