The National Council of Welfare launches its latest report, The Dollars and Sense of Solving Poverty

The National Council of Welfare launches its latest report, The Dollars and Sense of Solving Poverty

Imagine standing at the top of Niagara Falls in a windstorm. Which would you rather see: a secure railing preventing you from going over the edge or a fleet of lifeboats with paramedics at the bottom, waiting to fish you out of the water?

That was the image John Rook, Chair of the National Council of Welfare, used at the September 28th launch in Ottawa of the Council's most recent report, The Dollars and Sense of Solving Poverty.

The message in this report, however, requires no imagination, said Mark Chamberlain, a Hamilton businessperson, member of the National Council of Welfare, and past Chair of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction: "Poverty equals great expense. Poverty equals very poor health."

Chamberlain joined other distinguished speakers and more than 40 invitees from a range of organizations, including universities, the Senate of Canada, Aboriginal organizations, and various rights institutes, to discuss the National Council of Welfare report.

Canada can no longer afford poverty. Despite spending billions of dollars, "poverty doesn't budge," said Rook. Over 3 million Canadians still live in poverty. Rather than the traditional spending model to try to reduce poverty, the Council report advocates a more effective and hopeful investment approach that focuses on benefits.

The Dollars and Sense of Solving Poverty shows two clear patterns. The first is one of very expensive spending where Canadians pay top dollar for temporary fixes. "We pay for wasted potential—people contribute more if they are not hungry, poorly paid, ill-housed, stigmatized, or ignored," said Rook. The indirect and societal costs of poverty are the most expensive.

The second pattern from the report is one of investment—a route to sustained progress that benefits all Canadians, not just those living in poverty. "We need to get the whole job done. Lives can be transformed, society can be improved, and we can save taxpayers' dollars," said Rook. Effective investment requires understanding the conditions that create wellbeing.

Dr. Jeff Turnbull, past president of the Canadian Medical Association and an Ottawa physician, sees the consequences of poverty every day. Within Canada's capital, he witnesses homeless populations with rates of HIV higher than sub-Saharan Africa. Investing in housing and education can have more impact on health than status quo health care spending.

Investing in people is not an act of charity, but rather the protection of the rights of all Canadians to a decent standard of living. "No Canadian should be exposed to violence, hunger, or lack of education or housing," said Dr. Turnbull.

The Dollars and Sense of Solving Poverty clarifies the discussion by exploring the hidden costs of poverty in the economy and in the health, justice, and education systems. Investments in poverty reduction are identical to investments needed for prosperity and high-performing economies.

Alain Noël, a professor at Université de Montréal and president of Quebec's Centre d'étude sur la pauvreté et l'exclusion, said the current European crisis demonstrates that it is perilous to construct an economic market without building a society.

Participants at the report launch encouraged policy-makers and advocates to move past the moral argument against poverty in favour of an economic and rights-based approach. "As a society, we pay dearly for inequity," said Dr. Turnbull. The Council report shows that 20% of health care expenditures, or $40 billion a year, can be attributed to socio-economic disparities.

Senator Hugh Segal called the report fundamental to upcoming negotiations on federal-provincial transfer funding for health and other issues. The senator said the International Monetary Fund has stated that the single largest future threat is the economic gaps within countries, not the economic differences between countries.

Senator Art Eggleton echoed Senator Segal's comments, calling for a comprehensive national plan to avoid further financial waste. "At best, we maintain people in poverty, and in many cases, we entrap people in poverty," he said.

While a concerted effort is urgently needed at all levels of government, participants specifically pointed to the role municipalities must play in solving poverty. Edgar MacLeod, a veteran police officer, said poverty does not reside in provinces or in Canada—it resides in municipalities, in the streets.

Chief Ovide Mercredi added that municipalities do not know, and cannot respond adequately to, Aboriginal Canadians. The report emphasizes that it is the role of responsible governments to provide positive social infrastructure.

Participants at the launch event called for a new way to talk to all Canadians. In the minds of citizens, there is no clear vision of what causes poverty, so there is no clear way to fight it. Specialists must transform complex issues to allow economically secure individuals and families to personalize poverty.

Canada has achieved significant reduction in poverty among seniors. Canada has the capacity and the public policy potential to build further success stories. Coordinating and simplifying programs is key to sustained, integrated social policy models.

Sherri Torjman, Vice-President of the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, focused on the links between disabilities and poverty. She spoke about what she calls the "three ghosts of poverty" – the income security of care receivers; the vulnerable employment status of the caregiver; and the cost of health- and disability-related goods and services.  She added that the bigger challenge concerns the overall availability of disability supports – the goods and services that allow people with disabilities and frail elderly individuals to live independently in communities. Access throughout the country varies in different provinces and territories, and by type and severity of condition, age of recipient and household income. Without greater coherence and consistency, no genuine "system" of disability support can be said to exist.   

Through this report, the National Council of Welfare recommends a four-part solution to solve poverty:

• Develop a Canada-wide strategy.
• Create a sustained investment plan.
• Build a consistent design framework.
• Provide a forum for conversation and action.

The Dollars and Sense of Solving Poverty clearly reasons that an investment model geared to long-term solutions is the quickest way to end poverty in Canada. A Canada without poverty benefits all Canadians. "Canada needs more informed, inclusive, reasoned conversation to get lasting action on poverty for everyone's sake," said Rook.

The report is ambitious in its scope, drawing resources from a range of disciplines. Further details on the report can be found at www.ncw-cnb.gc.ca.

Released Date 2011-09-28