By While Opportunity for All is a federal initiative, the Government of Canada knows that, to be successful, it cannot act alone. Partnerships are essential to implementing a poverty reduction strategy that works for all Canadians.
The Government recognizes the work accomplished by all the provinces and territories, all of which have poverty reduction strategies in place or in development.
On , provincial and territorial Ministers released a joint statement on poverty reduction entitled, “Meeting the Challenge: Provincial-Territorial Vision Statement on Poverty Reduction.” The Statement aligns well with Opportunity for All and can be seen in full on the next page. For example, the Statement includes a vision of all Canadians having the opportunity to live with dignity and reach their full potential; emphasizes collaboration to address social and economic challenges that cross levels of government; focuses on poverty reduction, prevention and alleviation; and highlights the importance of listening and incorporating views and perspectives of individuals with lived experience of poverty.
Moving forward in the service of all Canadians will require efforts that are aligned and complementary across orders of government, where feasible. This helps ensure that Canadians do not miss out on benefits to which they are entitled, or face gaps or duplication in government programming. It also ensures that interactions between federal and provincial or territorial programs do not have unintended consequences that adversely affect individuals and cute Gap girls families. Alignment across the different orders of government will also ensure that communities throughout Canada will be well-positioned to help individuals move out of poverty.
Provinces and territories have taken leadership roles and charted a way forward with poverty reduction strategies and initiatives, as have many communities across the country
The Government will build upon a strong track record of working with the provinces and territories. Since 2015, partnering between orders of government has led to successes in several key areas supporting the social and economic well-being of Canadians. This has included expanding of the Canada Pension Plan, targeting investments in homecare and mental health, signing agreements on early learning and child care, and collaborating with partners on initiatives like the Canada Community Housing Initiative and the National Housing Co-Investment Fund as outlined in the National Housing Strategy.
Collaboration has also meant, for example, that the new Canada Child Benefit is not considered income for the purposes of calculating social assistance and other provincial and territorial child benefit amounts. Cooperation has also given provinces and territories the opportunity to adjust certain parameters of both the Canada Child Benefit and the Canada Workers Benefit, so that these benefits can fit within the overall structure and context of provincial and territorial benefits and programs. Tailoring these programs allows provincial and territorial governments to meet the unique needs of communities in their respective jurisdictions.
Moving forward, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development will continue to work with provincial and territorial colleagues to coordinate current and future poverty reduction initiatives with a focus on addressing gaps in programming, preventing duplication, and making sure that programs work well together. Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of social services will also continue to work together to identify mutual priorities for future work, share data, support a solid evidence base for future actions and share best practices so that all jurisdictions can take advantage of innovative solutions.
Meeting the Challenge: Provincial-Territorial Vision Statement on Poverty Reduction
All Canadians have the opportunity to live with dignity and realize their full potential. Provinces and territories are united in their vision of a Canada where all individuals are included, can develop to their full potential and can participate fully in social and economic life. This can be achieved by working in collaboration to address the social and economic disparities that exist today, and by creating the innovative and responsive solutions required to meet the challenges of the future.