Canadian federal government commits to national poverty relief

Justin Trudeau

In one of his early moves as the new prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau has demonstrated that he, and the Canadian government, is committed to coming up with a national poverty reduction strategy. Earlier this month, he addressed an official mandate letter to Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, instructing him to make the issue a top priority.

Canada Without Poverty (CWP), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of poverty across the country, commented on the matter.

“This is an important step by the new government, and one we warmly welcome. The United Nations has been telling the Government of Canada for years now that it must address poverty and homelessness as a pressing human rights concern and a matter of immediacy,” said Leilani Farha, CWP executive director.

“Prioritizing poverty within the first month of taking office demonstrates Prime Minister Trudeau’s commitment to the most vulnerable in Canada.”

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