Action/Campaigns

Make the Minimum Wage a Living Wage

NAPO is coordinating a national campaign to Make the Minimum Wage a Living Wage.

Join our campaign by:

• using the Living Wage Workshop to educate and organize support for the campaign
• send a Living Wage Pay Cheque to your provincial or territorial premier
• participate in actions organized by provincial living wage coalitions.
• Use the Living Wage Campus Activist Kit to organize action at your university or college.

Our Future Now! - End Youth Poverty.

The National Anti-Poverty Organization has launched a Youth Poverty Initiative that seeks to engage youth in taking action on youth poverty. We aim to achieve some meaningful progress on at least two issues that would help to reduce youth poverty such as raising minimum wages, capping and reducing post secondary education tuition and easing access to Employment Insurance. More...

Make Poverty History

Help to Make Poverty History, by signing on to this international action campaign against poverty.

Here's what we want in 14 words:
More and Better Aid.
Trade Justice.
Cancel the Debt.
End Child Poverty in Canada.

The symbol of the campaign is a simple White Band. By wearing it you'll be part of Make Poverty History, a unique worldwide effort to end extreme poverty - for good. The White Band can be worn around the wrist, your arm - in fact anywhere you like that it can be seen by everyone.

Add your voice to Make Poverty History.

Stop the Clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement

The Hands off! Campaign asks the Ontario and the Federal governments to do 2 things:

• End the clawback of the National Child Benefit Supplement from families on social assistance, now!
• Fund the reinvestment programs that work for low-income families out of other provincial and federal revenues.

Take Action Now to End the Clawback!

News/Commentary

Headlines:

Don't Ignore Recommendations of UN Committee on Human Rights, NGOs say May 22, 2006

UN Experts question Canada’s inaction on poverty, housing, aboriginal rights May 8, 2006

Warning: Tax cuts may be dangerous to your health May 5, 2006

Canada fails to meet economic and social rights obligations, United Nations told April 28, 2006

Moving Forward: Alternative Federal Budget puts the surplus to work April 28, 2006

Avoid a claw back by delivering the Choice in Child Care Allowance through the Child Tax Benefit March 13, 2006

NAPO issues clarification on GST tax cut December 5, 2005

Relieve energy cost squeeze on the poor – We need long term solutions, not just pre-election one-off response says NAPO September 30, 2005

NAPO welcomes challenge on constitutional right to civil legal aid June 20, 2005

UNICEF Report on Child Poverty Slams Canada
March 17, 2005

Right to adequate housing is at issue in Inter-American Commission on Human Rights hearings March 4, 2005

We Can Make Child Poverty History in Canada
By Dennis Howlett, February 20, 2005

Tax cuts "for the poor" could end up going mostly to the rich November 17, 2004

Time for Governments to Raise Social Assistance Rates and End Punitive Regulations June, 2004

Tax cuts "for the poor" could end up going mostly to the rich warns NAPO

“Tax cuts being considered supposedly to help the poor could end up going mostly to middle and upper income families, ” warned Dennis Howlett, Executive Director of the National Anti-Poverty Organization in an appearance before the Parliamentary Finance Committee on November 17, 2004.

NAPO tabled a paper prepared for them by Andrew Mitchell and Richard Shillington, which shows that increasing the personal credit to $12,000 would result in only 3.5% of the share of the benefit going to low-income families. The paper also shows that when provincial taxes are also included, the poorest people are paying 35% of their income in taxes, the same rate as those with incomes over $100,000 are paying. This is largely because the poor pay more as a percentage of their income in GST and provincial sales taxes than the rich.

“Canada no longer has a progressive tax system.” Howlett claimed. “But some of the tax cut options being considered would do little to make it more progressive,” he warned. “The best way to deliver tax cuts for poor families is through changes to the GST, either restoring the real value of the GST credit for low-income families and improving on it or through reducing the GST rate,” NAPO told the Committee.

“Debt reduction and tax cuts which have been the focus of the last several budgets have succeeded in increasing the rate and depth of poverty,” said NAPO President, Robert Arnold. He said it is time that priority be given to the needs of poor Canadians. NAPO called for increased spending on social housing, raising the Child Tax Benefit to $4900 a year per child and implementation of a national childcare program.

For more information see:

NAPO Discussion Paper: Federal relief for low income people
by Andrew Mitchell and Richard Shillington

NAPO Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance, Pre-Budget Consultations, Nov. 2004

Time for Governments to Raise Social Assistance Rates and End Punitive Regulations NAPO News Release, July 2004

It's time governments across the country raised welfare rates so people can get out and stay out of poverty, says the National Anti-Poverty Organization in responding to the release of the National Council of Welfare Report entitled Welfare Incomes 2003. The recently released report showed that welfare rates continue to be well below what is required to obtain even basic necessities like food and shelter.

"This report lets politicians know just how bad things are for those who are trying to live on social assistance," says Robert Arnold, President of NAPO. "It shows that current social assistance rates help keep people in poverty. They don't help them overcome it."

While the extent of poverty has not changed a great deal, the depth of poverty has grown dramatically with social assistance rates in many provinces set at less than half the poverty line.

Over the last 10 years, provinces and territories have cut social assistance rates and introduced punitive regulations that have limited people's ability to find work and affordable housing, pay bills and purchase basic necessities. In 1996, the Ontario Conservatives under Mike Harris cut provincial rates by 21.6% and more recently (in 2002) British Columbia eliminated all earnings exemptions for people receiving assistance and placed time limits on how long a person can receive benefits. "These restrictions and practices are not acceptable. It's time for governments to address the facts about poverty and low benefits, and start raising rates," says Arnold. "They have an obligation and a responsibility to take immediate action on this issue." More...

Some pages on this web site require Adobe Reader.