There is something appalling about the fact that hundreds of thousands of people do not manage to eat properly in Quebec. It is even more appalling that the government is not doing everything in its power to put an end to this situation, instead transferring the responsibility to the food bank network and to private charity.
On this day of media drive, we must denounce the government’s inaction on food insecurity. It is outrageous that Quebec still has to turn to private charity to provide food aid to people in need, when it set up a series of public services more than 50 years ago. Food banks do an amazing job. But this work should not make us forget that one of the links in the social safety net of the Quebec state should be food security.
To remedy this situation, why not increase the minimum wage, and thus allow people working full time to truly lift themselves out of poverty? Why not increase social assistance benefits, so that people can cover their basic needs as a minimum? Why not increase the amount of the solidarity tax credit paid to low and middle income people?
It is certainly not with the “exceptional benefit for the cost of living”, announced last week by the Minister of Finance, that people living in poverty will be able to improve their lot in the long term. People living alone who are already entitled to the solidarity tax credit will receive $ 275 and people in a couple or roommate, $ 200. Amounts that will barely cover the increase in the electricity rate and the increase in the cost of the grocery basket.
Today, rather than asking for charity, we should be in the streets to denounce the unacceptable – that is, that people do not have enough to eat in Quebec – and remind the government of its responsibilities and duties.
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