Most of our organizations actively participated in the mobilization which led, in 2002, to the adoption of the Act to combat poverty and social exclusion. An imperfect law, but which has the merit of committing the government to “gradually bring Quebec […] among the industrialized nations with the fewest poor people”, and this, with the perspective of “moving towards a Quebec without poverty”.
Even today, we carry this ideal of a Quebec without poverty. It goes without saying that we are impatiently awaiting the tabling of the fourth plan to combat poverty, which the Minister responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, Chantal Rouleau, must submit before the end of June.
Our message has not been heard
We are one of the hundreds of organizations that participated in the government consultation and who have made numerous representations to the minister to remind her of the urgency of providing Quebec with an ambitious government action plan, which will finally allow us to strive towards a society without poverty.
Each time, the minister assured us that she had heard our message and that her response would come in the next action plan. But, here we are. But unfortunately, everything suggests that she misunderstood our message or, at least, that it did not get through to her colleagues in government.
The budget tabled on March 12 announced an investment of $784 million over the next five years to “reduce poverty and promote social inclusion.” In all likelihood, this is the heart of the next action plan. This is almost four times less than what was allocated in the previous action plan.
Essentially, the government was content to renew existing measures. The only new thing is the possibility for people in social assistance and social solidarity programs to keep 10% of their work earnings in excess of permitted work income. A ridiculous and insulting measure, which currently only concerns around 1% of people on social assistance.
This lack of vision is all the more shocking in the current context. With affordable housing becoming increasingly difficult to find and homelessness and food insecurity steadily increasing, does the government really have nothing better to offer to “reduce poverty?” » ?
It is not too late
Today, we are uniting our voices to ask the government to take a step back between now and the submission of the anti-poverty plan. It is not too late for him to decide to assume his responsibilities and offer us an action plan that meets our needs.
To begin with, the government should prioritize increasing the income of people who cannot cover their basic needs. Can we believe that in Quebec, on average, one in ten people cannot cover their needs as defined by the Consumer Basket Measure? Let us remember that we are talking about the minimum subsistence level, what is necessary to live in health. Enabling all Quebecers to cover their basic needs is the first step towards a Quebec without poverty. This could be done by increasing social assistance benefits and the solidarity tax credit.
A substantial increase in the minimum wage is also necessary, as even people working full time live in poverty. A growing number of workers must also resort to food banks.
Alongside this, the government must tackle the housing crisis. We know that rent represents the main budget item for people experiencing poverty and that it is increasingly difficult for them to find affordable housing that meets their needs. Thus, the government should massively support the construction of social housing and ensure control of private market rents.
Obviously, the fight against poverty is inseparable from strong and accessible public services. These allow people experiencing poverty to benefit from goods and services to which they would not otherwise have access. A plan to combat poverty worthy of the name should therefore seek to improve access to public services and this largely involves reinvestment. This can also involve an expanded range of services, for example in terms of dental care or public transport.
We will defend our ideal
Minister Rouleau has raised enormous expectations among people experiencing poverty since the start of her mandate. Unfortunately, there is no sign that it will deliver the goods.
Let us remember that the first three plans to combat poverty, even if they only made timid progress, at least ensured the implementation of certain structuring measures, such as support for children, credit for solidarity tax and the basic income program. Could it be that we are not even entitled to such a measure in the fourth anti-poverty plan?
We can’t wait to see. In the meantime, we are preparing to relaunch the mobilization with the Collective for a Quebec without poverty to ensure that our message is heard and to defend our ideal of a Quebec without poverty, more egalitarian and rich in all its people.
*Have co-signed this text:
(National groups) Alain Ambeault, csv, general director of the Canadian Religious Conference; Marie-Line Audet, general director of the National Table of Community Development Corporations (TNCDC); Thomas Bastien, general director of the Association for Public Health of Quebec (ASPQ); Mario Beauchemin, 3e vice-president of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ); Peter Belland, president of the board of directors of the Regroupement des Ressources Alternatives en Santé Mentale du Québec (RRASMQ); Denis Bolduc, general secretary of the Quebec Federation of Workers (FTQ); Patrick Bydal, vice-president for political life of the Autonomous Education Federation (FAE); Émilie Charbonneau, 2e vice-president of the Alliance of Professional and Technical Personnel in Health and Social Services (APTS); Vincent Chevarie, responsible for political files and communications at Au bas de l’école; Paule Dalphond, general director of the Regroupement des Auberges du coeur du Québec (RACQ); Sylvain Dubé, general director of the Community Mental Health Network (COSME); Mariepier Dufour, general director of the Federation of Associations of Single-Parent and Recomposed Families of Quebec (FAFMRQ); Martine Fillion, president of the Regroupment of Popular Literacy Groups of Quebec (RGPAQ); Jocelyne Gamache, general coordinator of the Regroupement des cuisines collectives du Québec (RCCQ); Micheline Germain, president of the Association of Retirees from Education and Other Public Services of Quebec (AREQ-CSQ); Michel Girard, vice-president, responsible for the defense of public services of the Quebec Public and Parapublic Service Union (SFPQ); Richard Gravel, general director of the Collective of integration enterprises of Quebec; Valérie Lépine, co-coordinator of the Popular Education and Community Action Movement of Quebec (MÉPACQ); Mélanie Mailhot, coordinator of the Quebec Regroupment of community action workers in CISSS and CIUSSS (RQIIAC); Daniel Marineau, national representative of ATD Fourth World; Natalie Pouliot, executive director of the Coalition of Community Organizations for Workforce Development (COCDMO); Françoise Ramel, vice-president of the Interprofessional Health Federation of Quebec (FIQ), socio-political sector, Solidarity, co-responsible for Status of Women; Caroline Senneville, president of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN); Catherine Tragnée, community organizer, Common Front of People on Social Assistance in Quebec; Luc Vachon, president of the Central Democratic Unions (CSD); Stéphanie Vallée, co-coordinator of the R of Quebec women’s centers.
(Regional collectives) Alison Beaumont, Committee for a Quebec without poverty Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean; Marc Benoît, coordinator of the Mauricie Group of Autonomous Popular Education Organizations (ROEPAM); Sylvain Caron and Johanne Saint-Denis, Lanaudière Anti-Poverty Collective; Michel Dubé, Regroupement contre l’impoverishment Rimouski-Neigette; Rosalie Dupont, co-coordinator of the Action Table against Impoverishment in Estrie (TACAE); Louise Gallien, Collective Gaspésie-Les Îles for a Quebec without poverty; Josée Harnois, spokesperson for TROVEP Montérégie; Nancy Hubert, coordinator of the Association of Independent Popular Education Groups Centre-du-Québec (AGÉPA); Laurent Lévesque, Collective for the fight and action against poverty in the Quebec region (CLAP 03); Anick Lorrain, president of the board of directors of the Laurentides Regional Social Development Council; Marise Proulx, Chaudière-Appalaches Reflection and Action Group against Poverty (GRAP); Annie Savage, director of the Support Network for Single and Homeless People of Montreal (RAPSIM); Michel Savard, coordinator of the Table of Popular Groups of the North Shore.