Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

Comité permanent des ressources humaines, du développement des compétences, du développement social et de la condition des personnes handicapées

For immediate release

Ottawa, May 31, 2017 -

Today, MP Bryan May, Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities presented the Committee’s Seventh Report in the House of Commons, Breaking the Cycle: A Study on Poverty Reduction.

“We heard witnesses from and visited communities all across Canada because we know that poverty touches every community, and Canadians see ending poverty as a moral obligation. Our report focuses on innovation and making concrete recommendations which we hope will inform better poverty reduction strategies across Canada,” said Mr. May.

During the study, the Committee conducted fact-finding trips across Canada, visiting Saint John, New Brunswick; Toronto, Ontario; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Medicine Hat, Alberta; as well as Langley and Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

The report is based on oral and written testimony provided by witnesses – including those with lived experience of poverty, service providers, advocacy groups, researchers, and representatives from various levels of government – from October 2016 to March 2017.

As seven years have passed since its previous study on the topic of poverty in Canada, the Committee focused on current gaps and challenges, existing poverty reduction measures, and innovative practices that could be expanded upon or replicated in other communities.

The report examines five main themes associated with poverty reduction:

• income security;
• education, skills training and employment;
• mental health;
• housing; and
• communities.

Poverty continues to be a reality in Canada despite significant resources and efforts allocated to reducing it. Breaking the Cycle makes 53 specific recommendations that aim to address poverty with greater engagement and support from key players with respect to all five themes.

The Committee is composed of 10 Members of Parliament. It is chaired by Bryan May (Cambridge) and its vice-chairs are Bob Zimmer (Prince George – Peace River – Northern Rockies) and Brigitte Sansoucy (Saint-Hyacinthe – Bagot). The other committee members are: Anju Dhillon (Dorval – Lachine – LaSalle), Wayne Long (Saint John – Rothesay), Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Carleton), Yves Robillard (Marc-Aurèle-Fortin), Dan Ruimy (Pitt Meadows – Maple Ridge), Ramesh Sangha (Brampton Centre), and Mark Warawa (Langley – Aldergrove).