|
22/06/07
Fruitful visit for Council of Welfare
The Telegram
The National Council of Welfare, the advisory body to the federal government on social policy and poverty, met in St. John’s recently and we deeply appreciate everyone who was part of our visit.
The council meets only once a year outside Ottawa and it was not by accident that we met in Newfoundland and Labrador this year, just as we met in Quebec in 2006, to study its anti-poverty law. Our 25-plus years of research and analysis have led us to the conclusion that Canada, as a country, needs a comprehensive strategy to solve poverty. As is evident in our report, “Solving Poverty: Four Cornerstones of a Workable, National Strategy for Canada,” we were already aware of this province’s poverty reduction strategy (PRS) and we wanted to learn more by coming here.
Our high expectations were more than met. The community organizations, the minister responsible for the PRS and the public servants we met all gave generously of their time, experience and diverse perspectives. People we met informally — whether on the street, in shops and restaurants or in taxis — were welcoming and often gave us thoughtful insights.
We know it is “early days” for the PRS, that nothing is perfect and that solving poverty and exclusion is a daunting task, but in Newfoundland and Labrador, we found energy, ambition, hopefulness, creativity and practicality that we think is quite rare in Canada and we hope this will inspire others.
John Rook, chairman
National Council of Welfare
|
