Name * E-mail address City * Province * Postal Code * Message Hon. Diane Finley Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Finley.D@parl.gc.ca Dear Ms. Finley, The Parliamentary Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities has just produced an excellent report on the federal role in poverty reduction strategies. They recommend that the federal government immediately commit to a federal action plan to reduce poverty in Canada. Key components of a poverty reduction plan the committee recommends the federal government take action on include: - Raising the Canada Child Tax Benefit and supplement to $5000 within 5 years; - A long-term national housing and homelessness strategy; - Measures to help the most vulnerable â?? a refundable Disability Tax Credit, easing EI qualifications, increasing adult literacy, increasing and indexing GIS for seniors, implementing an early learning and child care strategy; and - Major help for Aboriginal People for housing, education and social services, including elimination of the two per cent cap on federal funding. Please respond positively to the recommendations in the report and commit to developing a poverty reduction plan for Canada. Urgent action is needed because poverty is getting worse. Canada has a higher rate of poverty than many other developed countries. We can and must do better. A majority of provincial governments now have poverty reduction plans in place. But they cannot achieve their poverty reduction targets without the federal government playing its role in the areas of its jurisdiction. I am also sending a copy of this letter to my Member of Parliament asking that he/she support its recommendations. Sincerely,