Quebec poor getting poorer: report
QUEBEC CITY - The Quebec government must do more to protect the buying power of the poor from the rising costs of living, says a government advisory commitee created to ensure the government is respecting its Anti-Poverty Law.
Though the cost of electricity and public transit are increasing, committee Chair Tommy Kulcyzk says the government has not fully indexed welfare payments.
"These people are getting poorer, and poorer,"says Kulcyzk, who is also Director of Emergency Services at Montreal's Sun Youth.
The report's 11 reccomendations include compensating welfare recipients for the cost of increasing tariffs by comparative increases in their sales tax refund; and cutting the cost of public transit fares in half over the next decade.
Kulcyzk says those on welfare "can't afford bus passes, and therfore are isolated.. don't have access to health services, or employment."
Employment Minister Sam Hamad said he would study the report's recommendations, but says the government has indexed welfare payments for single-parent families, and those who are unable to work over the past 5 years.
"Overall, their situation has improved," says Hamad.
He says the government also recently announced a $1-billion 'Employment Pact' which includes measures to incite those on welfare to return to work.
Hamad says the government does not control public transit fares.
A spokesperson for the Montreal Transit Corporation (MTC) said they would also read the report, but added it would be difficult to cut fares without additional help from the government.
"We have a tight financial situation, and investments planned to improve services," says Marianne Rouette.
She says the MTC's fares are already among the lowest in Canada.
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