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From an opinion piece in the Winnipeg Free Press:

Canada's impoverished children deserve to be at the table of the country's economic recovery. Why then, on the agenda of the premiers meeting in Winnipeg this week, is there no mention of how to pull those families that suffered most damage from the recession along in the plan for sustained growth? They need a recovery more than anyone else.

In 2008, before the full brunt of the recession was felt, about one in every eight (13.3 per cent) Canadians lived in poverty (less than 50 per cent of median income after tax). That is about 4.4 million Canadians.

Canada has always had poverty rates in the upper half of those experienced by rich countries, and rates have not changed much over time. The poverty rate in 1976 was 13 per cent.

Why are our premiers collectively ignoring this situation? Through the years we have heard the same excuses for doing nothing over and over again. They tell us that tax cuts are essential to grow the economy to allow them to address poverty some day. But some day never comes. They say there are more pressing issues which demand government attention. And, of course, they say they can't do anything in tough economic times.