Honourable senators, today, on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, I want to acknowledge the work of Canada Without Poverty, Citizens for Public Justice and members of the local community who are gathered on Parliament Hill this afternoon for the Dignity for All campaign’s sixth annual Chew on This! event, calling for a national action plan to end poverty.

People in more than 100 communities from Nanaimo to St. John’s and Windsor to Iqaluit are talking today about Opportunity for All, the first-ever national anti-poverty plan — a plan which, if fortified by a strong human rights legislative framework and fully funded in future budgets, could ensure that everyone in this country has access to adequate standards of living.

Our Charter and our international obligations guarantee equality of opportunity and access to resources, but that has not been the reality for millions of Canadians who live in poverty.

It’s time to rectify the significant economic, social, racial and gender inequalities that have persisted in Canada for so long.

We see the worst effects of this inequality in Indigenous communities.

As we strive to fulfill our senatorial mandate to redress marginalization and impoverishment in our society, I urge that we keep at the centre of our discussions and actions the need for a guaranteed livable income and Canada’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to not merely reduce or alleviate but to eliminate poverty.

Canadian and international projects have taught us that the guarantee of a viable, livable income — supported by strong, continued investment and publicly funded health care, education and social programs — improves mental and physical health, lowers health care costs, lowers crime rates and the costs of courts, police and correctional services, and increases public safety.

A guaranteed livable income could mean the difference between investing in our people and communities rather than in our prisons and courts, and the benefits of such an investment are evident in terms of saving taxpayers’ money, creating a stronger social safety net, and building healthier and safer communities, not to mention more fair and just communities for all.

Let’s be courageous enough to make the ambitious changes that will finally eradicate systemic inequality.

Let us provide for all what we so commonly take for granted — a viable, livable income for all — and let us truly work to end poverty in Canada. Thank you. Meegwetch.