As Canada grapples with a growing cost-of-living crisis, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre seized the moment to criticise Justin Trudeau for rising poverty and food insecurity. “After nine years of the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister’s taxes, debt, inflation, and promises, Canadians are literally hungry,” Poilievre declared in Parliament. His remarks spotlight the harsh economic realities many Canadians face, with the 2024 Food Banks Canada report serving as a sobering wake-up call for both the Liberal and Conservative parties.
The 2024 Food Banks Canada report, using the Market Basket Measure (MBM), paints a troubling picture of the nation’s poverty level. Although Canada’s poverty rate dropped from 10.3% in 2019 to 6.4% in 2020 due to significant COVID-19 support measures, such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), this positive trend was short-lived. The poverty rate climbed back to 7.4% in 2021 and reached 10.2% in 2023, revealing the inadequacy of current government initiatives to fund childcare, dental care, and a new national school food program. These measures, while well-intentioned, have failed to counteract deeper systemic issues.
Despite these efforts, 23% of Canadians face food insecurity and nearly half report being financially worse off than the previous year. This growing hardship is further evidenced by the 2023 Hunger Count data, which shows nearly two million food bank visits in March 2023, a 32% increase from March 2022 and a staggering 78.5% surge from March 2019. These numbers reveal a crisis that government policies have not only failed to address but may have exacerbated.
In response to Poilievre’s criticisms, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended his government’s actions, warning that a Conservative administration might dismantle crucial social programs and benefits. This is alarming because, according to Abacus Data, 41% of committed voters would support the Conservatives if an election were held today, compared to 25% for the Liberals. This potential political shift raises urgent questions about the future priorities and approaches to addressing poverty and food insecurity in Canada. Thus, if the Conservatives aim to reduce federal spending without impacting these social programs and benefits, they have yet to outline a clear plan.
For example, one contentious issue is Poilievre’s call to eliminate the Carbon Tax, a move that could disproportionately harm low-income individuals. Statistics Canada data show that 94% of households with incomes below $50,000 receive Carbon Tax rebates larger than their tax costs, resulting in a net financial gain. Eliminating the Carbon Tax would strip away this significant benefit, potentially leaving these households worse off and exacerbating the financial strain they already face.
Furthermore, the Food Banks Canada report introduces the Material Deprivation Index (MDI) to provide a more comprehensive understanding of poverty in Canada. Unlike the MBM, which focuses on income, the MDI assesses poverty based on the lack of basic goods, services, or social activities. The findings are stark. Approximately 25% of surveyed Canadians report experiencing at least two deprivation items that fall within the following categories: transportation, footwear, protein, temperature, special occasions, gifts, bills, clothes, dental care, spending money, and unexpected expenses, suggesting that around 10.5 million Canadians live at a poverty-level standard. This broader metric underscores the inadequacy of current policies and the need for a more nuanced approach to social welfare.
Compounding the issue is the housing crisis. A CBC News analysis reveals that over half of Canadian renters spend more than 30% of their net income on rent. Personal stories, like that of Karen Charmbury from Kingston, Ontario, who says 100% of her income goes to rent, highlight the severe financial strain faced by many renters across the country. This crisis in housing affordability further illustrates the multifaceted nature of poverty and the failure of current measures to address it effectively.
Additionally, as Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley points out, “food insecurity and poverty don’t affect all equally.” Statistics Canada data show that 26% of individuals living alone, 22.6% of female-led one-parent families, 13% of racialized groups, 17.5% of the Indigenous population, 12.3% of people with disabilities, and 10.7% of immigrants (rising to 16.4% for recent arrivals) live below the poverty line.
Despite these pressing needs, the Trudeau government has prioritised military spending, committing $8.1 billion over the next five years and $73 billion over the next 20 years. This substantial investment in defense, amid rising poverty rates, casts doubt on the government’s commitment to its citizens’ welfare. Housing Minister Sean Fraser remarked that Trudeau’s government seems “motivated more by their appetite to seize political power than to actually help people who are struggling.” This sentiment underscores the growing disillusionment with a government perceived as prioritising political gain, revealing a fundamental misalignment in priorities.
Jennefer Laidley, a researcher and lead author for Maytree’s annual Welfare in Canada report, identifies this misalignment in priorities with a flaw in governmental perspectives on social assistance. As Laidley notes, it is often viewed as a drain on resources “rather than an opportunity to solve problems.” In other words, social assistance should be part of the social safety net, ensuring a basic standard of living as a human right. Yet the current system treats recipients as undeserving, perpetuating rather than alleviating poverty.
For example, applying for disability income assistance in British Columbia involves a lengthy 28-page application requiring signatures from a doctor or nurse practitioner and another health professional. This process is time-consuming, difficult to navigate, and strains the already overburdened healthcare system. As a result, the narrow eligibility criteria and extensive documentation requirements often delay access to necessary health support, income, housing, and other basic necessities, infringing on human rights. Furthermore, the financial support provided is insufficient to cover the cost of living, with non-disability income assistance and disability support payments falling far short of average rental costs. This outdated view of social assistance stigmatises those who receive government support and reinforces the belief that poverty is solely a personal responsibility, thereby failing to address its root causes.
Thus, Canada’s cost-of-living crisis is more than a political battleground; it is a reflection of deep-seated issues within the country’s approach to social assistance. The stark statistics reveal a pressing need for a comprehensive response. As political leaders debate solutions, the reality remains that millions of Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, demanding urgent and effective action from those in power.
Edited by Mia Alexander
Victoria Forte is in her third and final year at McGill University, where she is completing her B.A. in Political Science and Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies. As she navigates her final year, Victoria brings a fresh perspective as a new staff writer for Catalyst. Her academic and journalistic pursuits are driven by a deep interest in exploring the intersections of power, identity, and social justice.