Human Resources committee  The number of cases of people saying they cannot live any longer—people with disabilities saying they can no longer stand to live because the social supports they as a person with a disability need are not being provided by governments, which are either indifferent or incapable—is now becoming staggering.

Human Resources committee  The evidence from November 2, when the committee heard witnesses then and subsequently, was really very compelling. People were telling you that adequacy's important, that ending poverty is important and that we have to get this right. They're referring to essential human rights—the right to an adequate income.

Human Resources committee  The key here is that the federal government is now on the edge or at the point of having a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ensure that people with disabilities no longer live in poverty. In order to do that, in order to get it right, they have to take measures with the provinces, importantly, and come to arrangements with the provinces, but also with the federal government's own role, to ensure, on the right to an adequate income—as set out in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and as set out in the CRPD, which is mentioned in the bill—that those human rights obligations finally get implemented and respected.

Human Resources committee  The fact that each province is providing different levels of social assistance support needs to be taken into account. For example, I think one of the witnesses said that in the case of a province that already provides assistance up to the poverty line, a different approach will be taken.

Human Resources committee  If it's going to be a benefit that lifts people out of poverty, as the minister said repeatedly in her evidence before you, it has to be synchronized and meshed with the provincial programs. If there is no understanding that this will be “in addition to”, then the default position of many, if not most provinces will be simply that it will reduce the amount of support they provide by way of social assistance, dollar for dollar.

Human Resources committee  Thank you very much. I'm speaking to you as an individual, a lawyer who has worked in the poverty law area for about 35 years. I've worked on income support programs, both provincial and federal. I've done extensive litigation on both the federal and provincial levels, as well as in international human rights.