December 22, 1988 (34th Parliament, 1st Session)

Ms. Dawn Black (New Westminster-Burnaby):

Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of National Health and Welfare. The Minister is aware that there are more than one million Canadian children living in poverty. He is responding to their desperate need with a miserly 36-cent increase in family allowances this January. In fact, that is a cut in the real value of family allowances.
During the election my Party called for a 20 per cent increase in family allowances and the refundable child tax credit. Will the Government consider making that increase as a real first step in dealing with the desperate problem of child poverty?