We also use principles of fairness in our recommendations. We propose cuts at the top including politicians pensions and perks and cuts for private business as well as special interest groups. Frankly and proudly the cuts are also based on a different vision of the role of government, one which gets government out of the lives of Canadians, encourages the family and free enterprise and reduces the power of publicly financed media elites. Mr. Speaker, yesterday Campaign 2000 released its fifth annual report card on this country's progress toward the goal of eliminating child poverty by the year 2000. In this International Year of the Family, the federal government has received a failing grade.
Child poverty is on the increase.
In this the fifth year of the anniversary of the House of Commons' unanimous motion to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000, there are about 331,000 more poor children today than there were five years ago. Instead of dealing with the problem of child poverty, the Minister of Human Resources Development has set this country on a course that will leave children behind. It is time for all parliamentarians to support the recommendation of Campaign 2000, create jobs, raise corporate taxes and use social programs to redistribute the wealth. It is time for action.