The time for patience is over : Toward a poverty reduction plan for Manitoba: discussion paper

The Government of Manitoba has not taken comprehensive action to address poverty and social exclusion in the province, and given the urgency of the issue, the community decided to move forward and initiate a process of engagement with legislators, community leaders, diverse sectors, and the general public in a discussion of poverty and social exclusion in Manitoba. [...] The coalition has been acting to develop broad community based support for a plan to reduce poverty and social exclu- sion in principle, in order to provide The Government of Manitoba with realistic recommendations for the prevention and reduction of poverty. [...] The approach towards the development of these ideas has, to this point, involved the synthesis of research and reports on various poverty and social exclusion issues in Manitoba in the preparation of a series of accessible discussion papers, and engaging stakeholders in consultation workshops based on the discussion papers. [...] The main message being heard loud and clear is that minor adjustments to existing policies and programs are insufficient and The Province of Manitoba must undertake compre- hensive and systematic action to reduce poverty and improve social and economic inclusion, to reduce economic, health and social disparities in our population, and to keep Manitoba abreast with developments in other jurisdictio [...] The document represents the ideas generated in over four years among agencies and individuals concerned about the lack of attention to systemic change to prevent and reduce poverty in the province.