International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights : Canada's sixth report on the United Nations' International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Of the more than 200 NGOs that were invited to provide their views, the following organizations responded to the invitation: the Young Women's Christian Association-Canada (YWCA-Canada), the Canadian Association of Social Workers and the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture. [...] Reflecting the onset of the recession in Canada in late 2008, the Government of Canada recorded a budgetary deficit of $5.8 billion, or 0.4 percent of GDP, in 2008–2009. [...] Targeted initiatives announced in the 2010 budget are in addition to structural measures implemented alongside the stimulus measures in the 2009 budget that included a limit on wage increases for the federal public administration and restraint on the growth in transfers to provinces under the Equalization program. [...] The fiscal position of the provinces and territories has also deteriorated since the onset of the recession, with an aggregate deficit of $29.9 billion, or 2.0 percent of GDP, forecast for 2009–2010 and all but one jurisdiction expected to be in a deficit situation. [...] The renovation programs were effective in extending the useful life of the buildings receiving assistance and improved the ability of persons with disabilities to engage in daily activities and improved satisfaction with their housing.