If the federal government meets the ambitious target, it would push poverty rates in Canada to historic lows. During consultations on the anti-poverty plan, the government heard repeatedly about the need to establish an official poverty line for the country. The measure is tailored for 50 different regions and cities, reflecting the fact that the cost of living varies between regions. Early government work on the anti-poverty strategy flagged the measure as one favoured by Duclos in his academic work before entering politics. Under the market-based measure, Statistics Canada found more than 4.2 million people living below that poverty line in 2015.

Source: National Post August 20, 2018 20:32 UTC