NOW and NEXT

The Trudeau government's international student policy is creating more poverty in Canada


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Today on NOW and NEXT:

Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington joins the show to talk about the latest "Who's Hungry Report".

Spoiler Alert: The news is grim.

1 in 10 Torontonians rely on a food bank and the numbers are only to get worse until and unless three levels of government take real action to eliminate poverty.

Neil tells says, "I was pleased that the mayor (Olivia Chow) committed to 65,000 homes to be built. I am pleased that the province has said, we're going to build 1.5 million homes by 2031. And I'm pleased that the federal government brought into law the Canada Disability Benefit. But Dave, the thing that really bugs me is not one of those commitments is funded. Not one of them. They are all promises of something that they're going to do, but,right now, there's no funding behind any of them."

He also says the federal government's international student visas sets students up for failure and, in turn, creates more pressure on food banks.

"(At) the federal level we have an unlimited number of student visas that are issued and a means test for those students that says if they have ten thousand dollars they'll be fine. So $833 a month. That's all you need. Come on over to Canada and pay this exorbitant fee for your college education. And so they're set up for failure. I mean, just by definition of $833, that's a little bit more than what a welfare payment is in Ontario, which is $733. So, so they're set up for failure."

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NOW and NEXTBy Story Studio Network, Dave Trafford


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