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January, 2005
FCM RESOLUTION – 2005
CANADA SOCIAL TRANSFER
Submitted by:
The City of Red Deer
The City of Edmonton
The City of Calgary
WHEREAS Canadians have historically been envied worldwide for their caring and compassion displayed through national health and social programs; and
WHEREAS support for these national programs have suffered significant decline since the elimination of the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP) and Established Programs Financing (EFP) in 1995 in favour of a new Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST); and
WHEREAS the CHST was replaced on April 1, 2004 with two new funds; the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and the Canada Social Transfer (CST) as mechanisms to provide funding to Canada’s provincial governments for health, social programs and post-secondary education; and
WHEREAS funding levels have decreased significantly since 1995 and Canada’s social framework has deteriorated to a level of inconsistent and insufficient levels of supports for many Canadian citizens; and
WHEREAS Canadian municipalities are witnessing unprecedented economic and social challenges being faced by our residents and the voluntary sector expected to support our residents;
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Federation of Canadian Municipalities support the Canadian Council on Social Development’s call for a national debate on Canada’s Social Transfer and urge the Government of Canada to:
1. Split the Canada Social Transfer into two parts; one for social programs and the other for post-secondary education.
2. Restore funding to the Canada Social Transfer to 1994-95 levels and guarantee predictability and stability of funding.
3. Agree to common principles and objectives for the social transfer through broad engagement with Canadians.
4. Establish a pan-Canadian body to foster citizen involvement, share innovations and measure outcomes from Canada’s Social Transfer.
Policy Initiatives
Canadian Council on Social Development,
190 Cooper Street, Suite 100,
Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2R3
Tel: (613) 236-8977, Fax: (613) 236-2750, Web: www.ccsd.ca, Email: council@ccsd.ca
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