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We analyze the evolution of poverty in Quebec and in Canada from 1996 to 2005 and the effects of major elements of the personal tax and transfer system on poverty. This analysis complements the usual estimates of poverty made by Statistics Canada, l'Institut de la Statistique du Québec and the ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale. Robustness tests are conducted to address the important problem of the choice of the poverty line and of the poverty index. The results show that the ranking of provinces in terms of absolute and relative poverty depends on both the line and the index chosen. Our preferred methods of evaluation and comparison of poverty indicate that Quebec does not usually show more absolute and relative poverty than other provinces, and that poverty in Quebec is robustly and statistically lower than in British Columbia, Ontario and the rest of Canada.
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340.More information
Although Canada is perceived internationally as an ardent defender of human rights and promoter of democratic values, this article reveals that Canada has yet to ratify 31 treaties relating to human rights. The author critically examines the motives underlying the Canadian government's refusal to ratify each of these international human rights instruments by dividing the treaties into three main categories: instruments for which motives are unknown or equivocal, instruments for which ratification no longer seems relevant and instruments for which ratification remains under consideration. While the author recognizes that the refusal to ratify certain treaties is appropriate, she nevertheless emphasizes that in the majority of cases, the Canadian government has either not provided a comprehensive justification for refusing to ratify a convention, or is unable to move beyond unending negotiations with provincial and territorial governments. Accordingly, the author suggests that changes must be made to ratification policies and processes to allow for a transparent, accountable and effective examination and approval of human rights treaties. For instance, the author's analysis reveals that the government's refusal to attach reservations or interpretative declarations to the ratification of human rights treaties guarantees that some important international instruments will never be ratified.