Fraser Institute Logo

[Search]
[Media Releases]
[Events]
[Online Publications]
[Order Publications]
[Student]
[Radio]
[National Media Archive]
[Membership]
[Other Resources]
[About Us]


The
Economic Freedom
Network

  

Editor’s notes

Each fall at about this time, a coalition of social advocacy groups called Campaign 2000 receives considerable press coverage for its announcement that more Canadian children than ever before are living in poverty. Their figures are based on Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-Offs (LICOs) which measure relative inequality among Canadians. Relative inequality is not necessarily poverty, as Fraser Institute author Chris Sarlo has pointed out for many years in various Institute publications. Statistics Canada, apparently alarmed at all of the misdirected attention their LICO lines have received over the years, recently issued a strongly-worded statement discouraging anyone from using the LICO calculation as a poverty line.

This issue of Fraser Forum focuses on poverty, particularly as it relates to children. To that end, Chris Sarlo examines child poverty, and explains clearly why an absolute measure of poverty rather than a relative measure is more useful for anyone concerned about this policy area. Owen Lippert, meanwhile, looks at another potential source of poverty among children: divorced spouses and the attendant child support payments.

Their conclusions may surprise you.


 info@fraserinstitute.ca

You can contact us at the above email address for any comments or information requests. Please report any dead links or technical problems.
 
If you know someone who would be interested in this web page, please enter their email address below, and we will forward this URL to them:
Email Address:
Last Modified: Wednesday, October 20, 1999.