菲沙研究所-对加拿大官方贫困线的关键评估（英文）-2020.8-65页_860kb

Summary of A Critical Assessment of Canada's Official Poverty Line

Core Content

This document critically evaluates the Market Basket Measure (MBM), Canada's newly adopted official poverty line introduced in 2018. It analyzes the origin, development, and conceptual foundation of the MBM, as well as its technical and conceptual shortcomings. The author argues that the MBM is not a reliable or accurate measure of poverty and calls for a return to a basic needs-based poverty line, similar to the approach taken at the 1995 Copenhagen Conference.

Main Points

1. Introduction of the MBM as an Official Poverty Line

• In November 2018, the Canadian Liberal government introduced the Poverty Reduction Act (Bill C-87), which established the MBM as Canada's first official poverty line.
• The MBM is meant to track progress in the government’s poverty reduction strategy and is used in conjunction with a broader set of indicators, including measures of inequality and unmet needs.
• The document emphasizes that the MBM is not the only indicator but is central to the government’s approach.

2. The MBM: Origin and Development

• The MBM was first proposed in 1998 by a Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group to provide a compromise between the relative poverty measure (LICO) and the basic needs approach.
• It was revised in 2002 and 2010, with the latest version (2018 base) being published in 2020.
• The MBM is based on the cost of a basket of goods and services that a family needs to meet a basic, modest standard of living.

3. Technical Concerns

• Lack of transparency: The document criticizes the inadequate publication of details about the MBM’s construction and revisions.
• Inconsistent methodology: Some components are estimated using expert judgment, while others are based on percentiles of consumption.
• Flawed shelter cost estimation: The 2018 revision saw a significant increase in shelter costs, driven by a flawed online survey.
• Misleading poverty line labels: The MBM is often expressed as a disposable income level, but this masks the actual total income required to avoid poverty.
• Example: A family of four in Winnipeg needs a total income of $60,000 to avoid poverty, but the MBM line is labeled at $44,000.

4. Conceptual Concerns

• The MBM defines poverty as a lack of social inclusion or credibility, rather than a lack of basic necessities.
• This conceptual shift makes poverty unmeasurable because the definition of "inclusion" or "participation" is highly subjective.
• The author argues that income is not the only factor in inclusion, and that attributes like intelligence, attractiveness, and self-sufficiency also play a role.
• The goal of inclusion is not aligned with the common understanding of poverty, which is often tied to basic needs and material deprivation.

5. The Basic Needs Poverty Line (BNL) as a Comparator

• The author proposes an alternative basic needs poverty line that reflects the actual cost of meeting basic necessities.
• The BNL is more aligned with public perception and the language used by journalists and politicians.
• It is also consistent with international standards set at the 1995 Copenhagen Conference, where all nations committed to measuring and eliminating absolute poverty.

6. The MBM's Structure and Components

• The MBM includes five components: food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and "Other" needs.
• Food is based on the National Nutritious Food Basket (NNFB), which reflects urban Canadian purchasing patterns and nutrition recommendations.
• Clothing is estimated at 75% of the Toronto SPC budget, but later shifted to Winnipeg SPC data without clear justification.
• Shelter is based on median rent for a three-bedroom apartment, but this standard has evolved to include a mix of two- and three-bedroom units.
• Transportation varies by location: bus passes and taxi rides in urban areas, and operating costs of a five-year-old car in rural or smaller communities.
• Other needs are estimated using a multiplier (typically 60% of food and clothing costs), which includes non-essential items like school supplies, subscriptions, and charitable donations.

7. The MBM as a Compromise

• The MBM was designed to be a compromise between relative and absolute measures of poverty.
• The 15th percentile of income distribution was targeted as the poverty line, suggesting that 15% of the population would be classified as poor.
• However, the detailed construction of the MBM is seen as an unnecessary complication, as the percentile approach could have been used directly.

Key Information

• The MBM is not aligned with the common understanding of poverty as a lack of basic necessities.
• It is more aligned with social inclusion and community participation, which is subjective and difficult to measure.
• The 2018 revision increased the poverty line due to higher shelter costs, leading to a higher total income requirement to avoid poverty.
• The author advocates for a basic needs-based poverty line, arguing that it would be more relevant and transparent.
• The MBM is part of a dashboard of indicators, but the author focuses exclusively on its conceptual and technical flaws.

Conclusion

The MBM, while intended as a compromise between relative and absolute poverty measures, is criticized for its lack of transparency, inconsistent methodology, and conceptual ambiguity. The author argues that the MBM fails to reflect the true material conditions of the poor and that it is not a suitable measure for tracking poverty. A basic needs-based poverty line, as advocated in the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration, would be a more accurate and meaningful indicator of poverty in Canada.