QuebecNews.com
- from the Ministère de Relations internationales
English translations of articles and news (current and archived) from the Québec press

Commission on Fiscal Imbalance ("La Commission Séguin")
"The Québec government set up the Commission on Fiscal Imbalance on May 9, 2001, to identify and analyze the basic causes of the fiscal imbalance between the federal government and Québec and to invite and collect opinions and suggestions from experts and stakeholders in Québec and elsewhere regarding the practical consequences of this imbalance and concrete solutions to put forward to correct it."

Quebec Commission on Fiscal Imbalance Report Released March 7, 2002
"This report of just over 200 pages deals with the nature and scope of fiscal imbalance, its causes, consequences and the proposed solutions. The report contains some twenty recommendations that seek major transformations in intergovernmental fiscal relations within Canada".
[en français...]

Report of Commission on Fiscal Imbalance - News Releases (March 7, 2002)
On this page, you'll find five news releases concerning the Commission report and three other relevant releases dating back to May 2001.
Yves Séguin releases the report of the Commission on Fiscal Imbalance
Québec, March 7, 2002 - The President of the Commission on Fiscal Imbalance, Yves Séguin, today released the Commission's report, after submitting it to the Deputy Premier and Minister of State for the Economy and Finance, Pauline Marois.

Report of Commission on Fiscal Imbalance and Supporting Documents (March 2002)
On this page, you'll find the table of contents and summary of the report as well as a link to the complete report in PDF format. The page includes links to the following documents of the Commission.
Intergovernmental Fiscal Arrangements - Germany, Australia, Belgium, Spain, United States, Switzerland
Fiscal Imbalance: Problems and Issues – Discussion Paper for public consultation
Federal Transfer Programs to the Provinces – Background Paper for public consultation
Effective Occupation of Taxation Fields in Québec – Background Paper for public consultation
Federal Transfer Programs to the Provinces – Background Paper for public consultation (PDF file - 208K, 49 pages)

Bibliography - over 40 links to information (much of which is in English) by a variety of authors on CHST, CAP, Equalization, federal-provincial-territorial fiscal arrangements, transfer payments and economic and social policy issues.
An International Symposium on Fiscal imbalance that was to have been held in Québec City on September 13 and 14, 2001 was cancelled due to the events of September 11. The Symposium page includes links to the program and to notes from over a dozen presenters from 9 countries - some of which are extensive treatises of fiscal federalism and fiscal equilibrium.

Ministries and Documents

National Assembly of Quebec
HOME PAGE
- incl. links to : Members - Parliamentary Proceedings - Organization and Proceedings

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Emploi et Solidarité sociale - Employment and Social Solidarity

Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS)
- includes info about and links to : Centre de recouvrement * Emploi-Québec * Secrétariat à l'action communautaire autonome du Québec * Sécurité du revenu * Services à la famille * Ministers * Department * Major issues * Programs and measures * Online services * Client Service * Statistics * Press releases * Publications * Forms * Frequently asked questions

Sécurité du revenu (Income security)
- incl. links to : General information * Description * Programs and measures * Défi-Mois * Social assistance * Income Support Program for Workers Affected by Collectives Dismissals in the Resources Regions * Ma place au soleil * Québec Maternity Allowance Program (PRALMA) * Parental Wage Assistance (PWA) * Québec pluriel * Solidarité jeunesse * Publications * Forms * Sites of interest

General information
The social solidarity services offered by Emploi-Québec are attached to the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (MESS). In keeping with the provisions of the Individual and Family Assistance Act, the agency is responsible for administering last-resort financial assistance programs.

MESS Press Releases 
Click "Press Releases" in the left margin of the home page, then select news releases from the following sources: Department * Minister of Employment, Social Solidarity and Family Welfare * Minister for Family Welfare * Emploi-Québec * Find a press release

Department responsible for welfare
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (English Home Page)
(Employment and Social Solidarity)

Name of the welfare program
Last-resort financial assistance

Legislation

Individual and Family Assistance Act (Chapter 15, 2005) - Bill 57
Individual and Family Assistance Regulation
Source:
Laws and regulations administered by
the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity
[ Lois refondues et règlements du Québec ]

Main changes under the Individual and Family Assistance Act
New programs as of January 1, 2007 (PDF, 145K, 2 pages)

Policy Manual
Assistance to individuals and families – General information (PDF file - 724K, 23 pages) November 2007
NOTE: the blue text box in the centre of the Last-resort financial assistance page also contains detailed welfare program info

Welfare statistics
Recipients under social assistance programs
Youth and social assistance programs
Previous statistics
[If you can read French, see Statistiques sur la clientèle des programmes d'assistance sociale for detailed caseload profile info]
See also:
Number of People on Welfare, March 1995 to March 2005 (PDF file - 133K, 1 page)
Source: National Council of Welfare

Welfare rates (benefits)
Benefit Amounts under the Social Assistance Program
and the Social Solidarity Program Starting January 1, 2008 (PDF file - 151K, 6 pages)

NOTE: for families with children, you must add in the amount of the child assistance payment.
Child assistance payment - The child assistance is intended to cover the basic needs of children under age 18 in low-income families, taking into account the Canada Child Tax Benefit paid by the federal government.
Calcul@ide - to help calculate refundable tax credits under the Child Assistance and Work Premium measures
Child Assistance - since January 2005, the child assistance measure has replaced family allowances, the non-refundable tax credit for dependent children and the tax reduction for families.
Changes to Child Assistance in 2007 - in order to better adapt child assistance to the realities of Québec families, several changes came into effect as of January 2007.

Latest search results on Google.ca for
"welfare, -child, -animal, Quebec"
- Web search results
- News search results
- Blog search results

Related Links
Pacte pour l'emploi (Employment Pact) - Announced March 18, 2008
(One billion dollars over three years to improve participation in the labour market and productivity)
National Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion (Overview and links to related documents)
- Progress reports on the National Strategy - links to annual reports for years one, two and three of the Strategy
- Centre d’étude sur la pauvreté et l’exclusion (research centre on poverty, set up under the Strategy)
- Comité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale (Advisory committee, set up under the National Strategy)
- Poverty Reduction Strategies in Quebec and in Newfoundland and Labrador (Oct/07) - from the Parliamentary Research Library (Govt. of Canada)
Guide to Government Programs and Services for Families and Children in Quebec (updated to 05/07)
The Insertion Model or the Workfare Model? The Transformation of Social Assistance within Quebec and Canada (September 2002) --- Excellent Quebec welfare reform information!! (from Status of Women Canada)

Selected site content:

January 1st, 2008
Benefit amounts under the Social Assistance Program
and the Social Solidarity Program starting January 1, 2008 (PDF file - 151K, 6 pages)
On January 1, 2008, benefits granted to persons in the Social Solidarity Program will be increased by 1,21%. The benefits of independent adults housed or required to live in an establishment for the purpose of their re-entry into the community and the benefits of minor adults housed with their dependent child in a rehabilitation centre or a hospital centre are also increased by 1,21%. Benefits granted to persons in the Social Assistance Program who do not have a limited capacity for employment or who have a temporarily limited capacity for employment are increased by 0,61 %.

February 8th, 2007
Social Assistance Program and Social Solidarity Program
The mini brochure “Last-resort financial assistance programs and liquid assets” (cash and negotiable assets) is now available.
Brochure (PDF file - 271K, 15 pages)

February 7th, 2007
Statistics on employment-assistance recipients
Official employment-assistance statistics are available in the official databanks on the website of the Banque de données des statistiques officielles du gouvernement du Québec.

Benefit Amounts under the Social Assistance Program
and the Social Solidarity Program
Starting January 1, 2007 (PDF file - 133K, 5 pages)
On January 1, 2007, with two new last-resort financial assistance programs in effect under the Individual and Family Assistance Act, the benefits granted to persons who qualify for the Social Solidarity Program are to be indexed by 2.03%, that is, by the rate used for indexing the Québec personal income tax system. The benefits granted to independent adults who are admitted to a shelter or required to live in an establishment with a view to their social reintegration and the benefits of minor adults who are sheltered with their dependent child in a rehabilitation centre or a hospital centre are also to be indexed by 2.03%. The benefits granted to persons qualifying for the Social
Assistance Program who do not have a limited capacity for employment or who have a temporarily limited capacity for employment are to be adjusted by 1.01%.

For more information on the new programs, see
The Individual and Family Assistance Act,
Social Assistance Program and Social Solidarity Program come into effect
Dec. 8, 2006

The Individual and Family Assistance Act, Social Assistance Program and Social Solidarity Program come into effect
December 8th, 2006
The Individual and Family Assistance Act, adopted by the National Assembly on June 15, 2005, will come into effect on January 1, 2007. This Act creates programs and measures promoting the economic and social autonomy of individuals and families through assistance and coaching. Two of the programs will also come into effect on January 1, 2007 and provide last-resort financial assistance to individuals and families lacking sufficient income to meet their essential needs. They are the Social Assistance Program and the Social Solidarity Program, which replaces the Employment-Assistance Program.

Main changes under the Individual and Family Assistance Act
New programs as of January 1, 2007 (PDF, 145K, 2 pages)

Source:
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale<===this is the English home page of the Ministry
(Ministry of employment and social solidarity, responsible for welfare in Québec)

October 17, 2006
Financial Support Program
A new section of the Web site presents the financial support program to assist the overall mission of community development corporations working to combat poverty.

October 17, 2006
2005-2006 annual management report of the
Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale now available on the Internet
The 2005-2006 annual management report of the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale was tabled in the National Assembly on October 17 and is now available on the Internet.
Annual report (French only, PDF file - 3.8MB, 112 pages)

Changes to the Employment-Assistance Program (PDF file - 257K, 6 pages)
(eff. December 1/04, January 1/05 and April 1/05)
"Under the Government Action Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, new measures will be implemented to address employment and family issues, among others. These changes also reflect some of the principles stated in the Action Plan, in particular, to help individuals gain financial autonomy by promoting work and to achieve greater fairness between last-resort assistance recipients and low-income workers."

Employment-assistance benefit increases (PDF file - 205K, 4 pages)
- employment-assistance benefits effective January 1, 2005

Source:
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale
(English Home Page)

Related Links:

Collectif pour un Québec sans pauvreté - English Home Page (not as current as the French version of the site)

Liberals reinstate welfare penalties PQ abolished
Could lose $100 for living at home. Employment minister says move intended to 'permit people to get out of the house'
[no longer available online]
September 22, 2004
"Starting Jan. 1, Quebecers applying for social assistance will lose between $50 and $100 from their $540 monthly welfare cheque if they still live at home. Employment Minister Claude Bechard announced a series of changes aimed at saving the provincial government $44 million the first year and $220 million over five years. The measures aim to get people back to work if they are able to do so, he said."
Source:
Montreal Gazette

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Québec's report to the UN Special Session on Children

Un Québec digne des enfants : le plan d’action pour les enfants (fichier PDF - 420Ko., 38 pages)
[NOTE: this document is available only in French. ]
Services à la famille
27 janvier 2005
Ce document fait suite à la Session extraordinaire des Nations Unies consacrée aux enfants qui s’est tenue à New York en mai 2002. À cette occasion, les États membres, dont le Canada, ont renouvelé leurs engagements de fixer de nouveaux objectifs afin de mieux soutenir les enfants.
Source:
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (page d'accueil en français du Ministère)
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale (English home page of the Ministry)
Liens connexes:
Plan d'action national pour les enfants [du site de l'Agence de santé publique]
Les droits de l'enfant (une page de liens sur le site que vous visitez présentement)
Agence de santé publique (ministère du gouvernement fédéral)

Ministère de la Famille, des Aînés et de la Condition féminine (MFACF)
[Families, seniors and status of women]

Family and Child Care Services - incl. : Financial assistance * The family, a priority of our society * Municipalities and Regional County * Community organizations * Childcare services * Work-Family Balance * Presentation * Consultation documents * Frequently asked questions * Childcare services * Consultation on childcare funding and development o Background on consultations * Presentation * Types of childcare services * Choosing the right childcare establisment * Places at the reduced contribution program o Children aged 0-4 years o Children over than five o Related documents * Educational program
* Special needs * Heath and safety o Safety in space * Ensuring quality service o Grandir en qualité * Contract between a childcare establisment and a parent * Making a complaint * Staff * Frequently asked questions * Québec Parental Insurance Plan * Useful links * Publications * Frequently asked questions * Administration of a childcare establishment

Seniors - incl. : General Information * Background * Mandate * Mission * Situation of the Elderly * Social adaptation * Needs and expectations * Agind of the Québec population * Government Action * Programs and Mobilizing projects * Programs * Mobilizing projects * Community Organizations * Useful links * Organizations * Government sites * Contact us

Secrétariat à la condition féminine - there's quite a bit more content on the French version of this site, but there are some interesting English publication links, especially Beijing + 5 Documents.

More links from MFACF:

Administration of a childcare establishment
Calcul@ide
Childcare establishment locator
Childcare services
Consultation on seniors
Educational program
Guide to Government Programs and Services for families and children
Places at the reduced contribution program children aged 0-4 years
Places at the reduced contribution program children over than five
Rose d'or program
Statistics
More links...

Régie des rentes - Quebec Pension Board

HOME PAGE

Site Map - complete site at a glance

The Régie des rentes du Québec is responsible for applying the Act respecting the Québec Pension Plan, the Supplemental Pension Plans Act and administering the family benefits program.
There are many programs that can be helpful at various stages in life: retirement, birth, death, etc.

* Québec Pension Plan

* Supplemental pension plans
* Family benefits
* Child assistance

Work Premium --- General information - Conditions - Amount of the work premium - Advance payments

Source:
Revenu Québec

Reducing IncomeTax (PDF file - 258K, 70 pages)
(from QC Budget 2004-2005)
March 2004
"The existing Parental Wage Assistance (PWA) program is being replaced with a Work Premium that will come into effect on January 1, 2005. This new Work Premium is aimed at low-and middle-income workers. It will be higher for families and of special benefit to young parents. The premium can be paid in advance to families. The premium will increase the employment income of a couple with children by 25%, up to a maximum premium of $2 800 for an employment income of $14 800. The Work Premium will benefit roughly 536 000 low- and middle-income households, including 200 000 families with children. The Work Premium will provide a greater incentive to work and help
people get off social assistance."

Selected site content:

Children
If you have any dependent children under age 18, you may be entitled to child assistance, that is, the child assistance payment or if applicable, the supplement for handicapped children. If you or your spouse were to die, your children could be eligible for an orphan's pension. If you or your spouse become disabled, your children could be eligible for a pension for a disabled person's child.

Child Assistance
Since January 2005, the new child assistance measure has replaced family allowances, the non-refundable tax credit for dependent children and the tax reduction for families.

Changes to Child Assistance in 2007
In order to better adapt child assistance to the realities of Québec families, several changes came into effect as of January 2007.

Soutien aux enfants : Statistiques de l'année 2006 (PDF - 708K, 53 pages)
[2006 statistics on child assistance]
July 2007
This document paints a detailed picture of Québec families in receipt of child assistance in 2006.
(Available in French only)
The report contains four sections. The first section is a ten-page overview of the evolution of Québec programs for families with children from 1961 to date (highly recommended!). The next two sections provide historical statistics for the program, and the last section provides regional information.
Source:
Régie des rentes du Québec (English home page)

Santé et Services sociaux - Health and Social Services

HOME PAGE

Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec - (English) - Quebec Health Insurance Board

From the CBC:

Task force urges more private health care in Quebec
February 19, 2008
A provincial task force is recommending health-care user fees and greater privatization to guarantee the viability of medical care in Quebec.The task force, headed by former Liberal cabinet minister Claude Castonguay, calls for a shakeup of principles guiding medical care in Quebec to control spiralling costs.

Quebec report raises union private health-care fears
February 18, 2008
Quebec's largest labour federation is worried an impending report on health-care financing will clear the way for two-tiered care, allowing private services at the expense of the public system.
TIP: this page contains links to three more articles, under "Related".

More media coverage of the Castonguay report (from Google.ca)
Le rapport Castonguay sur le financement du système de santé québécois (liens médiatiques de Google.ca)

From the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE):

Shelve Castonguay, support medicare
February 20, 2008
A Québec government-sponsored report calling for radical privatization of the health care system came out this week just as the federal government proved once again that they're not willing to enforce their own laws on public health care. The Castonguay report's recommendations read like a laundry list for privatized health care.

Related links:

* Castonguay Report and recommendations
* Tabling of the Report Getting Our Money’s Worth (PDF file - 120K, 4 pages) - News Release February 19, 2008
Source:
Task Force on the Funding of the Health Care System (QC Government)

Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes  - Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat

HOME PAGE

Québec's Historical Position on the Federal Spending Power 1944-1998 (PDF file - 160K, 42 pages)
July 1998

Québec's Positions on Constitutional and Intergovernmental Issues from 1936 to march 2001

Other [English] Institutional and constitutional documents

Relations internationales - International Affairs

HOME PAGE
Check out this impressive collection of information about Quebec (history, language, social and economic profiles, relations with Canada and the rest of the world, etc.)

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Institut de la statistique du Québec - Québec statistical institute

HOME PAGE
"The Institut is the central authority for the production and dissemination of statistical information for the government departments and bodies (except information produced for administrative purposes). The Institut is responsible for the carrying out of statistical surveys of general interest. The mission of the Institut is to provide reliable and objective statistical information on the situation of Québec as regards all aspects of Québec society for which such information is pertinent."

Browse or Search Official Statistics of Québec
On this page, you can do a regular keyword search for Québec statistics, or you can browse by theme --- click on one of the themes (Economic Structure - Society - Territory - The Economy and Finance) in the left column on the browse/search page and the list expands to show several sub-topics. For example, if you click Society, the list expands to seven sub-topics, including Families, Households and Living Conditions. To continue with this example, clicking on this sub-topic expands that list to six more topics, including Income and Expenditure and Social Programs. Links to these two sections are presented below as samples of the rich content of this site

Income - Québec data ("Income and Expenditure")
- incl. links to 30+ statistical reports under the following topics: Average Family Unit Income - Average Personal Income - Distribution by Income Group - Distribution by Quintiles - Gini Coefficient - Low Income Units

Social assistance (welfare) statistics
(Click on Society ===> Families, Households and Living Conditions ===> Social Programs)
[Note: some of the content in the tables is in French only. The "Definitions" button (near the top of the page) offers some information in English; you can use the "Request for Information" button (also near the top of the page) to submit a specific request to the website contact en anglais. - or you can try Google.ca's free translation service ]
- incl. links to recent reports on the number of households and individuals participating in the social assistance (welfare) Program. These reports are organized by administrative region, by family situation, by sex, by age and by education, all of which are useful in monitoring how well the program works for various clienteles.
Here are some other interesting statistical analyses that you'll also find on this page:
- "additional income clientele" (clients declaring income from outside sources, e.g., almost 36,000 of a total 107,000 adults receiving welfare in Quebec declared income from work in February 2004)
- number of adults receiving welfare, "according to cumulative-month period" (total number of months [continuous or not] in receipt of welfare)
- number of households receiving welfare, by type of residence (e.g., of the nearly 354,000 households [families/individuals] receiving Employment Assistance in February 2004, over 207,000 were either in rental accommodation or in social housing, while just over 20,000 were homeowners)

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Sample content from this site:
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Income inequality down between 1979 and 1989,
and back up slightly between 1989 and 2004
Communiqué
Québec, October 2, 2007 – In Québec, the level of inequality in disposable income rose slightly between the cyclical peak of 1989 and the year 2004 (+ 1.4 points). That increase was due to the one in the level of inequality in market income, not offset by tax and transfers. (...) This report presents a detailed historical perspective of disposable income inequality, measured using the Gini coefficient. The focus is on the contributions to the inequality of the income components: market income, tax and government transfers.

NOTE: the press release is available in English and French, but the report itself is only in French (see the link below "Document").

Document:

L'inégalité de revenu au Québec 1979-2004
Les contributions de composantes de revenu selon le cycle économique (fichier PDF - 724 Ko, 65 pages)
Mise à jour : 2 octobre 2007

Québec Handy Numbers, 2007 edition (PDF file - 1.4MB, 57 pages)
March 2007
- includes statistics on :
* Territory *Population (total, average age, population movements, marital status, landed immigrants, native language, residential environment, Census Metropolitan Areas, Cities of 100,000 inhabitants and over) *Living Conditions (families, households, dwellings, welfare, health and social services, education, culture and communications, labour market, unions, income, consumption) * Regions at a glance

Vie des générations et personnes âgées : aujourd'hui et demain - Volume 2
(The Life Course of Birth Cohorts and the Elderly: Today and Tomorrow)
June 2007
NOTE: this report is available only in French.
Read the press release below for more details in English.
HTML version - incl. links to PDF files for each chapter
PDF version - (4.8MB, 403 pages)

Related link:

Seniors: encouraging trends
Press Release
Québec, June 27, 2007 – Five main observations stem from a new study conducted by the Institut de la statistique du Québec:
* the contribution of people 65 years of age or older to the funding of public expenditures is growing;
* the rise in social expenditure per person has been modest since 1991;
* the standard of living of seniors is improving from several standpoints;
* certain groups will remain vulnerable; and
* changes are to be anticipated in the sociodemographic characteristics of the elderly population.
These findings are from the study entitled Vie des générations et personnes âgées : aujourd’hui et demain (the life course of birth cohorts and the elderly: today and tomorrow), Volume 2.

Link to volume 1 of this study:

Vie des générations et personnes âgées : aujourd'hui et demain - Volume 1
(The Life Course of Birth Cohorts and the Elderly: Today and Tomorrow)
NOTE: this report is available only in French.
Released June 2004
The five chapters of this publication broach several of the main components of living conditions of tomorrow’s elderly:
* demographic characteristics and demographic aging
* mortality, causes of death and health status
* education and acquisition of knowledge
* consumption
* sources of income
* Highlights of Volume 1 (English, PDF file - 42K, 7 pages)

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Interprovincial Comparisons
NOTE: this is a key resource for Québec statistics --- *and* for those of other Canadian jurisdictions!
- it includes over 75 comparative tables, charts and maps, regularly updated (the right-hand column on the Comparisons page shows the most recent update)
"The statistics presented in the 'Interprovincial Comparisons' section are the joint effort of the Institut de la statistique du Québec and the Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes. The various tables, updated on an ongoing basis, provide statistics on the provinces, the territories, and Canada on topics like population, immigration, Canadian francophonie, the economy and legislatures. Particular attention is given to demography, manpower, interprovincial and international trade, investment and public finance. Lastly, the main stakeholders in intergovernmental relations are also named."

- includes links to individual sections of the report under the following headings:
Demography - Immigration - Canadian Francophonie - Production - Income [incl. Social assistance recipients by province/territory for 1999-2003] - Manpower [incl. Unemployment, 1984-2003] - Investment - Interprovincial Trade - International Trade - Consumption - Inflation - Financial Market - Public Finance - Federal Government Transfers [ incl. Transfers from federal government to persons, 1991-2001] - Legislatures - Portraits (Canada - The rest of Canada - Provinces and territories)

International Comparisons
- main statistical indicators of more than 230 countries and territories, grouped by theme: population and income, labour force and prices, gross domestic product, international trade and investments, education and communication, health.
Socio-economic Profiles by Country
Africa | America Central and the Antilles, and South America | North America | Asia | Europe | Oceania

See also:
Databank of Official Statistics on Québec
(See "Living Conditions and Well-being" for relevant stats)

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Poverty and socioeconomic inequalities in Québec:
Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec

NOTE: the press release for the Recueil is in both French and English, but the report itself is available only in French and in PDF format.
Use Google Language Tools to translate words, paragraphs and entire URLs.

Press Release
February 7, 2006
A new research tool :
The Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale and the Institut de la statistique du Québec
unveil the Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec
Québec, February 7, 2006 – The ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale and the Institut de la statistique du Québec unveiled today the Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec. This collection contains the figures for poverty and socioeconomic inequalities and presents the evolution of the situation of persons and families living in poverty. The collection provides data on over twenty indicators calculated using different conceptual and methodological approaches. The large number of indicators available reflects both the multidimensional nature of poverty and social exclusion and the variety of approaches and calculation methods developed to evaluate these phenomena.
Some of these indicators give an idea of the low-income rates in Québec. The low income measure (LIM), which presents the evolution of the proportion of low-income families between 1986 and 2002, the most recent years of statistics available, and the regional data for 2003. Others make it possible to compare Québec to the rest of Canada, the portrait varying depending on the measure used. This collection is an excellent complement to Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale, which was published in November 2005 and gives a general overview of the myriad ways of defining and measuring poverty and social exclusion, while presenting the advantages and disadvantages of each indicator inventoried. It targets all persons, practitioners and organizations interested in the issues of poverty and social exclusion.

Complete report / Recueil complet:

Recueil statistique sur la pauvreté et les inégalités socioéconomiques au Québec (fichier PDF - 461Ko, 135 pages)
Janvier 2006
- publié conjointement par l'Institut de la statistique du Québec et le Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale

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New publication groups together poverty indicators
Press Release
November 10, 2005
"The Institut de la statistique du Québec presents, in collaboration with the ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale. This publication inventories the various indicators that define and measure poverty. (...) Over 67 indicators and indices have been listed in three chapters: 32 of them are poverty and social exclusion indicators, 29 are related to poverty and social exclusion, and 6 are social development indices. The inventory has two objectives: first, to cover all aspects of poverty and the various angles from which it can be examined. It also aims at opening new avenues by presenting not only the indicators that have already been calculated for Québec, but also those that are used elsewhere (elsewhere in Canada, Europe, the United States and Australia) and which could be used in future compilations with a view to broadening the range of statistics available. Among the poverty and social exclusion indicators are various measures of poverty defined as insufficiency of income and its consequences."

NOTE: the complete report is available only in French,
but you can use the Google Language Tool to translate words, paragraphs or even entire pages of text. Try it!!

Complete report:

Inventaire des indicateurs de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale (464K, 95 pages)
November 10, 2005
Table of Contents (unofficial translation):
Chapter 1 - Indicators of poverty and social exclusion: Measures (covering 14 different indicators) - Depth of poverty - Persistence of poverty - Links with governmental transfers - Inequality - Living conditions
Chapter 2 - Indicators related to poverty and social exclusion: Family wealth and income - Household expenses - Employment - Food security - Housing - Health - Education
Chapter 3 - Social development indices
- includes eight tables showing various low income thresholds for Quebec, Canada and the U.S.

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Aspects of the Context and Consequences of Domestic Violence
- Situational Couple Violence and Intimate Terrorism in Canada in 1999
(PDF file - 397K, 21 pages)
May 2005
"The first five sections of this paper present a brief summary of certain results contained in a 2003 report on the prevalence of domestic violence in Quebec and in Canada, based on data from the 1999 General Social Survey (GSS). The remaining sections describe and discuss the context and consequences of domestic violence in more detail, following the typology of domestic violence suggested by Michael P. Johnson (1995), making the distinction between Situational Couple Violence and Intimate Terrorism. Separate tables are presented for victims of current spouse/partner, for victims of a previous spouse/partner and for victims of a current or a previous spouse/partner, by severity of violence and sex of victim."