This paper is the latest in a series of studies on the measurement of poverty in Canada. It provides new estimates of poverty in Canada using the Basic Needs Line. It determines the trend in poverty over the past 40 years, and provides a fairly detailed profile of the poor.

In 2012/13, the federal government’s total transfers to the provinces amounted to $60.1 billion, or $1,725 per capita. This study examines one of those federal transfer programs, equalization. Equalization is an unconditional transfer of federal funds to provinces eligible for such payments; eligibility is determined based upon calculations of “fiscal capacity”.

This edition of Waiting Your Turn 2013 indicates that waiting times for elective medical treatment have increased since last year. Specialist physicians surveyed across 12 specialties and 10 Canadian provinces report a total waiting time of 18.2 weeks between referral from a general practitioner and receipt of elective treatment.