Combating Poverty critically analyses the growing divergence between Quebec and other large Canadian provinces in terms of social and labour market policies and their outcomes over the past several decades. While Canada is routinely classified as a single, homogeneous ‘liberal market’ regime, social and labour market policy falls within provincial jurisdiction resulting in a considerable divergence in policy mixes and outcomes between provinces.

This volume offers a detailed survey of social and labour market policies since the early 2000s in Canada’s four largest provinces – Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta – showing the full extent to which Canada’s major provinces have chosen diverging policy paths. Quebec has succeeded in emulating European and even Nordic social democratic levels of poverty for some groups, while poverty rates and patterns in the other provinces remain close to the high levels characteristic of the North American liberal, market-oriented regime. Combating Poverty provides a unique and timely reflection on the political implications and sustainability of Canada’s fragmented welfare state.

Axel van den Berg is a professor in the Department of Sociology at McGill University.

Axel van den Berg's profile page

Charles Plante is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at McGill University.

Charles Plante's profile page

Hicham Raïq is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Sociology at McGill University.

Hicham Raiq's profile page

Christine Proulx is a research professional at the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d'université (FQPPU).

Christine Proulx's profile page

Samuel Faustmann is a data administrator at Real Foods for Real Kids in Toronto.

Sam Faustmann's profile page

"This book is worth reading to understand different poverty levels in Canada, and how Quebec has achieved the lowest level of poverty. It remains open for educators, students, researchers, and policymakers to decide the extent to which Quebec’s policies may be applied to other regions."

Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, vol 46 no 1