Tories, UN food envoy exchange fire in latest war of words over poverty report

OTTAWA – The Harper government is formally at war once more with a United Nations agency.

The UN right-to-food envoy, Olivier De Schutter, says Canada can’t credibly preach human rights on the international stage when too many of its own citizens are going hungry.

De Schutter released a report Monday in Geneva at the UN Human Rights Council that says several government policies are an impediment to fighting poverty.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, he cites the cancellation of the long-form census in 2009, the ongoing Canada-EU free trade negotiations, and how Ottawa oversees the money it transfers to the provinces for social services.

The government accuses De Schutter of overstepping his mandate and not understanding Canada.

Elissa Golberg, Canada’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, accuses De Schutter of unfounded criticism of Canada’s Constitution and its federalist system of government.