The number of people relying on food banks has doubled since 1989, growing to about 670,000 from 330,000. The executive director of the Canadian Association of Food Banks, Julia Bass, pointed out on December 5 that the increase is due to the elimination of national standards and funding. Since the federal Liberals eliminated the Canada Assistance Act in 1995 which set national welfare standards, and cut transfer payments to the provinces by almost $7 billion, provincial governments have passed legislation and/or implemented measures which target welfare recipients for attack. Loren Freid, executive director of the North York Harvest Food Bank pointed to the example of the Harris government which has cut welfare payments by 22 percent. "Punitive policies like workfare and fingerprinting welfare recipients caused by Mr. Martin's elimination of national welfare standards create a public impression and attitude that there is something illegitimate about simply being poor and simply helping those who are poor," Freid said. She pointed out that donations to food banks have concurrently fallen by 25 percent. Organizations which provide food for the poor through food banks are demanding that the federal government reinstate national standards to require the provinces to provide adequate aid to the poor. Sue Cox, executive director of the Daily Bread Food Bank, called on the First Ministers to endorse poverty reduction targets, like the targets Federal Finance Minister Paul Martin employed to cut the deficit. However, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stephane Dion made it clear that there was no way the government would do this. He diverted the issue by promoting "cooperative federalism" as if its aim is to get results. "We need to work with the provinces," Dion said. "What is the use of national standards if it's not something that is supported?" The point is that the excuse of "working with the provinces" is precisely the means being used to abolish national standards so as to open the door to the privatization of all social - programs. TML Daily, 12/9/97 Shawgi Tell Graduate School of Education University at Buffalo [EMAIL PROTECTED]