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OTTAWA — “The (Canada Child Benefit) means more money for nine out of 10 Canadian families, and it means 300,000 fewer kids living in poverty across this country.” — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

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Touting the one-year-old Canada Child Benefit (CCB) last week, Justin Trudeau said the $23-billion-a-year measure has raised 300,000 children out of poverty.

Anti-poverty groups say child benefits are a powerful tool to help cut poverty rates, but have continually wondered if the CCB’s impact on child poverty is as large as Trudeau says.

Spoiler alert: The Canadian Press Baloney Meter is a dispassionate examination of political statements culminating in a ranking of accuracy on a scale of “no baloney” to “full of baloney” (complete methodology below).

This one earns a rating of “a lot of baloney” because while there is a hint of truth in the statement — child poverty is on the decline, and the CCB may help — it takes a bit of a leap to connect the CCB alone to 300,000 fewer children in poverty.