Dec
10
MLA Report
By Carole James
With the coming of Christmas and the holiday season, most of us will be sitting down with our family and friends to break bread and celebrate the holidays. This time of year is a stark reminder, though, that not everyone is so fortunate. In our community and in our province, there are individuals, families and children that will be going without this holiday season, and all year long.
In fact, there are more of them than you might imagine. BC has had the highest rate of overall poverty in Canada for 13 years and the highest child poverty rate for 10 years.
In BC, 93,000 children are now living in poverty. That's enough children to fill BC Place Stadium nearly two times over.
Yet government is doing very little about it. According to Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, BC's Representative for Children and Youth, in a report released in October, seven of nine recommendations she has made to the province in the last few years have been disregarded. She is highly critical of government for refusing to engage fully to address the problem.
It's no coincidence that BC is the only province in the country not committed to a legislated plan to fight poverty. Saskatchewan introduced its anti-poverty legislation on October 22, putting BC dead last in the effort to fight child poverty. It's a shameful record of inaction, neglect and disregard for some of our most vulnerable kids.
Children don't live alone in poverty; families are living in poverty. And that reality means children are going to school hungry, living without the basic necessities of life, and unable to function at their full potential. Imagine trying to learn at school on an empty stomach day after day.
Earlier this fall, my colleague Michelle Mungall, the Opposition's social development spokesperson, tabled the Poverty Reduction and Economic Inclusion Act. The bill offers a path out of poverty and would help BC catch up with the rest of Canada in the fight against poverty.
As Opposition, we have tabled legislation to reduce child poverty many times over the last several years. We've challenged the government to support it, or introduce their own legislation, or re-table our legislation as their own – all with the goal of supporting poverty reduction.
If government were to support the Opposition's bill, it could put an end to poverty-creating policies like the clawback of child support from children of single parents on income assistance and disability. Government could begin reducing poverty immediately by allowing children of single parents receiving income assistance to keep their child support.
There's no doubt the time for action is long overdue. The Opposition's legislation will help identify and change bad policies that intensify poverty while also developing real programs that help people access training and jobs to better their lives. And the legislation would measure poverty in our province, and report out to the public on progress made.
Addressing poverty is a non-partisan issue, and I urge government to act now.
And I encourage each of us to also do our part, in supporting the many agencies, not-for- profits, faith groups, and organizations who do such amazing work to support those living in poverty in our community. Each of us can also make a difference in our own way, which is what the holidays should truly be about. Let's keep that holiday spirit going throughout the year!
As always, I appreciate hearing your views on this topic and any others of interest to you and your family. Please contact me at:
1084 Fort Street
Victoria, BC V8V 3K4
Phone: 250 952-4211
Carole.James.mla@leg.bc.ca
www.carolejamesmla.ca