New Democrats Call For Comprehensive Child Poverty Reduction Plan
VICTORIA — The B.C. Liberals should stop burying their heads in the sand and commit to a comprehensive child poverty reduction plan in light of new figures that show 87,000 B.C. children live in poverty, the New Democrats say.
Maurine Karagianis“Thousands and thousands of kids and their families live in poverty in British Columbia, and the B.C. Liberals continue to hope that the problem will just magically go away,” said Maurine Karagianis , New Democrat critic for children and families.
“It is shameful for the government to point to one statistic that shows a slight reduction in child poverty and claim things are fine. The fact remains that British Columbia has had the worst rate of child poverty in Canada for seven years running,” said Karagianis, noting the most recent statistics are from 2008, the year before the recession hit.
The Statistics Canada report, Income of Canadians, 2008, was released Thursday and shows B.C. has the highest child poverty rate in the country at 10.4 per cent, using the low income cut-off after tax measure. The office of Minister of Children and Families Mary Polak released a statement praising the figures.
Karagianis noted that child poverty is a very complex problem which requires a comprehensive plan that includes targets and timelines. “But the B.C. Liberals refuse to take action,” said Karagianis.
In the legislature last fall, Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman admitted the government has no child poverty plan, adding “specific targets [are] not necessarily feasible.”
Shane Simpson“This government has to take its head out of the sand and look around at the rest of the country. Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador have all committed to poverty reduction plans. It’s time for British Columbia to to stop making excuses and get on board,” said Shane Simpson , New Democrat housing and social development critic.
“Last month a committee of the legislature was told by a series of experts that poverty is a drag on the economy and the solutions are obvious. It’s time for the B.C. Liberals to get on with it, listen to the experts, and take action to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all the children in this province,” said Simpson.
The Carole James New Democrats are building a long-term vision with practical solutions to address our social, economic and environmental challenges.
