Write a letter!

Writing to the government is a bit like spitting in the wind - you never know what you'll get! The alternative of course is to NOT write then you will know for sure that nothing will happen.....

And so I wrote:

Hon. Diane Finley
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
Finley.D@parl.gc.ca

Dear Ms. Finley,

I am writing in regard to the excellent report from the Parliamentary Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities on the federal role in poverty reduction strategies.

This report recommends that the federal government immediately commit to a federal action plan to reduce poverty in Canada and I urge you to respond positively and quickly.

A few key components for the federal government to initiate a plan to reduce poverty include:

• Raising the Canada Child Tax Benefit and supplement to $5000 within 5 years;
• A long-term national housing and homelessness strategy;
• Measures to help the most vulnerable – a refundable Disability Tax Credit, easing EI qualifications, increasing adult literacy, increasing and indexing GIS for seniors, implementing an early learning and child care strategy; and
• Major help for Aboriginal People for housing, education and social services, including elimination of the two per cent cap on federal funding.

Urgent action is needed because poverty continues to worsen. It is unacceptable that Canada has such a high rate of poverty especially when it comes to marginalized women and children, the most vulnerable members of our society.

While many provincial governments have poverty reduction plans in place, they cannot achieve their poverty reduction targets without the federal government playing its role in the areas of its jurisdiction.

I am also sending a copy of this letter to my Member of Parliament asking that he/she support its recommendations.

Sincerely

To date there has been no reply, so we wait for the wind..... at least I wrote!

Poverty

What does poverty really look like?How can any one of us not care that children are still living in poverty all across this country? And it’s not just kids, but seniors, the disabled, Aboriginal women and so many others who are already marginalized and abused. It is inexcusable that a country like ours continues to let this happen.

It is shameful too that we in BC are like Alberta, Saskatchewan and PEI without a strong anti poverty strategy. In the current leadership race, do you hear anti poverty as a platform? Barely! My e-mails on the topic have not been answered either.

We are all responsible for alleviating poverty at every level and must hold our elected representatives accountable as well as ourselves. We each have a part to play, if we care enough.

One thing you can do is join the Dignity for All Campaign. I did, along with thousands of other concerned Canadians, groups, corporations, unions and more. Take a look at what they've done and who they are partnered with. We need to make some serious noise so the politicians will hear. We all know when there is political will around an issue, it comes alive. Why don't the wives, husbands, fathers and mothers in our governments feel the pressure to help the poor?

I just read through a wonderful report called FEDERAL POVERTY REDUCTION PLAN: Working in Partnership Towards Reducing Poverty in Canada which is the result of an extensive three-year study on the federal role in addressing poverty by the Parliamentary Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development (HUMA).

It is truly a significant breakthrough in support of the work of anti-poverty groups and something surely the government cannot ignore.

Next time?
I’ll draft a letter to Diane Finley in support of the many worthy recommendations
Will you write?