Poverty ...Our National Discrace

During the last few weeks there has been many headlines in the major papers about the huge problem of poverty in Canada. Figures vary but it is recognized that over a quarter of our people in Canada live below the poverty level. Some place it as high as a third of the people. One in five of our school children come to school every day hungry. A significant number of seniors have to decide whether to buy their needed drugs or buy food. Dental services for a third of the people in Canada is financially out of reach.

The federal government has trashed many of the social safety nets and has cut programs to the bone in order to balance the budget. A Tory member stated that the Liberals would take the easy way out by raising taxes instead of cutting programs. What is easy about hungry school children, families that are debt ridden and seniors stressed because they have a fixed income which does not permit them to pay their bills or have proper medical care?

The easy way is to sit in the seats of parliament and cabinet and reduce spending  at the expense of the poor. Most Canadians believe in a compassionate government and sensible programs to balance taxes and spending to support what most of us would call the unique Canadian character of a good government. Who believes that raising taxes is an easy decision? It is much easier to cut spending at the expense of the underclass who are being treated like collateral damage at the alter of the balanced budget. Conservatives believe and support the idea that the balanced budget is worth the human cost which is tearing Canadian families to pieces.In my Canada a government should reach out to the poor, help the young and raise taxes in balance and become inclusive not obsessive.