Province called on to help its poorest
Cariboo Press - Merritt Herald
February 27, 2009
By: Chris Koehn

Two hundred organizations from across the province came together to sign an open letter calling on political parties to commit to legislating a poverty reduction plan in B.C...

The letter outlined targets and timelines set to reduce the poverty rate by one-third over four years, end street homelessness in two years and initiate policy action in several key areas as defined by the B.C. Poverty Reduction Committee (BCPRC).

Seth Klein, B.C. director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), stated that a recent Environics poll reported 74 per cent of British Columbians said they would be more likely to vote for a provincial party that made poverty reduction a high priority.

"British Columbians are hungry for leadership on poverty reduction," Klein said.

Ted Bruce, president of the Public Health Association of B.C., said that B.C. 's poverty is unfair and avoidable, and that legislating goals is a necessary step.

"Over half a million British Columbians live in poverty, making it the highest rate in Canada. People work hard to overcome poverty - but society must ensure policies are in place to help them achieve an adequate standard of living," Bruce said.

Another signatory, David Dranchuk, co-ordinator for Societal Ministry, diocese of New Westminster of the Anglican Church, said …. "Charity alone isn't enough. We are also called to do justice," Dranchuk said. "And that means challenging the institutions that create and perpetuate poverty."

Some of the key areas outlined in the policy action plan are:

• increasing income assistance to match the current cost of living
• increasing the minimum wage to $10.60 per hour and eliminating the $6 per hour training wage….
• implement universal, publicly-funded child care programs within one year….

For more information visit www.bcpovertyreduction.ca