Springtime is the Right Time to Fight Poverty

As the sun came out in Ottawa last week, so too did more scandal as Elections Canada was aided by the RCMP with a raid on Conservative Party HQ.

This is good news for no-one as it distracts from the serious work at hand, perhaps the most serious of which is fighting poverty in Canada. Greater Saint John is a city on the up, but even as our economy grows, we have to be sure to keep working towards a more just society for the worst off.

Late last year, the Liberal party announced its 30-50 plan to reduce poverty in Canada. This plan will bring the number of Canadians as a whole living in poverty down 30% and the number of children living in poverty by 50% in five years. This plan is costed, economically feasible, and respects those it seeks to offer a hand-up.

This comprehensive plan stands in stark contrast to the current government, which raised the tax rate on the lowest income group in their first budget, even while they offered tax breaks to the upper income groups.

With any luck we’ll be able to bring this plan to action and start investing in people again.