Ontario Liberals are planning to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent in five years in the province. The bill that was introduced last Wednesday and titled, The Poverty Reduction Act, 2009, calls for 90,000 children to be lifted out of poverty by 2014.
As NDP critic Cheri Di Novo pointed out, the plan has no plan. It has no targets. Perhaps Ms. Di Novo reached her conclusion by reading section 3(3) of the bill which says, “The Government of Ontario shall establish a specific target for poverty reduction”. The entire Poverty Reduction Act, 2009, is nothing but leftist gobbledygook that lets the governing Liberals feel good about themselves and let’s them brag about how much they care about the children. How much they care about the poor, etc. The proposed legislation has clauses that state that diversity must be recognized and that all families must get support and respect. So everybody should be respected; who’d have thunk it.
Of course child poverty and poverty in general has always been around. Since the 1960s when the world saw Lyndon Johnson and his War on Poverty and the rise of Pierre Trudeau in Canada, all levels of governments began throwing more and more money at the problem of poverty and yet poverty continued to increase. The vaguely worded bill that plans to come up with a plan that will miraculously lift 90,000 kids out of poverty is proof positive that this latest made in Ontario war against poverty is nothing more than a show; something done in an attempt to distract the unwashed masses from the declining economic conditions in Canada’s latest have-not province. The reality is that eliminating or even substantially reducing child poverty would take more than mere mortal politicians. It would take a god to accomplish what the government will plan under the bill that promises to come up with a plan.
And speaking of gods, Daddy Dalton would do well to pay attention to what Barack Obama is doing south of the border. As we all know, money in amounts that ordinary people cannot possibly comprehend is being thrown at corporations and financial institutions under the guise of stimulating the economy. But, this money is coming with conditions. Limits have been imposed on the salaries and CEO’s of corporations receiving these funds and it is only a matter of time before these corporations will be told what they can and cannot do; how they can and cannot spend. This is all rationalized on the basis that when an institution receives government money, they cannot spend it on frivolous endeavors such as golf tournaments, parties for clients, large salaries, corporate jets and redecorating corporate offices.
Now Canada is not in the same position as the United States is. Our banks do not need and have not received, to use the jargon of the day, bailouts. But if there were massive bailouts by the province of Ontario, no doubt Dalton McGuinty would place similar conditions on those who receive government largesse. But if there is one thing that defines Canada, other than our socialist health care system, is that we believe in equality.
Dalton McGuinty should take a page out of the Bamster’s playbook and decide that all people who receive government funds be told how they can and cannot use this money. And in Ontario, poor people who receive welfare should be treated no differently that corporate CEO’s and bankers would. The province should put restrictions on how money can be spent by welfare recipients who are receiving taxpayer funds. No more lottery tickets. No booze (it’s not good for them anyway). While there are thousands of TV channels out there, basic cable is good enough for someone who is living off of other peoples’ money. There are a whole lot of restrictions that could be put on how this public money is spent. With the frivolous spending out of the way, people would have more money to look after their children and that would go a long way towards lifting these kids out of poverty. After all, it is public money and as Obama has stated, controls should be placed on those who receive public funds. Of course there are no similar controls being contemplated for American welfare recipients but again this is Canada. We believe in equality where a single mother on welfare should be treated no differently than a Bay Street banker would be.
Dalton McGuinty will never do this of course. He and his government will settle for a plan to come up with a plan. But look how much he cares.
