Who cares for the children?
October 11, 2007 | 03:54 PM
So, here we are at the front end of a provincial election campaign that is probably going to be too close to call. And no one will talk about anything that really matters in any meaningful way.
Why, oh why can't we have an election in which the lives of children matter? Why do we so consistently ignore the lives of the most vulnerable human beings?
Saskatchewan has the highest rate of child poverty in the country. One child in five -- a full 20% -- of the children who live in this province live without adequate food, shelter and clothing. That's more than 43,000 children. Imagine a city larger than Moose Jaw or Prince Albert, filled with children living in substandard housing, with not enough food to eat and without decent clothing in which to face the harsh Saskatchewan winter. It's quite likely that they will be victims of crime and violence. They are probably less successful in school. Their neighborhoods are under-resourced. They are often sick. And, they are dying.*
It's like something out of Dickens' Oliver Twist! Only it's worse than that! This is the 21st century! We are supposed to have evolved over the past two centuries. Well, if the children of our province are any indicator, we are not evolving, we are devolving!
Now before you go blaming it all on the NDP, let me assure you the issue has been around a long while. Children have been treated horribly by governments of all political stripes for a very long time. They are not viewed as the valuable assets they are. This must stop. And, it must stop now!
It is not the children's fault that they are forced to exist in poverty. And we can't keep blaming their parents. It doesn't help the children if we cop out and find a scape goat. As responsible citizens in a democracy, isn't it our responsibility to help those less fortunate? Wouldn't our communities and our province be a better place if we actually cared for the children? If we actually put our money where our mouths are we could quite easily build a better tomorrow for all.
So, when a politician comes knocking at your door or interrupts your evening with a telephone call, I challenge you to take a few moments to ask the tough questions on behalf of the children. You can start with these or make up your own.
- How much will your government, within its first week of taking office, dedicate to eradicating child poverty in this province in its first year?
Just last year, tax breaks to oil, gas, uranium and other corporations amounted to $240 million in Saskatchewan. And that figure doesn't include the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks from previous years. It is estimated that less than $400 million would lift the families of all children living in poverty in Saskatchewan to the poverty line.
- What will your government do to help single-parent women make a better life for themselves and their children in Saskatchewan?
Almost 60% of children living in households headed by a sole support female live in poverty. Full-time working women in Saskatchewan earn, on average, 73 cents for every dollar a full-time working man makes. Women working part time fare even worse. And, women perform a lot of work for which they are not paid.
- How will your government deal with the racialized nature of child poverty in this province?
50% of children of First Nations ancestry living in Saskatchewan live in poverty. Wages paid to adults of First Nations ancestry are about half that paid to adults of non-First Nations ancestry.
*Statistics from University of Regina's Social Policy Research Unit (PDF file)
Comments: (1)
How refreshing to read Bernadette Wagner's blog on important issues like this (poverty/child care) during the provincial election. Kudos to her and to the CBC for seeking out this viewpoint from the women's community which is so often overlooked or discounted!
Posted November 5, 2007 08:37 AM