Editor:
The Christy Clark Liberal government does not like to hear about child poverty. They would much rather hear about million dollar homes and rich kids. Or billion dollar LNG deals.
But the finance minister speaks about a “fragile economy” at the suggestion of improvements to the social security net for all British Columbians. He does not talk about the fact that we contribute more to the provincial treasury through Medical Services Premiums than the corporations do through income tax. This is the new B.C.
The Christy Clark government does not talk about the fact that the richest 10 per cent of the B.C. population holds almost 60 per cent of the wealth.
Or that B.C. has the greatest income inequality in Canada. The bottom 50 per cent get three per cent of the wealth. Yes, three.
There are more and more studies that show that severe income inequality produces serious problems in a society. Costly problems.
In 2012 the percentage of children in families headed by a single parent in B.C. living in poverty was 50 per cent. And yet B.C. is the only province that does not have a child poverty reduction plan. Why? Because not enough British Columbians have demanded that our government develop a strategy.
The wealthiest 10 per cent won’t speak about poverty because they are safe. The poorest 10 per cent because they are powerless. It remains for those in the middle to bring about the change.
John Dressler
Williams Lake