We’ve known for a long time that we all pay for poverty. We just didn’t know how much. This is the question I investigate in my latest CCPA report The Cost of Poverty in BC. If you’re not in the mood for reading the report, you can watch a short video that summarizes the findings [...]
Entries Tagged as 'poverty reduction'
How much does poverty cost BC?
July 14th, 2011 · Iglika Ivanova · Comments Off · Employment & labour, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Provincial budget & finance
Tags: Economy·poverty·poverty reduction
NDP propose BC Poverty Reduction Act
June 2nd, 2011 · Seth Klein · 3 Comments · Poverty, inequality & welfare
Today in the BC Legislature, the Official Opposition (MLA Shane Simpson) introduced a private member’s Bill proposing a BC Poverty Reduction Act. That Act, were it to be enacted, would see the government develop a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy, and legislate specific targets and timelines to reduce the breadth and depth of poverty within one [...]
Raising the minimum wage: not if but how much and how fast
February 10th, 2011 · Iglika Ivanova · Comments Off · Employment & labour, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Transparency & accountability
While lone voices from the business sector still oppose a minimum wage increase (as in this article in The Province), the minimum wage debate in BC has now firmly shifted past the question of whether we should raise it or not. Virtually all leadership contenders for both the BC Liberals and the BC NDP have [...]
Tags: inequality·leadership race·minimum wage·poverty·poverty reduction
A Challenge to BC’s Leadership Candidates: Dare to Be Bold and to Tell Us the Truth
January 4th, 2011 · Seth Klein · 15 Comments · Climate change, Economy, Environment, resources & sustainability, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Taxes
Some thoughts on what I’d love to hear in the current leadership contests: As a number of fundamental crises become more apparent (ecological and economic, not to mention the democratic deficit), the public is looking for bold ideas and bold leadership. Sadly, too many political strategists (as they will confess in private company) operate on [...]
Tags: campaign·carbon tax·child poverty·inequality·leadership·poverty reduction·role of government
The Economist Magazine calls out BC
December 1st, 2010 · Seth Klein · 2 Comments · Children & youth, Poverty, inequality & welfare
Well, I never thought I’d see this rebuke of Canada and BC in The Economist Magazine of all places. But the current issue of the conservative magazine singles out BC for its high rate of child poverty. You can find it here. The piece highlights cuts to welfare, and notes, “One of the keenest slashers [...]
Poverty reduction update
December 1st, 2010 · Seth Klein · Comments Off · Children & youth, Poverty, inequality & welfare
Lots of developments on the Poverty Reduction front over the last two weeks. Here are a few updates: First, last week brought news that Danny Williams is stepping down as premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. Personally, I’m sad to see him go. Rarely mentioned in the news reports last week about his record of accomplishments [...]
New voices in support of a BC poverty reduction plan
September 30th, 2010 · Seth Klein · 2 Comments · Children & youth, Poverty, inequality & welfare
Two important new voices joined the call for a BC poverty reduction plan in the last couple days. First, on Tuesday, BC Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall released a special report entitled Investing in Prevention. The report received quite a lot of media attention. However, most of the coverage dealt with the common-space issues of [...]
Poverty Reduction: Even Alberta?
September 27th, 2010 · Seth Klein · Comments Off · Housing & homelessness, Poverty, inequality & welfare
Currently, six provinces have official poverty reduction strategies either in place or (in the case of Manitoba) in development. BC, despite having the highest poverty rates, remains stubbornly in the minority of provinces without a plan (along with Alberta, Saskatchewan and PEI). But now comes news earlier this month that an all-party committee of the [...]
Our priorities for BC Budget 2011
September 17th, 2010 · Iglika Ivanova · Comments Off · Housing & homelessness, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Provincial budget & finance, Taxes, Transparency & accountability
On September 15, I presented CCPA-BC’s recommendations for BC Budget 2011 at the Vancouver BC Budget Consultation public hearing. Take a look at my presentation slides for a brief overview of our take on BC’s current budget situation and economic outlook, and our advice for leading the province’s recovery.
Tags: budget·budget consultation·debt·deficit·poverty·poverty reduction
Job creation alone will not solve BC’s poverty problem
April 29th, 2010 · Iglika Ivanova · Comments Off · Economy, Employment & labour, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Provincial budget & finance
Whenever he’s confronted with questions about BC’s record high child poverty rates or by the growing income inequality in the province, our Premier maintains that the best social policy is a job. In fact, reducing the costs of doing business in BC seems to be this government’s chief economic strategy. Consider the HST, for example, [...]
Tags: Economy·HST·job creation·OECD·poverty·poverty reduction·working poverty
