Monday, February 8, 2010

Parliament about Women

As we prepare to discuss the health and rights of impoverished women and children abroad with our industrialized allies, it was comforting to see Jack Layton take a different road than his Liberal counterpart. Instead of insisting on funding foreign abortions, Jack would like us to instead focus on the women and children here in Canada living under poverty. To hear Jack tell the story, you'd think we have millions of families living in mud huts lighting their dung on fire to cook unhealthy bowls of gruel every night. It is as though African poverty and Canadian poverty are comparable on the scale, and that we have an obligation to our citizens to set mandatory minimum incomes.

Thus according to Jack, this upcoming session of parliament should be wholly focused on women's rights and war on poverty, economic recovery be damned. To those familiar with NDP policy, you probably have a pretty good what's coming next; the Poverty Elimination Act to be executed by the HRDC to end poverty in Canada. I'm not sure exactly how they intend to end poverty, but generally minimum guaranteed incomes are right around the corner. Hopefully Jack also has a plan to distinguish the needy from the lazy, though since his camp includes both, why heckle over details?

I would also like to know more about the "poverty statistics" that each NDP member can quote verbatim. What is the "poverty checklist" that they use to classify someone as living under poverty? I'd like to know because I'm pretty sure I qualify. Despite allegations that I am an "elitist", I survive on a very low income and I have a lust for life!

5 comments:

  1. I support Jack's vision if it is wholly financed by the fat cat unions. Well call it, Jack's Utopia and they can ALL live IN their chain linked world and pay, pay pay till their hearts are content!

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  2. "Hopefully Jack also has a plan to distinguish the needy from the lazy,"

    Good one,Iceman! I've seen so many anti-poverty activists who can't tell the difference!

    A few years ago, one of the local TV stations was conducting one of their endless stories on the slums of Vancouver and they were interviewing "poor" folks. One interviewee looked familiar, and as I watched it became clear that he was a guy that had worked for the same company as me.

    He stated the usual "victim" BS, no one would give the downtrodden a chance,etc.

    Truth was our company had given this guy not only one chance, but a dozen "chances" and each time he got paid it was a 50/50 bet as to whether he'd show up for work Monday morning.

    Finally we fired him as he was just too unreliable,but there he was on TV, another victim of cruel capitalists.

    Someone once said that poverty is a state of mind. I'm not too sure about that one but victimhood sure as hell is, maybe the two are corelated.

    DMorris

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  3. Nice one about the difference between needy and lazy - why heckle over the details? Ha! I just about spit out my water when I read that! Well put - And I feel like I too should qualify to be labelled 'poverty-stricken,' but my T-4 says otherwise. Oh government and your greedy claws...

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  4. I wonder it the women of Aftrica are holding a candle light vigel for the "poor" women of Canada?

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  5. I think it is a shame that the opposition parties insist on playing politics with this important initiative. There is so much to be done in the area of 3rd world health issues for women and children. It would be nice to see progress on this issue unencumbered by the usual political slagging and cheap shots.

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