Eradicating Child Poverty in the CBRM

Eradicating Child Poverty in the CBRM
Rankin MacSween (Transcript)
Friday August 26, 2016
Sydney Mines, NS

In 1989, the Canadian House of Commons approved a motion to eliminate child poverty in Canada by 2000. The thinking at the time, presumably, was that establishing such a target, supported by all political parties, would ensure that an effective strategy and necessary resources would be brought to bear on the issue.

Clearly, until earlier this year, this commitment had fallen by the wayside, which is a great tragedy for Canada.

This year, Prime Minister Trudeau introduced the Canada Child Benefit, which is tax-free income for families receiving the benefit and the program appears more generous than its predecessors. There is, however, much more to be done to eliminate child poverty in Canada and, more specifically, within our region of Canada.

Canada is a wealthy country by international standards but in rankings conducted by respected international agencies, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and UNICEF, Canada consistently ranks as very average in its efforts to reduce child poverty as compared to other nations.

In the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, the most recent estimates show that more than one-third of children in the region live in poor households. Of children under the age of fifteen years, more than 4,000 live in poverty. I hope most would agree that this is completely intolerable.

On occasion, people challenge my statement that among my top priorities if elected is the elimination of child poverty in Cape Breton. Some people seem to think that I don’t understand either the pervasive nature of poverty or its complexities. Believe me, I do!

But I also understand that if we cut all of the complexity away, the issue is very simple and basic. These families need more money each month to afford the basics of life in Canada.

So to make this very clear, I am absolutely committed to eliminating child poverty within this region within the next four years if I am elected to serve as your Mayor.

I believe that societies that are wise enough to protect and help those who are most vulnerable, including children of all ages, will be the most successful and enduring societies.

For me, it is not simply the responsibility of the mother and/or father to raise a child, it is a responsibility that falls to all of us.

We must as a community ensure that all children have a fair start in life; that they have appropriate housing; proper nutrition; efficient health care services and education and training programs; and a safe home environment.

And in Canada, as the Prime Minister confirms, better is always possible. We can do this.

Again, though, my belief is that an issue will only be addressed if that issue is highlighted and rises to the very top of the priority list.

In order to do this, I wanted to do my part in the municipal campaign and make this not one of one hundred items but to make this the top social issue for me.

With respect to the federal government, I will urge our Members of Parliament to remind their colleagues of the 1989 resolution and ask that they reconfirm the elimination of child poverty as a top national priority and, hopefully, have them recommend a target date that is significantly less than a decade.

The Canada Child Benefit program is absolutely an important element in an overall national strategy but it is vital that the impact of the program be measured and evaluated and amended as required if the needed results are not being achieved.

Within Nova Scotia, I am certain the Premier who is from a large family, shares my concerns regarding child poverty.

Each year the province raises in excess of $125 million in net gaming revenue. My suggestion to the provincial government, respectfully, will be that this money should be directed on an annual basis to the reduction and ultimate elimination of child poverty in the province.

The provincial effort could be integrated with the existing federal strategy to great effect.

In 2001, Mayor John Morgan and CBRM Council became the first municipal government in Nova Scotia to approve a bylaw that prohibited smoking in public places. At the time, people were very skeptical because smoking was very common place in all public spaces. And yet, the bylaw was successfully implemented and subsequently the provincial Smoke-Free Places Act was approved in 2002.

Mayor Morgan and Council understood at the time that they had to break the cycle of social behavior and alter what was accepted practice. Fifteen years later, people certainly have not stopped smoking but what was once thought impossible – a successful ban on smoking in public places – has worked.

For me, the situation with respect to child poverty is very similar.

As a community, we have to say that together we are determined to eliminate child poverty in four years.

As a province, we have to say that we are determined to eliminate child poverty in Nova Scotia in four years.

As a country and as one of the wealthiest nations on earth, we have to say that we are determined to eliminate child poverty across Canada in four years.

Obviously, I cannot do this without your support. This is a great and magnificent challenge for our community to show what can be accomplished when we set our minds to achieving a very worthwhile goal.

I mean this with all my heart: we can and must do better!


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Michael MacNeil Follow Me
Will gladly share this message and encourage everyone no matter who you are voting for or where you live in Canada to do the same thing. Poverty should not exist in Canada. Lets make this message go viral on the Internet relating to or involving an image, video, piece of information, etc., that is circulated rapidly and widely from one Internet user to another: The children need and deserve this message to get out there.

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