The poor

We are now three weeks into a very pivotal election and I have yet to hear one word regarding poverty, the working poor and their role in the Canadian and global economy. Back in the 1980s I recall the ongoing debate over free trade. It only made sense that free trade would be beneficial to the economy, and it certainly has been , but despite the glowing 10th birthday, there is little evidence that the benefits have trickled down to the poor. In fact it has made it worse.

Some statistics are worth noting. There are 51 per cent more children living below the poverty line in Canada today then there were in 1989. In 1990, 8.2 per cent of the population of Ontario lived below the poverty line. In 1997 that figure rose to 12.6 per cent. Forty-five per cent of the work force is part time, with limited benefits, restricted work protection, and decreased social standards.. Most are women, who make up almost 60 per cent of minimum wage earners. The consumer price index has risen far faster then the wage increases. The Canadian landscape is littered with similar statistics, and despite how right wing think tanks interpret their findings, there is a segment of people in this country that have been abandoned by the chapters of that agreement. Another more recent statistic had 51 food banks set up on campuses in Canada. Was this the type of situation that the late Norman Bethune was thinking of when he said "charity should be abolished and replaced by justice"?

The former CEO of an international power and automation company said it best when he said what he wanted from a trade agreement, "freedom for my group to invest where it wants, when it wants, to produce what it wants, to buy and sell where it wants, and support the fewest possible restrictions coming from labour laws and social conventions." In light of the Canadian statistics , it appears that he has had his wish fulfilled.

The politicians in this country have to address the issue of poverty. They have to address the working poor who are being relegated to part time, low wage, non-secure positions with decreasing benefits to cover increasing needs. No one is moving to incorporate any minimal labour and environmental standards anywhere in these agreements. Why? Have those at the helm simply given up negotiating on behalf of the people? Have they fallen prey to those who slap themselves on the back for removing the barriers between countries, only to see them firmly erected between the poor and the upper class? Is the health-care sector open to these same forces that we have seen within the telecommunications industry? Is it open to labour manipulation and professional adjustment in order to deliver services? These are forces that are lapping at our border just waiting for the nod.

No one is addressing these problems. Child care? A wonderful idea, and needed but if it is in place to provide a low wage work force what good is it to alleviate the poverty that is so prevalent.

Women's rights? Right to what? To work with no benefits where you have to ask permission to go to the washroom? Someone has to address the new issue of the working poor, to allow them to grow with dignity, and share in the wealth that this country creates. They have been abandoned by the trade agreements as they now stand. I want to see the party lay out their plans to offer some protection for the less fortunate in our increasingly callous society.