Fifteen years ago, the House of Commons made a noble promise to the children of Canada and, indeed, the world to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000.
The resolution — spearheaded by then NDP leader Ed Broadbent, now Ottawa Centre’s new MP — was passed unanimously. That, by itself, was no huge surprise. How many politicians would willingly oppose abolishing child poverty?
But what has happened to all that good will and commitment of four years ago? All but forgotten by most, it would seem — statistics indicate that since 1989 child poverty has actually increased in Canada.
The World Food Program reports that globally a child dies of starvation every seven seconds.
In Canada, it’s estimated that 15.6 per cent of children currently live in poverty.
That’s a huge number of children going to bed hungry and cold. Something Prime Minister Paul Martin and his Liberal buddies probably haven’t experienced first hand.
If they had, it’s possible that their political priorities might change.
Over the years, we have certainly been good at identifying the problem, making grand statements and passing resolutions. This may be commendable but where is the political will to actually do something about it?
Without concerted action to attack poverty at all levels , the fine speeches, press releases and resolutions are just crocodile tears.
Panel discussions, seminars and meetings about the issue are well and good, but nothing will change until our priorities change. Priorities that, for example, allow the world to spend $950 billion a year on arms without batting an eyelash; that allow the U.S. to spend almost $6 billion a month on its military intervention in Iraq; that allow Canada to spend millions of dollars on security on a presidential visit that accomplished absolutely nothing.
Perhaps that money or even a portion would be better spent redirected to solving real problems. While we contemplate missile shields and means of mass destruction, children starve.
That’s not to say there have not been some successes worldwide.
Both Scandinavian nations and the Czech Republic, for example, have a child poverty rate of less than five per cent. If these countries can afford it, surely so can we.
If Canada even had the same determination that is shown by the federal government to lower the deficit as we did with child poverty, the problem would improve tomorrow.
Eliminating child poverty won’t be cheap, but unemployment is down, budget surpluses are large and the economy is doing well.
Broadbent has to be commended, of course, for trying to keep the issue on the frontburner, but unless we put our money where our mouths are nothing will change.
Talk is cheap and hungry kids are tired of it.
— Katie Lewis