Sara-Jane Lizst of Selkirk College Students' Union speaks about crushing student debt, rising tuition and the loss of a skilled workforce due to debt aversion - to over 90 people at Trail Poor No More Film event co-hosted by Alex, Trail FAIR and Trail United Church Life-Long Learning Committee.   Panellists (LtoR) Alex, Patsy Harmston (WK Labour Council & BCGEU Local 309), Liszt, Eleanor Harper from the United Church Food Bank, and Jan Morton from Greater Trail Skill Centre and the Lower Columbia Community Development Team.

The old adage that “the rich get rich and the poor get poorer” has never been so true, especially these days in Canadian society.

According to a new study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), poverty and inequality rates in Canada are now higher than most developed nations. The report found that, over the past 10 years, only Germany has seen a similar rate of increase.

The harsh reality is that wages for the rich continue to rise, while middle- and low-income workers are experiencing a drop in their salaries. Most affected are young adults and families with children.

Alex makes a point at the Poor No More Film and Forum night in Oliver

In an article in the Toronto Star newspaper, Lesley Harmer, a spokesperson for retiring federal Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg, is quoted as saying that government is “taking real action to support Canadians who need help.”

However, the OECD report suggests that Canada is spending less on programs such as unemployment insurance and family benefits than other developed countries, which may be part of the reason that families and individuals are suffering.

Alex and Kaslo community panellists weigh in on local and national poverty issues, with discussion highlighting food bank, hunger and local food production issues, public service and social service cutbacks and more!

Now with the slowdown in the economy and international turmoil on the financial markets, the situation for working families is looking bleaker than ever. Manufacturing jobs are disappearing, the forest industry is in crisis and other traditional sources of good income jobs are drying up as well. Factor in minimum wages that fail to keep families afloat and high prices for everything from fuel to food to prescription drugs, and it’s little wonder that food banks and homeless shelters are unable to keep up with the demand for their services.

During this fall’s election campaign, an organization called Campaign 2000 called on all federal parties to set minimum targets of a 25% reduction in child poverty over the next 5 years and a 50% reduction over 10 years. The organization compared the election platforms of each federal party against a checklist of goals for poverty reduction that included affordable housing, early childhood education and care, post-secondary education, and sustainable employment and livable wages. The New Democrats met 12 of the 13 commitments measured by Campaign 2000. The Conservatives met only one.

Moderator Deb Kozak welcomes Nelsonites to poverty forum panel presentations.

Clearly there is still much work to do be done. Setting targets for poverty reduction must be part of the government’s agenda if any progress is to be made towards addressing the needs of working people in Canada.