Sign the Poverty Reduction in BC petition
By Sara AM Golling
Consider taking the time add your name to the call for a poverty reduction plan.
A recent Environics poll found that:
- Over 90 per cent of British Columbians believe that, if other counties can reduce poverty, so can Canada.
- 87 per cent said both the prime minister and the premier should set concrete targets and timelines to reduce poverty.
- 91 per cent said they would feel proud if our premier took leadership on poverty reduction
British Columbians believe an economic recession is exactly the time for governments to act on poverty reduction.
- When asked whether, in the face of a recession, governments will have to focus on other priorities or whether an economic downturn makes it more important than ever to make helping the poor a priority, 77 per cent chose the latter.
These results should get the attention of all politicians:
- 74 per cent of British Columbians say they would be more likely to support a provincial political party that pledged to make poverty reduction a high priority and propose clear policies, targets and timelines aimed at reducing the number of poor people.
* The poll was commissioned by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, one of the signatories to the open letter. It was conducted in the fall of 2008 (in the midst of the growing economic/financial crisis). For more on the poll results, see Ready for Leadership: Canadians’ Perceptions of Poverty, by Trish Hennessy and Armine Yalnizyan
