Vibrant Communities Calgary

No Bad Jobs?!

I’ve got a very eclectic resume, and I don’t even include most of the jobs I’ve worked. I’ve washed dishes, made beds, cleaned houses, scrubbed toilets, mowed lawns, picked fruit, treeplanted for far too long, slung coffee and cooked. I was fortunate, for the most part to have good bosses. I was happy to be working and they were paying the bills. That’s what jobs are supposed to do. Echoing Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty, I don’t think these were bad jobs. To say however that there are “no bad jobs”?? Well, I can’t disagree more strongly.

One person might cringe at the thought of working outside all day with their hands while another may think this is bliss. In Canada, a bad job isn’t defined by tasks and responsibilities. A bad job means:

1. Not earning enough to feed or clothe or house yourself and your family.
2. Putting your children in less-than-standard care because you can’t afford anything else.
3. Not being treated with dignity.
4. Having no recourse against discrimination, unfair hiring practices or unsafe work places.
5. Not being granted the rights you are guaranteed by law; statutory holiday pay, meal breaks, vacation, overtime pay, consistent pay intervals.
6. Paying into a disability or insurance plan, and being denied its benefits when they’re due.
7. Not being compensated when injured at work.
8. Being discriminated against for your race, ability, gender or age.
9. Compromising your safety at the fear of losing your job or, in the case of temporary foreign workers, having to leave the country.
10. Being denied the right to collective action.

If you haven’t lived any of the above scenarios, you’re most likely to know someone who has. Would the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have first hand experience of these conditions agree with Minister Flaherty’s belief that there are “no bad jobs”?

Government of Alberta’s New Cabinet

Alison Redford – Premier, President of the Executive Council
Thomas Lukaszuk – Deputy Premier
Doug Horner – President of Treasury Board and Finance
Dave Hancock – Human Services, Government House Leader
Cal Dallas – International and Intergovernmental Relations
Diana McQueen – Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
Fred Horne – Health
Ken Hughes – Energy
Jeff Johnson – Education
Verlyn Olson – Agriculture and Rural Development
Jonathan Denis – Justice and Solicitor General, Deputy House Leader
Doug Griffiths – Municipal Affairs
Robin Campbell – Aboriginal Relations, Deputy House Leader
Heather Klimchuk – Culture
Manmeet Bhullar – Service Alberta
Wayne Drysdale – Infrastructure
Stephen Khan – Enterprise and Advanced Education
Ric McIver – Transportation, Deputy House Leader
Christine Cusanelli – Tourism, Parks and Recreation

Premier Redford announced her cabinet this past Tuesday. VCC was following the announcements closely, and we’d like to join the rest of Alberta by weighing in on a few of the postings:

1. The ministry we were watching most closely was that of Human Services. Dave Hancock was re-appointed as Minister of this evolving portfolio, and VCC is especially interested to see the Social Policy Framework unfold with Minister Hancock leading its development in the next few years. Premier Redford’s campaign announcement to implement a 5-year plan to end child poverty and a 10-year plan to end poverty in Alberta based on the model to end homelessness in Alberta was an announcement VCC has been hoping for, and working towards, for a long time. The initiative to tackle poverty in a tangible, comprehensive way will fall to the Ministry of Human Services. We anticipate a fruitful collaboration between VCC, Minister Hancock and many, many others to begin to address the root causes of poverty in our province.

We’d also like to note that persons with disabilities (PDD) was transferred from the Health portfolio to that of Human Services. Disabled persons’ needs should be incorporated at all levels of public service, not just health and as such, we think this is a positive move. They deserve access to services and what better place for these to be addressed in a holistic way than by a Ministry of Human Services.

2. VCC is happy to see Doug Griffiths remains in cabinet. Minister Griffiths was a Member of the standing committee on the economy that unanimously recommended a comprehensive provincial poverty reduction strategy. That committee was also responsible for reviewing Alberta’s minimum wage (another minimum wage review is due late-2012).

3. With 18 women in the PC caucus (including Premier Redford) there is far from a 50/50 split in cabinet. However, it should be said that it is an improvement from previous years. Wouldn’t be great to truly have a fair representation of both sexes in the legislature? Still, it’s definitely a first in Canada to see a woman at the helm in 3 provinces and 1 territory; Christy Clark in BC, Redford in AB, Kathy Dunderdale in Newfoundland and Labrador, and Eva Aariak in Nunavut.

To learn more about a specific Ministry, or to get in touch with a Minister, visit the Government of Alberta website.

Four Things We Know About Poverty

Tonight, I want to talk about 4 things we absolutely know about poverty. My hope is that when we leave here tonight, we will all agree on these 4 things and will know with confidence that when we talk about poverty in Calgary, and more importantly as we work to solve it, that we do so, knowing these 4 things.

We must own knowledge based on research, experience, and what our collective years of doing this work have taught us. I chose to focus on this message because too often when it comes to poverty we focus on what we don’t know and the aspects of poverty that make it so difficult to tackle. However, I would like every single person to leave here tonight knowing that there are things we absolutely know to be true about poverty and that we can move forward together with that shared knowledge.

Just as we know that a working single mom needs childcare, just as we know that people need reliable transportation to get to work on time, and just as we know that children can’t learn if they are hungry, we know the 4 things I will talk about tonight to be absolutely true.

Thanks to the work of Wilkinson and Pickett, we now know, without a doubt that high levels of income inequality yield poor outcomes at all income levels. This kind of definitive knowledge inspired me to talk about what we know about poverty. This is knowledge that we need to stop debating, we need to move the discourse forward and as people who care about seeing an end to poverty in our societies, it is our responsibility to take the lead and push the conversation about poverty further.

So, what do we know about poverty?

The 1st of 4 things we know about poverty is that:

1. We absolutely can’t address poverty without addressing income

We do a disservice to people living in poverty when we diminish this fact. At the absolute core of poverty is lack of income.

Measures of quality of life, deprivation, and happiness are often used to describe poverty, and they are important for understanding effects of poverty; but when we try to use them as measures of poverty itself, we stray from the core issue. At the very base of identifying poverty is lack of income.

Currently we don’t have a poverty line in Canada so we use proxy measures – Low Income Measure, Low Income Cut Off and Market Basket Measure are proxy measures in place of a poverty line and they are all valid measures of low-income but the lack of an agreed income measure of poverty is a very serious void in understanding a true income cut-off that reflects poverty in Calgary’s context. And context is indeed important, we know that relative poverty, absolute poverty, and depth of poverty all matter in what poverty looks like in a community. We must choose shared measurements and move forward.

Some might argue that lack of money isn’t at the root of poverty, that somehow low income doesn’t necessarily mean a person is poor – I want to be very clear, they’re wrong. That idea is wrong. Additional supports and access to resources may reduce the effects of poverty, but it is still poverty. We can’t address poverty without addressing income.

The 2nd of 4 things we know about poverty is that:

2. Poverty is a complex problem with interlocking causes and effects and solutions must also be interlocking, they must be comprehensive, and preventive.

We appreciate the complexity of poverty and that solutions are not straightforward. But we can achieve a sustained reduction in the number of people living in poverty. We know this because other provinces are making progress with comprehensive strategies, most notably Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Comprehensive plans are key since we know that there is no one way into poverty and therefore no one way out of it. These kinds of plans are important ways to examine interconnected causes and effects of poverty and ways that we can stop people from falling into poverty in the first place.

The Premier’s commitment to a 5-year plan to end child poverty and a 10-year plan to end poverty in Alberta is very welcome and her comments reinforce the fact that she fully understands the issues – that poverty cannot be solved by employment alone, that prevention is important, and that children all deserve equal opportunity. Alberta experiences great wealth and prosperity, as such, if any place in Canada can eliminate poverty, it is this province.

The 3rd of 4 things we know about poverty is that:

3. Poverty is an individual experience and society’s problem.

Poverty is a drain on hope, dignity, and possibility and it is individuals living in poverty who experience this. It is the individuals living in poverty who experience feelings of stigma but the stigma should be society’s, not the individual’s. Our society must take ownership and responsibility for the fact that poverty exists – we created the conditions that allow it to exist and therefore society must take the steps to end it. When poverty persists, it is because we, as a society, haven’t taken the steps we need to in order to end it. We need to ask ourselves “what is it that our systems are not doing for people? “ By this I don’t mean what programs are not doing for people, or what services are not doing for people. I mean, what is it in our systems of economy, our government, our health care, our education that allows poverty to exist.

We must examine the way we view poverty; service is important and immediate responses are important but we need to think about the ways that our systems have not just contributed to the problem but how they have created the problem in the first place. How many programs are tackling the wrong problems? How much of our service delivery could we prevent from being needed in the first place? Morally and ethically, there is no room for debate on this, we need to start asking ourselves some tough questions about the work we do and whether we are contributing to positive social change or reinforcing systems that contribute to negative outcomes.

The last of 4 things we know about poverty is that:

4. Poverty comes with a price tag

Not asking tough questions is costing us economically and socially. Not taking action to solve poverty is costing us all in our communities and in real economic terms.
We are all familiar with social costs of poverty, to the quality of life of individuals and communities and we now have quantifiable proof of the economic costs. A report published by Vibrant Communities Calgary and Action to End Poverty in Alberta, written jointly by myself and Celia Lee, shows that poverty costs Alberta’s health system, our criminal system, and our economy as much as 9.5 billion dollars per year. That is the price tag of our current approach, we think we can do better and achieve better outcomes for every Albertan.

Poverty is an urgent problem. Every child born into poverty in Calgary, every person who is unable to contribute to and participate in the city at their absolute fullest is costing every Albertan in real social terms as well as real economic terms.

So, in summary, it is my hope that as you leave here tonight, you feel armed with knowledge of four things, of these 4 things we know about poverty.

First, knowledge that:
1. We can’t address poverty without addressing income.

Second, knowledge that:
2. Poverty is a complex problem with interlocking causes and effects and solutions must also be interlocking, comprehensive, and preventive.

Third, knowledge that:
3. Poverty is an individual experience and society’s problem.

And last, knowledge that:
4. Poverty comes with a price tag.

By all means continue the discussion and the debate but not on these four points. On these 4 points the time for debate is over, the time for action has come.

This speech was written and presented by Alexa Briggs, Associate Director of Strategy and Research with Vibrant Communities Calgary. It was presented in response to a presentation given by Richard Wilkinson, May 1, 2012 at Hotel Arts, Calgary, AB.

Canada Without Poverty Congratulates Alison Redford on Poverty Action

April 25, 2012

The Honourable Alison Redford
Premier of Alberta
Room 307, Legislature Building
10800-97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5K 2B7

Dear Premier:

First and foremost, congratulations on your stunning electoral victory. Please do not underestimate the impact this past Alberta campaign has had on the rest of the country. Your ability to project your leadership on issues for which you have passion clearly brought Albertans to your vision.

Canada Without Poverty is a national charity with many members and supporters in Calgary, Edmonton, smaller cities and towns in one of our most bountiful provinces. We are dedicated to precisely one of your electoral promises, as announced by you on April 11th and as we quote from your party’s press release that day:

“A Progressive Conservative government is committed to strengthening supports for Albertans in their time of need. Our Plan for Poverty Reduction will focus on a 5-year plan to eliminate child poverty and a 10- year plan to reduce poverty. ‘This community-led initiative will result in equality of access to the economy, better health for the impoverished in our community, stronger families, safer communities and increased civic participation,’ says Premier Alison Redford. ‘The reason I created the Human Services Ministry was to bring all elements of social policy together under one ministry, which makes it possible to create a comprehensive model that will support our most vulnerable citizens.’” (Source: http://www.votepc.ca/text_launch.cfm?type=news&itemid=2470)

The press release also reflected your understanding of poverty’s profound society-wide impact. As you know, this impact has recently been estimated by Vibrant Communities Calgary and Action to End Poverty in Alberta to cost Albertans $7.1 to $9.5 billion annually. This is in line with the estimated cost of poverty to Canada as a whole, some $72 to $86 billion annually.

We are pleased to know of your legal expertise in human rights and of your past volunteer service with the Alberta Human Rights Education Advisory Board. We conceive poverty as a human rights issue and the need for its remedies to be anchored in a framework of economic and social rights recognition and protection. With you at the helm of Alberta’s government, you have an opportunity to break new ground in this area: we would be pleased to assist.

We also note your past work as Senior Policy Advisor to the Right Hon. Joe Clark: Mr. Clark is one of our Honorary Directors. These and other notable achievements and qualifications position you well for not only profound leadership in Alberta on poverty concerns, but for national leadership as well, among your fellow Premiers and the Prime Minister of Canada.

As an example of such leadership, we highlight and applaud the transparent approach you have taken in making public the mandate letters of Ministers: this is groundbreaking in Canadian terms. In keeping with this transparent approach and in a spirit of collaboration, we ask that you embolden a Minister to immediately get on with the job of your Plan for Poverty Reduction. We also ask that you make specific reference to your plan in the Speech from the Throne, as a matter of urgent attention. Five years, as you know, is a lifetime in politics. But if accelerated work to reduce and even eliminate poverty doesn’t start now, many who are poor today will simply not make it to your fifth year in government.

We thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration of this request. Also know that Canada Without Poverty offers our help and wishes you total success for Alberta’s sake and the sake of a model for the rest of Canada.

Yours truly,
Vilma Dawson
Board Member for Alberta

and

Rob Rainer
Executive Director

Cc Canada Without Poverty’s national contacts network


CBC Debate Airs April 19th

Leaders of 4 Provincial Parties vying for your votes on Monday (or in advance polls that started yesterday) participated in a CBC debate Wednesday at noon. They were each asked a question directly related to poverty in Alberta. We’ve provided a link to the debate in case you missed it.

The question was as follows:
There are 400,000 Albertans living in poverty. What will your government do to end poverty in Alberta? (starts at 10:20 in the video)

We briefly summarize the answers below to provide further insight as to where parties stand on poverty reduction. You can also see a blog VCC wrote last week that goes into detail about the party’s platforms on poverty. As you will know from our long-standing position on poverty reduction in Alberta, VCC’s ideal answer includes a commitment to a Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy. These kinds of strategies are seeing results in other provinces and Alberta is one of just 3 provinces without a provincial strategy.

Mason (leader of the New Democratic Party)
Mr. Mason’s comments focused on specific initiatives such as ensuring there is affordable housing, fair income for people on Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), and increasing minimum wage to a Living Wage. Mr. Mason also commented that it is important to keep jobs in Alberta, specifically referencing the outsourcing of oilsands refining that represents long term job losses to Alberta.

Redford (leader of the Progressive Conservative Party)
Premier Redford mentioned her commitment to improving social policy outcomes through the development of the Social Policy Framework, which has begun under the new Human Services Ministry. She discussed the importance of supporting people to gain employment and in providing other kinds of supports to people who need them. In a later question on mental health and homelessness, Premier Redford reiterated her commitment to the 10-year plan to end poverty announced last week.

Sherman (leader of the Liberal Party)
Dr. Sherman committed to “a just and fair Alberta where every Albertan has a chance to participate in our prosperity”, with specific reference to “house the homeless…feed the hungry…clothe those who don’t have clothes”. He mentioned commitment to supports from childhood to adulthood, including education, jobs, health care, clothing, housing, food, and fairness.

Smith (leader of the Wild Rose Party)
Ms. Smith noted that “one of the most acute cases of poverty that we see in the province is on our First Nations reserves” and believes that most of the concerns on reserves can be addressed by the province through better partnership and support. Ms. Smith committed to revisiting where Aboriginal Affairs falls in provincial government structure. She committed to a “hands on approach to our First Nations communities to alleviate the issues of poverty there”.