Social Policy in Ontario

Casual clothes, tough talk, Oct. 8

Prime Minister Stephen Harper pulls out of Commonwealth summit due to concerns over human rights? Really?

No government in Canadian history has so abused the rules of Parliament, or shown such contempt for honesty and transparency as the government of Stephen Harper. No other government has ever gone after civil dissent in such an aggressive and menacing way as Stephen Harper.

He has made cuts to a host of groups fighting for childcare rights, to 16 separate organizations struggling for women’s rights; to agencies working for a better democracy, to First Nations Organizations, to immigrant groups, to research groups, to public education, cuts to Statistics Canada, he has silenced scientists … the list goes on.

As a result the poverty rate in Canada has increased: today one in six Canadians, including 1.2 million children, live a miserable existence on incomes well below anyone’s definition of poverty.

And while poverty increased, corporations in Canada amassed their wealth to the tune of $526 billion and are just sitting on all this wealth.

The Star Exclusive story by Laurie Monsebraaten right alongside this one reports: “Ontario’s number of minimum wage earners skyrockets.” Time to turn your attention to human rights in your own country, Mr. Harper.

Bert Deveaux, Toronto

< http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2013/10/10/how_about_human_rights_at_home.html >