Government surprises many with a host of changes that are designed to support vulnerable families
The British Columbia government surprised many on June 11, 2012 when it announced a long list of changes to welfare assistance in the province. Premier Christy Clark made the announcement, which was described as the first pillar of her Families First Agenda: Supporting Vulnerable Families. The changes and initiatives are designed to “help build a stronger foundation for B.C. families to help them become self-sufficient”.
Seth Klein, of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, writes that the changes are good news and long overdue, but that many of the changes are marginal and that most will impact very few people. Kasari Govender, of West Coast LEAF, said in a news release, “We are pleased to see these common sense changes to the income assistance regime. However, the real problem remains the lack of a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy.” A Times Colonist editorial declares that “The provincial government’s changes to income-assistance rules are positive, but fall far short of a real commitment to ‘Families First.’”
We speak with Kasari Govender of West Coast LEAF (Legal Education and Action Fund).
