2013 PROVINCIAL ELECTION TOOLKIT

First Call 2013 Provincial Election Toolkit www.firstcallelectiontoolkit.wordpress.com LET’S GET BC’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA! Page 1 of 19

2013 PROVINCIAL ELECTION TOOLKIT LET’S GET BC’s CHILDREN & YOUTH ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA!

MARCH 2013 PRODUCED BY First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition

202-1193 Kingsway Vancouver, BC, V5V 3C9 604-873-8437/ 1-800-307-1212 [email protected] www.firstcallbc.org

First Call wishes to thank Inclusion BC for sharing the “what you can do section” from their Election Toolkit.

First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition is a non-partisan, province-wide coalition of over 90 provincial and regional organizations, engaged communities and hundreds of individuals who come together to mobilize British Columbians in support of strong public policies and the allocation of resources for the benefit of children and youth. First Call has built a broad provincial consensus around the need to ensure all British Columbian children and youth benefit from the 4 Keys to Success for Children and Youth:

1. A strong commitment to early childhood development

2. Support in transitions from childhood to youth and adulthood

3. Increased economic equality 4. Safe and caring communities


LET’S GET BC’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA!

May 14, 2013 is election day in the province of British Columbia. On that day, eligible voters exercise their right to vote for one of the candidates in their riding to represent them in the provincial legislature. The purpose of this toolkit is to support individuals and community groups in their advocacy for legislation, policy and practice that benefit children and youth and their families in the lead up to the May 2013 provincial election. First Call partner organizations with expertise in different areas contributed many of the facts, ideas and recommendations in the kit. The toolkit is structured around the 4 Keys to Success. Each section highlights some of the current issues facing children, youth and families in BC and suggests solutions government can act on, in the form of questions to candidates as well as information about where to find the money for children and youth. We have also included election information on how to vote and about the parties running in the election.

You can see this toolkit, along with more information about the election at

www.firstcallelectiontoolkit.wordpress.com

BC’s child and youth population:

0-5 years: 274,474 6-12 years: 318,225 13-18 years: 318,980

TABLE OF CONTENTS Election Information………………....….3 What You Can Do……………………….5 Early Childhood………….………………7 Youth Transitions……….……………...10 Economic Equality……………………. 14 Safe and Caring Communities………. 17 Finding the Money……………...……. 19


HOW TO VOTE During the election, each political party can put forward a candidate in every voting region (called Ridings). You vote for the candidate you want. The candidate that gets the most votes becomes a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). That MLA represents the people in your Riding. The party that gets the most MLA’s elected forms the Government. The party with the next most MLA’s elected forms the Opposition. Voting allows you to choose who you think will best represent you and your community. Your choice helps decide who will form the government in BC.

WHO CAN VOTE? Everyone who is a Canadian Citizen, has lived in BC for the last six months and who is 18 years of age or older on voting day can vote in this election if they are on the voters’ list. You also have to live in the riding where you are voting.

HOW DO I GET ON THE VOTERS LIST? If you are already on the voters’ list you will receive a voting card in the mail. If you do not receive a voting card, call Elections BC or go to this website: https://eregister.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/OVR/RegistrationActivity.aspx

If you aren’t on the voters’ list on Election Day you can still register at the polling station when you vote. However, there may likely be line-ups and you will need two pieces of I.D. with your name, address, and signature. Check this link to see the list of documents that are acceptable: http://www.elections.bc.ca/index.php/voting/#ID

WHERE DO I VOTE? On Election Day you vote at a “polling station”. The address of the polling station will be sent to you in the mail along with your voters’ card. If you don’t get this information, call your Elections BC office and ask them where you should vote.

CAN I VOTE ON OTHER DAYS? Yes. “Advance voting” will be held on four days the week before election day, on May 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2013, from 8am–8pm. Anyone can vote in advance. All voting places are wheelchair accessible.

OTHER VOTING RESOURCES For more information about how to vote check out Inclusion BC’s fantastic “Election Information and Participation Guide”: http://bcacl.org/sites/default/files/Get_Vote_Out_ProvincialElection2013_0.pdf Find Your Electoral District: http://142.31.218.147/voter/edfinder.htm Elections BC link to a list of candidates by riding: http://bc2013.com/candidates/ Link to the Tyee’s BC Election 2013 Riding Map & Candidate’s Guide: www.election.thetyee.ca

CONTACT ELECTIONS BC http://www.elections.bc.ca/1Toll3free:1138003661386831TTY11388834563544811

CONTACT ELECTIONS BC http://www.elections.bc.ca/1Toll3free:1138003661386831TTY11388834563544811

CONTACT ELECTIONS BC http://www.elections.bc.ca/ Toll-free: 1-800-661-8683 TTY 1-888-456-5448


THE MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES AND THEIR LEADERS

In this election, people vote for the person they want to speak for them in the Government of BC. This person usually belongs to a “political party”. A political party is an organization that has certain ideas about how to run the province. Every political party has a Leader, but the Leader’s name is not on the ballot. The ballot only has the name of the local person who is a candidate in your area and the name of the political party they are with. There are 26 political parties registered in BC, but only four of those parties run candidates in almost every riding. There are also many candidates running as an independent, which means they don’t belong to any political party.

THE MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES

• BC New Democratic Party - Adrian Dix: www.bcndp.ca

• BC Liberal Party - Christy Clark: www.bcliberals.com

• BC Conservative Party - John Cummins: www.bcconservative.ca

• Green Party of BC - Jane Sterk: www.greenparty.bc.ca These party websites will have information on each party’s platform. A platform talks about what the party believes and the things that they will do if they are elected.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON POLITICAL PARTIES AND CANDIDATES

• You can phone Elections BC 1-800-661-8683 / TTY 1-888-456-5448 or visit their website www.elections.bc.ca to find out which parties have candidates in your riding.

• If you want to know more about the specific candidates who are running for election in your

community, visit their campaign offices or go to an all candidates meeting.


WHAT YOU CAN DO Community groups, organizations and individuals can all play a role in putting child and youth issues on the election agenda by engaging in activities such as: Sharing First Call’s Election Toolkit and materials. Contacting local candidates and seeking support for our issues. Assisting others to learn about the election process and exercise their right to vote. Providing feedback to First Call on meetings with candidates and local coverage about child and

youth issues. Building working relationships with other community organizations through information exchange

and joint activities. Voting and reminding your friends and family to vote!

MEET WITH INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATES Meeting with individual candidates is an opportunity to let the candidates know who you are and how they can best support children and youth and their families. Call the candidate’s campaign manager, or your MLA’s constituency office if the nominated

candidate is currently a government member. Introduce your group or organization and ask for a brief meeting to outline your issues and hear

their positions. Have a pre-meeting with your team to decide the issues you want to bring forward, what

questions to ask, etc. You can use the 4 keys and the questions in this toolkit as a guide. Offer background information on the work of your group or organization and the other

community resources needed to support children and youth and their families. Keep notes, leave information and be non-partisan in your approach. Try not to leave without some form of commitment to our issues. As we prepare to work with a

new government and new MLAs, it will be very helpful to have some foundation of support upon which to build a post-election strategy.

Send a brief thank you letter to the candidate with your appreciation for any agreements reached during the meeting.

USE SOCIAL MEDIA There are many things you can do at your computer, while you’re using online social media tools like Facebook, or reading and writing on blogs. Most party leaders and MLAs have Facebook pages where you can send them messages or write on their “wall” and most online newspapers have blogs where you can voice your opinions and concerns about an election story in the news.

The media momentum that builds during an election period offers an excellent opportunity to bring our issues forward and to seek both public and political party support. The following activities provide some ideas about how to bring our issues forward and ensure that the broader community becomes more aware of the needs of children, youth and their families during the election campaign.


INVOLVE YOUR NETWORKS, MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS Send this election package and any other material to colleagues, clients, friends and family. If you work for an organization, link it from your website and post it where you can. Get together with others in the community and host a meeting to prepare people to speak to their candidates on their door-steps, in individual meetings, and at all candidates meetings. The 4 keys in this toolkit provide a description of key issue areas and questions to ask candidates.

ATTEND AN ALL CANDIDATES MEETING Attending all candidates meetings in your community is a powerful way to promote child and youth rights. Asking questions in this public forum increases the visibility of children and youth and their families, and invites the community to understand and support our issues. All candidates’ forums may also be held on-air by local television and radio stations. If they welcome callers, encourage your networks to phone in with questions. If the forum will not have an open question period, contact the station ahead of time and request for the host to ask a question on an issue that’s important to children and youth in your community.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN ALL CANDIDATES MEETING Organize a meeting of your group, network or organization to brief them and discuss questions

that can be raised at all candidates meetings. (See the 4 keys for facts and questions.) Secure volunteer commitments to attend all candidates meetings and ask questions. As local media may attend all candidates meetings, approach them and offer to provide

introductory information, comments on your issues, etc. Be prepared to talk to local media about issues raised during the meeting or issues you believe

should have been raised. HOW TO ORGANIZE AN ALL CANDIDATES MEETING It is a good idea to work with other organizations in your community. All candidates meetings are

a lot of work, and candidates will be more attracted to forums that guarantee a large audience. Given the 28-day election period, secure a time and place as early as possible. Contact the candidates’ campaign managers and secure a commitment. Strike a small organizing committee to deal with site preparation, publicity, meeting format,

securing a moderator for the event, etc. Establish a candidate liaison person to assist candidates’ arrival and departure and ensure each

candidate receives information from your organization. Afterwards, send a thank you letter to candidates and additional information you wish to provide. CONTACT LOCAL MEDIA Contact your local radio and/or television stations to find out how they will be covering the

election and whether there will be opportunities for public involvement. Monitor the media and use letters to the editor, feedback phone lines, etc. to raise and respond

to issues important to you. Make yourself available to the local media and assist spokespersons to raise key issues.


A STRONG COMMITMENT TO EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT Early childhood is a crucial, time-limited period of human development and data from BC’s Early Development Index is showing increasing risks of less than optimal development among young children. Without supportive public policy and needed services, young families are stressed by the demands of caring and earning. All young children and their families should be able to access the ECD supports and services that they need. We know what will help and are looking for political commitment.

INCREASING VULNERABILITY, INCREASING SOCIAL COSTS 31% of BC children now enter Kindergarten vulnerable in at least one area of development —

social, emotional, cognitive, communications or physical, an increase of 2.4% since 2008. BC under-invests in early childhood compared to international norms, spending just 0.2% of GDP

on early care and learning vs. the 0.7% average spending by other developed countries. Children who do not benefit from proper supports in their early years are at risk of life-long health issues (physical and mental), poor academic achievement, difficulty with employment, criminality and other hazards. There are enormous social and economic costs associated with this under-investment in BC’s young children.

WAITING FOR HELP AND INCLUSION Several years of flat budgets for contracted early intervention services and the Ministry for

Children and Family Development have resulted in cuts to services for children with special needs.

As a consequence, during crucial early months and years of development, thousands of children with special needs in BC face long wait times for therapies, other services and for supported child development spaces (the inclusion of children with special needs in child care programs).

Waiting for needed services cause unnecessary stress for families and permanent impairments to affected children.

There are over 274,000 children under the age of 6 living in BC.

Q: If elected, will your party commit to increase BC’s investments in early childhood supports and services in order to reduce rising vulnerability among young children?

Q: If elected, will your party increase funding in order to reduce wait times for young children needing early intervention services?


THE CHILD CARE CRISIS The key area of early childhood care and education has suffered from public policy neglect for

decades, which is creating huge repercussions on our current economy and our future productivity.

Nearly 122,000 mothers in BC who have a child under the age of 6 are in the paid labour force. BC only has licensed child care spaces for about 20% of children. Families put their unborn

children on wait lists for infant-toddler care and then watch their children age out of eligibility before they receive a space. School-age child care is also unaffordable and in short supply for many families.

Child care is largely a parent-funded service and BC has among the highest child care fees in the country, eroding the take-home pay of parents more than taxes do.

The lack of access to affordable child care is a barrier to women with children trying to leave abusive relationships.

First Call, along with hundreds of groups and individuals around BC, has endorsed the $10 a Day Community Plan for a Public System of Integrated Early Care and Learning proposed by the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC and the Early Childhood Educators of BC.

UNSTABLE FUNDING FOR EARLY YEARS SERVICES BC lacks a comprehensive early years plan that ensures an

entitlement to a full range of supports and services for all young families and their children.

Early childhood development programs have been greatly impacted by funding insecurity in BC. In 2009 and 2010, a number of cuts were made to government funded programs, and a pattern of cutting and later reinvesting in programs has emerged, such as with the Roots/Seeds of Empathy programs, Success By 6, and funding from gaming grants.

Q: If elected, will your party implement the $10 a Day Child Care Plan to begin addressing the child care crisis facing BC families with young children?

Q: If elected, will your party commit to establishing an entitlement for all BC families to a full range of early years supports and services, such as family support programs, quality

affordable child care services, early intervention services and others, supported by a multi-year, stable funding base?


EARLY CHILDHOOD RESOURCES Early Childhood Development in BC – First Call’s Framework for Action: www.firstcallbc.org/pdfs/EarlyChildhood/1-framework%202008.pdf Community Plan for a Public System of Integrated Care and Learning: www.cccabc.bc.ca/cccabcdocs/integrated.html Human Early Learning Partnership: www.earlylearning.ubc.ca Children First Sites: www.bcchildrenfirst.ca/communities.html Success by Six: www.successby6bc.ca Generation Squeeze: www.gensqueeze.ca BC Association of Pregnancy Outreach Programs: www.bcapop.ca BC Aboriginal Child Care Society: www.acc-society.bc.ca/index.php BC Association of Family Resource Programs: www.frpbc.ca BC Council for Families: www.bccf.ca


SUPPORT IN TRANSITIONS FROM CHILDHOOD TO YOUTH AND ADULTHOOD

Transitions are times of increased vulnerability when children and youth may need extra support to navigate them safely. Developmental transitions include moving into adolescence and into the expectations of adult life. Other stressful transitions include changes in family, such as when parents separate or divorce or are unable to keep their children safe. Dealing with a mental illness, being new to Canada or coming to terms with a minority sexual orientation are other examples of circumstances and transitions that require extra support. BC’s youth need a strong safety net of universal and targeted programs and services to be there for them when times get tough. VULNERABLE YOUTH As of February 2013 there were over 8,154 children and youth in care in BC. Some youth are more likely to have experience of government care than others, including New

Canadians, Aboriginal youth, young people with a disability and those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

Data from the 2008 Adolescent Health Survey shows that 23% of youth who had ever been in government care were born outside of Canada, and 9% had lived in Canada for less than two years. This rate was three times higher than would be expected based on the overall percentage of youth who had emigrated in the past two years. Almost a third (31%) of youth who had recent care experience were immigrants.

Multiple moves for children and youth in foster care remains a serious concern. When youth have a stable home, they have the opportunity to build connections with their school, community and peers. BC research shows youth with foster care experience reported better health if they had moved less than three times in the past year.

Some BC youth who transition out of care at age 19 may be eligible for financial assistance for post-secondary school or for support through an agreement with young adults. These are good programs, but they have limited eligibility and limited budgets, so not all youth transitioning to independence from care can get the support they need.

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Q: How will your party work towards addressing the over-representation of Aboriginal, new immigrant, LGBT and youth with a disability in the foster care system?

Q: What will your party do to improve permanency, such as a stable home, adoption, or sustained family or community relationships, for children and youth in care?

Q: Youth transitioning out of care often need extra support in establishing a home of their own, finding employment and pursuing further education. How will your government improve

supports for youth transitioning out of care?


PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING The decade-long hollowing out of the public

education system through budget cuts is having consequences for BC children, and is especially harmful for low income children who most rely on public resources.

Growing numbers of special needs students can’t get the supports they need in school, school libraries are closed, and class size are growing.

Reliance on parent-paid fees and fundraising has created have and have-not schools, and has increased inequality within the public education system. For low income students, the result is often exclusion from full participation in school activities.

BC had the highest student/educator ratio (16.6 students per educator) in Canada in 2009–10, considerably higher than the national average (14 students).

GRADUATION RATES The graduation rate for public and Independent schools in 2010–11 was 81%. However for

Aboriginal and special needs students, those numbers are 54% and 53%. It is estimated that only 21% of youth in foster care graduate from high school.

Increasing levels of support and connection with caring adults in the school setting has been shown to be an important part of helping vulnerable youth graduate, but this requires commitments in time and attention to making schools more welcoming and safe places.

Addressing issues like income and food security, adequate housing and social supports for students experiencing family problems are also crucial to helping keep youth in school.

Q: If elected, will your party commit to restoring funding levels to public schools to eliminate the need for school fees and parent fundraising for basic supplies and equipment such as

playgrounds?

Q: If elected, what will your party do to decrease class sizes?

Q: If elected, what will your party do to improve the graduation rates for all vulnerable youth?


POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION As a result of federal and provincial cuts to post-secondary education, average tuition fees in BC

increased four-fold between 1990 and 2010, rising from $1,271 to $5,139. Students are facing unprecedented levels of debt to finance their education. Average student

loan debt has now reached $34,000. Students from low-income backgrounds are less than half as likely to participate in university as

those from high-income families. The BC student grant program, cancelled in 2004, allocated approximately $80 million in non-

repayable grants to students with demonstrated financial need. The Liberal government’s proposed one-time grant of $1,200 per child for a registered education saving program could cost up to $30M, close to the amount needed to eliminate the interest charged on student loans—a policy widely supported in the post-secondary education sector.

YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS Growing public concerns and evidence arising from the

advocacy work and investigations of the province’s Representative for Children and Youth have prompted this office to conduct a review of child and youth mental health services.

Hospitals are sending away families and children who are having crisis mental health episodes. Public schools are unable to provide the necessary supports to students with mental health problems which are affecting their learning and social interactions.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for BC youth aged 12-18 and Aboriginal youth are 5-6 times more likely to commit suicide than non-Aboriginal youth. Sexual minorities (gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer youth) are 7 times more likely to attempt or commit suicide than straight youth.

There are severe shortages of addiction treatment facilities for young people, and, unlike other health services, addiction treatment is largely a user-pay system. There is only one publicly-funded long-term residential treatment facility for teens in BC.

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Q: If elected, will your party remove the financial barriers for

Q: If elected, will your party remove the financial barriers for low-income students and lower student debt levels through tuition fee reductions, student grants

instead of loans, and interest free student loans?

Q: Will you commit to increasing the availability of and funding for mental health and addiction services for children and youth both in school and in the community?


YOUTH TRANSITIONS RESOURCES

McCreary Centre Society: www.mcs.bc.ca Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks: www.fbcyicn.ca and www.fbcyicn.ca/programs/transitions/ First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada: www.fncfcs.com BC Teachers’ Federation: www.bctf.ca and www.bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/Publications/2012EdFacts.pdf Representative for Children and Youth BC: www.rcybc.ca/Content/Publications/Reports.asp Canadian Federation of Students BC: Rock the Vote www.rockthevotebc.com/ Inclusion BC: http://bcacl.org/our-priority-areas/supports-to-children-and-families

TAKE ACTION

Sign the petition calling on the province to provide emergency mental health services for children: www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/b-c-needs-to-provide-emergency-mental-health-services-for-children


INCREASED ECONOMIC EQUALITY Research has long demonstrated that poverty is toxic to children’s health and development. From poor nutrition to family stress to exclusion from social participation, there are many ways poverty is known to raise the risk of life-long ill effects on health and reduce opportunities for individuals to realize their full potential. Growing income inequality in BC is recognized as a threat to the health of both individuals and our society.

CHILD AND FAMILY POVERTY

BC has the second worst child poverty rate in Canada (14%) and the worst poverty rate for children living in two-parent families (12%). BC also has the most unequal distribution of income between rich and poor families with children of any province.

There are significantly higher poverty rates for children of recent immigrants, children of Aboriginal identity, children in female lone-parent families, children in racialized families and children with a disability. For example, census data shows that urban Aboriginal families experienced nearly double the poverty rate of non-Aboriginal urban families (21% vs. 11% respectively).

There are serious negative impacts from living in poverty, even for one or two years, on young children’s health and development. These impacts include longer-term effects such as increased risks of chronic disease, school failure, and criminal involvement.

Health inequities are associated with higher costs for our health and social service systems, and social costs to our communities. It is estimated that if disadvantaged British Columbians were as healthy as those with higher education and incomes, avoided health care costs would amount to $1.2 billion.

BC is one of only two provinces that don’t have a comprehensive poverty reduction plan.

Q: If elected, will your party adopt a comprehensive provincial poverty reduction plan with legislated targets and timelines, a cabinet minister with the authority and responsibility to

ensure government is achieving its targets on time, and a goal of reducing BC’s child poverty rate to 7 percent or lower by 2020?


RAISE THE RATES There was an average of 36,918 children in families on welfare in 2010. Many of the children were

in female-led lone-parent families. In 2010, a BC two-parent family with two children aged 10 and 15 on welfare received a total

income of $21,608. That’s $20,457 below the Statistics Canada poverty line for a family of 4 in a large urban area (or at 51% of the poverty line). A BC lone-parent family with one child aged two received $17,121, which is $11,061 below the poverty line (or at 61% of the poverty line).

Families on welfare are frequently forced to rely on food banks and other sources of charity to feed and clothe their children.

The provincial government claws back $15 million annually in child support payments intended for children whose parents are on income assistance.

LOW-WAGE FAMILY POVERTY In 2010, 43% of poor children in BC (41,300 children) lived in families with at least one adult

working full-time, full-year, and many others lived in families with at least some income from part-time or part-year employment.

A living wage is calculated based on what a family needs to earn in order to meet their basic living expenses.

The provincial government has a responsibility to avoid contributing to the problem of low wage poverty by paying their employees and contractors a living wage.

The current minimum wage of $10.25 an hour would still leave full-time, full-year workers living on their own about $3,000 below the poverty line for a large city. A parent with dependents would have to earn much more than the minimum wage to be above the poverty line.

Q: If elected will your party increase welfare rates to the after-tax poverty line and index them annually?

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Q: If elected will your party restore the income exemption for child support payments for lone parents on welfare?

Q: If elected, will your party allow welfare recipients to retain benefits while attending a post-secondary institution?

Q: If elected, will your party establish and implement a pilot Living Wage Policy in a relevant provincial government ministry or agency as is called for by

the Living Wage for Families Campaign?

Q: If elected, will your party continue raising the minimum wage to make sure that a single person working full-time, full-year reaches the poverty line?


KINSHIP CARE Over 10,000 children in BC are being raised by a grandparent or relative – more than the number

in our foster care system. Most kinship caregivers are single women, and many live near or beneath the poverty line.

Despite an overall increase in the number of kinship families since 2010, significantly fewer families (as many as 1,500) receive financial assistance through kinship benefits today.

Keeping families together leads to the best long term positive outcomes for children. Supporting kinship care providers helps to secure those outcomes and can be the best and the most cost effective support for these children and families over the long term.

ECONOMIC EQUALITY RESOURCES First Call 2012 Child Poverty Report Card: http://firstcallbc.org/pdfs/EconomicEquality/First%20Call%20BC%20Child%20Poverty%20Report%20Card%202012.pdf Living Wage for Families Campaign: www.livingwageforfamilies.ca and www.lwemployers.ca CCPA-BC Poverty Reduction Plan: www.policyalternatives.ca/reports/2008/12/poverty_reduction SPARC BC: www.sparc.bc.ca/resources-and- publications/category/43/poverty Campaign 2000 National Child Poverty Report Card: www.campaign2000.ca BC Poverty Reduction Campaign: www.bcpovertyreduction.ca Raise the Rates Coalition: http://raisetherates.org Parent Support Services Society of BC, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: www.parentsupportbc.ca/grandparents_raising_grandchildren Social Housing Coalition of BC www.socialhousingbc.com

TAKE ACTION Join the call for a poverty reduction strategy in BC: http://bcpovertyreduction.ca/take-action-2/join-the-call/

Q: If elected, will your party ensure the immediate return of a financial benefit for kinship caregivers that reflects the unique and complex realities of kinship families, regardless of

guardianship orders, and supports these families throughout the child’s development?


SAFE AND CARING COMMUNITIES Families should be able to rely on provincial (and federal) legislation to provide minimum standards for keeping children and youth safe in all aspects of community life. This includes employment standards if they enter the workforce and protective legislation to keep the physical environmental clean and healthy for growing bodies. All provincial legislation and policy should prioritize the immediate and long-term best interests of BC’s children and youth based on the research evidence of potential harms and hazards. Child and youth rights and well-being should not be an afterthought or subordinate to powerful economic interests. PROTECTING CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN THE WORKFORCE In 2003 the BC government amended the

Employment Standards Act to lower the BC work start age to 12 and removed the role of the Employment Standards Branch in issuing work permits for children 12 to 14.

WorkSafe BC’s data showed a ten-fold increase in accepted injury claims for 12 to 14 year olds over a four-year period after the change in legislation.

BC is the only Canadian province that does not set out in law or regulation the occupations, tasks, or time of day (other than during school hours) for the employment of children.

COSMETIC PESTICIDE BAN Over 100 studies have linked pesticide exposure to both adult and childhood cancers. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of pesticides because they are closer to the

ground and their bodies are still developing.

Q: If elected, will your party raise BC’s work start age back up to 15 and improve legislative

protections and enforcement for children in the workforce?

Q: If elected, will your party bring in a province-wide ban on the sale and use of cosmetic pesticides?


UNHEALTHY PRODUCT PROMOTION TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH Increasing rates of obesity among children is one of the priority issues affecting children’s health.

26% of Canadian children are now classified as obese or overweight. Health organizations like the BC Healthy Living Alliance are calling for governments to tax sugar-

sweetened beverages because research shows youth are big consumers of sugary drinks and increased taxes on them will reduce consumption.

Content analyses of television advertisements have shown that food is the most frequently advertised product category on children’s television, and the majority of these ads target highly sweetened products and are increasingly promoting fast food meals.

BC children should be protected from the marketing of products that jeopardize their health. Since 1980, Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act has prohibited commercial advertising intended for persons under 13 years of age. BC could do this too.

SAFE AND CARING COMMUNITIES RESOURCES Child labour standards: http://nochildlabour.org/ BC Employment Standards Coalition: http://bcemploymentstandardscoalition.com/ Canadian Cancer Society-BC Yukon: www.cancergameplan.ca Advertising to children: www.partnershipagainstcancer.ca/wp-content/uploads/Banning-Advertising-to-Children-Quebec-Model-and-Policy-Options-Suzie-Pellerin.pdf TAKE ACTION Letters and petitions on cosmetic pesticides: http://firstcallbc.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/health-professionals-sign-open-letter-calling-for-b-c-pesticide-ban/

Q: Are you in favour of amending BC’s Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act ot prohibit commercial advertising directed at children under 13 years of age?

Q: Are you in favour of an additional provincial excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverage products?


FINDING THE MONEY Candidates or parties may respond to the questions in this toolkit with “we wish we could, but we can’t afford it.” How is it that in one of the richest provinces in one of the richest countries in the world, we have come to believe our options are so limited? Here are some tax facts to use to educate ourselves and others about where to find the money to properly support BC’s children, youth and families. BACKTRACK AND BE AVERAGE If BC had kept the same levels of taxation that we had in 2000, we would

have $3.5 billion more in annual revenue. BC’s economic performance since 2001 has NOT been stronger than the

decade prior to the large tax cuts. If BC collected the same level of personal income tax revenues as a share of

GDP as the other provinces, we would have $2.4 billion more every year. $2.4 billion in additional revenues would be enough to fund:

o The construction of 2,000 unites of new social housing per year; o Significant welfare benefit increases; o The first phase of a universal child care plan; o Investments in community health care for seniors & people with disabilities; o Ministry of Children and Family Development budget increases; o An increase in post-secondary education funding; o A substantial increase to environmental protection; o AND restore K-12 class sizes, composition and specialist teachers to 2008 levels.

TAX THE HIGHEST INCOMES Tax cuts for the richest 1% of BC households saved them an average of $41,000 per year since

2000, more than the entire average income for the poorest 30% of households. Modest tax increases for the top 14% of BC tax filers could raise $1.1 billion in new revenues. The majority of British Columbians (90%) think taxes should be increased for those at the top. SAVE MONEY – END POVERTY It costs $8-9 billion a year to keep people in poverty (in added health care costs, crime, etc.). It would cost $3-4 billion to implement a comprehensive poverty reduction

plan, saving BC $4-6 billion per year, not to mention improving the lives of individuals, families and their communities.

REFORM THE TAX SYSTEM BC’s overall tax system has become regressive and unfair. When all personal

taxes are considered (income, sales, property, carbon, & MSP premiums), the higher your income, the lower your provincial tax rate.

The provincial government now collects more money from MSP premiums (BC’s most unfair tax) than it does from corporate income taxes.

It’s all about priorities. Even during periods of budget surpluses in the last decade, child poverty in BC was allowed to rise dramatically, an example of the low priority placed by policymakers on child well-being.

Thanks to the CCPA-BC office for the information and analysis in this section. See http://www.policyalternatives.ca/offices/bc/fair-taxes for more ideas and facts.

Documents

2013 PROVINCIAL ELECTION TOOLKIT