Success depends heavily on Shane Simpson and his colleagues winning a second term in government.
VICTORIA — Ten years after New Democrat Shane Simpson first called for a B.C. poverty reduction strategy, the now cabinet minister released the first version of one on Monday.
The goal is to lift 140,000 adult British Columbians and a further 50,000 children above the poverty lines, as defined by Statistics Canada. He said the New Democrats had not been idle in the interim, citing increased rates for social assistance, boosted minimum wages and phased-out medical service plan premiums.
Other items in the Simpson strategy struck me as a bit of a stretch. While the New Democrats pleased commuters by eliminating the tolls on the Port Mann and Golden Ears bridges, it was not clear how that would have much affect on the poverty rate. Simpson predicted those two reports will provide the basis for a major public debate on the next phase of the poverty reduction plan, before the next provincial election.
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