Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders stood together yesterday to urge Ontario’s political leaders to debate child poverty and policies affecting children and families, saying they are the most critical and most neglected issue in the current election campaign.
They represent a sweeping coalition of religious leaders, unprecedented in its diversity, asking Ontario politicians to commit to creating affordable housing, improved child care and increasing the minimum wage and welfare benefit. The group wants leaders to talk about family issues as they campaign.
Rabbi Arthur Bielfeld said faith leaders in the Campaign Against Child Poverty are not endorsing a party. “If the political process is the proper way to initiate dialogue, it is our duty to stimulate that debate — the rest is up to the voters.”
In a full page ad in the Star yesterday, 61 faith leaders called on Ontario party leaders to match federal funding for affordable housing, stop the provincial clawback（弥补性收入） of funds from the federal National Child Benefit and increase shelter allowances.
The Campaign Against Child Poverty sent a list of questions to the three major party leaders asking them to respond by last Wednesday. The New Democratic Party and the Liberals replied to the questions in writing; the Progressive Conservatives called to say they were working on a response.
Liberal party Leader Dalton McGuinty and NDP Leader Howard Hampton both agreed to end the clawback. Hampton promised to build 32,000 affordable housing units over four years and 11,200 supportive housing units for the homeless. McGuinty said the Liberals would match federal support and create up to 20,000 new housing units. The Liberals said they would increase the minimum wage to $8 in four years; the NDP said they would raise it to $8 immediately.
Political leaders have said it is the responsibility of the churches, mosques（清真寺） and synagogues（犹太教堂） to deal with the effects of poverty, said Rev. Lillian Perigoe of the United Church of Canada.
“We’ve got food banks and nutrition and education programs, but it’s the tip of the iceberg（冰山一角）. These are things faith communities do anyway.”
A retired social worker, Wahida Valiante, said she has seen the effect of increased stress on family life when rents go up and benefits are reduced. “It’s not just that children go hungry, we are depriving them of developing their full potential,” said Valiante, vice-president of the Canadian Islamic Congress.
（LESLIE SCRIVENER，FAITH & ETHICS REPORTER）
