According to a survey released earlier this week by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 86 per cent of Canadians declare that the government should do more to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. What's so beautifully Canadian about that response is that we want the government to do something -- ignoring the fact that none of us has to wait for the government to take action because there is nothing stopping us from donating a proportion of our assets to the poor that is commensurate with how important we think the issue is.
The only way to truly help the poor is through strong economic growth and an education structure that helps everyone take advantage of it. Just this week, StatsCan released numbers showing that Alberta's strong growth and the related labour shortage has forced average hourly wages to over $21 an hour. Anyone able to work can get work in both B.C. and Alberta, which will raise standards of living well beyond any increase in government hand-outs. Full article here.