Bribe du Jour

Mr. Harper’s bribe du jour is a $1200 a year child-care allowance to parents regardless of income. One cannot help but admire Mr. Harper’s consistence, rolling out these largess one day at a time. Just like the GST cut back, this “allowance” benefits the wealthy more than poor. Four and a half billion dollars are earmarked for this programme, if it comes to be. Every parent of children under six will receive the money equally. Consequently a portion of the money will go to people who have no need for the extra money for childcare. They can go buy themselves something nice and save on the GST. I have always thought social programmes are there to help people who need them. Giving money to people who do not need it means taking money from people who need it. And since the conservatives like to claim to be fiscally responsible, it is confusing to see them proposing to hand out money without consideration of need. Unless, of course, that they are not really fiscally responsible but to-the-rich-folks responsible. It would be more efficient to consider income and needs before handing out money or services in a progressive scales. The more Mr. Harper proposes, the more it becomes evident that he is against one basic principle of organizing society—to poll together resources to assist the weak and the poor among us because it is fair, human and necessary to stability and the welfare of all.