Skip to content

Province needs to put families first sooner

B.C.'s economy not favourable to families earning less than living wage.

With Christy Clark firmly back in the premier’s seat, it would be wonderful to see a “families-first” philosophy kick into overdrive.

Much of what is found in the rhetoric-heavy B.C. premier’s Families First Agenda for Change are targets revolving around job growth. But if you’re part of a family with two working parents who are still just scraping by, Clark’s families first commitments to harmonize approval processes between federal and provincial governments, extend the Oil and Gas Road Improvement Program and harmonize bio-energy strategies offer little hope of immediate improvement. And, for many, improvement is needed sooner rather than later.

Case in point: B.C. continues to have one of the highest child poverty rates in Canada. This is according to First Call BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition, as well as recent Statistics Canada figures that show the number of children living in poverty rose from 87,000 in 2010 to 93,000 in 2011.

The poverty rate for children living with a single parent (mother) rose from 16.4 per cent to 24.6. A low annual income for this category, according to StatsCan, is $23,498, based on living in a large city.

While Clark has followed through on her promise to finally raise the province’s minimum wage (which previously was another national low), another recent Statistics Canada report shows how median incomes have been stagnant since 1982. Meanwhile, the annual cost of living, particularly for families, has risen. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives states that families (two parents, two children) in the Okanagan need to be pulling in $75,000 (gross) annually in order to make a “living wage,” a wage that reflects what a family must earn in order to afford the actual cost of living in a specific community. Rising daycare costs has influenced this figure.

Ironically, families (regardless of how many children) earning $25,000 or less were eligible for the B.C. HST tax credit, and net income under $37,552 for the climate action tax credit. Putting this into perspective, let's say you're earning $37,600. You have to be bringing in $3,133 monthly. Subtract, say, $1,000 to $1,300 for a mortgage, another $1,000 to $1,200 for daycare, minus grocery expenses, utilities, clothes, diapers, fuel, and all the other costs of living, and you can forget having any savings for a rainy day.

On average, B.C. families with parents age 25 to 34 are working more and earning less. Gambling the province’s economy on the future of liquid natural gas may pay off down the road, but it does little to quell the struggle families face now.