CHILDREN: POLITICS AS IF THEY REALLY MATTER
In traditional First Nations teaching, there is this wise advice: Before making a decision, consider the effects up to seven generations. The reality in Ontario today is that all three levels of government are not taking into account the effects of their new policies on even the first generation, let alone future generations. Why have we never heard of an Impact Assessment Process for a new policy or budget that considers the effect on children? Do children not matter because they cannot vote?
Our federal government promised to eliminate child poverty in Canada by the year 2001; instead, child poverty has increased. In Ontario, Ernie Eves, as Finance Minister cut welfare payments to families, clawed back the federal child-benefit payment to families receiving welfare, removed prenatal nutrition supplements to pregnant women on assistance, increased class sizes, raised post-secondary tuition, and weakened environmental protection, and increased maximum over-time work hours for parents. Does this sound like a “Children First” government to you? We know that foetuses and infants are at greater risk than adults from airborne toxins, water pollutants, and pesticide exposure than previously thought. Birth defects, childhood cancers, neurological disorders, juvenile diabetes, asthma, and allergies are all on the increase. A government that placed children first would not allow the widespread use of pesticides and herbicides on food and land given the evidence that children are most affected by these pollutants.
Adults can vote. Corporations can lobby. Children have no political voice. The Green Party will be their political voice in the Legislature. Our policies are built for them to seven generations — and beyond.The Green Party would:
- Introduce a Seven Generation's Bill Of Rights.
- Create a Children's Ombudsperson to represent and champion children's rights.
This Ombudsperson would also have a mandate to report annually to the Provincial Legislative Assembly.
- Bring financial stability and recovery to low income families through our housing, income, education and transportation policies.
- Immediately ban the cosmetic lawn spraying of herbicides/pesticides throughout Ontario, given increasing evidence of health risk to vulnerable populations.
We would also conduct a comprehensive review of current chemical practices and newly introduced chemicals in the specific context of the greater sensitivity and vulnerability of children, pregnant women and elderly people.
- Support parenting through changes in tax & labour laws.
- Establish an Ontario Junior Athletics & Culture Bursary Fund accessible to municipalities on a matching basis to financially assist children from low-income families to participate in sports and cultural programs. The evidence shows that children do better in school and adjust better to life circumstances when involved in sports and the Arts.
- Encourage and facilitate organic food production.
- Introduce rigorous watershed protection legislation and phase-in safer municipal water treatment technologies.