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Hosted by TV and film star Mary Walsh, Poor No More offers an engaging look at Canadians stuck in low paying jobs with no security and no future.
New Westminster (24 June 2010) – TV and film star Mary Walsh’s distinctive voice reverberates through a darkened hall in New Westminster. Members of the community have gathered for a film screening of Poor No More, a film that asks why are hard working Canadians suffering while corporate profits soar. Walsh examines the situation in Canada and then takes a look at how Ireland and Sweden are tackling poverty while strengthening their economies.
New Democrat MP Fin Donnelly pointed out that there are solutions to closing the poverty gap and fellow NDP MP Tony Martin’s Private Member’s Bill C-545 (An Act to Eliminate Poverty in Canada) “goes a long way to addressing some of the systemic equalities that were raised in the film.”
Donnelly hosted the film screening followed by a special panel discussion with Dave Brown with the Lookout Emergency Aid Society; Kara-Leigh Jameson with the Seniors Service Society; Jaimie McEvoy, New Westminster City Councillor; and Lorene Oikawa, Vice –President of the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union (BCGEU/NUPGE).
Brown spoke about his outreach work with the homeless and asked if anyone in the crowd has ever offered to provide a home-cooked meal to a homeless person. Jameson spoke about the impact of cuts on services and programs to seniors. McEvoy, a New Westminster councillor spoke about the council’s recent decision to pass Canada’s first living wage policy.
Oikawa, spoke about labour’s work on human rights and social justice issues. “We want decent jobs, fair wages & benefits for all workers and we want healthy, safe and vibrant communities for all people.” She noted that the attack on quality public services is contributing to the decline in the quality of life in communities. “We will continue our work with communities and also help to shape the local, provincial, and federal policies that benefit all. We are a voice for workers and we are also a voice for those who are marginalized.”
Oikawa also shared that the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) had just concluded their national convention in Vancouver where delegates approved actions for a “fairer and more sustainable economy” and delegates received copies of the Poor No More DVD to take back and share in their communities.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
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