I recently read an interesting editorial in a Canadian media outlet that addressed some of the issues facing Canadians and Canadian political parties in the current federal election. All the main parties have attempted to address such issues as child care, affordable housing, health care, long-term care, employment opportunities, and economic assistance to the middle class and working poor. In this particular article, the writer wondered whatever happened to people’s right to choose what’s best for themselves and their families? What the proposition fails to address is the fundamental issue that not everyone in our society has a choice when it comes to their livelihood and daily lifestyles. The right to choose would be great if we had an egalitarian society where people had the means to choose the alternatives available for many necessities.
Let’s start with how one educates one’s children. Education is supposed to be the foundation for allowing people to reach their full potential in society, and notably to escape from the cycle of poverty that exists in many circumstances. However, when it comes to public education which the majority of Canadians rely on, there is not always the same quality of primary and secondary public sources depending on where a family lives. Sure, one can choose to send their children to private schools, but how many of us can afford to do so?
Then, there is the question of affordable housing which everyone agrees is increasingly disappearing in most major urban communities. If one cannot afford to expend 60 or 70 percent of their monthly income on rental housing, the options are clearly limited. One ends up having to take whatever is available, and that’s not much. Just look at the waiting lists for subsidized housing in most communities.
Next, we have the question concerning our current system of universal health care. Fortunately, unlike in the U.S., Canada supports a basic health care insurance system which covers every Canadian. However, even then, we have inequalities because of the need to have private health insurance to cover such things as certain prescription drugs, dental care and physiotherapy. There are those who have to forgo certain treatments or medication in order to put food on the table and pay the rent. Is this what one implies by referring to choice?
Then there is the question of one’s employment and supplementary needs. For many single parent families or working couples, there is little choice but to work. With a requirement for affordable child care during early childhood, they need to find affordable means to ensure that their kids are adequately cared for while they are at work. Given the evident lack of affordable child care across Canada, the means to providing for care is not always a matter of parental choice. You may be required to work more than one job, often at minimum wages, and the needed hours most likely will vary depending on where one works. In addition, you most likely will take public transit to and from work because it’s the cheapest means to commute, especially given the high costs of vehicle insurance.
This brings us to the ultimate question. Do we have a real right to choose or is this a privilege depending on one’s status in an inequitable society? What many need are affordable and quality options, whether it is for child care, housing, transportation or health care. Without greater availability to affordable and quality options, simple measures through income-based tax credits for Canadians does nothing to resolve the existing inequalities. Hopefully, there are signs that some political parties have recognized the need for proactive policies and expenditures to tackle such inequalities. After all, we are talking about the basic necessities of everyday living for many Canadians who are not among the privileged few. Unfortunately, as it now stands, many are not in a position of choice.
FROLITICKS 