The BC Liberals Show Contempt to the Women of BC

What did women ever do to you Gord? You would think you would
have a lot of respect for women, considering the support you have
received from them throughout your life. But respect is clearly
NOT what you have shown to the women of BC. The cruel,
misogynistic and punishing cuts and treatment the BC Liberal
party has provided over the last 4 years demonstrates your
contempt towards the female citizens of this Province.

An excerpt from Gail Johnson:

“During the past three years, the B.C. Liberals have cut a total
of $843 million from the three ministries with responsibilities
for child care, children, women, and families: the Ministry of
Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services; the Ministry
of Human Resources; and the Ministry of Children and Family
Development.”

Under the Gordon Campbell government more women live in
poverty, in fear of spousal abuse, with broken bones and children
hearing their mother's screams and seeing their mother's injuries.
More women are trapped, because this government cut funding for
shelters and transition homes, women's centres where front-line
support can open the path to a way to leave, or just find support to
survive. They even cut the Ministry of Women's Equality, doesn't
that just speak volumes?

Cuts to services that support women who have been raped,
Victims Services and those those support girls and women who
are sexually exploited. Women live and die on the streets of our
community, while the Liberals attend $300 fundraising dinners
with their business buddies.

Cuts to income assistance force women to stay with their abusers
and their children continue to witness and experience this abuse.
The Liberals fundamentally are undermining women's equality,
dignity, safety and human rights. The BC Liberals policy and
funding decisions have encouraged violence against women,
poverty and marginalization. With cuts to daycare, before and
after school care, women who are single mother's are dispro-
portionally affected and forced to decide between food and
rent, over having their children cared for while they work.

The BC Liberals have made sure that women have unequal access
to educational and employment opportunities in BC. Is this who
you want in power for 4 more years? What more do they have
planned for the women of this Province?

The women in the BC Liberal party have not fared any better,
being rewarded “soft,” unpopular Ministry posts, with no real
authority, and carted out for photos ops to camoflauge the
misogyny of the BC Liberal party when the new polls show how
unpopular Campbell is with the womenfolk. All of these women
are capable of much more and are leaders in their communities.
The arrogance, paternalism and stupidity of failing to use the
talent that has been assembled already is yet one more
example ofthe terrible leadership of Gordon Campbell. And
don't think that Carole Taylor is going to get you out of the
mess you and your henchmen have created.

For the women who are MLA's in the BC Liberal government,
there will be a reckoning and karmic consequences for
your silence and complicity with the harm that has been done
to the women, children and Elders throughout this province
under your watch.
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References

BC Coalition of Women's Centres.
The Feminist Dozen: Thirteen Essential Provincial
Election Issues for Women Voters

BC Health Coalition, (May 8, 2003. Impacting Women:
Provincial Government Cuts to Health Care.

BC Health Coalition, (2003). Just Say No! The long term
care situation in BC is in disarray.

Alison Brewin and Lindsay Stephens, (September 25, 2004).
Legal Aid Denied:Women and the Cuts to Legal Services in BC.
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

G. Brodsky, M. Buckley, S. Day, & M. Young, (April 28, 2005).
Human Rights Denied: Single Mothers on Social
Assistance in British Columbia. The Poverty and Human
Rights Centre.

Coalition of Child Care Advocates – BC Votes.

Coalition of Child Care Advocates, (December, 2004).
Victoria’s Child Care Priorities go from Bad to Worse.

Marjorie Cohen, (April 29, 2004). IWA Health Care
Deals Betray Women Workers: When the B.C. Liberals
stripped hospital support staff of their rights, they
found an odd ally in the woodworkers' union.

Creese, Gillian & Strong-Boag, Veronica, (March 08, 2005).
Losing Ground: The Effects of Government Cutbacks
on Women in British Columbia 2001-2005.
BC Federation of Labour.

Sylvia Fuller and Stephens, Lindsay, (December 9, 2004).
Women's Employment in BC: Effects of Government
Downsizing and Employment Policy Changes 2001-2004.
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Judith Ince, (21 Dec 04 ). Teen Mom Support Fraying Says Report:
B.C.'s stay-in-school programs for teen mothers said to be hurt by cuts,
policy shifts. The Tyee, A Fiesty One Online.

Gail Johnson, (22 Apr 2004). In Their Own Words.
Georgia Straight.

Barbara McClintock, (April 4, 2005). Carole Taylor's
Heavy Load: B.C. Liberals expect her star appeal to
woo women back. But after four years, the gender
divide is wide.

Amy O'Brian, (11 Feb 2005). The child-care nightmare:
With rising costs, parental anxiety and waiting lists
that far exceed spaces available, the situation is 'truly a crisis.’
The Vancouver Sun.

West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund.
Single Mother's Human Rights Project:
Building a Human Rights case against the BC Liberal
government.