Cuts
reveal Harper Conservatives agenda - For women and Court Challenges
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
Press Release
September 26, 2006
OTTAWA, Sept. 26 - The government has announced a series of cuts to social programs - so they can save $2 billion over the next 2 years. "Likely the money from these programs will be designated for some type of tax cut that the Harper Conservatives will announce in the next federal election - probably sometime this spring," said Paul Moist, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
"When we look
at just 2 of these program cuts $5 million from the Status of Women and
$5.6 million from the Court Challenges program, a clear message is being
sent. The government is essentially saying that any voice given to
addressing gender inequality in this country will be further silenced
- furthermore any voices wanting to challenge the current status of the
laws of this land will be muzzled," added Moist.
"It was under
the court challenges program that CUPE successfully argued for equal rights
for same sex partners with regards to employer sponsored pension plans
and pension benefits. Without this program spouses in same sex
couples would still be denied their spouses pension benefits in case of
death," explained Sandi Howell-Solc, director of CUPE's equality
branch.
This case was a challenge under section 15 of the Charter of a provision
of the Income Tax Act. That provision states that a private pension plan
cannot be registered with Revenue Canada if it defines "spouse"
to include same- sex spouses. The case that went before the courts was
brought forward by CUPE, and had as interveners REAL Women of Canada and
the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. "Clearly cuts made to both
the status of women and the court challenges program are ideological in
nature and not due to any fiscal consideration," added Howell-Solc.
"These program
cuts may seem small in context of the billions that the government has
been shaving off of other public services but their significance is huge,"
concluded Moist.
CUPE represents over half a million workers across Canada.
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