The disenfranchisement continues

Last month, Robert pointed out the less-than-subtle timing of the Cons in working toward a strict ID requirement at the polls while decimating programs aimed at helping homeless Canadians to replace lost IDs. Today, Joe Fiorito points out yet another ID program in trouble due to the Cons' neglect, rightfully slamming the Cons for failing to do anything to help programs funded by the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiatives (SCPI) know where they stand for the next fiscal year:

Street Health, which among many other things runs an identification clinic for the homeless, is facing the same uncertainty. Jane Kali said, "We've received no information about where the money will come from or what the criteria will be. We hear the same money will be available, but we hear it will be offered to other communities across the country – which is good – but it will mean more competition for funding."

In the meantime, homeless people in this town who have lost their identification are up the creek. With no identification, you cannot get social assistance, nor can you get housing, nor can you get a job, nor can you open a bank account, nor can you get OHIP.

One small ID clinic still functioning, but it cannot cope with the numbers of people who need help.

Now, it isn't too late for the Libs to withdraw their support for changing the election rules (or make any cooperation conditional on the Cons properly funding measures to make the required ID accessible). But barring a change, homeless Canadians across the country stand to be deprived of their right to vote by the machinations of the Libs and Cons. And it can only speak poorly about the state of Canadian democracy if the two largest parties' sole agreed reform to our electoral system is to try to strip such a group of access to the polls.