News
Sheltering women from government neglect
NDP calls on Tories to buck up, properly fund women's services
September 09, 2008
EDMONTON – “It’s ironic that a global conference discussing the state of women’s shelters is being held in a province whose government has neglected the issue for over 20 years,” NDP leader Brian Mason said today.
Mason applauded the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters initiative to host the ground-breaking conference in Edmonton.
“We need to remind the Tories they’re not keeping up. Their shelter funding model hasn’t changed since 1985,” he said.
Close to 27,000 women and children who sought emergency shelter in Alberta last year were turned away, according to the Council. The number of crisis calls rose to more than 100,000 – a 15% increase over the year prior.
“Women’s shelters ensure victims of domestic violence become survivors rather than tragic statistics,” Mason said. “Women and children deserve our best efforts to protect them and prevent them from falling through the cracks.”
Mason called on the Tories to increase funding for women’s shelters and second-stage transitional housing, where staff and bed shortages hamper efforts to reach a growing number of domestic violence victims.
“Women who can’t find shelter space often return to an abusive home, while others end up on the street. Neither choice should be an option in the richest province in Canada.
“It’s government’s responsibility to help women’s shelters. The world is watching, and Alberta should lead by example.”
Recent Alberta NDP news:
Taft Liberals are not the Decore Liberals
..the Taft Liberals are not the Decore Liberals. Decore had substantial heft in MLAs such as Bettie Hewes and Mike Percy and Grant Mitchell. Taft has a bunch of rookies still trying to make themselves into a team.
Graham Thomson, Edmonton Journal
July 21, 2007