It’s no secret: Black Canadians vote primarily Liberal in federal elections.

On January 23, before we instinctively mark an “x” beside the Liberal candidate, let’s look at the effects of some Liberal policies on Black Canadians over the last 12 years. The results may cause you to ask: should our community continue to support the Liberal Party?

Although unstated — and politically incorrect — there is an undercurrent in Canadian politics that says ethnic voters help the Liberals hold onto power.

The effects of the ethnic vote are particularly stark in Canada’s urban centres.

In Montreal, Halifax, and Ottawa, Black Canadians comprise the largest proportion of the ethnic vote. In the Liberal stronghold of Ontario, Black Canadians comprise the third largest ethnic voting block after South Asians and Chinese Canadians.

But ethnic Canadians, particularly Black Canadians, may not be getting much for their vote.

Consider these findings out of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA):

  • In 1999 the wealthiest 50 per cent of Canadian families controlled more than 96.2 per cent of Canadian wealth, leaving only 4.8 per cent for the bottom 50 per cent of Canadian families.
  • Between 1984 and 2000, the average after-tax income of the poorest 20 per cent of families increased by less than $1,000 while the richest 20 per cent increased by more than 16,000.
  • Between 1984 and 1999, the richest 10 per cent of Canadians experienced a seven per cent increase in net wealth, while the poorest 10 per cent suffered a 20 per cent increase in debt.
  • There are 11 million households in Canada, of which 1.7 million households are considered low income existing on less than $20,000 a year.
  • Female-headed households dominate this category experiencing a poverty rate 42 per cent higher than all families combined.
  • Forty-three per cent of Canadians live on an annual income of $25,000 or less.

What does this mean for Black Canadians? According to Statistics Canada:

  • At 27 per cent, Black Canadians make up the largest percentage of female headed lone-parent families;
  • The low-income rate of recent immigrants from Africa more than doubled between 1980 and 2000; and
  • In 2002, the majority of Black Canadians earned between $20,000 and $35,000 annually.

Two things become very clear. First, it appears Black Canadians comprise a considerable percentage of the bottom 50 per cent of Canadian families that must share a mere 4.8 per cent of Canada’s wealth. Second, a significant number of our community exists at or slightly above Canada’s low income cut-off level.

For a community that has steadfastly supported the Liberal government over the last 12 years, that hardly seems a fair exchange of support.

Clearly the Liberal government has not done much for us lately. And it has not been because of lack of resources.

Between 1997 and 2003, Canada had the fastest-growing economy among the advanced industrializednations. According to the CCPA, “Canada’s Gross Domestic Product is now $1.3 trillion, a growth of 67 per cent from 1994 to 2004.”

Yet despite this growth, the federal government has directly or indirectly cut spending or caused funding to be cut to Canada’s social safety-net. Unemployment insurance, training and federal transfers to the provinces for health care, housing, social assistance, home care, child care, welfare services including legal aid, and settlement services for immigrants have all been directly or indirectly cut by Liberal policy.

The overall effect has been a weakening of the essential systems low-income Canadians need to maintain an acceptable standard of living. In a recent article, Allan C. Hutchinson, a professor at Osgoode Hall Law School notes, “If you are part of the middle class or upper middle class, Canada might well be one of the best places to live in the world. For others though, the situation is not reassuring and the prospects are not rosy.”

The Liberal government, which the majority of Black Canadians support, has not been implicit in the development of this situation, but active by implementing the policies that have hastened its development.

How can we change this situation and ensure that whatever government is voted into power will implement policies to improve our day-to-day lives?

One solution is suggested by Delores Lawrence, president and chair of Operation Black Vote Canada. Delores believes Black Canadians must go to the polls with an agenda. “People going to the polls must consciously think about which party will take their interests most seriously. Black Canadians must elect a government they can trust and that will take seriously their issues and concerns. My sense is that this generation of Black Canadians will not be taken for granted.”

Delores suggests the four most important agenda items for Black Canadians are: employment, crime, poverty issues (housing and training) and health care.

The top agenda item: employment. “There is a total imbalance in the employment system. Those who need unemployment services can’t get it, and our qualified, educated and talented community members can’t find sufficient employment. I’m not sure how we got here, but we have to look at the Liberal party because they have been in power for so long. It is an unfair system; the government must take the lead in rebalancing the system.”

On January 23, let’s heed the word of Delores Lawrence and “consciously think” before we mark the “x” on our ballot. The Liberal Party and every other political party need to know they cannot take the vote of the Black Canadian community for granted.

Tricia Hylton

Tricia Hylton is a freelance writer living in Toronto, Ontario. Through her writing, Tricia hopes to provide insights to create conversation and understanding on the impact of Canada’s social, economic...