Yesterday, the Alberta Legislature introduced Bill 9, "An Act to Modernize Enforcement of Provincial Offences." This bill, sponsored by Hon. Kathleen Ganley, has been touted as a way to end criminalization of those living in poverty and homelessness. And I do think trying to remove jail from the list of things people in poverty with minor offences have to worry about, what it proposes replacing it with is not much better.
What Bill 9 seeks to do, is replace issuing arrest warrants for minor offences with alternative proposals, so that no one faces jail time for a minor offence, such as smoking where they shouldn't be, or a transit fare evasion, or the many bylaws that specifically target the homeless community. That much is admirable. But of course, offenders should be held to account. So the proposals for replacing a warrant include preventing those with outstanding fines from registering a motor vehicle to garnishing wages or income tax and GST.
That's where I have the problem. These people are in poverty. They might not be paying their fines because of their financial situation. Preventing them from owning a vehicle that may be necessary for work, garnishing their wages, or hitting them on their rebates helps keep these people in financial stress, rather than alleviate them. If they were financially able, they would likely pay their fines. They may be waiting to be in a better situation financially to pay them. Most people facing a low-income crisis with fines aren't ignoring them out of rebellion. They're ignoring them out of necessity, and this bill doesn't address that. It actually makes the situation even worse for them.
I get the feeling that this is a dual cost-saving/revenue generating measure. Save costs in the penal system by avoiding jail - which is a good idea honestly, but then generates revenue by prying the money from the hands of those who are unable to pay.
Prevention is the best alternative. Agencies and service providers should be trying to reach out to acquire transit tickets for guests and clients whenever they do calls for donations, when able to do so, agencies should also be more generous. Obviously, consider reasonable need and priorities, but don't be looking for any reason to specifically deny clients tickets. If anyone reading this is able, please donate bus tickets or even passes to any and all agencies you are affiliated with, please!
And also, we should eliminate bylaws that specifically target the homeless population, and make transit transfers transferable. If I buy a 20 pack of socks from Walmart and give away 18 pairs, Walmart doesn't complain because those people then don't buy socks from them. If I purchase 90 minutes of transit fare, and only need to go two train stations, what I do with the remaining time is my business, and that should include giving it to someone in need. Ending bylaws and allowing consumers the right to do what they want their purchased product not only reduces bureaucracy in the system, but also increases the freedom for everyone, including those in low income, and a freedom-based approach is best.
These proposals of mine won't end all minor offences among those living in poverty and homelessness, but go a lot further than Bill 9, and unlike Bill 9, actually attempt to help those who need it most rather than draw blood from a stone.
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