When I was waiting to pick up my mom from St Joe's today, Jack Layton was doing a tour there. It was surprising to see him there so close to me. I could've easily walked up to him (through the media) and spoken to him. He seems approachable enough to be able to do that. It got me thinking about what I would like to see from our Government.
* More Resources for New Graduates - Upon graduating from my post-secondary education, I noticed there was a lack of resources for new graduates to find employment. Many of the people that I went to school with (in many different industries and professions) have struggled finding full-time employment in their specialty. Whether it is provided through the post-secondary institutions or through the government, there should be something more concrete in place to assist these students. We spends years and thousand of dollars to attend school and then struggle to find a well-paying job so we can begin our future.
* Better Healthcare - Yes, I am aware at the "wonders" of our Health Care System in Canada. That being said, I have never had to worry about healthcare as I had full benefits all throughout my education. However, what about the people that do not have insurance. Medications can cost hundreds of dollars. In fact, when I was still in school (and thus insured), I was on a medication that cost $110 each month. Thankfully, I did not have to pay this price because I was covered. However, what about those who are not covered. It's unfair to make people who already struggle to make ends meat pay for these kind of medications. I understand that there may be other venues that can be taken but I think they should be more widely publicized.
* Unemployment - I guess this one kind of goes hand in hand with New Graduate Assistance and in a way it does not. Has anyone else noticed that our unemployment rates went up again in July 2010? Granted, many of the full time jobs have been converted to part time jobs so it hasn't been a complete loss of jobs but there is still a hit. Something needs to be done about this. I understand that we're in a recession and we need the economy to bounce back but at this point, we're not going to get a band-aid fix. We need to do something that is going to help us in the long run so we don't see this again in the near future.
That being said, is anyone else aware at how difficult it is to get Unemployment Insurance? It's a headache and I've only just looked at the application. Yes, I am aware that the Government needs to be thorough. Yes, I am aware that there are restrictions and guidelines in place. But it's a pain - something needs to be done so people can easily apply for this. People who have lost their jobs are under enough stress and don't really need the additional stress of this application. Not to mention the waiting time is ridiculous. They say it takes up to twenty-eight days for it to go through, however, I have seen many people wait even longer than this timeline for theirs to be processed. In fact, I know one person who was approved and never received a payment. She was out of work for four months!
All of this being said, I am aware that there are probably gaps and biases in my opinions. I just think that the Government needs to change and it's time for that change.
* I will be the first person to admit that I am neither well-versed or experienced in politics in any shape or form. The opinions of this blog are that of my own and do not represent any specific political party.
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