James moore, one of "our" elected officials, is a fucking lying pig. Surprise, surprise. He is now backtracking and attempting some fucking half-assed apology due to an honest opinion of his being called out for the asshole shit that it is. He claimed that it wasn't the job of the federal government to address child poverty. Maybe he's right. All of these assholes only have helping their millionaire sponsors in mind, and child poverty comes in near the bottom of the priority list. But that's all the more reason why all of this crap has to go. Fuck james moore and all of those motherfuckers.
OTTAWA — “Is it my job to feed my neighbour’s child? I don’t think so.”
With that throwaway line at the end of a brief encounter with a B.C. radio reporter, federal Conservative cabinet minister and potential leadership aspirant James Moore triggered a wave of online criticism that he at first rebuffed, saying he was misquoted.
But a day later, following calls from child poverty advocates and the Official Opposition to apologize, Moore issued an abject apology and ducked requests for interviews.
“In response to a question from a reporter last week, I made an insensitive comment that I deeply regret. I apologize,” Moore wrote on his website.
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“Caring for each other is a Canadian ethic that I strongly believe in — always have and always will. Of course poverty is an issue that concerns me, and concerns all Canadians. All levels of government, indeed all members of our society, have a responsibility to be compassionate and care for those in need.
“Great work has been done to tackle poverty and the challenges associated with poverty. And while more work is needed, I know the cause of fighting poverty is not helped by comments like those I made last week. For that, I am sorry.”
Moore’s initial comment came at the end of a response to a News 1130 radio reporter who asked how Ottawa plans to address the record high rate of child poverty in the province.
Reporter Sara Norman asked the Conservative government’s senior political minister for British Columbia: “Child poverty in B.C. is at an all-time high; what does the federal government plan to do about that?”
The exchange was brief, lasting about one minute and nine seconds.
Moore’s reply was at once a dismissal of the federal constitutional responsibility for front line child poverty reduction services, a challenge of how child poverty is statistically measured, and a recitation of the Conservative government’s oft-repeated talking points on its economic performance.
Yet when the reporter put to him: “There’s still kids going to school hungry,” Moore delivered a succinct reply that appeared to shrug off the federal government’s role.
“Well, obviously nobody wants kids to go to school hungry. Certainly we want to make sure that kids go to school full bellied, but is that always the government’s job to be there to serve people their breakfast? Empowering families with more power and resources so that they can feed their own children is, I think, a good thing. Is it my job to feed my neighbour’s child? I don’t think so.”
The reporter posted her story on the station’s website Sunday and linked it on Twitter, saying: “Federal Minister of Industry and Port Moody-Westwood-Coquitlam MP says #childpoverty not Ottawa’s problem.”
Moore is a fiscal conservative but is identified as a socially progressive Conservative. He holds an economic portfolio as industry minister, and is lead on Ottawa’scommunications policy, however his online handling of the skirmish also drew fire.
Moore objected on Twitter that he’d been taken out of context, calling the story “quite ridiculous,” declining calls to apologize.
The reporter countered Moore’s claim: “It's on tape and taken directly in context. I asked the questions about child poverty, those were the answers.” The radio station posted raw audio of the interview.
Moore deleted his comments from his Twitter account but such postings are retained by online tracking sites.
Adrienne Montani, provincial co-ordinator of First Call-B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition, said in an interview Monday that Moore was “flippant and dismissive.”
“I was disappointed that he doesn’t seem to understand his role, as a member of the federal cabinet, that he does have a role to feed his neighbour’s children, he’s not just a neighbour; there’s personal responsibility and there’s an elected responsibility.”
Montani said along with provinces, the federal government has responsibility to develop policies to address child poverty, by raising the national child tax benefit, investing more in affordable social housing, child care programs, post-secondary education and training. It could boost wages, and support for refugees, aboriginal education and child welfare, she said.
“There is lots of scope for federal intervention,” she said.
Ontario’s minister of children and youth services weighed in too, saying reducing child poverty through income support, investments in health care, education, and employment opportunities for all is “a goal that should be the focus of all levels of government.”
“This should not only be a provincial priority, but should be federal as well,” said Teresa Piruzza in a statement emailed to the Star. “It is only by working together that we can work towards the elimination of poverty across Ontario and Canada.”
NDP critic Jinny Sims on Monday released a statement demanding Moore apologize for the “callous” and “heartless” remarks.
By Monday afternoon, the wave criticism that saw #MooreChristmas trending on Twitter prompted the minister to completely reverse his position.
