November 22, 2013

Dear Sir,

The OBA and the Premier seem smugly pleased with themselves that they have gone “hat in hand” for the voluntary concession of 10 percent from the grocery companies that are already giving five percent. Which may not be much of a sacrifice since their customers may increase.

All of these grocery companies are in the white community. What legislative measures is this Government prepared to introduce to encourage grocery companies be developed in the black community? After all they were Government policies which ensured that blacks were excluded from economic opportunities and experience for centuries. Moreover, they are thinking up all kinds of legislative measures to encourage the return of international companies. Why has not the Government introduced legislative measures to encourage greater economic equity between the black and white communities, just as there were deliberate policies to ensure their lack of equity and white affirmative action policies? It is the role of the Legislature to legislate and not to merely seek voluntary concession.

In a democracy it is indeed the responsibility of the people to hold their representatives accountable. But no one, certainly not in our racially divided and unequal society, should put themselves forward for a leadership role unless they have a vision of legislation that can be introduced to bring greater equity and justice to the majority of the population, particularly when that majority have a history of oppression and deliberate exclusion from the economic benefits of that society. Unfortunately, few politicians who put themselves forward for these leadership roles acknowledge these disparities much less articulate a vision of the kind of legislation that should be introduced to begin to bring equity to this very divided society which demonstrates such economic disparities.

Certainly there was nothing in the Throne Speech to suggest that there is any intention to seriously address the economic disparities which bring such suffering to so many in the black community. International companies may indeed be necessary but, as someone has pointed out “All boats may rise with a rising tide but not all have a boat”. They are the ones that are drowning even when the tide is rising. But that does not seem to be a matter to most of those who have put themselves forward as leaders of this very divided community.

Yours etc.

Eva N Hodgson