The B.C. Association of Social Workers has issued a last-minute open letter to the provincial government, asking: "What has happened to our social contract?"

In a news release published today, the BCASW said:

Over the last decade in B.C. we have seen the unraveling and frayed state of the social contract as it used to be, never perfect, always underfunded, but still providing a foundation for and commitment to at least trying to meet the needs of our most vulnerable people.

Social work professionals work and live in communities all around the province, and are witness to the harm the cutbacks to services have caused to individuals, families and communities.

We ask the B.C. government, what has happened to our social contract? Why are we eroding the very policies and services that meet the vital needs of our citizens, invest in social capital and support the most valuable resources we have – our people?

The people of B.C. simply cannot sustain any more cuts, nor can frontline workers and others who struggle to meet the overwhelming demands placed on them to fix problems created by unsound and bad public policy.

... We urge the B.C. government to reconsider their ill-advised fiscal decisions and invest in the people of BC. The time has never been more important for the government to uphold their commitment and obligation to the public good and to repairing the social contract.

Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.