if they want to save money on social assistance, what should they actually do? and, i support some of these things for other reasons. remember: as a recipient, it is also in my interests to reduce the number of people on assistance, as i get better access to the services, that way.

1) better access to abortion and contraception services, including working to remove stigmas around abortion and contraception that are erected by conservative religious groups. whether we're talking about welfare or disability, it is the perpetuation of the cycle of poverty and addiction that is the biggest factor creating dependence. reducing birth rates amongst people that live on social assistance should be the dominant priority, as the science is clear that most of the people born into the system will in fact remain within it.

2) renegotiate resettlement terms with the federal government to take in more immigrants and fewer refugees. single able-bodied male refugees should be given higher priority for resettlement than families or dependent women and children. listen: if you want to save costs, this is something that will actually work. the liberal theory here is wrong - most of these kids will end up dependent.

3) build more subsidized housing. in the long run, this will reduce costs related to transient housing, including running shelters and food banks, and transfer costs from providing services for vagrants to giving them money to spend, which cycles money back into the economy, producing multiplier effects.

4) provide greater access to secular addictions counselling. the 12-step program is a cult that fosters dependency on itself. we have a lot of science on the topic at our disposal; we should stop relying on these religious groups and start using it.

5) reduce barriers to accessing education, including the costs to education.