That's why he's running on a platform to give $12 000 year to stay-at-home parents.
One of the greatest myths about pro-lifers is that they're all fiscal conservatives/libertarians hell-bent on slashing every social program in sight.
The truth is rather different.
In my life, I've met pro-lifers of every political stripe. I would say the plurality of them are conservatives. But I've met everything from socialist to libertarian pro-lifers.
Personally, I think this would be disastrous. Paying people to stay home is basically paying people to be dependent on the government.
I don't believe the state should be a wealth re-distribution program. I think it's fine for the state to intervene in specific cases of need, but to pay people money across the board just creates dependency.
I think that government can alleviate poverty. I don't believe governments can cure poverty. Poverty is largely caused by things that are outside of its sphere. Drug use and single parenthood are the greatest causes of poverty in Canada. If we diminish those two things, that would reduce a lot of poverty.
Drug use is not something that the state has a lot of control over. It can provide some facilities for rehab, but really the main goal is to stop people from starting in the first place. Education helps, but is not fullproof. Drug abuse prevention really starts with pillars of the community-- the family, church, school and community organizations. Those are the people who are far more likely to have an influence on drug use than the government.
Single parenthood is largely caused by sex outside marriage and divorce. Again, the government can do a few things to limit those-- with education campaigns and tighter divorce laws. But on the whole, the decision to engage in sexual activity is made in a manner that is entirely disconnected from state influence. Influence on this issue comes from family, friends,church, the culture-- not the state.
The best cure for poverty is marriage and a job. Marriage and the family are a social safety net that we often forget about. If you have a job, and you remain married, chances are, you will do okay financially, assuming you don't live beyond your means.
