The federal Conservatives are so far staying mum amid concerns that the family of accused polygamist Winston Blackmore could be tens of thousands of dollars richer as a result of the newly expanded Universal Child Care Benefit.
Blackmore, the 58-year-old leader of a Mormon breakaway sect in southeastern British Columbia, reportedly has at least 24 wives and 133 children ranging in age from babies to adults.
Under the rules of the Child Care Benefit, parents are entitled to receive $520 for each child under the age of six; Blackmore has 20 such children. He also has 98 children under the age of 18, who would garner $420 each.
Winston Blackmore with six of his daughters and some of his grandchildren, on April 21, 2008. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Jonathan Hayward)
That could add up to a grand total of $43,160 in child care benefit cheques, according to calculations by Vancouver Sun columnist Daphne Bramham.
But would Blackmore actually receive all that money? Jordan Bateman of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation points out that the cheques would likely go to Blackmore's so-called "sister wives" since in this case, they would be listed as the custodial parents.
"I'm a little bit okay with that money going to them," Bateman told CTV Vancouver. "But it does show flaws in systems like this."
For Bramham, who has been writing about Blackmore, his wives and his various legal and tax battles, she is more concerned with the bigger issue.
"The money to me is the lesser part of that. The fact that someone can have a family that big and in any way take care of them is shocking to me," she said.
The federal government have not commented on what they think about the child care benefit potentially helping polygamists.
As for Blackmore, he will be back in court later this month to face a criminal charge of polygamy.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Julie Nolin
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