Burrill: Child Poverty numbers show need for action on cost of living, wages, housing

Halifax - NDP Leader Gary Burrill made the following statement about the release of the 2021 Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Nova Scotia Child Poverty Report Card:

“Many, many people in our province are having a terrible struggle to get by, and today's Report Card shows that the government is failing to make any meaningful progress on reducing poverty.

The solutions are plain. The first step is to address the high cost of living, by bringing in a $15 minimum wage with a plan for a living wage for all, and permanent rent control while building a massive amount of truly affordable housing.

We also need to see increases well beyond a cost-of-living increase for seniors on OAS/GIS, people on disability, and people living on social assistance.

We have seen during COVID that the government can reduce poverty levels very quickly when it is determined to do so. The persistence of child poverty in Nova Scotia shows the lack of such determination on the part of Tim Houston and the present government of the province.”

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