Houston gave up on carbon tax solution leaving Nova Scotians to pay more

HALIFAX – Premier Tim Houston gave up on working out a system that would have protected Nova Scotians from price increases connected to the carbon tax and has done little to help Nova Scotians cover the rising cost of the basics.

“There are many things Tim Houston could do as premier to help Nova Scotians with rising prices, including freezing senior and family pharmacare fees, cutting the tax on groceries, and permanently increasing and indexing the thresholds for home heating programs like HARP,” said NDP Leader Claudia Chender. “The Houston government has been in power for two years, and throughout that time we knew a carbon tax was coming. The Conservatives failed to step in and come up with a deal the federal Liberals could approve. There will be a dramatic increase in the cost of fuel this weekend, on the heels of historic cost increases on everything from food, to housing, to power, all because of Houston’s failure of leadership.”

Other provinces have programs that ensure families get rebates more in line with the cost increases they’ll experience this weekend. The Houston government did not fight for higher, fairer rebate amounts for Nova Scotians.

The Houston government could take any or all of the following steps to help Nova Scotians weather the carbon tax:

• Freeze pharmacare fees;
• Cut the tax on food to help lower grocery bills;
• Permanently increase and index the thresholds for home heating programs like HARP;
• Create a universal school food program to ensure all students have access to healthy food at school;
• Raise the threshold for paying back provincial student loans to $40,000;
• Immediately raise the minimum wage to $15/hour and create a plan to reach a living wage;
• Raise social assistance rates and index to inflation; and
• Make rent control permanent and close the fixed-term lease loophole.

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