Restorative Justice Workers - Member's Statement

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Dartmouth South.

RESTORATIVE JUST. PROG.: DEDICATED WORKERS - RECOG.

MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the restorative justice workers of the Community Justice Society on their successful battle for fair recognition and compensation.

Nova Scotia's recent expansion of its restorative justice program to include adults is laudable, but it more than doubled workloads with no pay increase, leading to a 100 per cent staff turnover rate - at less than $15 an hour, professionals couldn't afford to stay in these positions.

The expansion of our Restorative Justice Program without proper resources served no one. Thanks to the dedication of these workers, and the commitment from government, they can now look forward to staying in a rewarding position with a living wage and changing lives in the process.

I look forward to Nova Scotia continuing to be a leader in the restorative justice process.

MR. SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Clare-Digby.