Increase Income Support Thresholds - QP

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : The price of heating oil in Halifax is now at $2.14 a litre. Mr. Speaker, 40 per cent of Nova Scotians heat their homes with furnace oil, and service providers are clear about what this means: People will go cold this Winter. Working families are feeling the pinch, and this government could help by raising the income cut-off for support.

Is this government prepared to leave working and middle-income families in the cold this Winter?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, we know that the cost of home heating oil, as the member referenced, is certainly very high in HRM. It's even higher in the rural parts of this province. We know that it's having a devastating effect on so many families - 200,000 homes in Nova Scotia heat with home heating oil. We're desperately concerned about the impact on those families this coming Winter, for sure.

To the member's very specific question, yes, we are looking at what we can do around programs like HARP to support Nova Scotian families. We'll continue to do that work and look for ways to support Nova Scotians. We know it's important at this time.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, the thermostat will dip below zero any day now. It's November, and with all due respect, now is not the time for looking. Now is the time for action. Targets don't work if the thresholds are too low. Right now we know, and it sounds like the government knows, that the thresholds are too low. The Premier says that the government is providing targeted supports. These targeted supports are leaving people behind. When will the thresholds be raised?

THE PREMIER « » : Mr. Speaker, look, we know there's more work to be done for sure. But I disagree with the characterization that we're not doing anything. Go through the list of important initiatives that are supporting Nova Scotians. They might not matter to some people in this House, but I will tell you, they matter to us, and they matter to those Nova Scotians who are benefiting from them.

There's more to do, of course. That's the job of government. We will look for ways to support Nova Scotians that are sustainable and help them in the long term. That's what our focus is on.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, unlike other provinces, Nova Scotia's income supports are not indexed to inflation. We all know what is happening in the world of inflation. We have been talking about it all session. They don't adjust as costs rise.

I'm going to offer another quote from Mr. Crawley, who was mentioned earlier. He volunteers at Souls Harbour, and he said ". . . it's very, very humbling where I can go up to chef Ryan at Souls Harbour and say, 'I hate to ask you, but I need a bowl of soup, too, because I can't afford groceries.'"

Winter is coming. This government's support scheme is leaving too many families behind. The time for looking is done. When will we see action?

THE PREMIER « » : Nova Scotians will continue to see action. I think we need to be clear on that - the programs that have come forward. We have put forward a number of programs to support Nova Scotians. I agree that there is more work to be done, and I commit to doing that work to make sure that we're supporting Nova Scotians in the best way that government possibly can.

We can't do it all, Mr. Speaker. There should be no expectation of that. But we can support Nova Scotians through the time of need, and that's what our focus will continue to be on.