Income Assistance - QP

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : In a budget where the tax relief has disproportionately benefited high-earning individuals and developers, a one-time $150 cheque and a failure to index income assistance just seems cruel.

Yesterday, the Minister of Community Services justified this decision by saying that year over year, indexing is usually about $10, $15, or $20. What they decided is that it's better to put a lump sum in people's pockets.

I have to ask about that math. Based on last year's inflation, a single adult would have seen $300 this year from indexing. Is the Premier leaving thousands of Nova Scotians behind based on some bad math?

THE PREMIER « » : We know - and we feel as a compassionate government - the need to do everything we can to support Nova Scotians. That's why we've increased income assistance rates by $300 per month for those who are not able to attach to the workforce. That's why we have allowed those who are expected, with our help, to reattach to the workforce and who are on income assistance to be able to keep more of the money they earn to support them as they reattach to the workforce.

We are doing what we can. There's always more to be done. I find it interesting and appreciate what my colleague, the minister, said when he pointed out that we've done more in that one thing and he did more as minister in one week than the NDP did in five years. That math is not being challenged because it's absolutely true.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : While this government celebrates a top-up for some recipients, which is in fact an adherence to a court decision - thank you for complying with the law - and a small one-time top-up, the fact of the matter is that income assistance rates in this province are too low to live on. They land people in food banks, in hospitals, and ultimately in tents and shelters. We have the second-lowest income assistance rates in Canada. They are thousands of dollars lower than in other provinces.

This is the third budget where the government has not indexed those rates. When will the government allow Department of Community Services workers to start giving clients adequate support and stop having to hand them tents?

THE PREMIER « » : Yes, this government does comply with the law. Strangely, that's an oddity in this Chamber, but we do comply with the law.

This budget has $16.5 billion of investments going into the hands of Nova Scotians - investments in Nova Scotians. We're proud of the work that we are able to do to support Nova Scotians. We know that there's more work to be done. We will continue to invest in Nova Scotians in every possible way we can.

That increase to income assistance for those who are not able to return to the workforce is a significant investment. It dwarfs anything that any government did before ours.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : With $16.5 billion, they couldn't index income assistance. People sleeping rough in our province receive the lowest available income assistance rate: $380 per month. Food, necessities, and medication costs alone are more than this, let alone housing.

Advocates are perplexed by the lack of action being taken right now, given the current rate of inflation. Can the Premier explain why all income assistance recipients can't get the same amount, to at least give people a fighting chance to get back on their feet?

THE PREMIER « » : Of course we know, and I know that the Opposition likes to ignore this simple fact, but as a government we have chosen to do a number of targeted supports that are in addition to income assistance - targeted supports to help people and meet them where we can meet them.

I will acknowledge that there is lots of work to do and, as government, we do what we can. We always wish we could do more, but we do what we can. This is a budget that is about building up Nova Scotia. It's about supporting Nova Scotians. It's about investing in Nova Scotians.

I hope that the member opposite can get behind Nova Scotians, like we are, like Nova Scotians are, and push this province forward.