Poverty activists say no progress being made

from The Chronicle Herald

By JOSH VISSER

The last time provincial legislators held a public forum on poverty, it was January 2006 and they heard that "Nova Scotians are the poorest of the poor in Canada."

Since then the Conservative government has done little to change that, anti-poverty activists said Thursday.

"The government has made so (few) changes (to fight poverty) that we could make the same presentation as we did in 2006," said Elizabeth Brown of the coalition Face of Poverty.

Ms. Brown was one of a number of speakers at the standing committee on community service’s Forum on Poverty at Province House.

Among participants were Community Action on Homelessness, the Community Advocates Network, Women’s Centre Connect, the Affordable Energy Coalition and the Public Good Society of Dartmouth.

Two issues recurred in presentations to the committee, chaired by the NDP’s Marilyn More: Nova Scotia’s minimum wage is too low and energy costs, particularly heating, are too high.

"With prices as high as they are, sometimes it’s choosing between paying for lights, or paying to eat," said Laura Lannon of the Affordable Energy Coalition.

Lucille Harper of the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre said employment isn’t the only solution to poverty.

"Just because you work all year doesn’t mean you aren’t living in poverty," she said.

The current minimum wage is $7.15, with an increase to $7.60 planned for April. Ms. Harper recommended changing the minimum wage to $12; other presenters suggested $10.

New Democrat MLA Trevor Zinck added that a person working year-round at the current minimum wage would still be living well beneath the poverty line. At 40 hours per week, that worker would earn $14, 872 before taxes and deductions.

Statistics Canada uses a formula to determine poverty that is called the low-income cut-off, which, for a single adult in Halifax Regional Municipality, is $17,515.

Many speakers are well acquainted with poverty. Tom Frizzell, a member of Community Action on Homelessness, said he survives on a $427 monthly welfare cheque every month and that he only has $30 a week for food.

"I used to be able to eat that amount in one day," said Mr. Frizzell, adding that he used to work for the government but a medical problem has left him on welfare for eight years.

Gary Healey, co-ordinator for the Public Good Society of Dartmouth, said he once spent 30 days living in his car and didn’t eat for 17 of those days.

"If it wasn’t for one person who helped me get on my feet, I wouldn’t be here today," he said.

His group tabled a report surveying downtown Dartmouth users of emergency social services. Mr. Healey said 53 per cent of respondents, all of whom used food banks or shelters or lived in government-assisted housing, had high school or higher education levels.

The committee plans to meet again in the near future to come up with a list of recommendations to take to the legislature.