Poverty question draws sharp rebuke

A question from Green party MLA Hannah Bell about social assistance rates drew a sharp rebuke from Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundy on Thursday.

During question period, Bell asked the minister if the recent increase in shelter allowances for social assistance recipients was enough to keep pace with the rising cost of rental housing.

Mundy announced earlier this month that social assistance rates would rise by six per cent as of January of 2019.

“What is your timeline for increasing shelter rates to the point of actually covering the cost of housing,” Bell asked Mundy.

Mundy responded that Bell’s question had simply “picked one among many investments” the province was making for lowincome Islanders. She noted the 275 rent supplements the province is on track to distribute to low-income Islanders by the end of the year.

Bell then noted that a recent auditor general report found that amounts designated for clothing, household and personal items have not changed in over 10 years.

“There is no mention of these in the government’s poverty reduction 66 action items. Questions for the minister: Why does your poverty reduction plan not address these glaring deficits,” Bell said.

“This member comes into the house and misleads Islanders,” Mundy said in response.

“We are in our fifth year of increases to food allowances – $2.8 million we have invested in food allowances.”

Later during question period, Bell said she had checked the facts from the 2018 Auditor General Report. She said her statements about the amounts designated for clothing, household and personal items have, in fact, not changed in ten years and asked Mundy to withdraw her claim that she had misled Islanders.

Mundy initially refused to withdraw the statement. After sitting down, she and Vernon River-Stratford MLA Alan MacIsaac then held a hushed conversation.

“You can’t say that,” MacIsaac whispered to Mundy.

Mundy again stood up and offered to withdraw her remarks.

Speaker Buck Watts then said he would have to consult the point of order around the matter and report back to the legislature.