Government needs to address pressing issues

As we move into a new school year, there are three pressing challenges that must to be addressed by the provincial government.

All three speak to the general well-being of our Island community – and more specifically – to school age and post-secondary students.

First, healthy and well-educated children have to be a fundamental priority for government.

For that reason, I believe it is essential for government to follow through on the finalization of the school lunch program that was well on the way to being introduced just a few months ago.

And based on a recent UNICEF study, it is apparent poor-quality diets can threaten a child’s health and potential. Let’s set our children on a path to thrive and excel - and introduce the (promised) school food lunch program.

Second, there are many young people getting ready for a new school year at Holland College and UPEI. During the recent election, the government promised students that they would raise the George Coles bursary to $3,000. That was a pretty important commitment and one I personally endorsed – and I know a lot of Islanders, especially young adults, tilted toward the Conservatives on the base on that pledge.

The George Coles bursary was first introduced by the Liberals after the 2007 provincial election – and in the years since – it has helped thousands of young Islanders with access to higher education. This year, the government endorsed the Liberal approach – and promised to enhance the assistance provided to students.

Close to 1,000 Island students attended post-secondary school in 2018/19 absolutely free due to the previous Liberal government’s commitment made to Island bursaries, including enhancing George Coles.

This increase in the George Coles bursary assistance would have been particularly helpful with regard to the challenge of housing. As rents keep increasing, students are forced to budget more and more for accommodations, and that can strain tight budgets.

For that reason, the promised increased to the bursary was widely anticipated by students and their families, and given the fact that it was a promise, the increase was also expected.

That takes me to the third issue we are facing this fall: Affordable housing, a real and pressing problem, and we are going to need more than short-term solutions.

As an Islander, I want to know that our government is doing everything it can to make sure that we are all safe and healthy. Housing is an obvious element of that concern.

Now, school lunches and bursary increases are fairly easy challenges to overcome.

When it comes to housing? Well, that is a tougher matter. But if there is a desire to aggressively pursue solutions, all sides will enthusiastically help out with an examination of our housing laws, regulations around short-term rentals, tenant assistance and moving forward more rapidly with new developments.

Healthy foods for kids. Help for students getting higher education. And decent access to affordable accommodations.

Let’s keep the momentum going – regardless of political allegiances.