Hutton says protesters impeding help
PCS, NDP accuse government of deflecting blame
Fred Hutton said protesters involved with the Colonial Building tent encampment are impeding offers of help for people living in tents because protesters want "to keep the protest going.”
“I would never presume to say that there's not a housing issue, but I will tell you that in parallel to that there is a protest going on, and there are certain folks who are using this as a political platform, or some sort of agenda to keep the protest going,” the housing minister told reporters outside the House of Assembly on Wednesday.
“The community partners have said that that is impeding their ability to convince, in many cases, people from accepting options that are offered to them,” Hutton said.
He said there is also misinformation about how many people are living at the encampment, but he could not provide a number of how many are staying there.
“Yesterday in the House, the minister of housing, who still doesn’t have a mandate, said that those who are living at tent city are protesters, quite clearly.” Jim Dinn NDP Leader
HOUSING DOMINATES QUESTION PERIOD
Questions about the encampment and efforts to help people with housing dominated question period in the legislature on Wednesday.
“Yesterday in the House, the minister of housing, who still doesn't have a mandate, said that those who are living at tent city are protesters, quite clearly,” NDP Leader Jim Dinn said.
“While the organizers may call their involvement a protest, I ask the minister, and the premier for that matter: are you actually saying that you believe that the people who are living in the tents during some of the harshest weather are simply protesting?”
“It is not what I said,” Hutton replied.
“Let me be clear: there are two aspects to this. There are people who need help, and we are offering the help on a regular basis. … But what I will say, Mr. Speaker, is there are very clearly protest aspects to this.
“I will quote one of the organizers from the CBC yesterday: ‘This is still 100 per cent a protest.’ Mr. Speaker, the honourable member opposite, the leader of the third party, should know about the protest. He's been involved.”
‘WE NEED TO SEPARATE THE PROTEST FROM THE ACTUAL ISSUE’
What Hutton said on Tuesday was: “We have said from the beginning that this protest — which it is — is not a safe place for people to be, which is why we offer these solutions and will continue to.”
Meanwhile on Wednesday, Dinn said Hutton didn’t quote the people who are living in tents.
“They tell a different story,” Dinn said.
“If the premier actually went down and spoke to the people living at tent city, he would understand the reasons why the options that his government continuously offer are inadequate for every person experiencing homelessness,” he said.
After question period, Hutton told reporters that the ultimate goal is to find housing for everyone.
“We need to separate the protest from the actual issue of people trying to find housing, and then we can find solutions a little bit quicker,” he said.
‘THAT’S NOT HELPING ANYBODY’
Dinn called Hutton’s comments in the legislature an attempt to deflect and project the government's own failings on everyone else.
Progressive Conservative Leader Tony Wakeham said the government didn’t have a plan, and now the minister is trying to blame someone else for the challenges.
“That’s not helping anybody,” Wakeham said.