In this final part of our series on on the social determinants of health Alex Kronstein argues that a strong social safety net promotes health, but Canada, like so many other countries, has fallen victim to a neoliberal approach that’s all about “the financialization of everything.” Nonetheless, various Nova Scotia organizations continue to address the social determinants of health.
In a recent talk at a community meeting on welfare, Fiona Traynor, a community legal worker at Dalhousie Legal Aid raised the alarm about the state of income assistance in Nova Scotia. Cuts to allowances and an increase in poor bashing have her worried.
In that speech Traynor also called for a strategic push back against the Community Services welfare transformation initiative, something we are told will change the way income assistance is delivered, but that has otherwise been low on details. We talked with Traynor late last week to further explore these issues.
New contributor Elizabeth Perry took a close look at last Thursday’s election debate. “A few exchanges stand out as being a bit more informative than I’m sure the leaders planned,” she writes.
A group of people concerned about the quality of care in Nova Scotia’s long term residences rallied at Northwood Manor in Halifax this afternoon. More care beds, more trained staff and healthier food are among their demands. Ultimately they are asking for a halt to the ongoing loss of dignity and respect for our seniors.
Human rights lawyer Vince Calderhead tackles last month’ budget and the election. The realization that the inequality in our society is actually a political decision raises hard questions, he writes. These are questions not just for our political leaders but also for ourselves as members of a society that repeatedly select politicians who by their choices, maintain poverty and malnutrition. When are we, as a society, going to tell our political candidates and leaders that we will not tolerate poverty in our society?
Kendall Worth argues that the liberal government has been a disappointment for people on welfare. They have done nothing to address the immediate needs of people living in deep poverty, and we know nothing of the welfare transformation except that it moves along with the speed of cold molasses.
More on the threat to rural Nova Scotia’s public libraries. They’re free. They’re for everybody. They’re the lifeblood of many communities. And they are slowly being squeezed by governments that don’t understand their value. But wait, it’s election time! Maybe it’s time for a good chat with your local candidates.
We revisit last year’s cuts to long term care facilities in Nova Scotia. Things are bad, staff tell the Nova Scotia Advocate. The food sucks, homes are understaffed and staff is overworked. Even rec programs are being downsized. Warning, this is a very scary story!
The government is slowly killing public libraries in rural Nova Scotia, just so it can save a tiny little bit of money. We talk with four chief librarians and the future looks awfully grim.
Judy Haiven on austerity in Nova Scotia and why we should take look at workers’ conditions in Western Europe, rather than always look southward.