Dartmouth North has something to celebrate — Kendall Worth on the defeat of Joanne Bernard
Kendall Worth, chair of the Benefits Reform Action Group, is happy the former minister of Community Services Joanne Bernard is gone. Here is why.
Welfare
Joanne Bernard is gone. Now what?
I am still getting used to the idea that Joanne Bernard is now the former Minister of Community Services, soundly beaten in Dartmouth North by NDP candidate Susan Leblanc. Her awful record on welfare issues played a large part in her defeat. So for poor people, what’s next in the fight for a life in dignity?
Walk in our shoes for a month! People on welfare rally in Joanne Bernard’s constituency
On Saturday people on income assistance and their friends marched through North Dartmouth, the constituency of Community Services minister Joanne Bernard, and rallied near her campaign headquarters at the Dartmouth Shopping Centre. “I would tell Bernard, please have pity on us, treat us like human beings, that is all we want,” said one of the protesters.
Saturday’s North Dartmouth rally calls for a different kind of welfare
A group of anti-poverty activists is organizing a rally and march in North Dartmouth, the constituency of Joanne Bernard, the current minister of Community Services. They hope to raise awareness of the many difficulties people on income assistance face under the current welfare system.
Poor people’s election guide
We take a look at the provincial parties’ responses to a social justice questionnaire, zooming in on commitments around welfare and people who work for very low wages. And some other observations.
Weekend video: Income Assistance in three words
In this powerful video Nova Scotians who know about welfare first hand are asked to describe Income Assistance in three words. It takes them all of 49 seconds to tell us that social assistance in Nova Scotia is broken.
Poverty in Nova Scotia — not in our name! Vince Calderhead on the budget and the election
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: Why I would consider running for MLA
Kendall is pondering a run in the next provincial election. There would be be some serious (Province) house cleaning.
Op-ed: Brendan Maguire, pants on fire
Politicians often take license with the truth, that’s just the way the world works. But sometimes they go too far. Statements by Brendan Maguire, Liberal MLA for Halifax Atlantic, are of that latter variety.
The politics of anti-poverty policies in Nova Scotia
Christine Saulnier, Nova Scotia Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, looks at the different ways politicians propose to address poverty in Nova Scotia during this election: wage increases, social programs, tax-based incentives, or a job.
The Liberal plan to cut taxes will not benefit the very poor, while the money could have been used to raise the income assistance rates or reduce the clawbacks, she writes, while simply saying that “the best social program is still a job” ignores the many people who simply are unable to work. Meanwhile, the NDP proposal to raise minimum wage to $15 definitely helps people who are struggling to make ends meet.