Houston Conservatives bow to NSNDP pressure, index income assistance rates

HALIFAX – NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender made the following statement in response to the indexing of income assistance rates:

“After years of work towards this important change, we are thrilled to see the Houston government finally support indexing income assistance rates.

“The callous decision to not include this in the budget was the focus of much scrutiny and would have exacerbated the deep poverty too many Nova Scotians are living in. Today’s decision is a step towards correcting that although the timing is bizarre, coming the day after the debate on the budget concluded.

“While much more is still needed to address the rampant cost of living increases across the province on everything from food to power, to housing, today’s decision is a win for the Nova Scotians most in need and an idea whose time has come.”