CC: Kendra Coombs / NS NDP
NS Liberal Community Services Critic, whoever you are!
By Kendall Worth!
Dear Nova Scotia Opposition MLA’s;
According to the following tweet:
The House of Assembly is going back in session on March 21st 2023.
I am writing this letter because back in the fall sitting of the Legislature, the community of people living in poverty, here in Nova Scotia, was feeling the worsening pressure from ever increasing inflation. Here is the letter https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2022/11/an-open-letter-to-nova-scotia.html I wrote to NS MLA’s, in November of 2022, where I talked about continued frustration in the Nova Scotia community of people living in poverty. In this letter I asked opposition MLA’s, on behalf of the community I advocate for, to please use question period to ask if there is anything new to report, that is an update, on Transformation, that, for example would: raise the rates; or eliminate annual reviews; or streamline, and make it easier, to get diet allowances and phones.
There was a one time payment of $250.00 for people on Income Assistance. Even though that one time payment helped, it certainly was not enough to say that Premier Tim Houston saved Christmas.
I wrote previously about how income assistance recipients spent Christmas this year. And it is because no help was provided for those on Income Assistance that there was a major increase in food bank usage – and more expected this year, as inflation continues. The community of people living in poverty has been seeing evidence of that 60% Increase in Food-Bank usage. We all agree this is unacceptable.
“Some people ask me if the Department of Community Services has even been in touch with me about updating the ESIA Transformation?
On a few occasions I have spoken to Joy Knight, who is the Director of Employment Support and Income Assistance at DCS. She tells me that the Transformation is still happening, however there is nothing I can publicly report at this time. During conversations with people I advocate for, I cannot share with them what I am being told about ESIA transformation. If anyone is interested, in the New Year, I will continue to keep in touch with Joy Knight to see if there is anything I can make public about ESIA transformation”.
I can report that I am still keeping in touch with Joy Knight, who is going to send me something in writing, I can make public about ESIA transformation. It looks like she may not be sending anything in the near future. Now that the house is going back in I will get in touch with Kendra Coombs – and the Liberal Critic , if I can identify them -- to see if I can get her to raise the question, about transformation, to Minister Karla McFarland during Question Period. So the Big question is Why is the Department of Community Services still insisting an ESIA transformation happening? - If it is, why has there been no public update on Transformation since Tim Houston took office?
The community I advocate for, believes that, in this session of the house, an Opposition MLA needs to ask this question. While the government is providing no new information on the Transformation, the homeless population is increasing, inflation is continuing out of control, the province is showing no interest in wanting to increase income rates, and Income Assistance clients continue to experience the bureaucratic nonsense and systemic problems of Community Services.
Please take this letter seriously!
Kendall Worth!
P.S. - Readers I will do another BLOG about looking at the upcoming sitting of Province House closer to the sitting date of March 21st.
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