I am writing this BLOG a couple of days before Easter. A time in which it feels like a lot is happening in Nova Scotia. And not for the better.
As I wrote last week, Easter this year is not a happy time for vulnerable Nova Scotians who face a range of cutbacks in services and funding due to the recently passed provincial budget. For many, the past month has involved multiple protests at the Legislature, as well as letter-writing and lobbying.
Through all this, the idea of celebrating Easter must have been the last thing on many people’s minds. Nonetheless, many will be looking forward to a community meal at Souls Harbour or other local organizations that are putting on an Easter Dinner.
It is hard to
hold anyone responsible for this sad state of affairs other than our current provincial
government which has chosen the path of austerity and cutbacks at a time when low
income members of my community are so vulnerable. I wrote about this a month ago, when the key elements of the Budget
were first shared.
One of the most shocking elements of the budget was the cuts to programs that support the most vulnerable in our community, namely seniors and the disable. I discussed the implications of the proposed cuts to the disabled in a recent BLOG.
Happily, in the face of loud and angry push back directed at Government backbenchers by communities and organizations, Tim Houston backed away from some of these cuts. As I wrote at the time:
“The implications of this reversal are not entirely clear,
as the Government has not pledged to return funding to existing programs, but
instead proposed changing some of the program criteria and processes. For
example, the Deputy Premier, Barbara Adams has stated that moving forward,
funding for services through DSP will be attached to individuals, not the
program or service.
What this will mean for the affected individuals, programs and organizations is wholly unclear!! Deputy Premier Adams, surely you owe the disability community in Nova Scotia a clear explanation of what this policy change will mean in practice?”
To this day, the Minister has not clarified what is meant by this statement. This uncertainty remains a big concern for the Disability Community.
What More?
But many other proposed cuts were NOT reversed and were approved last week when the Government pushed through the 2026 Budget. After a week in which Tim Houston was out of Province (at a Texas oil and gas conference) rather than meet with - and listen to the concerns of - ordinary Nova Scotians. This is not what I would call “good leadership” by the Premier.
This sort of arrogance prompted growing frustration amongst those who opposed the Budget. At one point, it even prompted a round of singing in the public gallery of the Legislature, as captured here.
The singing resulted in a short-term delay in passing the Budget bill, as Global News reported. It also resulted in the tightening of security at the Legislature and the closure of the Gallery to members of the public, which seemed an over-reaction to me.
Where to from here?
The budget cutbacks have already lead to the loss of jobs and laying off of staff in different agencies and departments. The implications of the cuts for arts, cultural and heritage organizations will become more apparent in the coming weeks as organizations revise their plans and budgets for the year. This will likely be a major blow to many tourist-based events and programs over the coming summer.
People in my community – those living on Income Assistance, many with disabilities and some with mental health challenges – remain greatly worried about the future. And how their access to important programs and services will be affected.
Surely there must be a better way to address budget challenges other than punishing those amongst us who are the poorest and most vulnerable?!
This is surely not the sort of message that the Government should be sending as we head into the Easter Weekend.
Reverse the
cuts!
Listen to
Nova Scotians!
Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance.
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