THOUSANDS OF CITIZENS STILL HUNGRY IN N.B.

Published Monday November 26th, 2007 - Miramichi Leader

The Canadian Association of Food Banks has released its Hunger Count 2007 report. It indicates that hunger remains a problem for too many citizens in New Brunswick.During March 2006, over 16,000 New Brunswickers visited a food bank to help them in their daily survival.Of those citizens, an appalling 33 per cent were children, meaning the problem of poverty risks being transferred from one generation to the other. As a province, we must stop that process if we want to reach self sufficiency as the Shawn Graham government is promoting.Citizens from this province have to understand that social conditions are also the cause of poverty, which are not always the sole responsibility of individual citizens.For instance, in New Brunswick:
* the minimum wage is one of the lowest of all Canadian provinces ($7.50 an hour);
* more than 40,000 persons are getting welfare allowances;
* the New Brunswick welfare allowances are the lowest of all four Atlantic provinces;
* a person living alone receives a $521 monthly allowance.
We are seeing an increase in the number of poor workers and seniors going to food banks or soup kitchens to get the food they need to survive. With the decision to build a casino in the province, we will have to get ready to see an increase in despair for many citizens and their use of food services to get by. It is time for this government to adopt a policy to reduce poverty and not to increase it.The Common Front for Social Justice calls on the New Brunswick government to follow Newfoundland and Labrador's 2006 strategy to eradicate poverty in that province.The measures implemented are improving the overall living conditions of its poor citizens.They include an increase of the minimum wage to $8 an hour in April 2008, important investments in affordable housing, the improvement of childcare services, the increase of the number of young people graduating from High School and the increase of literacy programs for adults.The front is asking the New Brunswick Government to adopt a poverty reduction strategy. Before implementation, a consultation of welfare beneficiaries, workers paid minimum wages and business must be consulted. Shawn Graham must lead those consultations.The front is fighting to build a more human New Brunswick society based on the respect and the dignity of everyone.
Visit our web site at :
www.frontnb.ca/en/Home_en.htm
Linda McCaustlin
Co-chair the Common Front for Social Justice