P.E.I. Greens question whether social assistance shelter rate increases are enough

Charlottetown-Parkdale MLA Hannah Bell is questioning whether the increase to social assistance shelter rates will be enough support for those who need it.

Earlier this month, the province announced increases to social assistance rates as part of itsfive-year poverty reduction action plan. It included a 10per cent increase in social assistance food ratesand a six per cent increase in social assistance shelter rates.

In Thursday's sitting of the legislature, Bell saidincreases to the shelter rateswork out to 1.25 per cent a yearand questioned whether that was enough.

"Islanders on social assistance are not getting ahead. They're merely not falling behind as quickly," Bell said.

Five year plan

She added that shelter rates are still hundreds of dollars short for what Islanders have to pay for housing.

"The goal in the poverty reduction plan is simply not enough," Bell said, asking what the province's timeline wasfor increasing shelter rates to the point of covering the full cost of housing.

Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundydefended the action plan, saying the province is currently doing its part to help Islanders.

"This is a five year plan and we are not going to do everything overnight," Mundy said.

'Glaring deficits'

Bell pursued the questioning and said that clothing, household andpersonal item allowances haven't increased in a decade according to the auditor general's latest report.

"There isno mention of these in the government's poverty reduction's 66 action items. Question to the minister, why does your poverty reduction plan not address these glaring deficits?"

Mundyanswered that the province was in fact in its fifth year of increasing food allowancesand working on other subsidies to help low-income Islanders.

"This member comes into the House and misleads Islanders. That is not a fact," Mundy said.

"She focuses on one area and often times doesn't even get that right."

Point of order raised

A government spokesperson later clarifiedthat the six per cent increase in social assistanceshelter rates will be happening this December, butthere could be further increases over the next five years.At this point, the province has not announced additional increases.

Bell later raised a point of order, defending her research and the facts in her questions. She requested Mundy withdraw her earlier remarks.

Mundy said she stood by her statement that Bell was misleading Islanders. Moments later, Mundy stood up again to withdraw her statement but asserted that Bell's facts were incorrect.

Speaker Buck Watts said he would review Bell's point of order and report back.

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