End ‘legislated poverty,’ activists tell parties before election day

Just days before the provincial election, anti-poverty activists held a rally in Fredericton demanding an end to “legislated poverty,” and calling attention to issues including the ongoing affordable housing crisis.

David Gordon Koch – Local Journalism Initiative

The rally, organized by NB ACORN, the NB Common Front for Social Justice, and the NB Coalition of Persons with Disabilities, took place on Thursday, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

In a statement, NB ACORN said the government under Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs had ignored tenants and favored landlords. Other groups at the rally included the NB Common Front for Social Justice, the NB Coalition of Persons with Disabilities, and the NB Coalition for Pay Equity.

The protest came just as Statistics Canada released new figures showing that although growth in rental prices has slowed down, it’s still one of the main contributors to inflation nation-wide.

In New Brunswick, rent growth slowed significantly over the past year, but still grew by 10.1 per cent, exceeding the nation-wide average of 8.2 per cent.

The Liberals, Greens and NDP have all promised a residential rent cap – a policy that Higgs implemented temporarily in 2022. The government rejected calls for a permanent rent cap after letting that policy expire.

The Liberals have called for a three per cent rent cap, compared to the Greens’ 2.5 per cent and the NDP’s two per cent.

Green Party Leader David Coon has said he will introduce a permanent rent cap tied to the unit, not the tenant, so that landlords can’t jack up prices between tenants.

This week’s rally came as the Common Front issued the results of a questionnaire for the parties on topics such as the minimum wage, paid sick days, and social assistance rates.

Recent estimates from the Saint John-based Human Development Council state that a living wage exceeds $24 per hour in every major New Brunswick city, yet the current minimum wage stands at $15.30.

For example, the living wage is estimated at $24.07 per hour in Moncton. A living wage is generally defined as the amount needed to “enjoy a decent quality of life and avoid severe financial stress.”

The Liberal Party didn’t respond to the questionnaire but provided a letter to the Common Front restating their platform commitments, the group said, leaving them with questions about where Susan Holt’s party stands.

The Common Front gave its most favorable review to the Green Party, but said their promised increase to social assistance rates don’t go far enough.

The NDP – which has failed to hold a seat in the Legislature since 2015 – said some policy issues, such as employer-funded uniforms and better overtime pay, would have to be discussed internally.

The Tories didn’t respond at all to the Common Front questionnaire. That party also received a failing grade from the NB Coalition of Persons with Disabilities, which issued a report card this week on issues including health care, affordability, housing and employment.

NB ACORN has been campaigning for changes including an increase in support payments for people with disabilities to $2078 per month, from current rates that remain well below the poverty line.

The group recently held a rally in downtown Moncton in the pouring rain. That rally was attended by the Green Party’s Moncton south candidate, Vince Merola, who said the party supports the increased disability rates.

The NDP’s Rebecca Rogers was also in attendance, and expressed support for the change, but later dropped out of the race. In response to a query from the NB Media Co-op, the Liberal Party sent this statement, attributed to Susan Holt.

“My team and I have consulted with members of the disability community and strongly support their ‘nothing about us without us’ motto,” she said.

“A Holt government would not claw back any benefits and would reassess the program details once the federal increase takes effect in July. We agree that the programs must be reviewed to ensure that they are not perpetuating the cycle of poverty.”

The Conservative Party, which has campaigned largely on its record of fiscal austerity, didn’t respond to any queries from the NB Media Co-op during this election cycle. Election Day is Monday, Oct 21.

David Gordon Koch is a journalist with the NB Media Co-op. This reporting has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Stations and Users (CACTUS).