HALIFAX: The first budget from the Houston Conservatives does very little to address the growing cost of living crisis in the province. There was no relief for families who are struggling with the high cost of food, gas, housing and electricity, and social assistance rates have been frozen.
“It’s only been a few months since the election, but today’s budget shows us just how out of touch Tim Houston has become with the struggles people are facing to make ends meet,” said NDP Leader Gary Burrill.
“It is simply alarming that there is nothing to help families deal with the rising cost of the necessities of life.”
The budget includes some major new investments in health care, including implementing an NDP proposal to provide 4.1 hours of direct care for each resident of long-term care facilities.
Unfortunately, the budget includes very little action on mental health.
“Tim Houston promised that there would be universal access to mental health care, but today’s budget breaks that promise. We see no action on access to same-day/next-day mental health,” said Lisa Lachance, NDP Mental Health and Addictions spokesperson.
The NDP is also disappointed with the lack of action on building new non-market housing and the lack of urgently needed environmental initiatives in the budget.
