For Immediate Release
August 28, 2024
NL NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) says the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) report on the 2024 Living Wage for Newfoundland and Labrador reveals the struggle people are experiencing and shows the absolute necessity of the Liberal government to take meaningful action on poverty.
The report, released today by the CCPA, highlights the realities faced by Atlantic Canadians when it comes to the cost of living and calls for a higher living wage in the province. The continued reliance on food banks highlights the need to ensure people have a living wage.
“The recommendations from the CCPA supports the solutions the NL NDP has been advocating for,” said Dinn. “From focusing on workers rights, raising the minimum wage to $20, building more non-profit and community housing, increasing the thresholds for social services to catch more low-income families, making post-secondary education more accessible and affordable, stopping the privatization of our health care system, and more.
“Until we address the gaps in our social services, we will never be able to lift people out of poverty and we will continue to pay for it as a province.”
In 2021, the CCPA tabulated the cost of poverty in this province to be an astounding $955 million per year. The greatest costs were in health care, justice, lost economic growth, and forgone tax revenue.
“A liveable minimum wage and a guaranteed basic income would be a good step towards eradicating poverty in this province. It takes political will and this Liberal government doesn’t seem to have what it takes.”
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For further information, contact Stephanie Curran, Media and Communications Officer, NDP Caucus at 330-0328 (o), or stephaniecurran@gov.nl.ca
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