In Legislature commentary, MLA Rice points to NDP's progress on Social priorities

MLA Rice relayed her thoughts on some of the NDP's social priorities
on Monday with a Legislature speech

Our government is choosing to invest in people. We are getting rid of mean-spirited policies that keep people trapped on social assistance and trapped in poverty -- North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice, speaking Monday on the NDP's social priorities 

North Coast MLA Jennifer Rice, hailed the work of the NDP Government on social issues on Monday, making a five and half  minute statement on a range of themes towards government programs towards addressing poverty across the province.

Speaking to the debate over the NDP's Economic and Inequality legislation, Ms. Rice started her speech with what has become somewhat of a regular approach.

That as the North Coast MLA revisited some of her previous comments towards the  Liberal government's of the past and where she believes they failed British Columbians by ignoring and underfunding programs.

The previous government chose to ignore the concerns of British Columbians and left people behind while giving tax cuts to their rich donor friends. Now, I have nothing against rich people, but I don't support giving them tax breaks while the rest of British Columbians struggle to put food on their table or to pay for their prescriptions.

 For years, we heard that the only way out of poverty was a job. Yet our economy has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, and we have the fastest-growing economy. There are still people living in poverty. Almost 40 percent of people living in poverty today are working, and many are working more than one job. They're working two and three jobs. The paycheque is coming in, but they're still not making ends meet.

 Years of underfunding programs that people rely on have led to having B.C. have the second-worst poverty rate in the country. But things are improving under this new government. This government is committed to making life more affordable for everyone in this province, not just those at the top.

Turning a bit more to the present, Ms. Rice explored some of the background to the BC Government's TogetherBC program and how she believes it addresses many of the issues of the past, including the creation of affordable housing stock across the province.

The latter something, which considering some long standing issues in Prince Rupert is perhaps an initiative that could be of some assistance for the community which she serves.

Our province is on a much better path today, a place where everyone counts. We have already taken action to rebuild our social programs, and people are seeing a difference. Over the last year, thousands of people have moved into new affordable homes and had their daycare costs reduced, their MSP premiums eliminated and their minimum wage, if they're on minimum wage, go up.

Ms. Rice also shared some stories of those who visit her constituency office and how the changes of the last few years have made a difference for them.

An elderly gentleman came into my office last year. He was so stressed because the government was not taking money out of his bank account. Now, how funny does that sound? 

He was so anxious, because normally his PharmaCare premiums that would come out of his account were not coming out. He actually had money in his bank account, and he was so worried that, one day, the government was going to claw that money back.

Now After taking some time to work out his personal situation, we discovered that he no longer had to pay PharmaCare premiums. 

He was ecstatic when he left my office. He was hugging my staff because he no longer had to pay. He no longer had to make the choices between prescriptions and food on his table.

Another woman in my office, Mary, was in a market rental. We sat down with her and we worked with her to realize that she qualified for the SAFER program. 

That's the Shelter Aid For Elderly Renters. She's now saving $200 a month — $200 a month that she can pay for food, pay for other expenses that she was going without.

The MLA also recounted some of the other government measures over the last two years, elimination of MSP premiums, changes in income tax brackets, introduction of the new top personal income tax bracket and details towards the BC Child opportunity benefit.

The full statement to the House can be reviewed below:

 
For more items of note from her work at the Legislature see our archive page here.