News Release
Office of the Official Opposition

Time for immediate action on poverty reduction
December 6, 2006

Opposition Critic for Human Resources, Labour and Employment and MHA for the District of Port de Grave, Roland Butler, says it is time government address the fact that Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest per capita use of food banks in the country, with demands for such services having increased in the last two years, particularly by the working poor.

"I don=t think the information in the annual HungerCount Report prepared by the Canadian Association of Food Banks can be passed off with empty offerings by this government,@ says Butler. APeople are seriously struggling and even those families with double income earners are finding it difficult to make ends meet. The very real problem of hunger  is not lessening, but is in fact increasing in our province. Government needs to put in place concrete solutions, rather than relying on public relations exercises to avoid the real support that is needed.  Something more than long-term promises are required here." 

In the House of Assembly, the Liberal MHA asked a series of questions to highlight hunger in this province.  Butler also called on the minister to deal with this issue as quickly as government responded to an unsolicited proposal  received from the premier=s friends and former business associates. "The harsh reality  is that people are in need and children are hungry, but they are not seen as a high priority by the Williams= government. I am certain that all are concerned about this issue, but unless they weigh in with more than elusive future commitments, food insecurity in this province will remain a significant social issue. 

In his questions in the Legislature,  the Liberal MHA also raised the issue of the premier=s extravagant and excessive spending at last summer premiers= conference, where hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent to wine, dine, entertain and give gifts to the premiers and territorial leaders.@I genuinely asked if government would make a contribution to the food banks to match the amounts that were spent at the conference, but they were non-committal to this real initiative. 

AI  remind  government that people accessing food banks need something more concrete like electricity rebates, the lowering of vehicle permit fees, the reduction of HST on fuel and the elimination of interest on student debt . Make the solutions real premier - as real as $8,000 worth of fur coats for a retiring premier and his wife - and only then will we see real progress on this sad, silent tragedy being allowed within our communities.@

Media Contact:
Kim Ploughman
Caucus Communications
Office of the Official Opposition
709-729-6427