CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

Speech by David Coon, Leader, Green Party of New Brunswick
Event: Launch of Green Party Poverty plank, August 31, 2018

GREEN PARTY POVERTY PLANK SPEECH
AUGUST 31 – FREDERICTON YORK

OUR PROVINCE WILL NEVER MOVE FORWARD UNTIL WE OVERCOME THE POVERTY THAT WEIGHS SO MANY NEW BRUNSWICKER DOWN.

AS NELSON MANDELA SAID, OVERCOMING POVERTY IS NOT A GESTURE OF CHARITY. IT IS THE PROTECTION OF A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT, THE RIGHT TO DIGNITY AND A DECENT LIFE.

NEW BRUNSWICK CANNOT THRIVE IF OUR NEIGHBOURS ARE LIVING IN POVERTY – AND 100,000 OF OUR NEIGHBOURS LIVE IN POVERTY.

UN TIERS DE CEUX QUI VIVENT EN DESSOUS DU SEUIL DE PAUVRETÉ SONT INCAPABLES DE TRAVAILLER ET REÇOIVENT L’AIDE SOCIALE À DES TAUX QUI SONT PUNITIFS. DEUX TIERS OCCUPENT DES EMPLOIS QUI NE SONT PAS SUFFISAMMENT RÉMUNÉRÉS POUR SUFFIRE À LEURS BESOINS DE BASE.

A GREEN GOVERNMENT’S GOAL WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS ENOUGH INCOME TO ALLOW THEM TO MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS. WITHIN TEN YEARS, EVERY NEW BRUNSWICKER SHOULD BE LIVING ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE.

T0 ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, A GREEN GOVERNMENT WOULD INSTITUTE A BASIC INCOME GUARANTEE. AT ITS SIMPLEST POVERTY IS A LACK OF INCOME TO MEET THE ESSENTIAL NEEDS FOR LIVING. A BASIC INCOME GUARANTEE WILL PROVIDE THAT INCOME.

WE WILL PILOT A BASIC INCOME GUARANTEE PROGRAM IN THREE REGIONS FOR THREE YEARS WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF IMPLEMENTING IT ACROSS THE PROVINCE.

JUSTE COMME LA SASKATCHEWAN A ÉTÉ LA PIONNIÈRE DU RÉGIME D’ASSURANCE MALADIE DONT NOUS PROFITONS TOUS, LE NOUVEAU-BRUNSWICK VA S’EN INSPIRER POUR LA GARANTIE DU REVENU DE BASE POUR L’ENSEMBLE DU CANADA.

IN THE SHORT-TERM, TO MEET IMMEDIATE NEEDS, WE WILL RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE BY $1.00 PER YEAR TO $15.25 PER HOUR (FROM $11.25/HR), AND THEN INDEX IT TO INFLATION, SO WORKING PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TO USE FOOD BANKS TO MAKE ENDS MEET. AND WE WILL APPLY THE PAY EQUITY ACT TO PRIVATE WORKPLACES.

WE WILL IMMEDIATELY INCREASE SOCIAL ASSISTANCE RATES FOR INDIVIDUALS BY 13% FOR SINGLE PEOPLE AND 5% FOR OTHER RECIPIENTS, AND THEN INDEX THE RATES TO INFLATION.

A GREEN GOVERNMENT WILL ELIMINATE THE PUNITIVE RULES THAT PREVENT PEOPLE ON SOCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM GETTING AHEAD, SUCH AS THE PROHIBITION ON SHARING ACCOMMODATION, THE CLAW-BACKS OF CHILD SUPPORT AND PENSIONS, AND THE EXTREME CRITERIA USED TO DETERMINE DISABILITY.

WE WILL ELIMINATE THE ANNUAL PREMIUMS FOR THE NEW BRUNSWICK DRUG PLAN FOR INDIVIDUALS EARNING LESS THAN $25,000 AND FAMILIES OF FOUR MAKING LESS THAN $40,000

UNE ADMINISTRATION VERTE VA AMÉLIORER L’ACCÈS À DES LOGEMENTS SÉCURITAIRES ABORDABLES EN METTANT EN ŒUVRE DES STRATÉGIES DU LOGEMENT PRIORITAIRE À FREDERICTON, MONCTON, ET SAINT-JEAN, ET OFFRIRA DAVANTAGE DE SUPPLÉMENTS AU LOYER AUX PERSONNES PLUTÔT QU’AUX LOCATEURS.

EXPAND THE SCOPE AND BUDGET OF LEGAL AID SERVICES TO BE COMPARABLE WITH WHAT IS OFFERED IN NOVA SCOTIA.

WE WILL REDUCE THE PAPERWORK REQUIRED TO ACCESS PUBLIC SERVICES THROUGH THE DEPARTMENTS OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND LABOUR.

AS MOBILITY IS ONE OF THE MAIN BARRIERS TO GAINING AND KEEPING EMPLOYMENT, ACCESSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND PARTICIPATING IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS, A GREEN GOVERNMENT WILL TREAT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AS A PUBLIC SERVICE TO BE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE THROUGHOUT THE PROVINCE.

AS SOCIAL ENTERPRISES THAT PROVIDE DIRECT SUPPORT TO PEOPLE IN POVERTY HAVE PROVEN THEIR CAPACITY TO HELP PEOPLE ATTACH TO THE WORKFORCE, WE WILL INCREASE FUNDING TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT INITIATE THEM.

WE MUST REMOVE THE YOKE OF POVERTY FROM NEW BRUNSWICK. OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT. A BASIC INCOME GUARANTEE AND THE OTHER MEASURES IN OUR PLATFORM WILL DO SO.

THANK YOU / MERCI BEAUCOUP

*NOTE: Statistics Canada’s 2015 Market Basket Measure of New Brunswick’s poverty line ranges from $18K-$20K for singles, $25K-27K for a family of 2, $30K-$34K for a family of 3 and $35K-$39K for a family of four, depending on location.