According to a recent University of Regina study, Saskatchewan’s child poverty rates continue to be the worst in the country and the Sask. Party’s callous cuts and unfair tax hikes are not helping to make anything better for these children in need.
“It’s unacceptable that a province as rich as ours, allows one out of every four children and half of all First Nations children in Saskatchewan to live in poverty," said NDP Social Services Critic Nicole Rancourt. “We’re at the critical point for these children. We need real action and investment in the future of our province.”
According to the report, since 2014, the percentage of children living in poverty has been hovering around 24 per cent. It also notes that around 50 per cent of First Nations children are living in poverty.
The numbers are reinforced by the fact that Saskatchewan also has the highest rate food bank use for children in the country.
“These aren’t just statistics. We’re talking about our children and it’s heartbreaking,” Rancourt said. “The Sask. Party had a decade of record revenues but, instead of investing in supporting our kids, they spent it all on their mismanagement, scandal, and waste. The wealthy and well-connected got their tax cuts but our province’s children are going hungry.”