OTTAWA – People on Vancouver Island are finding it harder to afford groceries and rent as the cost of living rises. Vulnerable seniors have been particularly hard-hit since the LIberal government cut them off the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) they relied on forcing some to live out of their cars and do without vital supplies like medication. Earlier this week, the Liberal government finally agreed to provide a one-time payment in April with emergency funds available to those in dire financial circumstances as early as March. For almost six months, the NDP has been calling on the government to fix their mistake and have called the government's announcement a long overdue step to correct the harm that was done to seniors.
“It’s unthinkable that the Liberal government would put seniors in a such a difficult situation and take so long to fix their own mistake. Because of their actions, seniors in my riding were left without any way of paying for their groceries, rent and medication which took a major toll on their mental health,” said MP Gord Johns (Courtenay-Alberni). “New Democrats refused to back down while seniors suffered and thankfully the Liberals listened.”