Opposition Leader Tony Wakeham is raising further concerns about the level of food bank usage among our province’s seniors. Wakeham was reacting to a CBC article this morning that noted Newfoundland & Labrador has the highest percentage of food bank usage among seniors in the country. The same report, HungerCount also noted that our province leads the country in the rate of food bank usage among people aged 45-64.

“A third of our seniors cannot afford the basics of life. Let that sink in. Seniors who have given their lives to our province, have supported their families, have been leaders through their life are now forced below the poverty line,” he said. “This is an appalling indictment on the failure of the Liberals to support our seniors in their golden years. The cost of living has exploded, fuelled by the Liberals carbon tax and sugar tax.  It is astonishing the Liberals continue to defend these regressive taxes.”

Wakeham noted the NL Seniors Advocate delivered a scathing report in mid-November on the provinces failure to help lift seniors out of poverty, noting many cannot afford to eat, cannot afford medication or basic necessities.