Not a lot of money specifically for the north contained in the provincial budget.
So says Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa.
“There was very limited information, limited things I heard specifically for the north,” says Mamakwa, “There’s some wording in there for tourism and we welcome that, but it was asked for last year.”
He says one of the gaps still left is when it comes to things like long term care.
“People need access to long term care and elder care in their own communities. Right now if they need the care, they have to leave their First Nation community and that’s not fair.”
Mamakwa says the provincial government should give people hope in this time of COVID-19 but it doesn’t do that with a lack of funding for long term care beds in the region and cuts to various programs including education.
“You start looking at the numbers and the budget needs to give help and hope…when we talk about this budget it robs people of that hope.”
The Provincial Budget was released on Wednesday.
