Thousands of Islanders and their children are living in a home that cannot afford the food they need, say MLA Gord McNeilly.
“In many homes, people are skipping meals, reducing food intake, or in some cases, people are going days without food. It is a serious public health problem and a failure of public policy,”
A recent release from Statistics Canada shows Prince Edward Island household food insecurity rates have risen to the highest rate in Canada at 23.6 per cent. Further, 35.1 per cent of Island children are living in these food insecure homes. The report cites inflation as a leading cause behind this problem as Prince Edward Island consistently experienced the highest rate of inflation in the country in 2022 at average of 8.9 per cent monthly.
“This means almost 1 of every 4 Islanders and 1 in 3 Island children are going hungry. Racial inequity is also glaring with the indigenous and black communities shown to have much higher rates of household food insecurity,” says McNeilly.
“It is unacceptable for PEI to have the highest food insecurity rate in the country. The King Government has not invested nearly enough on this issue and that is cause for concern. The provincial government needs to do a better job of ensuring Islanders and their children do not go hungry.”
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Media Contact
Robert Godfrey
Official Opposition Office
902-218-4572
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