Oswald promises to up rental assistance if picked to lead NDP

Theresa Oswald is promising to increase rental assistance to low-income Manitobans faster if she’s chosen to lead the provincial NDP.

The MLA and former jobs and economy minister is gunning for the top job in the province after current Premier Greg Selinger called a leadership race amid unrest in the party.

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• Premier Greg Selinger replaces 5 cabinet ministers in government revolt

Oswald said if voted in by the NDP membership, she would boost the housing benefit to 75 per cent of median market rent in her first budget.

Under the current plan, that would happen over the next three years. Oswald herself announced the current plan when she was still the economy minister.

On Tuesday, she said, “I changed my mind-ish.”

She made the announcement from an affordable housing complex in St. Vital and said upping the housing benefit was widely recommended by poverty experts and would go a long way to reducing child poverty.

“I’ve done exactly what I said I was going to do – implement in a phased way, consult with people and find the best way to go forward,” said Oswald. “Without a doubt, the best way to go forward, they’re telling me, is do it now.”

44,000 Manitoba children in poverty

A report released this fall from the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg found Manitoba’s child poverty rate was at 29 per cent – the highest among Canadian provinces and 10 per cent above the national rate.

In Manitoba, there are currently about 44,000 children living in poverty.

Winnipeg Harvest executive director David Northcott said he supports the plan but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to support one leadership candidate.

“There’s a wide matrix of issues. This is one trigger, and it’s a very important one, so we’re watching carefully,” said Northcott.

MLA Steve Ashton is also running for leader of the Manitoba NDP – and said he thinks his opponent’s idea is a good one.

“Bottom line, it’s a good idea. It’s a good idea to move on that and move more quickly,” said Ashton.

A page from the PCs?

The idea itself isn’t new.

Manitoba PC leader Brian Pallister had already called for the increase and reiterated that plan earlier this month when he said it would be one of his first steps if he was elected premier.

Oswald said she doesn’t feel she’s taking a page from the PCs with the move.

“I don’t like their playbook. It’s a half measure and it’s half-hearted,” she said, adding her plan is an enhanced promise because the benefit would extend to people who have transitioned out of welfare.

PC MLA Ian Wishart said something similar was in the works in his party, but it just hadn’t been announced yet.

“We had a long look at it and felt it was a very worthwhile thing, but we’re not ready to do that yet,” said Wishart. “That was one of the things that was discussed at the AGM, and we had a bit of a mandate to move forward, so we will be looking at that in the future.”

Oswald said she would have the increase implemented by October 2015. The accelerated time line would cost $22 million next year and $45 million in subsequent years.

The deadline to join the provincial NDP leadership race is Jan. 6 and voting is expected to happen in March during the NDP convention.