Nelson/Creston MLA pleased Liberals ending child support claw back
By Nelson Daily Staff
Groups are lining up to offer criticism of the 2015 BC Budget brought down Tuesday by Minister of Finance Michael de Jong at the Legislature in Victoria.
From the BC School Trustees Association to the BC Federation of Labour to the BC Nurses Union, organizations lined up to voice displeasure with the Liberal budget.
However, Nelson/Creston opposition MLA Michelle Mungall, while not totally on board with the budget, did find something positive for families throughout BC, after the Liberal government announced that they would be ending the child support claw back as part of the 2015 budget.
“If it wasn’t for families stepping forward to share their struggles publicly, the Liberals would have continued taking child support money that rightfully belonged to kids,” said Mungall.
“Ending this harmful policy is an important step towards reducing child poverty across the province.”
Starting September 1 the government has committed to stop the practice of clawing back child support payments from over 6000 of BC’s poorest kids whose parents receive social assistance or disability support payments.
Mungall, the Opposition Spokesperson for Social Development, has been working with families and advocates for the past year calling on the Liberals to end the claw back.
“This was a hard fought battle,” said Mungall.
“This policy should have never existed in the first place, and it has taken a small group of committed citizens to end it.”
Mungall said the end of the claw back was the bright spot in a budget that saw a $230 million tax cut to the richest two percent while offering more fee increases and reduced services for everyone else.
