Nova Scotia MLAs handed $290K to hire summer students
Money comes from same government department that announced layoffs last week
The government department that cannot afford to keep visitor information centres open in Digby and Pictou, has handed provincial politicians $290,000 so the 51 MLAs can hire themselves summer students.
An all party committee endorsed the idea at a meeting on Tuesday morning.
Michel Samson, the government House leader, told committee members that the Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism had the money because of "slippage" from the last budget year.
He said officials have told him the department has enough money earmarked for summer jobs to handle all of last year's requests, plus new ones this year.
Last week, the Department of Economic and Rural Development and Tourism announced it was laying off 20 seasonal staffers who work at visitor information centres in Digby and Pictou to save about $450,000.
The province said so many people are getting their information online that the centres don't get the traffic they need to justify keeping them open — an announcement that upset the mayors of the two towns.
Samson told the committee the money coming to them will allow all 51 MLAs in the legislature to hire one student for 14 weeks. The minister said the transfer of funds will allow a level playing field among politicians.
"I know that some MLAs, including myself, have hired summer students in the past but it certainly has been at a significant impact to our budgets," said Samson.
Not everyone on board
Chris d'Entremont, the Progressive Conservative House leader, is worried he will be taking money away from other worthwhile organizations in his region that also want to hire a student.
"I think there's going to be a lot of us opting out of it because it's going to be way too messy," said d'Entremont.
Samson offered this reassurance.
"It is our intent that everyone who asked last year and those new ones this year will be able to be accommodated under existing funds," he said.
Samson is also brushing aside another of d'Entremont's concerns — that MLAs will use the money to hire young political supporters or family of friends.
"These are going to be in my mind, helping out some friends or helping out a friend's kid get a summer job. And I don't think it should be used for that," d'Entremont said.
Samson stands behind the program.
"This is a great initiative within existing budget envelopes. Not putting any added pressure on taxpayers but providing students with a great experience."