NDP criticized for singling out Nova Scotia billionaire in wealth-gap critique
HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s NDP is being criticized for singling out one of the province’s wealthiest businessmen and philanthropists, as it condemned the Liberal government on income inequality.
The New Democrats noted Tuesday that the net worth of Kenneth Rowe, executive chairman of IMP Group International Inc., increased by $270 million last year, which is $25-million more than total social assistance payments in Nova Scotia.
“I think most Nova Scotians would agree that it is unacceptable that 13,000 children visit food banks in our province, while a small group at the top prosper to such extremes,” NDP Leader Gary Burrill said in a statement, adding that Premier Stephen McNeil “seems uninterested” in addressing the wealth gap.
The NDP attributed its data on Rowe’s wealth to the Forbes list of the 100 richest Canadians, although it later clarified the source as Canadian Business magazine.