We have a huge health crisis, of which I'm sure you may be aware, here in New Brunswick. We have approximately 5,000 patients without family doctors on waiting lists here in Moncton. To provide service to people who are marginalized, who consume lots of time, who have complex needs, is very difficult. Addressing that health care component is important, to work with our medical association and different levels of government is important, in terms of that and in terms of training. The expertise is out there to manage, but everybody's restricted because of cutbacks at our provincial level. We've had cutbacks in mental health, and that has long waiting lists. It's a very slow process to get medical things seen. So looking at how to improve the ease at which people dealing with poverty get into the system is important.
As I mentioned, medication is a huge issue for us. If you're on social assistance, you can get a white card that will cover you. But if you're trying to find employment and improve your circumstances, you lose your white card or you have to go through a very complex formula of looking at your income and getting letters from your doctor and pharmacy showing exactly what you need. It is a complex system. Simplifying that or providing some type of drug plan for those who are working would be a huge gap that could be filled.
Also, someone has already mentioned looking after children. Trying to provide single mums with adequate day care so they can go out to work and go to school and help the whole family would be another big gap that could be filled.