Politicians poke holes in possible welfare plan

Mayor Lori Ackerman says Fort St. John is already coping with a housing shortage and strained social programs, while Fort Nelson Mayor Bill Streeper says there's a zero vacancy rate in his community.

Add to this more concerns being voiced now by NDP Social Development critic Carole James.

She says the program wouldn't address, the underlying issues, that lead some people into social assistance in the first place, such as addiction and mental illness.

Finance Minister Kevin Falcon unveiled the idea for the program, earlier this week, saying the government would help welfare recipients with training, travel and accommodation to place them in jobs in the north.