A Nova Scotia politician is making a pitch to hire people struggling on income assistance to help clean up the province's roads and highways.

Larry Harrison, the Progressive Conservative MLA for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley, said he's met with constituents who are desperate for work.

He believes there are jobs to be found cutting back brush or helping pick up trash along roadways.

"They told me they would do anything just to get a job," said Harrison, a former United Church minister.

"They know that the amount of money they get is not adequate to have a good lifestyle, and I think just earning a little bit of extra income would be great for them, and plus the fact it would help the province as well."

Win-win proposition

Harrison presented his proposal directly to bureaucrats during a meeting Tuesday of the legislature's community services committee.

Harrison sees it as a win-win proposition for the province and low-income residents.

"To me there must be a way of getting the two together so that that work can get done and these people are getting a little bit extra income in order to live the way we would like them to live," he said.

He said roads in the area need a cleanup.

"I know I would have no problem going out and cleaning up some of the roads that are out there because there are getting messy, more so than what they have in the past," he said.

Idea worth considering

Brandon Grant, executive director of Employment Support and Income Assistance, told Harrison it's an idea worth considering.

"Certainly there's always lots of opportunities in which we can explore, so we'll certainly take that under advisement," he said. "We'll certainly look at ways in which we can support our clients."