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Open Letter to Premier McGuinty from the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction

Open Letter to Premier McGuinty from the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction

Budget Decisions on Social Assistance Call Commitment into Question

29 April 2010

Dear Premier McGuinty,

As organizations committed to the mission to reduce poverty, we write to express our serious concern about recent moves your government has taken on the poverty front.

More than a year into Ontario’s efforts to reduce poverty by 25% by 2013, your government has made the following moves that call into question your government’s commitment to meeting its own poverty reduction goals:

  1. Ending the Special Diet Allowance Program without a previous and clearly thought through replacement plan, which will result in a significant drop in income for people on social assistance who have health-related nutritional needs;
  2. Allowing, for the first time since 2006, social assistance rate increases to fall below the rate of inflation.

These actions are distressing, and – without adequate and commensurate resolution – threaten the health and safety of many struggling individuals in this province.

We keenly appreciate the fiscal constraints facing Ontario post-recession. We also acknowledge and have publicly celebrated the important positive steps taken in the 2010 budget. These include additional investment to improve enforcement of employment standards enforcement for precarious workers as well as your government’s commitment to permanently fund subsidized child care and invest in full-day early learning and child care. We were also very pleased to see the full-day early learning and child care legislation pass on April 27, and to see an additional $6 million in fee subsidies, growing to $51 million over five years.

These are key measures that support low-income families, but do little to directly support their health and well-being. We are deeply concerned about the actions you have taken that affect the most vulnerable people our society – those on social assistance.

By ending the special diet allowance, doctors, nurses, medical officers of health, labour organizations, activists, advocates, and many others warn that your government is putting the security, dignity, and even the lives of many sick Ontarians at risk. They cite the clearly demonstrated relationship between poverty, food insecurity, and poor health.

Others have raised concerns about what this decision says about your government’s commitment to strengthening Ontario’s human rights system, which was apparent in Bill 107, the Human Rights Code Amendment Act, in your first mandate.

Your own Social Assistance Review Advisory Council expressed disappointment with the decision to end the special diet allowance.

If an adequate replacement program to provide people with the finances required to support special dietary needs is not forthcoming, this decision will result in increased sickness, increased housing insecurity, and rising future health care costs.

The decision also underscores the critical need for your government to create a coherent plan to provide livable incomes to people on social assistance. This is because the incomes of people on Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program fall far short of what is needed cover the costs of housing, nutritious food and, for those with health issues, to be able afford special foods to stay healthy.

We feel strongly that your commitment to poverty reduction has reached a crossroads. Over the coming weeks you will have three opportunities to clearly demonstrate your determination to get the 25 in 5 poverty reduction commitment back on track.

  1. Affordable Housing Strategy: Since housing takes up such a large part of a low-income person’s budget, what your government does now to make housing more affordable will make a big difference. Your Long-Term Affordable Housing Strategy will lay out a plan this spring that requires immediate action. By bringing in affordable housing measures this spring, you could help poor Ontarians – including those on social assistance – lower their budgetary costs, and create jobs at a time when the province needs them.
  2. Social Assistance Review: Your Social Assistance Review Advisory Council will also make its recommendations this spring on the scope and direction of a comprehensive review for income security in Ontario, giving you an opportunity to fix a system that has long been broken and to align it with an agenda for poverty reduction and shared prosperity in Ontario.
  3. Nutrition Supplement: Finally, resolution to the loss of the special diet allowance has yet to be worked out. This highly disturbing development in your government’s policy program must be remedied. The 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction is currently working with its partner groups to provide recommendations to your government on the principles that must underlie the replacement program, which we will forward to you in the coming days. However, we feel strongly that your government must immediately address the broader issue of income insecurity that people on social assistance are forced to endure.

Entire nations are recovering from the worldwide economic meltdown of 2008. Recovery efforts can, and will, test the mettle of many governments. Your challenge is to not let today’s fear hamper the future of the poorest of the poor – they are relying on your humanity, your vision and your leadership.

As a network, we strive to ensure the voices of the voiceless are heard in the halls of power. We have been supportive of your promises to reduce poverty and the steps you have taken so far to realize these promises. Our most important commitment is to the poor of this province – as should be yours.

We request a meeting with the core Ministers responsible for carrying out your poverty reduction plan to discuss our hopes and concerns:

· The Hon. Laurel Broten, Minister Responsible for Poverty Reduction
· The Hon. Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services
· The Hon. Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
· The Hon. Jim Bradley, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Sincerely,

Michael Creek and Greg deGroot-Maggetti
Co-chairs, 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction

cc: Tim Hudak, MPP, Leader of the Official Opposition
Andrea Horwath, MPP, Leader of the New Democratic Party of Ontario

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25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction
c/o CSPC-T
2 Carlton St., Suite 1001 | Toronto, ON M5B 1J3
ph. 416-351-0095 x.214 | fx. 416-351-0107
info@25in5.ca