Please Urge Ontario Political Leaders to Keep Their Promise to End Poverty in Ontario by Taking Decisive Action

Poverty Free Ontario's image
Poverty Free Ontario’s image

This video presents “Ontario Coalition Against Poverty Protests” in Ontario, Canada:

  • 30 000 protesters gathered to protest liberal policies at a rally organized by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
  • Jannen Belbeck reports”

In the following letter, both Poverty Free Ontario and Put Food in the Budget is asking for our help:

  • to urge our political leaders to keep their word to address poverty:
    • In 2009, all three Ontario political parties voted for legislation to reduce poverty

  • now that the Ontario Budget has been set for May 2, 2013, we have only a few more days to make our voices heard:
    • Please send a letter to your MPP with copies to the Premier Kathleen Wynne and Opposition Leaders Tim Hudak, and Andrea Horwath  via the following link urging Ontario Budget as the 2013 Ontario provincial budget negotiation process unfolds:

Dear Friend,

Inequality is taking a deeper hold in Ontario, despite a promise by our political leaders to address poverty.

I am writing to invite you to urge our political leaders to keep their word.

The minimum wage, social assistance rates, and other measures intended to lift Ontarians out of poverty have all fallen farther and farther behind. Despite growing wealth in our Province, it is harder than it was five years ago, ten years ago, even twenty years ago for the poorest residents of our province to pay the rent, keep food on the table, and afford even the most basic necessities.

In 2009, all three Ontario political parties voted for legislation to reduce poverty – but things are getting worse. The minimum wage has been frozen for the last three years, eroded by inflation. Social assistance has not kept pace with the cost of living. Today, a single person on welfare receives $606 a month – nowhere near enough to pay the rent and put food on the table.

Right now, there is a window of opportunity to turn that around. At Queen’s Park, all three parties are negotiating what should be in the 2013 Ontario budget – being released in April. This is our chance to tell Kathleen Wynne, Tim Hudak, and Andrea Horwath to live up to their commitment to begin to end poverty in Ontario by taking decisive action.

Poverty is tearing at the very fabric of our province, undermining the quality of life for all.

You can make a difference. Please act right now.

Please take action now

Yours sincerely,

Peter Clutterbuck
Poverty Free Ontario

Put Food in the Budget
955 Queen Street East
Toronto, ON M4M 3P3

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