Poverty in Ontario would grow under Hudak, activists predict
A Progressive Conservative government under Tim Hudak would be a step backwards for poverty reduction in Ontario, according to a non-partisan analysis of party platforms for the June 12 election released Tuesday.
“All three parties made a commitment: they voted for the Poverty Reduction Act in 2009,” said Greg deGroot-Maggetti of the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction, a provincial coalition dedicated to ensuring all political parties uphold the province’s landmark anti-poverty legislation.
“So there’s a commitment and requirement in law that whoever forms the next government has to introduce the next poverty reduction strategy,” said deGroot-Maggetti, program co-ordinator for the Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario. “We felt it was important to remind the parties of this obligation and let voters know where the parties stand.”
Star’s election coverage:
Letters to the three major parties asked for commitments to improve anti-poverty measures in eight broad areas, including the Ontario Child Benefit, the minimum wage, affordable housing, child care, health and dental benefits and social assistance reform. The coalition also analyzed each party’s platform.
Both the Liberals under Kathleen Wynne and New Democrats under Andrea Horwath provided detailed responses outlining how they would expand anti-poverty efforts, with the Liberals committed to introducing the next five-year strategy within 60 days of returning to Queen’s Park.
The Tories did not respond to the questionnaire and instead referred the coalition to its party platform and budget background document, which made no mention of the anti-poverty legislation or the need to submit a new plan.
Ontario’s 2008 plan committed the province to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent within five years. It is not clear if the Liberal government met this goal, due to a lag in data reporting. However, the child benefit and minimum wage increases helped pull more than 40,000 children out of poverty by 2011.
Other alarming Tory platform promises include the party’s plan to freeze the child benefit to save $583 million by 2017-18, cuts to full day kindergarten and a social assistance program “review” to save $1.5 million, the coalition said.
“Some of the policy measures they would bring in would actually move us backwards … which causes great concern,” said deGroot-Maggetti.
By contrast, the Liberals and NDP would raise the maximum child benefit to $1,310 per child per year starting this July and increase social assistance rates by 1 per cent. The Liberals would further boost rates for singles on Ontario Works to ensure their increase amounts to an extra $30 per month.
The Liberals and NDP have both committed themselves to expanding dental benefits to children in low-income working families. The Liberals have further promised to extend prescription drug benefits, vision care and mental health services to these children and to develop a similar plan for low-income working adults.
The NDP is the only party that has promised to stop the spread of for-profit child care. It has also committed itself to raising the $11 minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2016. The Liberals would tie future increases to inflation only.
“Poverty reduction is key to a fair and prosperous Ontario,” said Anita Khanna of Ontario Campaign 2000, another member of the coalition. “It should be a priority for everyone.”
A Progressive Conservative government under Tim Hudak would be a step backwards for poverty reduction in Ontario, according to a non-partisan analysis of party platforms for the June 12 election released Tuesday.
“All three parties made a commitment: they voted for the Poverty Reduction Act in 2009,” said Greg deGroot-Maggetti of the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction, a provincial coalition dedicated to ensuring all political parties uphold the province’s landmark anti-poverty legislation.
“So there’s a commitment and requirement in law that whoever forms the next government has to introduce the next poverty reduction strategy,” said deGroot-Maggetti, program co-ordinator for the Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario. “We felt it was important to remind the parties of this obligation and let voters know where the parties stand.”
Star’s election coverage:
Letters to the three major parties asked for commitments to improve anti-poverty measures in eight broad areas, including the Ontario Child Benefit, the minimum wage, affordable housing, child care, health and dental benefits and social assistance reform. The coalition also analyzed each party’s platform.
Both the Liberals under Kathleen Wynne and New Democrats under Andrea Horwath provided detailed responses outlining how they would expand anti-poverty efforts, with the Liberals committed to introducing the next five-year strategy within 60 days of returning to Queen’s Park.
The Tories did not respond to the questionnaire and instead referred the coalition to its party platform and budget background document, which made no mention of the anti-poverty legislation or the need to submit a new plan.
Ontario’s 2008 plan committed the province to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent within five years. It is not clear if the Liberal government met this goal, due to a lag in data reporting. However, the child benefit and minimum wage increases helped pull more than 40,000 children out of poverty by 2011.
Other alarming Tory platform promises include the party’s plan to freeze the child benefit to save $583 million by 2017-18, cuts to full day kindergarten and a social assistance program “review” to save $1.5 million, the coalition said.
“Some of the policy measures they would bring in would actually move us backwards … which causes great concern,” said deGroot-Maggetti.
By contrast, the Liberals and NDP would raise the maximum child benefit to $1,310 per child per year starting this July and increase social assistance rates by 1 per cent. The Liberals would further boost rates for singles on Ontario Works to ensure their increase amounts to an extra $30 per month.
The Liberals and NDP have both committed themselves to expanding dental benefits to children in low-income working families. The Liberals have further promised to extend prescription drug benefits, vision care and mental health services to these children and to develop a similar plan for low-income working adults.
The NDP is the only party that has promised to stop the spread of for-profit child care. It has also committed itself to raising the $11 minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2016. The Liberals would tie future increases to inflation only.
“Poverty reduction is key to a fair and prosperous Ontario,” said Anita Khanna of Ontario Campaign 2000, another member of the coalition. “It should be a priority for everyone.”
