Canada Without Poverty provides sound analysis of laws and policies that have an impact on people living in poverty across the country. We are a national organization and our work is normally focused at the national level.
But on the eve of the Ontario election, we need to speak up and break the relative silence on poverty issues that has dominated this provincial election.
While Andrea Horwath and Kathleen Wynne have made some limited commitments to expanding anti-poverty efforts in Ontario, the plight of those who are homeless, food insecure or living with inadequate incomes (approximately 1.1 – 1.5 million households) simply hasn’t played a prominent role in either of their campaigns. Only Kathleen Wynne’s platform explicitly mentions poverty reduction as a goal.
Kathleen Wynne has offered several proposals that could to assist Ontarians with the cost of living, such as indexing minimum wage, providing a post-secondary education rebate, and maintaining full-day kindergarten to assist with childcare costs. She has promised to continue to implement a poverty reduction strategy – which has had middling results to date.
Andrea Horwath doesn’t address poverty head-on. Her platform suggests that if elected she will close corporate tax loopholes, freeze post-secondary tuition, fund child care spaces, and provide dental benefits to children in low-income households.
Tim Hudak makes no commitments to addressing poverty in Ontario and worse yet, most analysis suggests his proposed “Million Jobs Plan” could increase poverty in Ontario. If elected he will implement a massive decrease to the tax base by giving corporations tax breaks amounting to $20 billion, increase tuition fees for post-secondary students, and undertake massive job cuts to the public service – jobs that often provide security and decent wages, particularly for women. Perhaps not surprising in light of the fact that he has voted AGAINST every proposal to raise the minimum wage in the last 19 years.
Tim Hudak’s proposed policies have come under particular attack by economists, political commentators, researchers, journalists and community organizations. He’s been accused of using arbitrary figures, of bad math, and of suggesting public services cuts worse than those by Mike Harris.
All of this suggests that Tim Hudak’s plans for Ontario could result in increased poverty across the province.
This election provides us with an opportunity to ask ourselves – what do we want for the province of Ontario? Whose welfare are we concerned with? And which party is best able to govern in a way that matches our vision of Ontario?
Thursday 12 June is your chance to SPEAK UP. Go and Vote. This is your chance: don’t miss it.
