Wynne Government Talks About Justice But Delivers Poverty

Liberal MPPs will be going back to Queen’s Park on October 20 but, during the week before, they will be in their local communities and in their constituency offices. Doubtless they will be feeling quite smug after their election win and telling people about how committed to ‘fairness’ and ‘social justice’ they are.

Communities living in poverty know from bitter experience that the reality they face is very different:

• The minimum wage has been set at a level that leaves people in poverty
• Those on Ontario Works (OW) and ODSP are living on incomes that leave them unable to feed themselves and pay the rent
• The real value of social assistance payments has fallen by some 55% since 1994 and people have continued to get poorer during the years the Liberals have been in office
• The vital Community Start Up benefit that kept people housed has been taken away
• Many people on ODSP are now facing medical reviews that threaten to take away their income

The Raise the Rates Campaign, a coalition of poor people fighting back along with community and union allies, is not buying into Kathleen Wynne’s ‘social justice austerity’. We are demanding living wages, decent income, the reversing of cutbacks and adequate and secure ODSP benefits.

From October 13-17, we’ll be going to MPP’s and provincial offices throughout Ontario with our demands. The Wynne Government is going to have to understand that people in poverty are ready to fight back.

For updates visit raisetherates.ca or like Raise the Rates on facebook

Download the Raise the Rates Week of Action Poster here: Week of Action 2014

If you want to be part of an action in your community during October or want to help build one, email raisetheratescampaign@gmail.com, call OCAP at 416 925 6939