What has the Government Done So Far?
In December 2008, the Ontario government took three very important steps.
These steps are very significant because they acknowledge that poverty is not inevitable and that government can and should create policy to reduce poverty.
1) They have committed to a Poverty Reduction Strategy.
The government’s goal is to reduce child and family poverty by 25% by the year 2013. This sets an important policy context for reviewing and improving Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program.
2) They have enshrined poverty reduction in legislation.
Bill 152 was passed unanimously in the Ontario legislature. The legislation requires governments to enact a new poverty reduction strategy every five years, and sets key principles for guiding these strategies.
3) They have made a commitment to review social assistance.
The Social Assistance Review is a commitment made in the government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.
And on December 2, 2009, the government announced an advisory panel to provide recommendations to the Minister of Community and Social Services for how the review should proceed. The panel’s work has just begun.
We need a review that:
- makes sure the voices of low-income people are heard
- identifies and addresses the most punitive elements of the system right now
- re-imagines and creates a system for the longer-term that moves people out of poverty by offering meaningful and appropriate resources and programs
- starts soon – because people who rely on social assistance can’t wait.
Take Action to help convince the government that the next step on the path to poverty reduction in Ontario is a bold and broad Review!
Tell Your Story. It’s a powerful tool for advocacy.
Our Resources page is one source for ideas on how the system can be transformed.
