QUEEN’S PARK — Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to reports from the Daily Bread Food Bank showing the highest-ever recorded client use in March.
“All across the province, people are in crisis mode.
The cost of everything including food, shelter and transportation is still increasing at an alarming rate.
And yet, Ontarians on ODSP are still being forced to survive on $1,228 per month, or $14,736 per year.
This government is legislating poverty. It’s cruel and it must not continue.
And their most recent head-in-the-sand budget failed to provide any measures to end this injustice or to make life more affordable for everyday Ontarians.
Instead, this government is squirrelling away billions of dollars in rainy-day contingency funds when there’s an emergency in front of us right now.
Poverty costs Ontario $33 billion per year. Ending legislated poverty is both the right thing to do and the fiscally responsible thing to do.
The Premier must listen to experts across the province who are sounding the alarm by immediately doubling ODSP rates and tying all future increases to inflation.”