NDP's Gretzky addresses poverty in Windsor at legislature

QUEEN'S PARK --NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky, who is also her party's critic for Community and Social Services, delivered the following statement in the legislature on Thursday as a result of growing concern that cuts to income assistance and anti-poverty efforts are going to impact Windsor as a community, and those already-struggling with poverty:

"In Windsor, one in four children live below the poverty line. Our Downtown Mission now serves an average of 726 meals per day, and 1,100 working poor people are forced to use their food bank every month.

I know that Windsor is not the only municipality in Ontario that is struggling with these issues.

And yet, just three months into their mandate, Premier Ford and his Conservative government have consistently attacked those most in need.

One of their first moves was to slash social assistance rate increases by 50 per cent. They’re going to eliminate the minimum wage increase. And they cancelled the Basic Income Pilot, without a shred of evidence to support this decision.

In fact, the evidence we do have shows that these programs are crucial to lifting people out of poverty.

In a letter to Minister Lisa MacLeod, regarding the Pilot Project, the Windsor-Essex County Board of Health stated: 'We strongly urge your government to reconsider this decision. Our position is based on extensive evidence that income instability reduces opportunities for health, social, and economic prosperity.'

This Conservative government’s priorities are completely backward. Even Ron Dunn, Executive Director of the Downtown Mission said to me, 'our premier should be embarrassed that buck a beer was a priority while our most vulnerable citizens are not cared for.'

I agree with Ron – and I will do everything in my power to ensure that this government is continually reminded that they have an obligation to actually help every person in this province, especially those living in poverty."