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<body lang="EN-CA" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div>Sent from my phone</div><hr/><div><b>From: </b> Social Assistance Review <socialassistancerevi@ontario.ca>
</div><div><b>Date: </b>Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:18:00 +0000</div><div><b>Subject: </b>Release of the Commission for the Review of Social Assistance
Report - Brighter Prospects: Transforming Social Assistance in Ontario</div><div><br/></div>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">We are pleased to release our final report to the
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Ontario</st1:State></st1:place> government,
<b><i><span style="font-weight:bold;font-style:italic">Brighter Prospects: Transforming Social Assistance in Ontario</span></i></b>. The report is available on our website at
<a href="http://www.socialassistancereview.ca/">www.socialassistancereview.ca</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">This report is the culmination of a 22-month review of the social assistance system conducted as part of the Province’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. The 108 recommendations in the report, together,
chart a new course towards a simpler, more effective and accountable system that helps more people into jobs and out of poverty.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">The transformation we describe in this report will take time, and will demand many changes, including improved employment services and related supports for all recipients, a better benefit structure,
and mechanisms to drive change and ensure accountability. It will also require taking action to address policies outside the social assistance system that impede progress toward achieving stable incomes and more sustainable employment for social assistance
recipients.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">We have been honoured to lead this review. Over the past year and a half, we have had the privilege of visiting communities across
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Ontario</st1:State></st1:place> and hearing from people with diverse perspectives on social assistance. We were grateful for the insights of participants and the thoughtfulness of the responses to both of our discussion
papers.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Thank you to everyone who contributed to our work, and for your commitment to improving social assistance in
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Ontario</st1:State></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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normal">
<font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Frances</span></font></st1:country-region></st1:place><font size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> Lankin
Munir A. Sheikh<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%">Commissioner Commissioner</span></font><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:Arial"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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