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<H3 id=article_date class=main_h3>October 25, 2014 Canadian Charger</H3>
<H1 id=article_title class=main_h1>Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne a social
justice premier?</H1></DIV>
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<DIV id=article_bio><IMG
src="http://www.thecanadiancharger.com/cms/contributors/images/5/RA-new.jpg"
width=75 height=75>
<H2 id=article_author class=main_h2>Reuel S. Amdur</H2><A id=more_author
href="http://www.thecanadiancharger.com/page.php?cid=5&id=5">More by this
author...</A> </DIV></DIV>
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<P>In her post-election publicity, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne promised,
among other things, "better support" for those on social assistance. "We will
increase Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program rates. . . by one
per cent in 2014-15. We will also increase benefits for single Ontario Works
clients without children, giving them a total benefit increase of $30 per month
in 2014, for a total increase over two years of $50."</P></DIV>
<DIV id=article_text>
<P><STRONG></STRONG>There are observations to be made about this
announcement. </P>
<P>To begin, Mike Harris, whose tenure as premier preceded the Liberal reign,
cut Ontario Works rates by 21.6%. The Liberal governments have refused to
put the money back in the pockets of recipients. Wynne wants to be seen as
a social justice premier, but the Ontario Liberal Party behavior in the area of
social assistance has been poor at best. </P>
<P>In fact, the additional amounts given to Ontario Works beneficiaries to
adjust for increased cost of living have lagged behind the actual increase in
cost of living. As a result, Ontario Works recipients today are
financially worse off under Wynne than they were under Harris. Some social
justice premier.</P>
<P>Then there is the matter of the one per cent increase for those on Ontario
Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).</P>
<P>Increasing both by a percentage means a constantly increasing dollar gap
between the two. While this gap may have popular appeal, it is simply
unjustifiable. Needs for food, shelter, and other necessities are the same
for people in both programs. Special needs for diabetics and others are
also available for recipients of both programs. </P>
<P>To make the case even more unjustifiable, the social assistance system is
quite simply incapable of determining who is and who is not disabled.
Anyone who has ever worked in the system can attest to that fact. The
Ontario Works rolls are honeycombed with people incapable of working.</P>
<P>The one bright light for welfare reform in Wynne’s first term was her
appointment of Ted McMeekin as Minister of Community and Social Services.
</P>
<P>McMeekin is a long-time advocate of implementing a program to base rates on
need rather than the usual whim of politicians. It was he who was able to
bring in the additional modest increase for single Ontario Works
recipients. However, in her new cabinet Wynne moved him to Municipal
Affairs and Housing.</P>
<P>Helena Jaczek, the new Minister of Community and Social Services, is yet to
show her stuff in this portfolio. </P>
<P>Jaczek is a physician who served for many years as York Region’s Medical
Officer of Health. It is certainly appropriate to demand that in her
current post she relate rates to the social determinants of health.
Poverty is right up there with smoking as a factor in illness and premature
death. Having been the MOH, she is surely aware of that. She would
have a tough job getting movement on this issue, but McMeekin at least managed
to get his foot in the door. </P>
<P>As for Wynne, if she can’t do any better than she has on the poverty
envelope, she is little more than a Mike Harris in a skirt. As pointed
out, in constant dollars Ontario Works recipients were actually better off under
Harris!</P>
<P>Social assistance recipients need allies and community support to pressure
the Wynne government to improve benefits. </P>
<P>One way in which the system gets to perpetuate its mistreatment of the poor
is by a tactic of divide and conquer. </P>
<P>The disabled are seen as more deserving. Managing to obtain a
“disabled” label puts a person in a more privileged position in the system, even
if the person’s level of functioning is no different than that of many people on
Ontario Works. This shell game even cons people and organizations that
should know better.</P>
<P>Take the case of ARCH, the disability law centre and a legal clinic.
What is its demand regarding social assistance rates? Increase rates for
ODSP, period. </P>
<P>Nothing like buying into the hoary distinction between the worthy poor and
the unworthy. Nothing like ignoring the substantial number of disabled
persons who receive Ontario Works. And this from a legal clinic who knows
full well that there are many people with disabilities who are denied ODSP.</P>
<P>Getting back to Jaczek, perhaps, just as a start, she could convince her boss
to give Ontario Works financial benefits at least equal to what they were under
Mike Harris, in constant dollars. Don’t hold your breath.
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