Kimberly Rogers Inquest Alerts

NDP Wants Fast Action on
Rogers Inquest Findings

December 19, 2002

SAULT STE. MARIE - Jury recommendations from the Inquest into the death of Kimberly Rogers call for an overhaul of the Conservative welfare policies and Ernie Eve's must act immediately, said NDP Poverty Critic Tony Martin.

After five weeks of testimony, the coroner's concluded that the government must end the lifetime ban and reevaluate the adequacy of all social assistance to actually cover the real cost of basic needs and housing in the community.

"The Rogers inquest put the Conservative government's punitive welfare agenda on trial," Martin said. "This is the first time these policies have been thoroughly examined by such an authoritative body and the Jury is demanding changes."

Kimberly Rogers died, eight months pregnant, while under house arrest for welfare fraud after putting herself through school on student loans while on welfare.

"Ms. Rogers is just an extreme example of thousands of people who live in abject poverty every day and need proper supports to lift themselves out, not a government bent on holding them down," said Martin. "Now that the problems in the system have been exposed, anything less than immediate corrective action will constitute government negligence of the highest order."