Post Inquest Action Alert

Sault MPP Martin launches campaign for welfare reform in wake of Rogers inquest

by Elaine Della-Mattia
The Sault Star
Thursday, January 9, 2003 - City - B1 / Front

Sault Ste. Marie's MPP Tony Martin is asking people across the province to help transform Ontario's social assistance system.

He launched Wednesday his Campaign for Change, an electronic lobbying effort to pressure the Ontario Conservative government to implement the recommendations made by an inquest jury in the Kimberly Rogers case. Rogers, eight months pregnant, died while under house arrest for welfare fraud.

The inquest found that her death was suicide by drugs.

Martin said the 14 recommendations made by non-partisan members of society show that Ontario's social assistance system is failing and needs to be overhauled to ensure that a similar tragedy doesn't occur.

Martin is asking Ontarians to write, fax or e-mail Premier Ernie Eves and the Minister of Community, Family and Children's Services to demand immediate implementation of the recommendations.

An electronic postcard at www.ontariondp.on.ca has been set up to make it east to send the request automatically.

"I'm appealing to people in Ontario who believe in community, who believe in Canadian values and who value the dignity of the human person and believe that a government has a fundamental responsibility to protect those who are vulnerable and who are at risk," Martin said.

"While the government waits to implement these recommendations, more of our friends and neighbours and family members in communities are put at risk," he said.

The five-person inquest jury's recommendations include the end of the lifetime ban from social assistance, an increase in assistance rates to more clearly cover the actual basic costs of living and developing a system to ensure that individuals know what exactly they are eligible for to prevent pushing them into the criminal justice system.

Martin, who initially had launched a campaign to insure an inquest into Rogers's death would be held, said it's important to ensure that Ontarians don't forget about the recommendations and push the provincial government to implement them.

He's travelling to communities across the province to highlight the recommendations and push for their implementation.

"I want to make sure that this doesn't get lost in the shuffle and the anxiety and energy and anticipation of a spring election," he said.

And with that, Martin said the Ontario NDP party will commit to implementing all of the recommendations.

"Morally and ethically, if they're going to live up to their responsibility of government, they've got to act," Martin said, "but so far, the indication, unfortunately, is that they're not going to act. "They think (this case is) just an anomaly.

Webmaster's Note:

Here is the pinpoint URL on the Ontario NDP website where you can send an electronic postcard directly to Ernie Eves and/or Brenda Elliot http://www.ontariondp.on.ca/issues/poverty/rogers.html

After sending the first email to Ernie Eves, if you use your browser's back button, the same message you sent to Eves will appear on your screen. You can then amend the message appropriately, and change the drop down menu next to the "Dear" to send it to Brenda Elliott.