Kimberly Rogers Inquest Alerts

Excerpt from Hansard from Ontario Legislature

Exchange between Premier Eves &
Tony Martin, MPP Sault Ste. Marie (NDP)

October 22, 2002

Mr Martin: My question is for the Premier. Premier, can you tell me how
anyone can be expected to live on $520 a month?

Hon Mr Eves: Mr Speaker, through you to the honourable member, we all have
people who are in difficult situations in the province of Ontario and I
believe it is incumbent upon all of us in society to do what we can to help
the most unfortunate.

Mr Martin: My question was clear and precise. How can anyone live on $520 a
month? I just came back from the Kimberly Rogers inquest. Kimberly is just
one example of many people who end up needing social assistance to get
through a bad time, for whatever reason. That assistance should cover what a
person needs to survive, but it doesn't even come close.

Your government has cut social assistance so much that no one can live on it
and then if they mess up, you cut them off completely. Your welfare policies
forced a pregnant woman to stay locked in her house without any income. This
is beyond inhumane. Premier, will you raise social assistance rates to cover
the minimum cost of living and at the very least will you end your
government's inhumane lifetime ban?

Hon Mr Eves: Mr Speaker, through you to the honourable member, I do not feel
that it is appropriate to be talking about an inquest that is ongoing in the
province of Ontario. I think that you should let the inquest do it's job and
we certainly will be very cognisant of any recommendations that come out of
it.