Letter
to Premier McGuinty
Calling for an Increase to Social Assistance Rates
Association of Community Legal Clinics
of Ontario (ACLCO)
December 5, 2003
ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY
LEGAL CLINICS OF ONTARIO
375 University Avenue, Suite 304
Toronto, ON M5G 2G1
December 5, 2003
The Honourable Dalton
McGuinty
Premier of Ontario
Room 281, Main Legislative Building
Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A1
Dear Premier:
I am writing to you on behalf of the Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario (ACLCO). The ACLCO represents the Boards and staff of Ontario's 79 community legal aid clinics across the province of Ontario. The clinics provide legal services to Ontario's poorest and most socially excluded individuals and communities.
On June 16, 2003, the ACLCO wrote to you, and the leaders of Ontario's Conservative and NDP parties, to advise you that the 79 community clinics had unanimously endorsed the call of the "Feed the Kids - Pay the Rent" campaign to raise the province's social assistance rates.
We were heartened to hear that your party agreed to raise the social assistance rates, once in power. However, we have now heard that your Minister of Community and Social Services has stated, "the government can't afford to increase benefits now because of the $5.6 billion deficit left by the former Tory government".
The staff and board of the 79 clinics from Rainy River to Prescott see first hand the devastating impact that years of inadequate income have had on our clients - ill health, depression, malnutrition, and substandard shelter are only the most visible results.
On behalf of the clients we serve, and the Ontarians you represent, we urge you to immediately raise the social assistance rates to cover the actual costs of shelter and food necessary for survival.
Yours truly,
Lenny Abramowicz
Executive Director
Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario
Abramowl@lao.on.ca
(416-204-5380)
Toronto Feed The Kids and Pay the Rent Campaign website http://www.paytherent.ca
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Page last updated December 20, 2003