FACTSHEET
December 12, 2001

Clearly, the Ontario Tories are UNFIT TO GOVERN!

Consider the following:

1. LOW WAGES

Since the Tories came to power, the Minimum Wage has not seen an increase... it is still $6.85 an hour. People earning minimum wage in Ontario live below the poverty line! That means people have trouble paying their rent and feeding their children!

2. EVICTIONS

The Ontario Tories make it easier than ever for landlords to EVICT their tenants so they can jack up rents. Every day, 150 families in Ontario lose their homes because they cannot afford their rent.

3. EDUCATION and DECENT JOBS

The Tories think that people should find a better job. But better jobs require better education. And the Tories tied our hands even more. The costs of education have more than doubled. Cuts to social programs mean job training programs are harder mean job training programs are harder to access. Mike Harris also cut lots of important government jobs ... jobs that had union coverage and decent wages.

More EVIDENCE:

TAX CUTS

The Tories have given lots of "perks" to high-income earners. Tax cuts gave
most of us a few dollars more. But those at the top got most of the
benefit. The richest 18% got more than half of the benefits from tax cuts.
And the business community got $2.6 billion a year in tax cuts. WE ALL HAVE
TO PAY for this payout.

WELFARE

Welfare by 21.6%. That means lots of poor kids. Rent control was
eliminated. That contributes to lots more homeless people - evictions are
at record levels! Funds for subsidized housing and for shelters SHRANK!
The Tories even reversed a decision by the federal government to target
money to children - if you are on social assistance, you don't get it.

And More....

These are some of the Horrible stories of vulnerable people in Ontario:

In Scarborough, Theresa is a breast cancer survivor who gets tested 3 times
less frequently than her doctor recommends. WHY? Because Sarah is a woman
with a disability and cannot afford to pay for the $15 test fee for someone
to come to her home.

In Burlington, because of drug de-listing from standard coverage costs,
Sarah cannot afford to spend $3 a day for medication to help keep her alive
because her welfare benefit is only $560 a month. She also needs
physiotherapy but has been on a waiting list for OHIP covered, in-patient
physiotherapy for 9 MONTHS. It would cost her $50 to go to a private clinic
and $20 for each subsequent visit.

In Bracebridge, Maria is a single mother with two children who works 10
hours a day on minimum wage. Maria cannot afford rent so she and her two
children live in a motel room. Aside from having no privacy, they have to
wash their dishes in the bath tub.

In Sudbury... let's not forget Kimberley Rogers - the woman who, with her
unborn baby, died of heat stroke in her 4th floor, attic apartment, while
under house arrest for trying to get an education to get her out of poverty.
Her crime? She accessed a student loan and welfare at the same time. This
action causes a PERMANENT loss of access to social assistance.

In Hearst, Don is a man diagnosed with cancer and immediately referred for
treatment in Thunder Bay. He can't go because he can't afford the cost of
meals not covered by the travel grant.

In Ipperwash, an unarmed Dudley George was SHOT DEAD by police as he
protested for native land rights. The Tories deny wrongdoing (evidence
points otherwise) and refuse a public inquiry.

 

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Last updated December 22, 2001

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