Terry O'Connor, NDP Candidate, Nipissing : Press Release Page

Press Release Page

For immediate release: 9 September 2003
(posted Sept. 10, 2003 due to blackout)

Minimum wage and housing policy changes urgently needed

"Fully 14.4% of the workforce in Nipissing Riding, or 5,220 people, work in the Retail Sector" NDP Candidate Terry O'Connor said today in response to the presentation at North Bay City Council on Monday by Lachlan MacLachlan of the Church Food Security Collaboration. "They had to serve over 17,000 meals to hungry people in this city last year, so they're absolutely right that hunger is a crisis."

"People think public service, health care, and education are the largest labour sectors in the Riding, but it just isn't so. Only one Riding in Ontario is more dependent on retail jobs than we are. So many workers in this sector work at minimum wage, that they're having serious trouble covering basic expenses on take-home pay of around $200 for a 40-hour week. Many have to work two and three part-time jobs to even reach that amount."

"Under the Progressive Conservative government, the minimum wage in Ontario has been frozen at $6.85 per hour since 1995. Annual inflation rates have eroded the real buying power of their wages by around 30% under the Tories" O'Connor says.

"Raising the minimum wage to $8.00 per hour immediately, as the NDP has promised in their "publicpower.ca" campaign, would have a major impact on the household budgets of a large group of Nipissing residents. "It would also have a big effect on the economy of our region. Every dollar circulates here about six times before it leaves town".

Mr. O'Connor points out that according to CMHC, average rents in North Bay for a 2-bedroom apartment are $645 and a 3-bedroom apartment are $696. Ontario Works gives a single mother with one child a monthly welfare cheque of $853. The maximum housing allowance for her is $511, so the average difference of $134 for rent above that comes out of the food money for her and her child.

For a couple with two children, the monthly cheque is $1021.50 with a housing allowance of only $602. Again, any rent paid over that ceiling comes out of the food money.
"The Tories chose to permanently freeze the incomes of the working poor and voters on Ontario Disability Support payments and welfare assistance, while removing rent controls. It's pretty clear where their loyalties lie." said O'Connor. "The NDP would reinstate meaningful rent controls to give people hope of having their incomes meet their expenses."

"The Tories also chose to stop building affordable housing - both non-profit units and cooperative housing - so the waiting lists of voters desperate for affordable homes grows longer each day. The Tories seem to be "out of the business" of supplying most vital services to Ontarions."

"When you combine all these factors in Nipissing Riding, to say nothing of out-of-control heating costs facing us this winter, it's no wonder the report from the Northern Health Information Partnership group in Sudbury found that 13.5 per cent of North Bay households with children reported having insufficient money to buy food - almost twice the provincial average of 7.7 per cent" said O'Connor.

"I hope the voters in Nipissing Riding actually read the platforms of the Liberals and Conservatives. When they compare those empty promises to the solid Northern Platform of the New Democratic Party, it will be obvious only the NDP puts the well-being and concerns of the people first!"

Terry O'Connor's Campaign Office is located at 160 King Street West. He invites voters to attend the Official Opening on Thursday 11 September at 6:00 pm.

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Terry O’Connor
Nipissing NDP Candidate
Home (704) 472-8877
Cell (705) 845-1408

Linda Hearst
Campaign Manager
Home (705) 497-0680

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