People Unite to Raise the Rates

by Amardeep Kaur Gill

A total of nearly 70 people, from several different local activist groups across Peterborough, joined forces for the province-wide campaign to raise the social assistance rates - Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), on Friday October 1st.

The rally opened at the welfare office with a public ‘speak-out’, organized by the Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty (PCAP), where individuals on social assistance brought their voices out to the public on what it is like to survive on the current rates and to demonstrate that the 3% raise recently by the Provincial McGuinty Liberal Government is an ‘insultingly pathetic gesture’ and not enough to meet basic living needs.

For a single person on welfare, the 3% raise by the Liberal Government amounts to a mere $15.60 per month on top of the current Ontario welfare rate of $530. In Peterborough, where an average bachelor’s apartment is $453 per month, a single person on social assistance is left with only $82 to cover utilities, food, clothes, transportation and other basic costs.

“I would like to see Dalton McGuinty to live on $82 a month for all his needs”, stated Sarah Lamble (PCAP Organizer), showing that the people are sick of making choices between rent and food, clothes and transportation and that the people have had enough.

Following the June 11th speak-out at welfare office, the gatherers made their demands again clear that a 40% raise is needed to restore the 21.7% cuts to welfare in 1995 and to compensate for 10 years of inflation and cost of living increases. “Real change, not spare change”, insisted supporters of the Peterborough event.

Recipients of welfare and ODSP emphasized the inadequacy of the current rates to meet basic needs. One person stated the impossibility to eat nutritiously.

After sharing free lunch provided by Grassroots Café and speaking-out, PCAP marched over to the Peterborough Square to join up with Peterborough Coalition for Social Justice, Peterborough ODSP Action Group, and Peterborough Social Planning Council (PSPC) for another demonstration on raising the rates.

The Peterborough Coalition for Social Justice had put on a vivid visual display with a dramatic skit of the disparities and inequalities of the socio-economic system, bringing to light the unacceptable poverty line low-income people and people with disabilities are forced to live in.

Melissa Webster from the Peterborough ODSP Action Group made known her disappointment at the McGuinty government. “The liberals promised change, yet horribly low-income people continue to suffer,” she said.

Following Raging Grannies singing social justice songs and an incredible display of unity at the Square, demonstrators – led by PCAP – took over the streets and marched around downtown for more than half hour. “The people, united, will never be defeated”, chanted supporters of the Peterborough ‘Raise the Rates’ event, blocking traffic and demanding the 40% increase immediately.

Paul Bocking of the Peterborough Coalition Poverty Against Poverty led the way into the office of Liberal MPP, Jeff Leal, to insert the demands. The demands, however, had to be directed to Leal’s office secretary as Leal was not in town and away on business that day. “We are not going to get a change until we get to the streets and fight for it”, stated Bocking. “This is just part of a much bigger grassroots movement for social change. We are tired of being victims. People are angry.”

The Peterborough event was part of a province-wide campaign. Similar actions took place during the week across Ontario to demand change on the anniversary of the provincial liberal government coming into power. Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) grabbed $3,525 worth of food and toiletries from a high-end grocery store and distributed it to low-income people in Toronto. The bill will be presented to McGuinty on Tuesday. Similarity, Youth Collective had shut down the liberal MPP John Milloy’s Office in Kitchener/Waterloo to let him know that the liberal’s agenda of robbing the poor to pay for the lifestyles of the rich would not go on unopposed.

Several Members of PCAP will be having a meeting with local MPP – Jeff Leal on October 22nd to discuss their demands. “Until they give low-income people what they deserve, we are not going to stop fighting. We are here, and we are not going away!”, stated Lamble.