(Niagara At Large is posting the following public release from Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath for your information. With a minority Liberal government, and the NDP in a position to vote down the Liberal’s March 27 budget, triggering a provincial election if the opposition Conservatives join them in a non-confidence vote, you may wish to use the contact information in this post to express your views.)
Queen’s Park – New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath called on Ontarians to have their say on the provincial budget released yesterday.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath
“We have been clear that in order for this provincial budget to be acceptable, it needs to work for everyday people,” said Horwath. “Last October, Ontarians voted for positive change. In this minority government, New Democrats are taking this budget very seriously.”
Today, Horwath unveiled a website and toll-free number that Ontarians can use to tell New Democrats what they like and don’t like about yesterday’s budget. Ontarians can have their say online at www.ondpcaucus.com/yoursay/, www.ondpcaucus.com/exprimez-vous/ or by telephone at 1-855-ONT-BDGT (668-2348).
“This provincial budget will have real impacts on the lives of everyday Ontarians. That’s why it’s essential we ask them if this is the sort of budget that puts their interests first or if they want an election,” Horwath said, noting that a provincial election could hang in the balance. “We need to know if this is a budget that people can live with, and what kinds of changes they would need to see.”
The Ontario Legislature will vote on the budget motion and any amendments next week.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on the Ontario budget with other NAL readers below. Remember that we only post views by individuals who also share their first and last names.)
Niagara At Large 
With Dalton McGuinty willing to throw the most vulnerable under the bus while trying to say he doesn’t want to balance the budget on their backs and the Conservatives having already said they’ll vote against the budget, the NDP have a real opportunity to make some positive changes to the budget presented. I would encourage everyone concerned about these attacks, which have a spin-off on the local economy and on health care, to take advantage of Horwath’s invite. I suspect neither the Liberals or NDP really want to fight an election this soon after the October so changes could be made.
McGuinty’s freezing of social assistance rates is only the tip of the iceberg. Its the elimination of the community start-up fund which caseworkers could use to assist clients with first or last month’s rent or to replace furniture damaged by events out of their control (like a fire), problems with bed bugs or to help with utility or rent arrears. They’re also putting a cap on the emergency benefits that are available to people on Ontario Works for things like dental issues, etc. They can just let their teeth rot. That should help them find a job to get off social assistance, shouldn’t it? These cuts will have real impacts and not just on the clients themselves. I can see more evictions, which costs landlords money, and more people having their utilities cut off, which costs the utility companies.
Yet, while McGuinty’s willing to throw the poor on the scrap heap along with his much-touted poverty reductions strategy, those public sector CEOs making hundreds (or millions in a couple cases) of thousands dollars each year are off limits because apparently these people can’t afford to live on less than $750,000 a year courtesy of you and me.
McGuinty says this was a “tough” budget for him. I tend to disagree. It’s a “tough” budget for the vulnerable.
This is Horwath’s chance to put her money where her mouth is to use that old analogy. So click on the link provided and voice your concerns as well.
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Here’s a chance for some input…use it!
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Will, thanks for saying what I wanted to say. I am so angry, I am speechless. This is scaring people so bad, that one of the people I know just ended up in hospital on suicide watch. As if THIS is saving the government any money, putting the scare into people least able to defend themselves. I wrote a lengthy letter to Andrea Horwath and I hope she takes some of these suggestions and proposes key amendments to the budget to perhaps make it palatable. The Liberals need the support of one party to stay in power. It is obvious the Conservatives will not be supporting the budget, but the NDP did not say anything either way. I would suggest those of us with concerns about this budget, write in.
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I do not believe that Ms. Horvath’s “Have Your Say” campaign is anything more than a populist stunt which at best enlarges her e-mail list. To be proven wrong, I would like Ms. Horvath to release the results of her survey for ALL of us to see before telling us whether or not she is going to tell McGuinty to take his winners-take-all budget and shove it up his nose? We all should know that the three parties are broke and cannot afford to go back to the polls this soon so why is leader of the NDP acting as if it’s an option?
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