The provincial government started consultations on a new Poverty Reduction Strategy for Ontario in August, and a series of consultation meetings across the province will soon be wrapping up.
Now’s the time to make your voice heard on what the province can do to reduce and eliminate poverty in Ontario.
The first five-year Poverty Reduction Strategy was announced in December 2008, and the Poverty Reduction Act was passed unanimously by the legislature in May 2009. The legislation requires that all governments put in place a poverty reduction strategy every five years, with targets, timelines, and a set of policy measures.
The end of the first five-year period is coming up soon and government is working on a new strategy for 2014 through 2018.
You may have attended a consultation meeting in your community. The province has hosted several meetings as have local community groups, who have been actively working to ensure that the voices of the widest possible cross-section of people – including people who have the experience of living in poverty – are heard.
You may also have prepared a submission from your community group or agency. (Remember to send it to this email address, if you haven’t already sent it in: povertystrategy@ontario.ca.)
Feedback to the consultation process is due October 4 – that’s this Friday.
A quick and easy way to give your input is to respond to the government’s online survey: [link removed as survey has ended]
And share this link with your friends and colleagues so that they can provide their input too.
If you’d like to hear what others are saying about what the government should do on poverty reduction, here are some resources:
- ISAC has produced these key messages on social assistance: Poverty Reduction Strategy - Key Messages On Poverty Reduction - 2013
- The 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction produced Five Priorities for a new Poverty Reduction Strategy, which outlines a number of important issues that government must include in its next strategy: http://25in5.ca/five-priorities-for-ontarios-next-poverty-reduction-strategy/
- And you can find other resources that might be helpful here: http://incomesecurity.org/policy-advocacy/toolkit-and-key-messages-on-poverty-reduction/
More information about the government’s consultation process is here: http://www.children.gov.on.ca/htdocs/English/breakingthecycle/index.aspx