Ontario 2019 Pre-Budget Consultations: Have your say!

The provincial government has asked for input into the upcoming 2019 provincial Budget.

There are currently two pre-budget consultation processes that you can plug into:

The Ontario Legislature’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs is conducting hearings across the province and accepting written submissions until 5:00pm on January 29.

The Minister of Finance is hosting cross-provincial consultations and accepting written submissions (of fewer than 500 words) until February 8.

ISAC appeared at the Standing Committee’s hearings in Toronto on January 15 and sent in a written submission. We have also made a brief submission to the Minister of Finance.

Our submissions recommend:

Increasing OW and ODSP rates to reflect the real cost of living
Not increasing the OW and ODSP earnings clawback from 50% to 75%
Addressing problems with the proposed new Health Spending Account and Local Discretionary Fund
Not restricting access to ODSP by changing the program’s definition of disability
Ensuring sufficient funding for promised wrap-around services in OW and ODSP
Ending the freeze on the scheduled hiring of 175 Employment Standards Officers
Funding a comprehensive communications and education plan around employers’ and workers’ Employment Standards rights and responsibilities
Funding Employment Standards complaints interpretation services for workers whose first language is not English or French
Reinstating paid Personal Emergency Leave days
Removing the Employment Standards Act requirement to provide a doctor’s note when sick.

If you want to send your own submission – or want to support our recommendations – you can send an email to either or both consultation processes.

Your submission doesn’t have to be long – even just a few words or a short letter is fine to express your thoughts on how the government should spend money in this upcoming year.