My question is for the Premier. The Income Security Advocacy Centre along with over 230 social service providers and community organizations have called on you to double both OW and ODSP rates and to index these rates to inflation. My office of Hamilton Mountain has received over 3,200 emails in just a very short time in support of doubling these rates.

People on social assistance are relying on food banks, shelters, improper medications, and, quite frankly, are in dire straits, where homelessness is their only option. Renovictions and rent increases are forcing people on social assistance to spend over 60% of their income on substandard roofs over their head. Seventy-three per cent of food bank users are on social assistance, and yet food insecurity is falling on the priority list due to substandard housing.

Will the Premier and his minister listen to ISAC and the over 230 providers, increase the rates—double the rates—and include people on Ontario Works?

I have a petition.

“To Raise Social Assistance Rates.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and woefully inadequate to cover the basic costs of food and rent;

“Whereas individuals on the Ontario Works program receive just $733 per month and individuals on the Ontario Disability Support Program receive just $1,169 per month, only 41% and 65% of the poverty line;

“Whereas the Ontario government has not increased social assistance rates since 2018, and Canada’s inflation rate in December 2021 was 4.9%, the highest rate in 30 years;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized through the CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to increase social assistance rates to a base of $2,000 per month for those on Ontario Works and to increase other programs accordingly.”

I agree with this petition, I’m going to affix my signature to it and give it to bring to Arushi to bring to the Clerk.