I’d like to introduce my guests today. Our constituency team, our fresh group: Courtney, Patience and Eda are joining us from downtown Kitchener. And my dad, Brendan Clancy, is here; my kids, James and Zidra; and my husband, Ryan.

This comes from many across Ontario who are fighting back against legislated poverty.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and far from adequate to cover the rising costs of food and rent: $733” a month “for individuals on OW and” $1,308 for folks on ODSP;

“Whereas an open letter to the Premier and two cabinet ministers, signed by over 230 organizations, recommends that social assistance rates be doubled for both Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP);

“Whereas the recent small increase of 5% for ODSP still leaves these citizens” well “below the poverty line, both they and those receiving the frozen OW rates are struggling to survive at this time of alarming inflation;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized in its 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” more than “double social assistance rates for OW and ODSP.”

I support this petition and will sign it and pass it to Mesapé, the page, to bring to the table.