SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Ontario Assembly

43rd Parl. 1st Sess.
April 10, 2024 09:00AM

Well, thank you very much, and my partner from Kitchener kind of stole my thunder a little bit on that question. Because I know you’re very passionate about the northern Ontario travel grant, you and I have talked about this previously. I’ve had some family experience with it as well, and sometimes it can be a little bit cumbersome, but I think there are some good things on the way.

I did want to hear a little bit more from you as to what you think some of the changes or beneficial changes could be. Obviously, seeing the accommodation amounts go up to $175 is a good start. What are some other things that you would like to see that are real, plausible, tangible things that we might be able look at in the future?

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Well, again, I will say there was a nugget when it comes to the Northern Health Travel Grant, but it’s a small nugget. It sounds big; it sounds like the government is putting some significant amount of dollars—which is $45 million—towards accommodations for individuals, which will mean instead of getting $100 on their first night of accommodation, they will get $175, and that will be reduced on subsequent nights.

Now, if the government wanted to do something substantial to the Northern Health Travel Grant, they could have looked at increasing the travel mileage. Heck, we don’t have a problem doing that for the people that are in this room. Why can’t we do it for those that are most vulnerable? Because most of those individuals that are most vulnerable are the ones that need it the most.

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