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QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS
Our elected officials have the power to help end poverty, but are they willing to make the right decisions and take the necessary steps? Find out where your local candidates stand on the issue, and what they will do to help eradicate poverty. Here are a few things to ask:
- Close to 300,000 people in Ontario rely on food banks every month, but many would be less dependent if welfare rates-which haven't kept pace with inflation-were increased. Will you support an increase to the basic-needs portion of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program benefits at least back to 1994 levels?
- Federal and provincial politicians recently approved salary increases of over 20 percent for themselves. Do you agree that it's time for low-wage workers to get a raise? Will you support raising the minimum wage to $10.00 per hour? If not, why?
- 20 percent of families in Ottawa spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing leaving them little to spend on other basic necessities. Will you reinstate rent control, raise the shelter-allowance portion of Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program benefits, and support expansion of rent-geared-to-income programs that provide affordable housing?
- One in five-or approximately 1.14 million-Canadian children live in poverty. Will you support indexation of social assistance benefits to the cost of living so that families are better able to support themselves?
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