Northumberland Poverty Reduction Action Committee:
Questionnaire for Provincial Election Candidates, 2014.
The Northumberland Poverty Reduction Action Committee is a broad-based coalition of
individuals and agencies that formed in 2008 in response to the deepening crisis of
poverty existing in this rich province of ours.
This spring, NPRAC released a Status Report on the state and impact of poverty in
Northumberland County. This report is posted on NPRAC’s website.
On May 23, 2014, the Northumberland Poverty Reduction Action Committee (NPRAC)
sent a list of questions to the local candidates of each of the major parties in this
spring’s provincial election. NPRAC requested a response in writing by June 4, 2014,
stating that local news sources would be asked to publish the responses. As well,
responses would be posted on the NPRAC website: www.nprac.ca and distributed to
NPRAC’s membership.
After an opening general question, the remaining questions focused on five areas critical
in the fight to reduce poverty in the province:
 Employment/Income
 Education
 Food Security
 Housing
 Health
By June 5, 2014, responses had been received from the Ontario Liberal Party and the
Ontario New Democratic Party. These responses, in full, are inserted below each
question.
NPRAC Provincial Election Questionnaire
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General Question
Tell me three things your party has done to help reduce poverty in Ontario?
Green Party of Ontario
The Green Party will lower personal income taxes immediately increasing
the personal tax exemption. This will put money back into the pockets of
our citizens at the poverty level. Plus we’ll provide grants for those who just
can’t afford to let their kids participate in sports.
We will implement a $2500 per child tax credit to families of children who
live in poverty. By introducing a fully refundable tax credit we aim to raise
the family income to 10% above poverty line. No other party is offering that.
We will increase the minimum wage to $12.00.
Ontario Liberal Party:
We have launched the Healthy Smiles Program where nearly 103,000 low
income children are receiving free dental care.
We have increased the minimum wage from $6.85 to $11.00 and indexed it
to reflect inflation, which the NDP and PC’s both voted against.
Our government has created the Ontario Child Benefit totalling up to $1,309
per child, per year
We’ve allowed all social assistance clients to earn up to $200 a month
without reducing their social assistance.
In Northumberland County we have invested $11.91 Million in funding since
2003/04 for Violence Against Women. This funding has increased 32.5%.
We have increased funding to Emergency Shelter Services by 39% investing
$695,290 this year.
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario NDP has a proud record of fighting poverty in our communities. New
Democrats successfully fought to ensure people on social assistance can keep
the first $200 in employment earnings every month before clawbacks. We
successfully pressured the government to commit $242 million in additional
childcare funding in Budget 2012. And we have been the only party advocating
for a $12 minimum wage by 2016, as well as affordable housing through tenant
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protections, an end to rent increase exemptions, and new requirements for
inclusionary zoning.
These are real steps that help tackle poverty and make life more affordable.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
In answer to your general question, our Party has committed to tackling poverty
in the following three ways: First, we will be providing good, middle-class, stable
employment opportunities to people all over Ontario. Our party will foster an
economy that will create one million new jobs over the next 8 years.
Secondly, we will reduce the size and cost of the bloated energy
bureaucracy, passing the savings found on to ratepayers, which will result in an
average savings of $384 a year per family. Finally, once the budget has been
balanced, the Ontario PC Party will be giving citizens more take-home pay by
implementing a 10% reduction in income taxes. These approaches are all aimed
at the systemic level, and will result in families having more disposable income,
addressing the symptoms of poverty at the source, instead of providing shortterm, Band-Aid solutions.
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Employment/Income
1. Although there have been some minor increases in benefits for OW and ODSP
recipients over the last few years, these have not kept up with inflation. For
example, the new monthly rate for a single person on welfare is still less than
what that same person would have received 20 years ago. Inflation has
increased 44 per cent since then.
a. Will your party agree to immediately increase the social assistance rates
to reflect the actual costs of shelter, food and basic needs for recipients?
Green Party of Ontario
The Green party will certainly correct the imbalance with regards to
correcting for inflation.
Ontario Liberal Party
We have increased social assistance rates nine times since 2003 (the
only government to do this in three decades) and created the
Ontario Child Benefit providing payments up to $1,310 per child.
We have launched a comprehensive social assistance review, the
largest in 20 years in Ontario, to make sure the rules are firm and
fair and that all the various programs work together.
Ontario New Democratic Party
We recognize the damage that the PCs did when they cut social
assistance rates. And we recognize that those rates have not been
restored or kept pace with inflation under the Liberals. A NDP
government will work to increase the supports available to the most
vulnerable Ontarians, beginning with a one percent social assistance rate
increase.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Ontario PC Party is taking a different approach to poverty reduction
than has been taken by others in the past. We want to address the
problem at it's source, which is the lack of jobs available for people to go
to. Further to that, we want to emphasize the creation of more than just
minimum wage jobs, which still don't allow people to earn a decent
living. By focusing on job creation, and a reduction in our hydro bills, we
can pull more families out of the cycle of poverty, giving their families
relief and stability.
That being said, we also realize the importance of social assistance
programs and realize that there will always be people unable to find work
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for a multitude of reasons, and who need a structured assistance
program in which they are supported. This is why we are committed to
eliminating red tape in the social assistance program, so that recipients
and workers are less bogged down by complicated and redundant
paperwork, and can focus more of their time on delivering effective
services, and helping people find good jobs again.
b. Will your party agree not to merge Ontario Works with the Ontario
Disability Support Program?
Green Party of Ontario
This matter needs more public and client input.
Ontario Liberal Party
We will not merge OW and ODSP!
Ontario New Democratic Party
Yes.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Ontario PC Party is prepared to merge the administrative
bodies of Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support
Program, as recommended by economist Don Drummond, as it
will cut down on administrative costs, and savings found there can
be re-invested into service delivery.
NPRAC Provincial Election Questionnaire
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2. The WSIB is proposing a set of policies that are in direct opposition to the
principles on which the workers’ compensation system was founded over 100
years ago. What is your party going to do to prevent the cuts to WSIB benefits
of injured workers – cuts that may force those injured workers to rely on social
assistance?
Green Party of Ontario
The Green Party is committed to the principles of worker safety.
The ‘cuts’ are as a result of interpreting policy a certain way (pre-existing
conditions). The Green Party would commit to the ‘Thin-skull’ principle
which has guided decisions for decades and does not have the narrower
view that the revision to the policy is endorsing.
Ontario Liberal Party
The WSIB is proposing a set of policies that are in direct opposition
to the principles on which the workers’ compensation system was
founded over 100 years ago. What is your party going to do to
prevent the cuts to WSIB benefits of injured workers – cuts that may
force those injured workers to rely on social assistance?
The WSIB stresses that recent cost improvements in the system are
not being made on the backs of injured workers, but due to
improved safety in workplaces resulting in fewer injury claims and
better medical care and assistance for injured workers returning to
work.
Ontario New Democratic Party
Since 2009, when David Marshall became the head of WSIB, we have
seen drastic reduction of benefits for injured workers. While Marshall
receives a 20% bonus on his $400,000 salary, WSIB claim denial rates
have shot up by 50%. There has been a cut of $631 million in benefits and
vocational training has been slashed from 19 months to 5 months. The
average annual benefit paid to an injured worker at a 6 year post injury
review has been reduced by 28.6%. There has also been a reduction of
31.3% in permanent impairment awards from 2010 to 2011.
New Democrats will work to protect the rights of injured workers across
the province. A NDP government will ensure that injured workers are not
harmed further by reckless policy changes.
We will continue to stand up for the rights of injured workers.
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Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Ontario PC Party believes that the best way to prevent WSIB from
making unfair cuts to its insurance recipients is to end their monopoly on
the industrial insurance landscape. By allowing companies to choose their
own insurance provider, as many can find equal if not better services for
a lower cost, we will introduce new competition into the system,
preventing WSIB from taking any advantage of their current client base.
They will be forced to compete with private sector providers, enticing
them to offer better services, at a more affordable rate for consumers,
and find the most efficient way possible to run their operations. An
approach such as this simply makes good economic and logical sense.
3. According to Statistics Canada, the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for
Ontario is 7.4%, well above the national average of 6.9%. In particular, outside
of Atlantic Canada, Ontario has the worst employment rate for youth. The
situation in Northumberland-Quinte West is even worse than the provincial
average. What is your party’s plan to improve job prospects for people in
Northumberland – Quinte West?
Green Party of Ontario
Part of the problem is that we don’t have the skilled tradespeople we
need to fill the jobs that are out there. Our platform would direct the
Minister of Education, along with the Ministry of Colleges and
Universities to re-open all those High School ‘shop’ classrooms that were
closed by the Mike Harris Conservative Party. By providing for diversity in
education, rather than concentrating on academics to the exclusion of
practical hands-on learning, we have done a disservice to our youth as
well as to our society’s needs. We will also reduce apprenticeship ratios
to open more apprenticeship opportunity. We will then be in line with
the ratio in other provinces.
Ontario Liberal Party
 Ontario has created over 477,100 new jobs since the 2009 recessionary
low
o Net jobs since Oct. 2003: +686,700
o Last year Ontario employment increased by a solid 95,700
new jobs improving on a gain of 52,400 jobs in 2012
o In April alone, Ontario created 25,800 full-time jobs while
manufacturing jobs increased by 13,700
 We have a plan to bring security and opportunity to all Ontarians,
now and for the future—that includes our young people
 We have always been strong advocates for youth—that’s why we
created a Youth Jobs Strategy
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Jobs for 30,000 young people—$295 million over two years
Since it launched in September, the Youth Jobs Strategy has created
over 11,000 jobs for young people
o Of the 1,200 who have finished placements, 84% have
landed jobs
This is an investment in our people, an investment in our province,
and an investment in the future of our economy
We are also helping young people by:
o Helping students with the costs of postsecondary education
with the 30% Off Tuition Grant—230,000 students received
last year
o Expanding the 30% Off Grant to students in five-year co-op
programs and OSAP-eligible private career colleges
o Bringing in new rules that make it easier for students to pay
their tuition and ensure postsecondary education remains
affordable
o Established the College of Trades to help increase the
number of young people entering the skilled trades
By investing in our young people, we can give them a firm footing in
the job market
o




Ontario New Democratic Party
Andrea Horwath and A NDP government will reward job creators by
supporting small businesses in Northumberland-Quinte West and across
the province. We will fund a Job Creation Tax Credit to create 170,000
new jobs. This credit will be equal to 10 percent of an employee’s salary
to a maximum value of $5,000.
A NDP government will cut the Small Business Tax from 4.5% to 3% by
2016. This will provide small business owners with over $90 million in tax
relief annually. We will also attract manufacturing jobs by providing
incentives for upgrades and expansions. Our plan will reward companies
that invest in buildings, machinery, and equipment in Ontario with a
Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit.
In addition, we will expand support for post-secondary education and
training opportunities. A NDP government will invest in re-training
programs for workers over the age of 55. Our plan tops up a federalprovincial cost-shared program that helps unemployed workers to
increase their ability to find employment. We will also freeze university
and college tuition fees and make new provincial student loans interest
free.
NPRAC Provincial Election Questionnaire
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Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Here in Northumberland-Quinte West, our biggest asset, and the biggest
driver of our local economy, is our agricultural, agri-business and food
processing sector. We will ensure that young people who grow up in our
region are able to continue in this profession, by not allowing the College
at Kemptville to be closed down, as the current Liberal government has
allowed. Yes, funding has been given to the College, but none of it has
been ear-marked for agricultural courses. This is a travesty. If we are
going to encourage young people to go into the profession of farming,
which has provided so many of our families with a quality standard of
living, then we need to promote it as a viable career choice in our
secondary schools, and we need to ensure that there are adequate postsecondary options to allow students to get the highly-skilled, knowledgebased training they will need.
Our Party is also of the mind that the government must work in closer
proximity with colleges and universities to monitor the labour force, and
ensure we are directing our young people down career paths where they
will realistically be able to find gainful employment. As an example, if we
know that on average, there are 6000 teachers in the province who retire
every year, why are we allowing 14,000 students a year into Teacher's
College? This type of mismanagement has resulted in there being roughly
87,000 qualified teachers in the province without a job to go to. The
Ontario PC Party will do a better job of ensuring that when young people
graduate, they will have skills that are in demand, and employable.
Currently, our biggest export in this province is our young professionals,
and this needs to stop.
NPRAC Provincial Election Questionnaire
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Education
1. Although graduation rates have improved over the last decade, there are still
15% of our youth who are not finishing high school. Furthermore, In
Northumberland – Quinte West, the proportion of adults with post-secondary
education is lower than the provincial average of 62%. What will your party do
to improve high-school graduation rates and to make post-secondary
education more accessible to all who aspire to attend?
Green Party of Ontario
I think I’ve touched on the answer in the previous question when I
outlined our view about re-introducing ‘vocational’ education in High
School as it was in Ontario schools, pre -Harris. That would likely cover a
large portion of that 15% of youth who are not finishing High School.
Acknowledging that students do not all learn in the same way and do not
all want to aspire to a purely academic education embraces our
understanding and present research in the strength of diverse learning
opportunities.
For those who wish to continue post-secondary studies, our party will
freeze tuition fees and develop support by way of grants to lessen the
financial burden. We will also increase investments in apprenticeship, cooperative and mentoring programs.
Ontario Liberal Party
Increased funding for education by 53% since 2003
O Funded 13,300 new teachers since 2003
O Implemented smaller class sizes
o Brought in Full Day Kindergarten—giving our youngest learners the
best start possible and saving families $6,500 annually on childcare costs
o Offering dual credit programs
o Providing a 30% reduction in tuition fees
o The government is providing $81 million in additional financial
support for college and university students.
o
These changes will improve assistance for about 188,000 students.
o
Since 2003-04, there has been a 51 per cent increase in the
number of Ontario college and university students receiving
financial support through OSAP.
o
Ontario's 62 per cent postsecondary education rate is one of the
highest in the world.
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o
The government's Open Ontario Plan will help raise Ontario's
postsecondary education rate to 70 per cent.
o
OSAP repayment is capped at $7,300 per year
Ontario New Democratic Party
A NDP government will focus on increasing student achievement. We are
the only party committed to hiring up to 1,000 more Educational
Assistants and up to 1,000 more specialist teachers to ensure all kids get
the help they need to succeed. The NDP is also the only party that will
help stop local school closures by establishing an Open Schools Fund.
With $60 million in annual support, we will help school boards make
renovations and repurpose schools as community hubs so that they
continue to serve families. We will also freeze post-secondary tuition and
make provincial student loans interest free, helping more students access
university and college opportunities.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
With regards to education, success at the secondary school level can
often be dependent on ensuring the proper foundations are built up in
the elementary school system. Currently, this Liberal government is
spending more and more on education, with fewer and fewer students in
the system, and our test scores in science and math and continuing to
fall. Clearly something about the way we fund education is broken and
needs to be fixed.
The Ontario PC Party will take notice from our neighbours in Quebec
(whose students test the highest in math) and do away with this fad,
"Discovery Math". We will also bring in a standardized test in the sciences
in Grade 8, so we can better monitor the knowledge bases of the
students we are sending into our secondary school system. At the
secondary level, we would like to focus on bringing in specialized math
teachers, which will further improve that basic building blocks of a
student's holistic education.
Food Security
1. According to the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit, the cost
of nutritious food for a family of four has increased by 4.3% over the past year.
In Northumberland, over 1000 people a month require the use of a food bank.
What will your party do to reduce the reliance on food banks?
Green Party of Ontario
NPRAC Provincial Election Questionnaire
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One of my volunteer positions with Habitat for Humanity was coaching
families on how to shop! It was an eye-opener to see some of the choices
that were being made by our Habitat families. So food literacy,
understanding what the labels say, preparing foods, learning to grow
your own in community gardens or your own garden, preserving and
canning; these will all lessen the need to rely on food banks. We will
support investment in community food hubs to promote access to
healthy local food, community gardens, cooking and nutrition classes and
food preservation facilities.
Ontario Liberal Party
o We have increased the minimum wage from $6.85 to $11.00 and indexed it
to reflect inflation, which the NDP and PC’s both voted against.
We are providing a tax credit to farmers for donating their excess
produce to food banks.

We have almost quadrupled the Student Nutrition Program – now
serving 720,000 kids so they can focus on school, not their hunger
Our government has created the Ontario Child Benefit totalling up to
$1,309 per child, per year.
We’ve allowed all social assistance clients to earn up to $200 a month
without reducing their social assistance.
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario NDP will invest in student nutrition programs so children get
a healthy start every day. Our plan invests an additional $15 million per
year in student nutrition and local food initiatives – doubling funding
compared to 2013. This means that 70,000 more kids will have access to
nutritious breakfast, lunch, and snack programs.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The costs associated with nutritious food are market driven, so there is
little that any government can do to fix these prices, or lower them
unilaterally. That being said, if we understand the economics behind food
production and food sales, we can help make an impact on these costs. If
we can instill in people a greater desire for nutritious food, markets will
respond by making these foods more available by producing more to
meet the growing demand, reducing scarcity, and with it, price. We will
accomplish this by including food literacy in every grade of our education
system, which will teach our young people not only how to properly cook
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and feed themselves, but also give them an appreciation for healthy,
nutritious, local food. This approach will ensure greater access to
nutritious foods in our communities. It will also result in massive savings
in our healthcare system by combating diabetes and childhood obesity.
Despite this, there will still be people who are dependent on food banks
occasionally. This is because their household budgets are strained. Their
costs outweigh their revenues. How do we solve this problem at the
source? Either we increase the revenues or decrease the costs. The
Ontario PC Party has a plan to do both of these things. We will get our
energy costs under control, first and foremost. By reducing the wasteful
bureaucracy in the energy production and distribution bodies, as well as
doing away with costly drains like the Green Energy Act, we can pass on a
savings of $384 a year on average to families. If we combine this with our
plan to bring good jobs back to the region, and the province in general,
families will have more residual income, allowing them to provide a
better quality if life. Under the current system, families are having to
choose between paying their hydro bill or their grocery bill. The Ontario
PC Party doesn't believe that is a choice they should have to make.
NPRAC Provincial Election Questionnaire
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Housing
1. In Northumberland County, at least 2500 families are in need of housing or at
risk of homelessness. Forty-three percent of people renting are paying more
than 30% of their income on housing. The average wait for rent-geared-toincome housing is 4 – 5 years. All municipal jurisdictions were recently required
to develop a ten-year housing and homelessness plan, but there was no
provincial commitment to any new funding. What will your party do to improve
access to affordable, safe housing?
Green Party of Ontario
Our plan is to create legislation whereby every development must show
diverse housing, including ‘affordable’ housing otherwise the permit to
build will not be granted! We believe in a mixed community not in ‘gated’
communities. We will work with community partners who see, on the
ground, where the needs are. As your MPP it will be a focus to bring this
issue to the legislature and fight for funding.
Ontario Liberal Party
Since 2003, we’ve committed nearly $3 billion in the largest affordable
housing program in Ontario’s history
Since 2003, we have increased funding to emergency shelter services by
39%, investing $695,290 this year. There are currently 17 shelter beds.
Invested $382,000 to repair sewage systems, balconies, install smoke
detectors, replace appliances, fix eavestroughs and make general repairs
at 17 projects in Northumberland County.
Ontario New Democratic Party
Five year waits for affordable housing are unacceptable to Ontario’s
families. A NDP government will invest over $400 million in affordable
housing over 5 years. We will also protect tenants by enforcing building
standards and maintenance rules. We will provide an additional $2
million annually to help municipalities enforce inspections and ensure
landlords respect their commitments to tenants.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
While municipalities are in charge of developing our housing strategies, a
good point is mentioned in the question about the fact that the Province
has been unable to commit any funding to the programs. This is because
the Liberal Government had completely bankrupted this province, and
saddled us with such a staggering debt and deficit that we are having
NPRAC Provincial Election Questionnaire
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difficulty providing the basic necessities to even our most vulnerable
members of society. We need to balance the budget, as soon as possible,
and get our fiscal house in order as fast possible, so that the Province will
be able to do a better job or protecting our most vulnerable. This is why
the Ontario PC Party has committed to balancing the budget in two years,
faster than any of the other parties. We understand the urgency of this
matter, and understand how much difference one year can make for
access to funding for issues such as this.
2. The elimination of two mandatory benefits, CSUMB (Community Start-up and
Maintenance Benefit) and Home Repairs under OW and ODSP, and the
resulting discretion given to municipalities to distribute a reduced pool of
funding has created an uneven patchwork of benefits across the province. This
decision has proved to be especially detrimental for rural Ontarians. Will your
party agree to fully re-instate the CSUMB and Home Repair Benefit programs
as mandatory benefits under Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support
Program?
Green Party of Ontario
Yes we will.
Ontario Liberal Party
 The Province of Ontario in 2012 made a business change with regards to
CSUM (Community Start Up and Maintenance Benefit) which was
administer by MCSS in partnership with 47 Service Managers this
change was actually transferred to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs
and Housing with partnership with 47 Service Managers with a new
program called CHPI ( Community Homelessness Prevention
Initiative) This new program had identified the following services:
1. Emergency Shelter Solutions ( $236,196 )
2. Housing with Related Supports ($256,168)
3. Services and Supports ( rolled in other programs)
4. Homelessness Prevention ($143,847)
5. Program Administration ( no charge rolled into programs)
6. Total ($636,211 )
With regards to Services to our communities for Northumberland County
things are working very well for those who require various services, funds
have been issued by a number of ways:
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
Counseling Services Funding, for Victims of Violence (Cornerstone
Family Violence Center)
 Housing Support worker (Hoarding) Northumberland Hills Hospital—
Mental Health Division in partnership with Northumberland
County….to prevent eviction
 Furniture & Appliance Program with Cobourg Salvation Army in
partnership with Northumberland County
 Transportation Supports for clients both Rural and Urban
 Transition Housing Support ( emergency accommodation and support
services)
 Homelessness Sports (emergency accommodation) with Salvation
Army in partnership with Northumberland County
 Mental Health & Addictions Counseling Services
**Northumberland County in partnership with the Province has
established six community hubs throughout the county to provide
services to our rural residences these hubs also host (free of charge- to
20 agencies ) to bring their support services to the rural communities
The county also in partnership with the Province has two community
outreach workers with a vehicle to directly make contact with rural
residence who require home visit
As stated there has been no direct impact on the county as a result of
one program closing down and another program with a new initiative
being implemented, we are all now looking at the present “business
model” and the possibility of a new enhanced “Business model”. This is
a responsible business practice and being accountable with public funds
always monitoring program funding, value of services and outcomes
and impacts for the clients/community.
With regards to “Home Repairs” this can be a very expensive program
roughly $3-5 million, difficult to administer-who is eligible?-it has the
potential to spin out of control, can taxpayers really afford this program,
many social assistance clients rent from landlords therefore any home
repairs in this scenario should be paid for by the landlords, is there a
community demand for this program or special interest group???
Ontario New Democratic Party
Only the NDP has been fighting the elimination of the Community StartUp and Maintenance Benefit. We understand that this Liberal cut has
hurt our communities and made life more difficult for many Ontarians. A
NDP government will work with municipalities to ensure that all
Ontarians receiving social assistance also have access to critical start-up
and maintenance benefits, regardless of where they live.
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Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
As it currently stands, our Party has not put forward any plans to reinstate these programs to their former iterations. These programs were
downloaded by the Liberal government into municipalities in an effort to
give municipalities more independence in developing their homelessness
prevention strategies, and allowing them to customize their funding to
meet their individual needs. The downloading of the CSUMB was meant
to save the government roughly $162.5 Million/year. The HRB was also
downloaded for the same reasons.
These programs will need to be given a chance to grow in their current
states, until we can know for sure whether the moves are positive or
negative. It is for this reason that our Party does not specifically address
these programs in our platform, as we feel it would be premature
to change them based on such a small sample size of duration.
3. With an aging population, the need for long-term care housing is continually
growing. What does your party plan to do to address this issue?
Green Party of Ontario
The focus will be to give seniors the support they require so they can live
as well and as independently as possible for as long as possible. Our shift
will be from ‘illness’ to ‘wellness’ in the holistic sense including all
indicators of wellness. In The Walker Report, it states that housing is
most definitely part of a holistic approach to health. We will invest $1.6
billion over 4 years to improve the delivery of long-term care, which will
include funds for long-term care housing.
Ontario Liberal Party
We have worked hard as a government to make Ontario the best place to
age.
Introducing Ontario's Action Plan for Seniors;
Increasing Access to Health Care Services;
1. Ensuring Greater Safety and Security of Seniors;
2. Supporting Seniors on a Fixed Income; And
3. Helping Communities Become Age-Friendly
We have built or redeveloped 262 beds since 2003 in Northumberland
Quinte West.
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We have provided $1.1 Billion over 4 years for our Aging at Home
Strategy to help seniors live more healthy independent lives.
We continue to modernize long-term care (LTC) homes and are proposing
further investment in the LTC sector to enhance the current Long-Term
Care Home Renewal Strategy by:

Providing funding to encourage LTC home operators to accelerate
the redevelopment of about 30,000 long-term care home beds

Introducing amendments to the Long-Term Care Homes Act,
2007, which, if passed, would extend the maximum term of LTC
home licences from 25 to 30 years

In addition, the government is proposing an amendment to the
Assessment Act, which, if passed, would provide consistent and
equitable property tax treatment by exempting all charitable and
non-profit LTC homes from property taxation, allowing homes to
devote more of their resources to front-line care services

We have provided $530 million in housing support for seniors and
other groups.
Our goal is to continuing to strengthen long term care housing supports
for seniors.
Ontario New Democratic Party
A NDP government will eliminate the crisis waitlist for acute long-term
care beds by creating 1,400 additional long-term care beds. This
investment in our seniors’ health will relieve considerable pressure from
hospitals and in-patient beds.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Have a dependable source of revenue for municipalities to use for
infrastructure spending is an issue that certainly needs to be addressed in
the Province of Ontario. We must also keep in mind that the solution to
this cannot be to blindly borrow more money and worry about the
consequences later, as the Liberals have suggested we do.
The Ontario PC Party will create a dedicated fund of existing Gas Tax
revenues that will go directly to infrastructure funding for municipalities,
so they can address shortages in things like Long-Term Care Facilities.
This will be a dependable fund that the municipalities will be able to rely
on, and also predict with a relative degree of accuracy, giving them more
confidence to invest, and more opportunities to build. With the aging
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population here in our riding, I will be pushing heavily to make sure a
large portion of gas tax revenues are directed to our riding. After all, in
rural Ontario, we drive greater than average distances, and spend more
than the average amount on gas. It will only be fair if we receive more
than the average amounts of these revenues.
4. Our elderly as well as people living with disabilities need extra support to
remain independent in their homes. What will your party do to assist the
elderly or people with physical disabilities with mobility issues (eg: funds for
ramps, accessibility, accommodations)?
Green Party of Ontario
Our party will increase funding and training for Long Term Care facilities
to better manage residents with complex care needs. We will establish,
or support, case managers to proactively coordinate care seniors need.
We will shift health care spending to increase financial support for family
health teams, nurse practitioner led clinics, multidisciplinary clinics and
community health centres.
Ontario Liberal Party
We’ve increased funding to home and community care by 92% since
2003, including $260 million more.
In 2003 we faced the worst doctor shortage this province has ever
experienced. Northumberland now has the Port Hope Community
Health Centre, Northumberland Family Health Team, Brighton
Family Health Team, all with a full range of doctors, nurse
practitioners,
As well, we have provided the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit
saves qualifying individuals up to $963 per year, with a maximum of
$1,097 per year for qualifying seniors
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Liberals have failed to implement a Five-Day Home Care Guarantee.
A NDP government will follow through and deliver a Five-Day Home Care
Guarantee for seniors. With an annual $30 million investment, we will
eliminate the list of 3,300 Ontarians waiting for personal support worker
care. These clients will receive approximately two nursing visits and 7.5
hours of personal support per month. A NDP government will also
eliminate the wait list of 2,800 Ontarians waiting for other non-nursing
care, such as physiotherapy and social work support. These investments
will help Ontario’s seniors and persons with disabilities remain in their
own homes. In addition, only the Ontario NDP will support families caring
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for the ill or elderly with a fully refundable Caregiver Tax Credit of $1,275
per year.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Ontario PC Party has committed to removing the current grant
system as it exists now, the Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit,
because we see several problems with the way it is delivered, and do not
feel it addresses the needs of seniors who actually need the help the
most. In order to gain benefit from the current program, seniors must
first spend the money themselves, up front, and only then can they
qualify for a 10% tax credit. This means when the Liberal Government has
said they are making $1500 available to seniors to do repairs to remain in
their homes, they are misrepresenting the facts. In actuality, seniors
would have to spend $15,000 out of pocket in order to qualify for that
size of tax rebate. From what I have heard at the doors, the people who
need assistance with funding these types of projects are on fixed
incomes, and being squeezed by the sky-rocketing prices of hydro bills,
and don't have $15,000 laying around to be spent.
The Ontario PC Party has committed to removing this program, assessing
the needs of our truly vulnerable seniors, and developing a plan in place
of it to address their concerns. The way the current program works is not
acceptable and a different approach needs to be taken.
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Health
1. Although Ontarians have universal health coverage for primary care, there is a
lack of support for both dental health and prescription medication.
a. What will your party do to make preventative dental care and dental
resources (including increased coverage for dental items such as
dentures) accessible to all people, both adults and children, living in
poverty?
Green Party of Ontario
We believe that food literacy, as a preventative measure, is a
fundamental asset for ensuring over-all health including dental health.
We remember the ‘good old days’ when ‘health and education' were in
the same Provincial ministry. We seemed to understand then, that a level
playing field for our students meant that they would not be hindered by
their low economical status to attain the dental resources they needed.
We think that was wise and we would support programs that
ensure those outcomes.
Ontario Liberal Party
We have launched the Healthy Smiles Program where nearly
103,000 low income children are receiving free dental care.
Ontario New Democratic Party
New Democrats understand the importance of expanding access for
dental care for all modest income families. Our plan will expand dental
benefits for children from low-income households. A NDP government
will invest $15 million annually to expand dental coverage to 100,000
additional kids who would not otherwise be able to access dental care.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
When it comes to funding dental care for people on low-incomes or who
are recipients of social assistance, we must realize that programs and
protocols are already in place on the government side to deal with these
issues. Where people run into problems, from what I have heard at the
door, is when they try and find a dentist who will do the work being
funded by OW or ODSP. The current fee code system for dentists is out of
line with the national average. Dentists in Ontario are only compensated
for 46% of the costs of the procedures, which is barely enough to cover
their overheads. The national average is 82%. If we re-assess the fee
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codes, we will ease the worries of many dental professionals who
currently turn away from social assistance-funded clients. They will be
more willing to take them, and therefore make the services more
available and accessible to our lower income citizens.
b. What will your party do to help people pay for prescriptions, including
medications that are currently not covered through the drug assistance
plan or existing special assistance programs?
Green Party of Ontario
We will work with the health care professionals to resolve any
shortcomings in delivering necessary medications to those in need.
Ontario Liberal Party
The Trillium Drug Program helps people who have high prescription
drug costs relative to their household income. It covers all drugs
approved under the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program. For drug
products that are not on the list of approved ODB products, your
doctor may apply for special approval through the Exceptional
Access Program (EAP).
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario NDP opposes the Liberal plan to make some seniors pay
more for their prescriptions. It is wrong to make seniors pay more for the
medications they need to stay healthy and active.
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The funding of prescription medications must always be approached
from the scientific angle first. We must listen to the foremost experts in
their respective fields and make funding decisions based on their inputs
(i.e. which drugs are safest, most cost-effective, etc.). Our ability to fund
these sometimes life-saving treatments, however, can be traced back to
the Province's finances. When we are in a state of such serious fiscal
disrepair, as the current government has put us in, we don't have extra
money to help fund these medications and put ourselves on the cuttingedge of medical treatment. By committing to eliminating the deficit one
year sooner than the Liberals and the NDP, the Ontario PC Party will be
the best positioned to provide adequate funding for research,
development, production, and distribution of prescription medications.
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