On Thursday, the Provincial Liberal government released its 2017 Budget. While it seems there is good news in the budget, it falls short in many ways.
To reduce poverty, the budget raises OW and ODSP rates by 2%. That’s good, but it’s a far cry from the 10% increase that is really needed. Even worse, Budget 2017 does not provide any money for transit infrastructure or for repairs at TCHC. Without financial support from the province, TCHC plans to close 400 units next year. Meanwhile, rental prices skyrocket across the city and more families struggle to make ends meet.
This is part of a pattern of the Liberal government stalling while life gets more and more unaffordable. Budget 2017 fails to raise the minimum wage to $15. Workers are still waiting for changes to employment laws that will help address growing rates of precarious, low-wage work. Even the Liberals’ new pharmacare plan is a partial measure. It will only help people under 25, while the NDP drug plan would help people of all ages.
For more details about how the Provincial budget affects you and the services you deliver – from child care to health care – check out what the Ontario Federation of Labour has to say and the CCPA’s “Behind the Numbers”.