7/31/2019 Dignity for All Open Letter Finance Ministers 13 June 2012

1/2

1/ 2

www.dignityforall.ca/www.dignityforall.ca/fr

c/o251BankSt.,2ndFloor,Ottawa,ON K2P1X3

June13,2012

OPENLETTERTOPROVINCIAL/TERRITORIALMINISTERSOFFINANCE

DearFinanceMinisters,

AssupportersofDignityforAll:thecampaignforapovertyfreeCanada,wetheundersignedrespectfullyrequest

thatattheupcomingFederalProvincial TerritorialmeetingsoftheMinistersofFinance,youplaceonyouragenda

thefollowingseriousconcernsrelatedtothe2012federalbudgetimplementationbill(BillC38).

Asbackgroundforyou,theDignityforAllcampaignisacoalitionofover575localandnationalorganizations,9000

individuals,and154MembersofParliamentandSenatorsfromallpartiesthatarededicatedtorealizingapoverty

freeCanada.Tothisend,webelievetheprovisionsinthebillconcerningincomesecurityprogramsforseniorsand

workingageadultswillhaveaprofoundimpactonprovincial/territorialinterestsandthewellbeingofvulnerable

Canadians,andthereforemustbediscussedinfurtherdetail.

In2011theGovernmentofCanadatookaprogressivestepforwardtoassistseniorswhosesolesourceofincome

comesfromOldAgeSecurity(OAS)andtheGuaranteedIncomeSupplement(GIS)byinvestinganadditional$300

millionperyearintheseprograms.HoweverthisgainwaseffectivelyeliminatedinBudget2012withtheproposed

increaseofeligibilityforOASfrom65to67.Thiswasdoneunilaterally,withoutconsultingtheprovinces,territories,orCanadianswhowillbeaffectedbythesechanges.Westronglyencourageyoutocallforthereversal

ofthe

OAS

eligibility

age

increase

and

for

anational

conversation

on

retirement

security

(that

would

include,

for

example,anexpansionoftheCanadaPensionPlan).

Itiswelldocumentedthatincreasingtheageofeligibilityforthisvitalprogramwillhurtthosewholeastcanafford

it:lowincomeseniors.MinisterFlahertyhasindicatedthatprovincialsocialassistanceprogramswillcoverthecost

ofthischange;howevertheParliamentaryBudgetOfficerrecentlynotedtheOASeligibilitychangesarenot

requiredastheprogramissustainableinitscurrentformandcouldevenhandleanincreaseinbenefits.Can

provincesandterritoriesaffordtotakeonthisextraexpenseasseniorsareforcedtoturntosocialassistancefor

support?

WealsoaskthatyouraiseconcernswithMinisterFlahertyinrespecttothetighteningofEmploymentInsurance

(EI)regulationsaffectingpeopleinprecariouswork,includingthemillionsofCanadiansemployedinseasonalwork

andindeed,allthoseinjobsthatarenotfullyearandfulltime.ChangeswhichforceCanadiansonEItoaccept

jobsthatdontmatchtheirskillsandtraining,thatlowerwages,andthatarefartherfromhomewillhavea

negativeimpactonindividualsandlocalbusiness.Thiswillultimatelyleadtoanoveralldownwardpressureon

wagesandadecreaseinthestandardoflivingformanyhardworkingCanadiansandtheirfamilies.More

Canadiansworkinginlowerpaidjobswillbedeniedaccesstoinsurancebenefitsdespitepayingpremiumsingood

faith.PeoplewhopreviouslyreliedonEIforsupportmaybeforcedtoturntoprovincialandterritorialassistance

programs.Again,isthissomethingtheprovincesandterritoriescanafford?

7/31/2019 Dignity for All Open Letter Finance Ministers 13 June 2012

2/2

2/ 2

TheGovernmentofCanadascurrentadhocapproachtoaddressingpovertydemonstrateslittleregardtohow

thesedecisionsimpactprovincialandmunicipalgovernmentsaswellasindividualCanadians.Anationalpoverty

eliminationstrategywouldensurethatlegislationandgovernmentpolicyreformsareexaminedtoassesstheir

impactonthequalityoflifeforvulnerableCanadiansandtheirfamilies.Withoutsuchastrategy,theshuffleof

vulnerablepeoplebetweenlevelsofgovernmentwillcontinue.

Weareencouragedthattodaynearlyallofourprovincesandterritorieshaveimplementedoraredevelopinga

povertyreduction

strategy.

Bill

C38

highlights

that

in

the

absence

of

atruly

Canadian

poverty

strategy,

all

the

best

ofprovincialintentionsmaybesweptasideifthefederalgovernmentisnotworkingtowardssimilargoals.We

firmlybelievethatwecanworktogethertobuildastrong,viableeconomywhilepromotingthedignityand

potentialofallCanadians.

OnbehalfofourorganizationalmembersandsupportersweurgeyoutoaskMinisterFlahertytoreconsiderthese

provisionsinBillC38andencouragethedevelopmentofanationalpovertyeliminationframework.

Thankyouforyourconsideration.Welookforwardtohearingfromyou.

Sincerely,

JudyDuncan

NationalCoordinator

ACORNCanada

LaurelRothman

NationalCoordinator

Campaign2000

FredPhelps

ExecutiveDirector

CanadianAssociation

of

Social

Workers

KenLewenza

President

CanadianAutoWorkers

MichaelToye

ExecutiveDirector

CanadianCEDNetwork

PeggyTaillon

President&

CEO

CanadianCouncilonSocial

Development

KenGeorgetti

President

CanadianLabourCongress

RachelBard

CEO

CanadianNursesAssociation

PaulTaillefer

President

CanadianTeachers

Federation

PaulMoist

NationalPresident

CanadianUnionofPublic

Employees

JoeGunn

ExecutiveDirector

CitizensforPublicJustice

TonyDolan

NationalChairperson

CouncilofCanadianswith

Disabilities

RobRainer

ExecutiveDirector

CWPAdvocacyNetwork

LauraRead

Coordinator

MakePovertyHistory

JeannetteCorbiereLavell

President

NativeWomens

Association

of

Canada

RobynBenson

NationalPresident

PublicServiceAllianceofCanada

BonnieMorton

Advocate/AntiPovertyMinister

ReginaAntiPovertyMinistry

DennisLewycky

ExecutiveDirector

WinnipegSocialPlanningCouncil

CC:TheHonourableJimFlaherty,MinisterofFinance