Canadian Pensioners Concerned: NewsLetter

NewsLetter Articles

PRE-BUDGET PRESENTATION TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY NOVEMBER 2008

Last January we had the chance to send you our Brief dealing with the budget announced earlier this year. In that Brief we talked about the difficulty of planning in the midst of growing concerns about the economy. Now the concerns have deepened and the challenges faced by the government are far greater than what we had envisioned at that time. However many of the issues we discussed then are still relevant today.

We want to commend the government for a number of policies and programs they have undertaken in the past year and during their first term in office. The significant re?investment in education has been welcome, and we want to encourage the increased investment in physical education and the arts. The Trade Skills Education Program is a very positive new initiative, and we strongly support the Aging at Home Strategy and look forward to significant investment over the coming years to bring it to fruition. Your government's focus on the much-needed expansion to public transportation is a program that must be continued. We are especially pleased with your policy to integrate modes of transportation for people and goods across municipal boundaries. The fact that your government is working directly with First Nations communities to improve their lives by going beyond the potential constitutional strait- jacket is commendable and must continue. Finally, we commend your courage to recognize the necessity of running a deficit when the economy and people are facing serious difficulties.

We will now provide you with our responses to the questions that you have posed.

1. During this period of global economic uncertainty and fiscal challenges, what should the Ontario Government's top priorities be for the 2009 Budget?

(a) Poverty Reduction

The existence of poverty results in a tragic loss to the province of the skills and energy of many of its citizens. A serious strategy to reduce poverty will improve the economic and social health of the province. A targeted strategy to eliminate homelessness will ultimately improve the lives of people while saving taxpayers' dollars.
i) A poverty reduction strategy must have clear targets and clearly established programs with yearly reports on the levels of poverty reduction.
ii) We encourage the government to continue with its commitment to raise the minimum wage. We urge it to enforce employment standards vigorously to end the unacceptable exploitation of workers.
iii) Poverty reduction programs must include the support and cooperation of all actors in society - all levels of government, the private sector and the not?for?profit sector and First Nations communities. iv) Poverty affects the whole life of individuals so poverty reduction programs must ensure low-income people have access to legal assistance to ensure their rights are respected. Some of the obstacles facing low-income people are the denial of benefits by administrative tribunals and unfair practices by landlords taking advantage of vulnerable tenants.
(b) Health
i) Do not cut back the funding for the development of the cost?effective Family Health Teams.
ii) Continue to train and employ nurses and nurse practitioners - a proven cost?effective use of person skills.
iii) We need geriatric and gerontology teams in every hospital and emergency room. This strategy has demonstrated that unnecessary hospitalizations and better outcomes for the patients are achievable.
iv) The provincial health cure budget is enormous. We need to reassure the public that the programs being delivered are as effective and efficient as they can be. We make special note of the need for clear transparency and account-ability from the 14 LHINs (Local Health Integration Networks) as they are required to move an increased percentage of dollars into community care from the health cure system.
(c) Education

Education enables all citizens to maximize their capacities to contribute to society and is an essential part of a poverty reduction program.
i) Publicly-funded and regulated daycare, open to all with subsidies for low to moderate income parents, is essential to give every child an equal start at learning and social development.
ii) We must ensure educational opportunities from pre-school to post-secondary for all children and youth with specially targeted programs to help immigrant children and children and youth at risk. Children with learning and physical disabilities must have equal opportunities to learn and develop to their maximum capabilities
iii) Continue the excellent programs working to raise the standards and achievement levels of all students in both primary and secondary schools in the province. This must not be cut or have reduced funding. In this regard, we need less rigidity and greater creativity in teaching programs that can enhance the learning process for diverse students, such as the JUMP mathematics program.
iv) We need to fund our post-secondary institutions to the level that places Ontario province at least in the middle of the provinces in this policy field rather than at the bottom.
v) The health of our economy and society depends in large measure on the health and well-being of our people. The government must ensure that scholarships and bursaries are there to enable all students to attend post?secondary education to the maximum of their abilities.
vi) Now it is more critical than ever to focus on the up-grading of educational levels and skills of workers who are unemployed and those who are under?employed.
(d) Social Assistance
i) Ontario must quickly raise the minimum levels of supports for those in need of social assistance to end the terrible social and economic cost of forcing people into poverty and deprivation. The real cost of housing, clothing and food must be recognized by the levels of support that are provided.
ii) While increasing the social assistance rates Ontario must not eliminate the supports people have received the moment they re-enter the labour force. These supports, such as daycare, medical, dental, and transportation, should only be phased out when these recipients have achieved income levels clearly above the LICO (Low-Income Cut-off) Index.
iii) Ontario must recognize that older unemployed workers (60-64) normally cannot find work and that they are disabled because of age and should be eligible for ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program).
(e) Infrastructure
i)Invest in infrastructure, both renewal and new. We believe that there is almost universal agreement on this policy. We feel it is important to note that we are including a quick and significant investment in affordable housing. The ultimate cost-benefit to society of such a program has been well-researched and documented.
ii) Maintain and strengthen the Limits to Growth Program that requires municipalities to maximize their built form within their existing boundaries (intensification). However, at the same time we are "demanding" the elimination of the Ontario Municipal Board - a relic of the 20th century that is damaging the democratic rights of municipalities to make decisions within the framework of provincial objectives and principles.
iii) Continue provincial funding for accessible and affordable public transportation systems. Include the less obvious but very strong needs of those living in rural and remote parts of Ontario.
2. During uncertain economic times, should the Ontario Government work towards achieving a balanced budget or run a deficit in order to do everything it can to protect priority programs and services? Ontario should run a deficit but ensure that the programs it is running meet the intended needs for which they were designed. Make certain that appropriate accountability measures are in place and that incentives are there to create efficiencies that could lead to better and more service provision without the loss of employment. One simple example is the employment of geriatricians in Saskatchewan hospitals. This has led to a reduction of unnecessary hospital admissions of older persons which has, in turn, saved money and allowed for a better allocation of human and financial resources.

3. Given the current fiscal challenges, what government programs could be delayed, phased in more slowly, or eliminated?
i) Slow down the building of large new nuclear plants. Instead, focus funding on renewable energy technology and the three Rs - reduce, reuse and recycle.
ii) The delayed funding of new nuclear power stations could free up resources to foster the research and incubation of new technologies.
iii) CPC Ontario supports a critical review of all programs and tax expenditures. Ontario must ensure these are meeting the program needs for which they were intended. Governments, like business, can usually find savings if they ask their front line workers what is working and what is not and how can the latter be improved. Of course it is important to assure workers that such advice will not lead to lay-offs but will help with more effective and efficient program delivery.
4. What further steps can the Ontario Government take to promote economic growth and development?
i) We believe governments should use tax expenditures to support innovation and the acquisition of new technologies. Ontario needs to show its commitment to the public and the private sector. It will support corporations that demonstrate their commitment to reinvestment in both their employees and new technology.
ii) We urge Ontario to resist pressures to reduce its support for the arts and arts education. These activities are vital to our society's social and economic well?being particularly at times of economic uncertainty.
5. How can the Ontario Government work more effectively with other levels of government and other key partners during challenging economic times?

Provincial partners
i) It is important to accelerate inter-provincial talks and agreements to eliminate all barriers to inter-provincial trade. For example, provincial preferences for contracts at the provincial and municipal level and targeted provincial subsidies to provincially-located corporations.
ii) Ontario should accelerate inter-provincial talks and agreements to eliminate all barriers to the movement of workers between provinces.
iii) The harmonization of professional certification requirements is essential while recognizing and maintaining the special French language needs of Québec.
Federal Government
i) Ontario must insist that the Employment Insurance Program ends discrimination against workers in this province on either the eligibility for income received or the number of required weeks worked to become eligible for employment insurance.
ii) Contract work is a growing segment of the labour force. It is urgent to put programs in place to ensure such workers access to employment insurance and pension benefits.
iii) Ontario needs to engage the federal government in partnerships to renew, replace and develop much needed infrastructure to help Ontarians meet the environmental and technological demands of a twenty-first century economy. This is a well-recognized government employment generation policy that will contribute to the betterment of society in both the short and long term. Bureaucratic delays must not be used as excuses for not getting the money flowing.
iv) Canadian economic growth and development depends on the modernization of our systems of communication. We urge both governments to complete the strategy of bringing broad-band internet communication to all regions of the province.
v) The government needs to continue to partner with the federal government in ongoing support for research and excellence in both the private sector and post-secondary institutions.
vi) We urge you to get the federal government to develop a National Housing Strategy with clear policies and programs. The main tool for this strategy should be the re-introduction and re-investment by CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) in the affordable housing sector.
Private Sector

CPC recommends three possible strategies.
i) Use tax expenditures that strongly encourage employers to adopt technological improvements that will enable them to compete successfully in the 21st century.
ii) Work with employers and post-secondary institutions to ensure the educational needs of workers are being met so that the companies can remain competitive.
iii) Enable or even demand that technological high speed communications systems are created and are available across the province.
First Nations Communities
i) Ontario must work in partnership with the First Nations communities to tackle the underlying causes of depravation - poor housing, contaminated water, low educational achievement levels, or little if any economic development.
ii) It is important for the First Nations governance and their communities, that Ontario continue to facilitate the education and development of First Nations administrators. This will ultimately help to ensure good governance and good management for these communities.

Thank you for the opportunity to present our ideas to you. We believe that public consultations are an important step in engaging the public in developing policies. This process can bring new ideas and approaches.
A Brief with the same principles was presented to the federal Minister of Finance in January 2009. It can be viewed at www.canpension.ca