The key to social responsibility is the just distribution of social, economic and natural resources, both locally and globally. The Green Tax Shift focuses on distributing natural resources more effectively, but we are responsible for ensuring that the costs of this shift are not borne unduly by those with a low standard of living.

The Green Party of Ontario believes that unlimited consumption of non-renewable resources is impossible. However, everyone has a right to a standard of living that enables them to participate fully in their community, and a sufficient income to enable this. Ontario needs to better meet the needs of low-income people.

Income Support

Income support ensures that all Ontarians’ basic needs are met, regardless of their ability to earn a living in the conventional economy. It empowers people to take greater responsibility for their lives and enables them to participate in their community.

To achieve these objectives, the Green Party of Ontario will:

■ Introduce legislation to index Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) payments to the rate of inflation. Since these payments have been frozen for over a decade, every time the cost of living goes up, recipients’ real income goes down. This prevents people from working their way out of poverty.

■ Adjust OW and ODSP shelter allowances to reflect average local rents as defined by CMHC. The GPO would ensure that OW and ODSP shelter allowances are reflective of the actual rents people pay across Ontario.

■ Increase the legislated minimum wage until a person working 40 hours per week at this wage earns more than the Statistics Canada poverty line, then index the minimum wage to the rate of inflation. The Green Party supports implementing the proposed $10.25 minimum wage by June 2008.

■ Introduce legislation to set all welfare rates across the province at the low-income cut-off rate set by Statistics Canada for major urban centres, so that recipients can move to rural areas without penalty.

■ Stop the provincial claw-back of the National Child Benefit Supplement.

■ Create a multi-stakeholder Ontario Food Policy Council (OFPC) within the Ministry of Health Promotion to advise the government on policies to guarantee food security, access to nutritious local food and adequate farm incomes. The OFPC will include members from farm organizations, anti-poverty and anti-hunger NGOs, immigrant organizations, the food processing and distribution sector, nutritionists and health care providers.

Equitable access to services

■ Create a provincial “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy in all provincially funded community support systems and services, including within public services and the broader public sector, to ensure that refugee and immigrant men and women of tenuous legal status can access systems and community services without fear of detention or deportation.

Family Time, Leisure and Culture

 

A healthy society needs leisure time with family, friends and neighbours. The Green Party believes a healthy, productive community needs to promote the arts, culture, tourism, recreation and sports.

To achieve these goals, the Green Party of Ontario will:

■ Protect the natural heritage needed to sustain and enrich Ontario’s eco-tourism industry.

■ Support community programs, cultural centres, teen drop-in centres and sport activities for young people.

■ Increase access to theatres, galleries, museums, music and community events.

■ Provide $45 million in additional funding per year to increase access to schools for community groups.