Ontario 2011 Provincial Election Comparison of Four Major Political Party Platforms October 2011
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Ontario 2011 Provincial Election Comparison of Four Major Political Party Platforms October 2011 The following table compares the platform positions of the four major provincial political parties with RNAO’s key expectations for the next government as set out in Creating Vibrant Communities: RNAO’s Challenge to Ontario’s Political Parties.1 Platform commitments in the table are based on the policies and costing available from the four party websites. Only those commitments that address demands in RNAO’s own platform are included. Numbers in brackets correspond with the platform page on which the commitment is made. Unless otherwise specified, expenditure commitments are annual levels that would be reached after four years. RNAO Position LIBERAL PLATFORM PC PLATFORM NDP PLATFORM GREEN PLATFORM COMMITMENTS2 COMMITMENTS3 4 COMMITMENTS56 7 COMMITMENTS8 A. Strengthen Social Determinants, Equity and Healthy Communities Implement Poverty Reduction Plan Increase the Ontario Push for expanded with multi-year sustainable funding Child Benefit from Canada Pension Plan $1,100 to $1,310 in and develop an Ontario 2013. (47) Retirement Plan. (15) Create a new dental care program that will provide emergency dental care to 50,000 low-income adults each year using unspent funds from the government’s 2008 Healthy Smiles Ontario program. (Affordable Housing and Anti- Poverty Plan) Monitor poverty reduction plan to Will set the next poverty Take prompt action on ensure action for those historically reduction target to the recommendations of continue making the Commission for the Ontario 2011 Provincial Election Comparison of Four Major Political Party Platforms 1 RNAO Position LIBERAL PLATFORM PC PLATFORM NDP PLATFORM GREEN PLATFORM COMMITMENTS2 COMMITMENTS3 4 COMMITMENTS56 7 COMMITMENTS8 over-represented in poverty progress on this Review on Social important issue. (47) Assistance and develop a new five-year poverty reduction strategy with targets in 2013. (Affordable Housing and Anti-Poverty Plan) Increase minimum wage to Create advisory Increase minimum wage $13.25/hour with annual cost of living committee representing to $11.00 this year and increases both business and index to the cost of workers to recommend living. (26) on minimum wage increases and report prior to 2012 Ontario Budget (http://www.news.ontario .ca/mol/en/2011/02/201 1-minimum-wage-rate- set---highest-of- canadian-provinces.html ) Enforce Employment Standards Act to Increase Employment improve protection of vulnerable Standards enforcement. workers by hiring 30 new enforcement officers (26). Work with federal gov’t to expand EI Continue to work closely eligibility and benefits with the federal government to ensure review of the EI system will end longstanding discrimination against Ontario’s workers and businesses and complement Ontario’s Ontario 2011 Provincial Election Comparison of Four Major Political Party Platforms 2 RNAO Position LIBERAL PLATFORM PC PLATFORM NDP PLATFORM GREEN PLATFORM COMMITMENTS2 COMMITMENTS3 4 COMMITMENTS56 7 COMMITMENTS8 own reforms to social assistance. (51) Transform social assistance from Building on the Allow those who receive Immediately increase punitive rules, and raise rates government’s Poverty Ontario Works and OW and ODSP rates to significantly to reflect actual cost of Reduction Strategy, a Ontario Disability ensure they keep up living review of social Support assistance who with inflation while the assistance programs work part-time to keep review of social was launched more of their benefits assistance is conducted. in November 2010 and and ease their transition (Affordable Housing and is being led by Frances from social assistance to Anti-Poverty Plan) Lankin and Munir a job. (30) Sheikh. The review, Streamline the social 50 per cent increase to which will be completed assistance system rules. the Work-Related by June 2012, will: (1) (30) Benefit for all ODSP recommend ways to Require those who are recipients with improve people’s ability entitled to receive employment earnings to find and keep jobs assistance to reside in (up to $150/month). and guarantee security Ontario for one year End the clawback on the for people who cannot before collecting first $300 of monthly work; (2) examine and benefits. (30) earnings for ODSP determine the Lifetime ban for the recipients who take a effectiveness of social “worst repeat offenders job (the benefit will last assistance in Ontario of welfare fraud”. (33) for the first 12 months of and its role in relation to employment). (26) other parts of Canada’s income security system; and (3) provide for a system that is simple to understand, easy to access, financially sustainable and accountable to taxpayers (http://www.fin.gov.on.ca /en/budget/ontariobudge Ontario 2011 Provincial Election Comparison of Four Major Political Party Platforms 3 RNAO Position LIBERAL PLATFORM PC PLATFORM NDP PLATFORM GREEN PLATFORM COMMITMENTS2 COMMITMENTS3 4 COMMITMENTS56 7 COMMITMENTS8 ts/2011/ch1c.html#c1_s ecC_SA ) $100/month Healthy Food Supplement Legislate human right to adequate housing Implement Ontario Human Rights Commission recommendations to address rental housing discrimination Fast-track housing plan, including new Consider options for Phase in a new housing affordable housing, renovate existing delivering a new benefit over five years stock, community-based housing and housing benefit for that will help almost services Ontarians who 200,000 low-income are struggling. (47) individuals and families to better afford their Work with municipalities, rent. When fully phased non-profits and in, the average benefit developers to identify will be $96/month for opportunities to help individuals and create affordable $120/month for families. housing. (47) The program will cost $240 million a year when fully implemented. Commit to a 10-year affordable housing plan to build 50,000 new affordable housing units. With sustained provincial funding reaching $150 million a year, this will build over Ontario 2011 Provincial Election Comparison of Four Major Political Party Platforms 4 RNAO Position LIBERAL PLATFORM PC PLATFORM NDP PLATFORM GREEN PLATFORM COMMITMENTS2 COMMITMENTS3 4 COMMITMENTS56 7 COMMITMENTS8 14,000 units in the next four years. (Affordable Housing and Anti-Poverty Plan) Implement provincial breastfeeding strategy Fully implement With Our Best Future Ensure any family that Implement full-day in Mind report wants their child kindergarten for all four to attend full-day and five-year olds by kindergarten will be able 2014. (21) to do so by 2014. That’s 50,000 students now and growing to 250,000 in 2014. (17) Increased presence of school nurses Advocate for national affordable, regulated, not-for-profit child care program Build new affordable child care spaces Work with partners to A two-year $250 million modernize Ontario’s dollar investment in child childcare system and care to freeze child care support centres as they fees and keep centres transition to offering from closing. affordable care to families with younger children. (48) Equitable access in public education, 30 per cent across-the- Require colleges and Freeze tuition for 2012- freeze tuition fees and increase board, postsecondary universities to compete 2013 while maintaining access to needs-based grants for undergraduate tuition for up to 60,000 post- university and college post-secondary grant. That means – secondary spaces, budgets, index tuition every year – the families finding new ways to to rate of inflation from of five out of six ensure access, 2013-2015. (5) students will save affordability and Ontario 2011 Provincial Election Comparison of Four Major Political Party Platforms 5 RNAO Position LIBERAL PLATFORM PC PLATFORM NDP PLATFORM GREEN PLATFORM COMMITMENTS2 COMMITMENTS3 4 COMMITMENTS56 7 COMMITMENTS8 $1,600 per student in excellence. (22) university and $730 per student in college.(46) Strengthen human rights protection including list gender identity as prohibited ground of discrimination and harassment, and sexual orientation as prohibited ground of harassment Other: Not specific to RNAO platform but consistent with RNAO’s advocacy Advocacy for healthy public policies to Create a Council on “Make it easier to make Coordinate a address childhood obesity9 Childhood Obesity healthy choices…start comprehensive healthy whose goal will be a 20 by providing support to school food program. per cent reduction of the new moms, ensuring (11) childhood obesity rate mandatory physical within 5 years. education in secondary Provide all elementary school classrooms, school children with a banning advertising of healthy snack junk food aimed at program, exposing more children and making students to fresh, calorie labeling on nutritious foods and menus in large chain building healthy eating restaurants the law”. habits. Double the (39) Children’s Activity Tax Credit from $50 to $100 per child. (37) Ontario 2011 Provincial Election Comparison of Four Major Political Party Platforms 6 RNAO Position LIBERAL PLATFORM PC PLATFORM NDP PLATFORM GREEN PLATFORM COMMITMENTS COMMITMENTS COMMITMENTS COMMITMENTS B. Building Sustainable, Green Communities Implement climate change Finish replacing coal with Meaningful and practical Develop a plan within the plan with target reduction cleaner energy by 2014. efforts to address climate first year for Ontario to of greenhouse gases of at (27) change, including closing meet climate targets of 20 least 25% from 1990 by coal plants by 2014, make per cent below 1990 2020 and 80% by 2050 government buildings levels