The COVID-19 crisis means that more people than ever are relying on support from the government to help us pay rent, and keep food on the table. But most people in Ontario who receive social assistance aren’t eligible for the new $2000 a month Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) — they’re expected to get by on as little as $650 a month. This is important so that homeless ODSP and OW clients have a shot at renting somewhere to live at average market rent since affordable, subsidized, rent geared to income housing is unavailable at this time and may be unavailable for the next 10 to 20 years due to a huge waiting list and zero vacancies. Clients need to eat as well as pay rent and since clients would still have to dip into their Basic Needs Allowances to cover rent because even doubling the Shelter Allowance still won't cover all of the rent at today's prices. Needed meds and other things not covered by the MSN forms have to be paid for out if Basic Needs and some of these items are very expensive, like medical cannabis, so along with needing healthy food a huge increase is called for here as well.

We are living in a world where our government attempts to contain the spread of Covid-19 by suspending Charter freedoms of association, religion and peaceful assembly, and the rights to mobility, liberty and security of the person. Alberta residents share the following concerns with the Justice Centre and its litigators: The Justice Centre’s concerns regarding Bill 10: 1. It provides sweeping and extraordinary powers to any...single politician [to] write, create, implement and enforce any new law, simply through ministerial order, without the new law being discussed, scrutinized, debated or approved by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. 2. There is no clear limitation as to how long [the] restrictions and new laws can continue. 3. The new law can be made retroactive to the time when the public health emergency was declared. 4. The maximum penalty for contravening the Public Health Act from $2,000 to $100,000 (1st offence) and from $5,000 to $500,000 (2nd offence). Jay Cameron’s, Litigation Manager for the Justice Centre, concerns with Bill 10: 1. “Albertans have a constitutional right to have their elected representatives involved in the making of new laws, especially the making of laws which dramatically infringe on their own civil liberties.” 2. “This concentration of power in one individual, without meaningful accountability, opens the door for widespread abuse of civilians.” John Carpay, President of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has stated that, “Under our Constitution, Canada’s federal and provincial governments can take steps to try to control an unmanageable spread of Covid-19. But any restrictions on Charter rights and freedoms must be proportionate, rooted in the proper context... and balanced against the profound destruction to Canada’s economy and social fabric, and all of the suffering that government measures now inflict on Canadians.” Carpay has also described the repercussions of our government’s decisions as such, “Inflicting unemployment on millions of Canadians, as governments are now doing, means that less money will be available to run our healthcare systems, leading to more deaths in the long run. Rising unemployment and bankruptcies, with millions of Canadians suffering a massive loss of income, will lead to mental and physical health problems, more suicides and more domestic violence. Social isolation means depriving Canadians of healthy social interactions, likewise resulting in more mental and physical health problems, and resultant deaths.” Carpay ultimately stated, “that the ‘just trust us’ [approach] will not satisfy a court if a federal, provincial or municipal restriction is challenged for violating Charter rights and freedoms. Rather, the Charter places the onus on the government to demonstrate a justification for its violations of rights and freedoms.”

Retraité de 72 ans et citoyen actif, j'avais réintégré le marché du travail à temps partiel. Depuis la décision de Monsieur Legault, je me sens exclu de la société. Êtes-vous plusieurs à penser comme moi? Notre pays n'a-t-il pas besoin de personnes de 70 ans expérimentées et de bonne volonté ? Le plus nous aurons de signatures, plus la demande adressée à Monsieur Legault de modifier l'âge à 75 ans aura de poids.

The financial needs of Canadian university students are unaddressed by the Federal Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both current students and recent graduates are unable to work in an economy that has been almost completely suspended. This will result in an accumulation of cost-of-living debt: some will be forced to take on large debt-loads via credit card, while others will go yet further into their student loans. This is unacceptable. This pandemic is out of the control of Canadian students, who are in a uniquely precarious situation. Though the government has taken a first step in temporarily deferring interest and loan payments, this action only assists a fraction of Canadian students, and neither does it address the fact that all will incur debt that they would otherwise have been able to mitigate in some way. Most Canadian students do not currently qualify for CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit). This vulnerability should be addressed, especially since the economic repercussions of this pandemic will persist with unknown and potentially devastating consequences.

This is an important issue because these front line workers are putting their lives to take care of people with disabilities and seniors and deserve social and economic justice.

Fare-free transit is critical to providing a safe work environment for bus drivers during the Covid-19 pandemic: it allows back door boarding to allow physical distancing between drivers and passengers. As the economic recovery occurs post-pandemic, maintaining fare-free transit will allow all community members to access transportation as people get back on their feet.

It’s important because we need to be counted also. If the liberal government can increase their wages anytime they want - why is it so hard to do for people who have paid in all of their lives? And are not receiving as much as they should be entitled to?

At this time of needed huge fiscal stimulus, why would our federal government, rather than creating the money interest free, cover the deficit by borrowing money from Banks and wealthy purchasers of other debt instruments? There is no need to create this debt burden, further feed the record wealth gap and barriers to eventual recovery, along with all the other upheavals taking place. Where we are left is well explained in : https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/the-bank-of-canada-should-be-reinstated-to-its-original-mandated-purposes

Currently the government is calling for retired physicians and nurses to re-register to deal with COVID-19 pandemic, and their services are so appreciated; however, we are neglecting the fact that we also have a sizeable number of Internationally-trained health professionals who have come to Canada from various avenues, from skilled migrants to refugees, who have the skills to help in this crisis, but currently cannot practice because it is exceedingly difficult to have their credentials recognized. It makes little sense in this time of crisis that there are members of our community who may need medical assistance at the same time as having members of our communities who could help but are currently not allowed to practice. It is worth mentioning that one of the main reasons for the occurrence of medical errors is a high workload of physicians. Therefore, recruitment of IMGs can improve the quality of care from different aspects, make medical services accessible to all Canadians, and prevent much harm to IMGs and their families. The current bylaw amendments proposed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (read more here: https://globalnews.ca/news/6774818/bc-associate-physician-foreign-trained-doctors-coronavirus/) is a step in the right direction, and we applaud the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and the Ministry of Health for taking action. However, we believe more needs to be done to strengthen this amendment to help British Columbians, and the IMGs during this time and for the future. Now is the time to let a group of highly skilled New Canadians be part of the solution to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. As Dr John Blatherwick, former Medical Health Officer of Vancouver Coastal Health said: “Now is the time for us to consider foreign-trained graduates that we have in our community. We have an army of physicians, who can help bravely… This is a good time to sit down and say, Okay! We haven’t tackled this problem. We wasted all those people’s talents, and now we could use them.”

Did you know, that if one spouse works full time, and the other receives ODSP Disability income, if that working spouse, gets furloughed, or laid off, and applies for the Covid 19 federal support benefit, ODSP will claw back those funds from the ODSP Recipients benefit dollar for dollar? How does this allow workers, to support their vulnerable family members? This was the answer from the ODSP Disability office, to my disabled husband, who recently suffered a heart attack! Why is this happening during a National Emergency and global pandemic? What use, will the Federal Assistance be, to a furloughed worker, if it is deducted dollar for dollar by the Province? It leaves us in the same reduced financial situation! No income from work, and having to live solely, on the paltry amount left over after clawbacks by ODSP? How can a worker help his/her vulnerable family members to prepare for sheltering at home, and purchase enough supplies to survive, in this national and global pandemic? Yet, both Federal and Provincial Governments strongly advise us to stay home? With the ODSP mandates, as they stand, how is this possible? I find it strange that neither the Federal Government, nor Provincial Government, has even addressed this? There is literally a media blackout on these questions. Why is this so? In calling a certain MPP's office, to ask these same questions, one of the responses given to me by his Representative, was; "We don't want anyone defrauding the system...not you of course!" This obviously insensitive, and cruel comment, should not be directed to the public by a Representative, speaking on behalf of an elected Official! Especially during a health crisis! I don't see how a worker, asking legitimate questions, has anything to with "defrauding" the Province! I don't understand why no one is addressing ODSP Disability Recipients, directly, in their public messages, to alleviate the stress and uncertainty, to answer any questions during a global pandemic? Seems cruel to ignore the most vulnerable...when the Provincial Government "claims" they wish to "protect ALL the People in Ontario?" Does the Federal Government know that this is happening, at the provincial level, during this crisis? The discretionary funds promised by the Provincial Government, to ODSP Recipients are not available at ODSP Offices. ODSP Caseworkers, whom have received many calls, have no information to offer, nor funding! There are many, including low-income senior citizens and ODSP Disability Recipients, out of food and supplies. Not only due to having little or no funding, but unable to obtain their necessities due to others' hoarding!

This will give all of us some hope during the pandemic and the future.

Hundreds of thousands of people across the country are in dire need of support during this crisis, but they are excluded from accessing the support of CERB. Many students do not qualify. If students made less than $5K in 2019, they don’t qualify — even if they didn’t have time to earn an income on top of full-time studies. Graduating students that are entering the job market do not qualify even though they have no income and are likely carrying heavy debt loads. People collecting disability benefits could be left behind. If you’ve lost a job or other income source to COVID-19, but you also receive some form of support — like disability pay — you don’t qualify. Many part-time workers are not eligible. Part-time workers who have had their hours cut back, but still have some income,do not qualify. If someone has two jobs and loses one of them, they cannot access CERB. Even if their income is reduced to almost nothing, they won’t be able to access the CERB. These exclusions are real people who — without support from CERB — won’t be able to pay their bills or feed their kids. In a crisis of this magnitude, we need to make sure everyone has their basic needs met. . But the CERB program as it currently stands excludes millions. We still have a chance to make it better — a chance to ensure no one is left behind. Will you add your name?