Sample letter as suggested by ISAC, to send to the Premier and Deb Matthews etc. (To be updated in the wake of the Throne Speech) Dear X [fill in], As a supporter of efforts to end poverty in Ontario, I look forward to hearing further detail in the November 29th Throne Speech about your government’s commitment to a Poverty Reduction Strategy for Ontario. I will be looking to hear more about the government’s dedication to poverty reduction and your plans regarding: targets, consultations, policies and resources. As we know from other jurisdictions, setting and tracking targets is critical to following through on good intentions. Many in the province have called for poverty reduction targets of minimum 25% in 5 years, and 50% within the decade. I also look forward to hearing about your plans to consult with Ontarians about what should be included in a poverty reduction plan. Low income people, community and civic leaders, policy thinkers, and business representatives, all need to be involved in discussions about the kinds of policies that will make a difference. Start with the principle that a hard day’s work should equal a fair day’s pay, through minimum wage increases and stepping up the enforcement of labour standards. Give families real income security by bolstering the newly created Ontario Child Benefit and providing adequate systems of support for those who cannot work full time. Make affordable housing and quality child care top provincial priorities, and ensure that everyone in our society has real access to medical and dental care. Finally, good intentions and a great plan will remain stalled unless backed by significant resources. I will be listening to the November 29th Throne Speech as an important signal of the Ontario government’s commitment to fulfill your election promise to make poverty reduction a priority in this mandate. Yours sincerely, [your name and address here] Premier's e-mail address: dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org Deb Matthews e-mail: dmatthews.mpp@liberal.ola.org Lists of MPP's, other organizations = geocities.com/torontodisabilityaction/links.html