On February 25th, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty disrupted the Heritage Dinner fundraiser for the Ontario Liberal Party, and its special guest the Hon. Dalton McGuinty, MPP.
They said:
"This evening, rich supporters of the Ontario Liberal Party are paying $950 a plate and $9500 a table at a lavish fundraiser. These people can spend more on a meal than people on welfare and disability have to live on for a month."
"The Liberals talk about 'poverty reduction' but the reality is that, well into their second term of office, people on social assistance live on incomes that have lost 55% of their spending power since 1995. We are even poorer today than we were under Mike Harris."
"The one handhold that poor people have been able to use to limit their poverty, is a program known as the Special Diet. This provides up to $250 a month if a medical provider considers it necessary.
In the last number of years, more and more poor people have become aware of the Special Diet. The misery and suffering that is being inflicted on those losing the Special Diet is enormous and OCAP is here to challenge it."
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