Have Your Say: Isn’t it time we start the talk?

To the Editors,

The COVID pandemic has shown that there is true major social and economic difference in our society. It was so obvious that even Premier Ford has given $4/hour to workers now considered essential workers. 

Remember, this is the same Premier who cancelled the living wage program before it even was a year old and killed the second increase to minimum wage because it was too costly. It would kill business and cost jobs.

It turned out the first increase to $14/ hour actually did the exact opposite. It started the economy to really heat up. Created thousands of jobs. 

The United Way of Haldimand Norfolk did a study and found a living wage for this area was $16.58 based on two people in the house earning that amount. Well if a senior receives the average CPP payment, plus OAS, you will have $1,286.40 per month on average or about $8.04/hour (based on a 40-hour week with 4 weeks in a month). Under the current Ontario Provincial Disability benefits you are eligible to receive on average $1,169 per month, or $7.31/hour. In my humble opinion, this is not how we should treat our most vulnerable people. So how do we pay to bring all these people up to a living wage?