Resolutions for Your Consideration at the meeting February 15, 2017
(Resolutions that pass will go to the Ontario NDP Policy Convention in April)
Make Donations to Party Fairer for All
WHEREAS the generous tax breaks received through federal and provincial tax regulations rewards only those with taxable income, and
WHEREAS this tax break penalizes those who are in a lower income bracket, because Ontarians with lower income pay for their donations in full without benefits from tax rebates, and
WHEREAS the above difference of political donations creates more incentive to those in higher income to participate in democracy and excludes those in lower income which in turn creates lack of representation for lower income Ontarians,
BE IT RESOLVED that the NDP will advocate for changes to the political contribution portion within the federal and provincial tax regulations, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NDP will work to create a fairer tax system, including a rebate system that benefits those in a lower income bracket when it comes to donations to political parties.
WHEREAS the generous tax breaks received through federal and provincial tax regulations rewards only those with taxable income, and
WHEREAS this tax break penalizes those who are in a lower income bracket, because Ontarians with lower income pay for their donations in full without benefits from tax rebates, and
WHEREAS the above difference of political donations creates more incentive to those in higher income to participate in democracy and excludes those in lower income which in turn creates lack of representation for lower income Ontarians,
BE IT RESOLVED that the NDP will advocate for changes to the political contribution portion within the federal and provincial tax regulations, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NDP will work to create a fairer tax system, including a rebate system that benefits those in a lower income bracket when it comes to donations to political parties.
Amalgamation of School Boards
WHEREAS the government of Ontario needs to consider all opportunities for significant cost savings; and
WHEREAS Ontario is the only province to fund public and separate school boards; and
WHEREAS annual cost savings in excess of $1 Billion per year could be achieved; and
WHEREAS Ontario Provincial funding of religious schools of the Catholic faith exclusively has led the United Nations Human Rights Committee to censure Canada for religious discrimination in 1999 and again in 2005; and
BE IT RESOLVED that the NDP urges the Ontario Government to merge the English Public and Catholic School Boards into one unified publicly funded English School Board; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NDP urges the Ontario Government to merge the French Public and Catholic School Boards into another unified publicly funded school French board.
WHEREAS the government of Ontario needs to consider all opportunities for significant cost savings; and
WHEREAS Ontario is the only province to fund public and separate school boards; and
WHEREAS annual cost savings in excess of $1 Billion per year could be achieved; and
WHEREAS Ontario Provincial funding of religious schools of the Catholic faith exclusively has led the United Nations Human Rights Committee to censure Canada for religious discrimination in 1999 and again in 2005; and
BE IT RESOLVED that the NDP urges the Ontario Government to merge the English Public and Catholic School Boards into one unified publicly funded English School Board; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NDP urges the Ontario Government to merge the French Public and Catholic School Boards into another unified publicly funded school French board.
Basic Income Guarantee
WHEREAS Ontario is planning a pilot project to determine the viability, feasibility and nature of introducing a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) in the Province to begin 2017; and
WHEREAS Hugh Segal has been retained to develop terms of reference, one of which is to do away with current welfare and disability programs; and
WHEREAS More citizens are struggling with precarious employment as the economy sheds good manufacturing jobs and picks up more poor-paying service sector jobs; and
WHEREAS Automation is accelerating and already taking many workers’ jobs, thereby removing even more citizens from the tax rolls and increasing the number that would be eligible for a Basic Income Guarantee; and
WHEREAS Government revenues have been falling as resources are left in the ground and citizens’ incomes shrink, and as tax cuts for corporations remain among the lowest in the OECD; and
WHEREAS It is doubtful (with ‘decades of deficits’ on the horizon) governments will not be able to afford to pay a basic income that would raise people out of poverty if current welfare programs were replaced.; and
WHEREAS Basic Income Guarantee is gaining support from Liberals, Conservatives and corporations and may therefore become a reality; and
WHEREAS Corporations will use a Basic Income Guarantee (as they have the minimum wage) as an excuse not to provide their employees with a living wage, essentially turning Basic Income into a public subsidy for private profit and citizens into the ultimate ‘flexible’ workforce.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Ontario NDP support a Basic Income Guarantee with the stipulation that a living wage should be implemented at the same time as or before the Basic Income Guarantee; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the ONDP pressure the current government to replace its current poverty-wage minimum wage legislation with living wage legislation as stipulated in the ONDP policy book; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the ONDP insist that a Basic Income Guarantee cover 100% of the Low Income Measure.
WHEREAS Ontario is planning a pilot project to determine the viability, feasibility and nature of introducing a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) in the Province to begin 2017; and
WHEREAS Hugh Segal has been retained to develop terms of reference, one of which is to do away with current welfare and disability programs; and
WHEREAS More citizens are struggling with precarious employment as the economy sheds good manufacturing jobs and picks up more poor-paying service sector jobs; and
WHEREAS Automation is accelerating and already taking many workers’ jobs, thereby removing even more citizens from the tax rolls and increasing the number that would be eligible for a Basic Income Guarantee; and
WHEREAS Government revenues have been falling as resources are left in the ground and citizens’ incomes shrink, and as tax cuts for corporations remain among the lowest in the OECD; and
WHEREAS It is doubtful (with ‘decades of deficits’ on the horizon) governments will not be able to afford to pay a basic income that would raise people out of poverty if current welfare programs were replaced.; and
WHEREAS Basic Income Guarantee is gaining support from Liberals, Conservatives and corporations and may therefore become a reality; and
WHEREAS Corporations will use a Basic Income Guarantee (as they have the minimum wage) as an excuse not to provide their employees with a living wage, essentially turning Basic Income into a public subsidy for private profit and citizens into the ultimate ‘flexible’ workforce.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Ontario NDP support a Basic Income Guarantee with the stipulation that a living wage should be implemented at the same time as or before the Basic Income Guarantee; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the ONDP pressure the current government to replace its current poverty-wage minimum wage legislation with living wage legislation as stipulated in the ONDP policy book; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the ONDP insist that a Basic Income Guarantee cover 100% of the Low Income Measure.
Payday Loan Companies
WHEREAS the economy of Ontario has turned from a healthy, well-paid, union-supported manufacturing base to a low-paid, precarious service-based economy in which unions are all but excluded; and
WHEREAS we know that citizens are in dire straits, especially in rural areas of the Province – use of food banks in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound jumped 92% between 2013 and 2015; and
WHEREAS the predatory practices of payday loan companies prey on the working poor and are accumulating profit from the poor state of the economy; and
WHEREAS the usurious interest rates demanded by payday loan companies can be 500%/yr or higher which can trap families in need of cash in never-ending debt; and
WHEREAS Ontario’s recent legislation (Bill 156--Putting Consumers First Act) only nibbles at the problem by reducing the highest fees from 21% to 18% (then to 15%) on a $100 loan, shortening the term of the loan, and prohibiting a new loan until the previous loan has been paid; and
WHEREAS Ontario owned, from 1922 until 2003, the profitable Ontario Savings Offices, an institution that could be used to give short term loans until its the assets were sold by the Provincial government in 2003.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the ONDP, to deal with the usury of payday loan companies, pressure the current government to abolish the minimum wage and adopt a living wage in its place as instructed in the ONDP Policy Book; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the ONDP pressure the current government to authorize existing institutions (or create a new institution or pressure the federal government to mandate Canada Post) to offer temporary loans of fixed periods at a reasonable rate of return (under 10%); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the ONDP pressure the government to authorize such an institution to offer micro-loans to assist worthy entrepreneurial enterprises, coupled with advice on business planning and budgeting.
WHEREAS the economy of Ontario has turned from a healthy, well-paid, union-supported manufacturing base to a low-paid, precarious service-based economy in which unions are all but excluded; and
WHEREAS we know that citizens are in dire straits, especially in rural areas of the Province – use of food banks in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound jumped 92% between 2013 and 2015; and
WHEREAS the predatory practices of payday loan companies prey on the working poor and are accumulating profit from the poor state of the economy; and
WHEREAS the usurious interest rates demanded by payday loan companies can be 500%/yr or higher which can trap families in need of cash in never-ending debt; and
WHEREAS Ontario’s recent legislation (Bill 156--Putting Consumers First Act) only nibbles at the problem by reducing the highest fees from 21% to 18% (then to 15%) on a $100 loan, shortening the term of the loan, and prohibiting a new loan until the previous loan has been paid; and
WHEREAS Ontario owned, from 1922 until 2003, the profitable Ontario Savings Offices, an institution that could be used to give short term loans until its the assets were sold by the Provincial government in 2003.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the ONDP, to deal with the usury of payday loan companies, pressure the current government to abolish the minimum wage and adopt a living wage in its place as instructed in the ONDP Policy Book; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the ONDP pressure the current government to authorize existing institutions (or create a new institution or pressure the federal government to mandate Canada Post) to offer temporary loans of fixed periods at a reasonable rate of return (under 10%); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the ONDP pressure the government to authorize such an institution to offer micro-loans to assist worthy entrepreneurial enterprises, coupled with advice on business planning and budgeting.
