[mobglob-discuss] [Fwd: [ocap] QUEEN'S PARK HUNGER CLINIC]

[Graeme Bacque]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[ocap] QUEEN'S PARK HUNGER CLINIC
Date: 	Wed, 12 Oct 2005 16:36:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: 	OCAP <ocap at tao.ca>
To: 	ocap at masses.tao.ca



QUEEN'S PARK HUNGER CLINIC
One Thousand Poor People Take Special Diet from McGuinty's Doorstep
Government Set to Respond by Stripping Special Diet Provisions
----------------------------------------------------------------------

  On October 3, nearly forty medical providers, a thousand people in need
of the Special Diet and hundreds of supporters came to the lawns of the
Legislature of Ontario. Over the next few hours, OCAP's Hunger Clinic
achieved exactly what it had set out to do. All who had registered as
patients were diagnosed a partial cure for their poverty and hunger -
$250 a month for decent and healthy food.

 The whole event was hugely successful.  There were opening speeches from
OCAP, from allies and from those who were standing up against the poverty
of their families and communities.  A huge meal was provided to all who
came out.  A children's area ensured that the hundreds of kids present
were well cared for.

 Five makeshift medical offices provided consulting areas for people from
all over the City and from a range of other Ontario towns.  About $3
million in diet allowance will be released to poor people over the next
year because of this action.

 Dozens and dozens of people worked to make the Clinic happen.  Thanks to
all who donated food and money, who lugged the equipment in and out, who
gave of their time and medical expertise or helped in other ways too
numerous to list.  Thanks most of all to the hundreds of poor people who
came to Queen's Park and took a stand against their poverty.  It was not
a day Dalton McGuinty will want to look back on.

 Now that the Hunger Clinic is over, we face a decisive fight to defend
the Supplement.  We have learned that within the next couple of weeks,
the Liberals plan to bring in a new application form that will require
the provider to list specific medical conditions when diagnosing need for
extra nutrition and eliminate hunger and inadequate income as possible
reasons for prescribing the supplement.  The fact that not one of the
760,000 in Ontario on social assistance can afford to buy what the Canada
Food Guide says they must have to be healthy is going to be set aside.
The Liberals will try to reimpose hunger on the families who have escaped
it and to block the exit route for those seeking the Supplement.

 The Government is preparing to take this "emergency measure" on the
grounds that medical practitioners are being harassed into filling out 
special diet forms, ignoring the impressive medical support for this 
campaign, which includes the endorsement of the Toronto Board of Health.
In fact, we have found that quite the opposite is true: it is Social
Services workers and management who are intimidating medical
practitioners.  Time and again we have encountered situations in which
bureaucrats, even at the highest levels, have called medical practitioners
to question their issuance of the supplement.  The result being that many
have stopped agreeing to sign Special Diet Forms.  Just yesterday, a
Doctor recounted how he reneged on his prescription for a mother with 5
children after being called by a high level Social Services manager. As he
said: "Why should I stick my neck out when the Ministry obviously doesn't
want me filling out these forms?"

 McGuinty and his fellow Liberal fakers ran for office on a promise that
things would be different than they had been under the Tories.  When you
have no food for your kids, when they come to evict you because you had
no money for your rent, it makes very little difference which party is
imposing your poverty on you.  McGuinty seems just like Harris to the
poor of Ontario.  McGuinty, however, has worked to ensure that the
'confrontation' that marked the Tory Years is out of the picture.  Not
any more.  You don't take food off the tables of thousands of poor people
without a fight.  Keep your hands off the Supplement, raise welfare rates
by 40% or get ready for a fight!

 If we are going to "fight to win" we need your support: from volunteer
workers to money, please contact us as soon as possible to let us know
what you can do to help.

 Cheques can be sent to: Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, 10 Britain St,
Toronto, Ontario, M5A 1R9.

Thanks!
OCAP


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