Sorbara boosts 'poverty agenda'

from The Toronto Star

Robert Benzie
Rob Ferguson
Queen's Park Bureau

NIAGARA FALLS, ONT.–In the wake of a by-election loss in a key working-class Toronto riding to the NDP, Finance Minister Greg Sorbara says the governing Liberals must embrace a "poverty agenda" to help the most needy people in Ontario.

While Sorbara insisted the Liberals' defeat Thursday in York South-Weston was not due solely to the New Democrats' crusade to increase the hourly minimum wage from $8 to $10, he acknowledged the urgency of the issue.

"There certainly is a poverty agenda and it's worthy of addressing," Sorbara, chair of the Liberals re-election campaign for the Oct. 10 vote, said yesterday at the party's policy convention here.

"What we're doing is examining what steps we need to take further. I'm engaged in updating our research because my issue is poverty. My issue is how do we assist the poor, whether or not they're in the workplace," he said.

"The question I have to ask is what adjustments to do we need to make over a period of time on the minimum wage to go to $10 and beyond that will assist the working poor."

His comments came after the Liberals lost two of three GTA by-elections.

In York South-Weston, one of the poorest ridings in Ontario, New Democrat Paul Ferreira picked up a seat the Liberals had won with almost 62 per cent of the vote in the 2003 election.

Liberal Michael Chan retained Markham for the governing party and Progressive Conservative Joyce Savoline held her party's Burlington stronghold.

Since 2004, the NDP has won four by-elections in inner-city ridings – Parkdale-High Park, Toronto-Danforth and York South-Weston, all in Toronto, and Hamilton East. That may spell trouble for the Liberals' re-election hopes in October. Other Liberal seats in Toronto, Hamilton, Windsor, London and Ottawa could be vulnerable.

Sorbara urged Ontarians concerned about poverty to await his spring budget for measures to alleviate hardship for the province's most vulnerable.

"My own view is that we need a basket of tools and that would include measures through the income tax act, both at the federal and provincial level, so that at the end of the day we can say we've made a real difference in the lives of those living in poverty, whether or not they're in the workplace and whether or not they're working at minimum wage."

Premier Dalton McGuinty also promised further action on the minimum wage.

"We've increased it four times now (since 2004) and the last increase took effect eight days ago," the premier said.

"People understand that we are determined to be thoughtful and responsible with respect to the minimum wage. That's how we developed the last plan. We are now in the process of developing the next plan," he said.

But as they scrambled to shore up their left flank in time for the election in eight months, the Liberals found themselves forced to defend embattled campaign director Don Guy.

Guy wrote a bullying email Wednesday to a Queen's Park reporter, using profanity in criticizing her coverage of the Liberals.

He ducked reporters here, slipping into the meeting through a side door, but later said in an email to the Toronto Star that he sent a note to the reporter saying, "I regret the exchange."

McGuinty indicated he had no plans to reprimand his former chief of staff.

But NDP Leader Howard Hampton lamented the "vicious attack against a woman journalist."

"The premier's got to set some standards. You can't go around viciously attacking everyone who disagrees with you," he said.

Progressive Conservative MPP Tim Hudak (Erie-Lincoln) said "some discipline should take place" for the intimidating tactic.

As a result of the three by-elections this week, the Liberals will have 69 MPPs in the Legislature, the Tories 24 and the NDP 10.