Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force wants gas tax to help fund rural transportation.
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In its updated Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy, the province is reviewing that strategy and the Poverty Task Force wants to ensure that they receive feedback and ideas from people in Bruce and Grey counties.
United Way of Bruce Grey Executive Director, Francesca Dobbyn says they heard similar messages from across the community.
Issues such as transportation, jobs, health services; and safe, affordable housing were among the issues brought up in the survey.
Families who responded to the survey indicated they had benefited from the government’s Child Benefit Taxes, Student Nutrition Program, and full-day kindergarten.
However, families with dependents over 18 and middle-aged people, seniors or those almost at retirement age are not eligible for these benefits.
The Poverty Task Force asked area MPP’s for comments on the submission, and both Bruce Grey Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker and Huron Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson contributed to the report.
Thompson says the Task force report is a testament to the years of neglect by the Liberal government.
She promises to continue to push for rural Ontario’s fair share through lower energy bills, and a fair share of the gas tax for rural residents so we can invest in transportation.
MPP Walker says the gas tax is the most persistent anti-rural policy of the last decade.
He says they want immediate action from the government to allocate a fair portion of the gas tax to all rural communities so we can meet our transportation and infrastructure needs.
The task force report is being sent off to Queens Park.