Ratna Omidvar and Tim Brodhead call on philanthropic and charitable leaders to mount a campaign urging Ontarians who can afford it to invest in the province's collective well-being by donating their $200 rebates to meet the urgent needs of their fellow citizens.
The Ontario government has announced it will send a $200 cheque to every taxpayer, with an additional $200 for each eligible child – a move it estimates will benefit about 15 million people at a cost of around $3 billion to the province. Everyone likes an unexpected gift, and no doubt it will help some meet their everyday expenses. But the cheques will also be deposited into the accounts of many taxpayers who do not need them but who will happily add the money to their savings or, perhaps, splurge on a night out. The likelihood that the rebate will not be taxable merely makes it more attractive for the better-off. The rebate is at worst a political bribe and at best a misplaced effort to address the hardships Ontarians are facing.
Let’s consider the context of this giveaway. In many cities, tent encampments have sprung up to provide shelter to people forced out of their homes by rising rents or the increased cost of living. Ontario food banks recently reported that more than one million people used food banks from April 2023 to March 2024, an increase of 25%, and 69% of food banks fear they will be unable to meet the demand this year. Many are already cutting allocations or turning people away.
Education funding has fallen by $2.7 billion in real terms since 2018, resulting in deteriorating infrastructure, increased class sizes, and a lack of resources for students with special needs and for mental health supports. Teacher recruitment and retention is in crisis. At the post-secondary level, the federal limit on international students, on top of years of declining provincial funding, is putting some universities and colleges at risk of bankruptcy.
The problems of our public health system are well known. According to the Financial Accountability Office, there is a shortfall of $21.3 billion over the six-year period from 2022/2023 to 2027/2028. This is due to the increasing needs of a growing – and aging – population. The system is crying out for more doctors and nurses, more long-term care homes, and more personal support workers to care for people in their homes.
The provincial government has made a clear choice to benefit individuals rather than invest in our collective well-being.
The provincial government has made a clear choice to benefit individuals rather than invest in our collective well-being. But individual $200 cheques won’t improve schooling for our kids, or make it easier to find a family doctor, or ensure that people don’t face a winter living on the street.
If even 10% of the people receiving the $200 rebate don’t actually need it, some $300 million could be redirected to help those in genuine need. Community foundations, local shelters, food banks, and agencies supporting the neediest in our communities are all equipped to ensure that the most vulnerable would benefit. We propose that leaders in Ontario’s philanthropic and charitable community join together to run a high-profile campaign to urge those who can afford it to send their rebate cheques to meet the urgent needs of their fellow citizens.
This is not a long-term solution, but those experiencing homelessness, food precarity, addiction, and mental health challenges today cannot wait. Each one of us can ask ourselves: if I don’t actually need an extra $200, can I at least ensure that it goes to someone who really does need it?
