“Make the politicians go for just one day without food at Queen’s Park – that would be a start”

In every community I asked the question – ‘What do we have to do to make the politicians put food in the budget and raise the rates to a level that ensures people can live a life of health and dignity?’

It is interesting that there was only one real suggestion about what we have to do – and it comes from people who are poor. 

 “Make them live on my budget and in my house for a month.” Another person said to me “Make the politicians go for just one day without food at Queen’s Park. No breakfast, no coffee, no lunch or snacks or dinner. Have them work all day and then see what that is like. That would be a start.”

If we listen to this advice then it means as allies we should be constantly challenging politicians to do exactly that. Maybe we can offer to ‘accompany’ the politicians and take the challenge with them. 

There are already many activities and exercises that people who are not poor can participate in to raise their awareness and deepening their understanding. These experiences can increase empathy and understanding. The problem is that often it is people who are already the allies of people who are poor who are doing this. Maybe we need to mobilize a broad based demand that Premier Wynne live on a social assistance income for a month?

Service providers and allies answered the question by identifying the barriers to making politicians act on poverty. This is a very helpful list - because the strategy to make politicians act has to overcome these barriers.

• Politicians don’t believe ‘the facts’ Research from the social determinants of health to the nutritious food basket survey proves that adequate income creates health, reduces health expenditures in particular and reduces other social expenditures in general. But facts are not enough.

• We don’t matter – People said communities in northwestern are too small and too far away from Toronto to matter to politicians at Queen’s Park. They believe politicians don’t think there are enough votes in these communities to matter.

• Poor people don’t vote – Politicians only respond to voters and not enough people who are poor vote. 

• Politicians believe that people who do vote don’t want to pay taxes – the right wing has been successful in creating a public narrative that few politicians are willing to challenge. 


• Our society shames people who are poor – Many people said that ‘stigma’ – the constant undeserved ‘blaming and shaming’ of people who are poor is the worst part of poverty. ‘Poor-bashing’ is enabled by many factors, including the fact it serves the purpose of keeping the majority divided and not working together to confront the wealthy elite. People said this ‘stigma’ extends to allies of the poor – and that they also fear repercussions for speaking out about equity and equality.


• People who want change have lost hope – People said that it is hard to have the energy to advocate for yourself when you are hungry. “People need energy to make change happen – this is hard to do when you are dying of poverty”, was the comment of one person I spoke with. Service providers said it is hard to advocate for social justice when they are overwhelmed meeting the basic needs of people in their community, with ever decreasing funding. 


• There are limited resources for organizing – There is very little money to bring people to work together for change in northern communities and even less money to participate in activities in the south.

• Race, gender and class – There is systemic discrimination based on race, gender and class. Politicians’ attitudes are influenced by these factors and these factors also cause divisions which creates barriers to allies working together to make politicians act.

This list of factors resisting change may seem overwhelming. But Paulo Freire the popular educator from Brazil said that for a strategy for social change to be effective it has to take into account the reality of the resistance it faces. Freire calls this quality ‘critical hope’.

The feedback we received from people about the reasons that politicians won’t act on poverty informs how we develop ‘critical hope’ and can help us develop effective strategy and successful movements for social change. 

In fact, many of the people I met said there is a growing movement for social justice and that they are part of it. So are the hundreds of you who have been reading these daily reports, as well as the many thousands of people in Ontario who act every day in many different ways to create more equity and equality in our society.  

On Monday of this week the leadership group of the Put Food in the Budget campaign discussed all the issues that were raised in the tour of communities in northwestern Ontario. The leadership of the campaign values this feedback and we will continue to reflect on it as we develop our strategy and initiatives. As Kathy Campbell said to me in Red Lake – “remember us” – and we will.

A summary report of the tour of northwestern Ontario is being prepared and will be available later in the summer. We will also communicate more with you about our campaign activities in the coming months.

The leadership of the campaign says a very big ‘thank you’ to everyone who organized and participated in a meeting, who read the reports and who donated money to support this initiative.

Ron Williams closed our steering committee meeting on Monday with these words – “la lutta continua”, the struggle continues.

Click here to donate 

Mike Balkwill

Provincial Organizer

Put Food in the Budget campaign.

#pfib  @putfoodinbudget

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