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Dear Mr. Fraser,
Summary: The Ontario Liberal Party's policy position on ODSP prevents me from voting for you or encouraging others to vote Liberal, even strategically.
I had been encouraging people to vote strategically on a riding-by-riding basis to have a maximal chance of disrupting the projected Conservative majority in the upcoming election. Overall, this approach favours the Liberals winning more seats than they otherwise would by taking votes away from NDP candidates in those ridings where it is possible to keep a Conservative out of Queen's Park by engaging in strategic voting. It is my firm belief that should the Conservatives be given a second mandate, Ontario will suffer irreparable damage — we are still reeling from the destruction inflicted by the Harris government, and the Ford government has already critically damaged so many sectors and trust in the government itself. As I am voting in Ottawa South, and given my initial stance, it would make sense for me to vote for you; however, given the Liberal's indefensible stance on legislated poverty for those on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) — despite other parties recognizing the plight of the disabled in Ontario — I cannot in conscience cast my vote at this point for the Liberals this election, nor can I continue to urge others to vote Liberal where that might strategically make sense. This is the case even more given Del Duca's doubling down on this diabolical policy by criticizing the NDP for "flip flopping" when they recognized their initial policy stance, the same one as the Liberals, was inhumane (https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1DXxyDaqnRNJM).
The fact that those on ODSP are choosing to end their lives using the MAiD program because they cannot live on the insufficient supports provided by such a rich province as Ontario is a horror every bit as nightmarish as Russian soldiers murdering civilians in the streets of Ukraine for sport and spite (e.g. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/woman-with-disabilities-nears-medically-assisted-death-after-futile-bid-for-affordable-housing-1.5882202). Different method, same result. It shocks me to my core. We know the Conservatives at the provincial and federal levels would rather the 6.2+ million Canadians with disabilities (2018 data, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm it is much more now due to COVID-19's long term effects) die from neglect or kill themselves, but once upon a time this was not a liberal value (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism).
The chances of the Liberal party forming even a minority in Ontario is remote, so it costs your party nothing to take the high road and undermine the NDP's revised pledge by agreeing to double the ODSP rates within 100 days of taking office rather than waiting a year. If the Liberals do wind up in a position of power, Ontario can easily afford this. To go so far as to attempt to defend the Liberal Party's stance on ODSP, given its untenability, is costing the Liberals votes, not gaining them. I can only presume the Liberal Party's stance is an effort to sway Conservative voters, but I am frankly baffled as to why since they'd still cast a vote for the Conservatives even if Ford was standing next to them at the ballot box actively stabbing them with a rusty knife. Keep in mind that in 2018, we had a roughly 56% turnout, of which around 40% of those voted for the Conservatives, or roughly 23% of the potential electorate... let's call it 1 in 4. I am expecting a lower turnout this election, and a lower percentage of those voting to vote Conservative, but even with only 18-20% of the electorate voting for another term of Ford's unabashed corruption, say 1 in 5, they are poised to form another majority government. 18-20% of the electorate is going to make things worse for 99.9% of Ontarians. We need the Liberals to do what is necessary to keep the Conservatives out of government, and losing the potential votes of the 1 in 5 (-ish) Ontarians with disabilities in those ridings where the Liberals could win is political suicide — it is handing the province to the Ford Conservatives.
I live and work in Ottawa South. I have a high salary. The company I work for is an international leader in their field. I am writing from my Carleton University account because I am currently doing a part-time master's degree there to further expand my skillset. This issue touches my family directly, and affects so many of my friends and their families directly as well. If the Conservatives are re-elected in Ontario, I am fully expecting them to increase the corruption and lack of accountability or transparency we have already come to expect from them. They will also give many of Ontario's most cherished institutions to their friends to profit from, including our healthcare system and schools. That, on top of legislated poverty for the most vulnerable among us, will render Ontario unliveable for so many, including me and my loved ones. I am lucky in that I have highly sought after skills in a critical industry and can relocate globally to a location that treats its citizens with respect and dignity. I was born and raised here, but I have relocated to other countries in the past when Ontario became hostile to families here (i.e. during the Harris years). I would not hesitate to do so again should the Conservatives or the Liberals — with a policy of legislated poverty for the disabled — form the next government here.
There is less than 13 days left for the Liberals to do the right thing and win back the votes they are throwing away right now. I know many votes have already been lost to the Green Party or the NDP in ridings they have no possibility of winning because of people with disabilities NOT voting Liberal on mail-in ballots and at advance polls. Liberal support is bleeding away where you could have staunch supporters instead. As I put it in a response on Twitter to an Ontario woman who is terrified of what she sees: "I really want to vote strategically this election (which would be the Liberals in my riding), but a vote for Del Duca's Liberals is a vote for state-sanctioned murder, and I'm not okay with that." It is a Tweet and is necessarily terse and strong, but I will stand by what I said and what voting Liberal means for those with disabilities or those with disabled people in their families (just about everyone, especially considering widespread long term COVID-19 related health issues). I can only hope that wisdom and compassion prevails very quickly within your ranks and stops the flood of votes by people with disabilities to other parties in ridings where the Liberals could otherwise win.
Yours sincerely,
Phelonius Friar
A concerned, unaffiliated, private citizen
<address and phone number>
cc: The Ottawa Citizen, The Toronto Star, CTV Ottawa News, CBC Ottawa News, Steven Del Duca.
I have also posted this to my personal blog, and have shared a link to the blog entry on my Twitter account.
Summary: The Ontario Liberal Party's policy position on ODSP prevents me from voting for you or encouraging others to vote Liberal, even strategically.
I had been encouraging people to vote strategically on a riding-by-riding basis to have a maximal chance of disrupting the projected Conservative majority in the upcoming election. Overall, this approach favours the Liberals winning more seats than they otherwise would by taking votes away from NDP candidates in those ridings where it is possible to keep a Conservative out of Queen's Park by engaging in strategic voting. It is my firm belief that should the Conservatives be given a second mandate, Ontario will suffer irreparable damage — we are still reeling from the destruction inflicted by the Harris government, and the Ford government has already critically damaged so many sectors and trust in the government itself. As I am voting in Ottawa South, and given my initial stance, it would make sense for me to vote for you; however, given the Liberal's indefensible stance on legislated poverty for those on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) — despite other parties recognizing the plight of the disabled in Ontario — I cannot in conscience cast my vote at this point for the Liberals this election, nor can I continue to urge others to vote Liberal where that might strategically make sense. This is the case even more given Del Duca's doubling down on this diabolical policy by criticizing the NDP for "flip flopping" when they recognized their initial policy stance, the same one as the Liberals, was inhumane (https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1DXxyDaqnRNJM).
The fact that those on ODSP are choosing to end their lives using the MAiD program because they cannot live on the insufficient supports provided by such a rich province as Ontario is a horror every bit as nightmarish as Russian soldiers murdering civilians in the streets of Ukraine for sport and spite (e.g. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/woman-with-disabilities-nears-medically-assisted-death-after-futile-bid-for-affordable-housing-1.5882202). Different method, same result. It shocks me to my core. We know the Conservatives at the provincial and federal levels would rather the 6.2+ million Canadians with disabilities (2018 data, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm it is much more now due to COVID-19's long term effects) die from neglect or kill themselves, but once upon a time this was not a liberal value (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism).
The chances of the Liberal party forming even a minority in Ontario is remote, so it costs your party nothing to take the high road and undermine the NDP's revised pledge by agreeing to double the ODSP rates within 100 days of taking office rather than waiting a year. If the Liberals do wind up in a position of power, Ontario can easily afford this. To go so far as to attempt to defend the Liberal Party's stance on ODSP, given its untenability, is costing the Liberals votes, not gaining them. I can only presume the Liberal Party's stance is an effort to sway Conservative voters, but I am frankly baffled as to why since they'd still cast a vote for the Conservatives even if Ford was standing next to them at the ballot box actively stabbing them with a rusty knife. Keep in mind that in 2018, we had a roughly 56% turnout, of which around 40% of those voted for the Conservatives, or roughly 23% of the potential electorate... let's call it 1 in 4. I am expecting a lower turnout this election, and a lower percentage of those voting to vote Conservative, but even with only 18-20% of the electorate voting for another term of Ford's unabashed corruption, say 1 in 5, they are poised to form another majority government. 18-20% of the electorate is going to make things worse for 99.9% of Ontarians. We need the Liberals to do what is necessary to keep the Conservatives out of government, and losing the potential votes of the 1 in 5 (-ish) Ontarians with disabilities in those ridings where the Liberals could win is political suicide — it is handing the province to the Ford Conservatives.
I live and work in Ottawa South. I have a high salary. The company I work for is an international leader in their field. I am writing from my Carleton University account because I am currently doing a part-time master's degree there to further expand my skillset. This issue touches my family directly, and affects so many of my friends and their families directly as well. If the Conservatives are re-elected in Ontario, I am fully expecting them to increase the corruption and lack of accountability or transparency we have already come to expect from them. They will also give many of Ontario's most cherished institutions to their friends to profit from, including our healthcare system and schools. That, on top of legislated poverty for the most vulnerable among us, will render Ontario unliveable for so many, including me and my loved ones. I am lucky in that I have highly sought after skills in a critical industry and can relocate globally to a location that treats its citizens with respect and dignity. I was born and raised here, but I have relocated to other countries in the past when Ontario became hostile to families here (i.e. during the Harris years). I would not hesitate to do so again should the Conservatives or the Liberals — with a policy of legislated poverty for the disabled — form the next government here.
There is less than 13 days left for the Liberals to do the right thing and win back the votes they are throwing away right now. I know many votes have already been lost to the Green Party or the NDP in ridings they have no possibility of winning because of people with disabilities NOT voting Liberal on mail-in ballots and at advance polls. Liberal support is bleeding away where you could have staunch supporters instead. As I put it in a response on Twitter to an Ontario woman who is terrified of what she sees: "I really want to vote strategically this election (which would be the Liberals in my riding), but a vote for Del Duca's Liberals is a vote for state-sanctioned murder, and I'm not okay with that." It is a Tweet and is necessarily terse and strong, but I will stand by what I said and what voting Liberal means for those with disabilities or those with disabled people in their families (just about everyone, especially considering widespread long term COVID-19 related health issues). I can only hope that wisdom and compassion prevails very quickly within your ranks and stops the flood of votes by people with disabilities to other parties in ridings where the Liberals could otherwise win.
Yours sincerely,
Phelonius Friar
A concerned, unaffiliated, private citizen
<address and phone number>
cc: The Ottawa Citizen, The Toronto Star, CTV Ottawa News, CBC Ottawa News, Steven Del Duca.
I have also posted this to my personal blog, and have shared a link to the blog entry on my Twitter account.
