This vulnerable group moved from their foreign countries, most through the Federal Skilled Workers program, and have been surviving on finite savings to pay rent, buy food, afford transportation, medication, and other needs. Most were in the process of applying for jobs and attending job interviews when the pandemic occurred, and are now unable to find employment due to hiring freezes. They are unable to even return to their home countries consequent of border closures. The government to date has extended the CERB to include many, most recently 9Billion for students whose employment prospects have worsened.

Many seniors are living in poverty and are unable to afford nutritional food and vitamins which is important during this pandemic. So many sectors of the population are receiving direct financial aid and seniors are being left behind.

I would suggest this affects millions of Canadians. In a time where money is getting very tight for consumers and food is more important than making a loan payment the banks should be prevented from profiting from the disaster.

The financial needs of Canadian university students are unaddressed by the Federal Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both current students and recent graduates are unable to work in an economy that has been almost completely suspended. This will result in an accumulation of cost-of-living debt: some will be forced to take on large debt-loads via credit card, while others will go yet further into their student loans. This is unacceptable. This pandemic is out of the control of Canadian students, who are in a uniquely precarious situation. Though the government has taken a first step in temporarily deferring interest and loan payments, this action only assists a fraction of Canadian students, and neither does it address the fact that all will incur debt that they would otherwise have been able to mitigate in some way. Most Canadian students do not currently qualify for CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit). This vulnerability should be addressed, especially since the economic repercussions of this pandemic will persist with unknown and potentially devastating consequences.

This is an important issue because these front line workers are putting their lives to take care of people with disabilities and seniors and deserve social and economic justice.

Fare-free transit is critical to providing a safe work environment for bus drivers during the Covid-19 pandemic: it allows back door boarding to allow physical distancing between drivers and passengers. As the economic recovery occurs post-pandemic, maintaining fare-free transit will allow all community members to access transportation as people get back on their feet.

It’s important because we need to be counted also. If the liberal government can increase their wages anytime they want - why is it so hard to do for people who have paid in all of their lives? And are not receiving as much as they should be entitled to?

Canadian banks earn billions of dollars every year from citizens across this country. People are struggling to pay any bills and some face economic ruin in these unprecedented times. If individuals and businesses could pay less down on their credit cards, they could stave off debt until the pandemic is over which could be a while. Even at 10%, people can't pay and will face more staggering debt in the future. This is simply wrong.

At this time of needed huge fiscal stimulus, why would our federal government, rather than creating the money interest free, cover the deficit by borrowing money from Banks and wealthy purchasers of other debt instruments? There is no need to create this debt burden, further feed the record wealth gap and barriers to eventual recovery, along with all the other upheavals taking place. Where we are left is well explained in : https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/the-bank-of-canada-should-be-reinstated-to-its-original-mandated-purposes

Currently the government is calling for retired physicians and nurses to re-register to deal with COVID-19 pandemic, and their services are so appreciated; however, we are neglecting the fact that we also have a sizeable number of Internationally-trained health professionals who have come to Canada from various avenues, from skilled migrants to refugees, who have the skills to help in this crisis, but currently cannot practice because it is exceedingly difficult to have their credentials recognized. It makes little sense in this time of crisis that there are members of our community who may need medical assistance at the same time as having members of our communities who could help but are currently not allowed to practice. It is worth mentioning that one of the main reasons for the occurrence of medical errors is a high workload of physicians. Therefore, recruitment of IMGs can improve the quality of care from different aspects, make medical services accessible to all Canadians, and prevent much harm to IMGs and their families. The current bylaw amendments proposed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (read more here: https://globalnews.ca/news/6774818/bc-associate-physician-foreign-trained-doctors-coronavirus/) is a step in the right direction, and we applaud the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC and the Ministry of Health for taking action. However, we believe more needs to be done to strengthen this amendment to help British Columbians, and the IMGs during this time and for the future. Now is the time to let a group of highly skilled New Canadians be part of the solution to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. As Dr John Blatherwick, former Medical Health Officer of Vancouver Coastal Health said: “Now is the time for us to consider foreign-trained graduates that we have in our community. We have an army of physicians, who can help bravely… This is a good time to sit down and say, Okay! We haven’t tackled this problem. We wasted all those people’s talents, and now we could use them.”

Did you know, that if one spouse works full time, and the other receives ODSP Disability income, if that working spouse, gets furloughed, or laid off, and applies for the Covid 19 federal support benefit, ODSP will claw back those funds from the ODSP Recipients benefit dollar for dollar? How does this allow workers, to support their vulnerable family members? This was the answer from the ODSP Disability office, to my disabled husband, who recently suffered a heart attack! Why is this happening during a National Emergency and global pandemic? What use, will the Federal Assistance be, to a furloughed worker, if it is deducted dollar for dollar by the Province? It leaves us in the same reduced financial situation! No income from work, and having to live solely, on the paltry amount left over after clawbacks by ODSP? How can a worker help his/her vulnerable family members to prepare for sheltering at home, and purchase enough supplies to survive, in this national and global pandemic? Yet, both Federal and Provincial Governments strongly advise us to stay home? With the ODSP mandates, as they stand, how is this possible? I find it strange that neither the Federal Government, nor Provincial Government, has even addressed this? There is literally a media blackout on these questions. Why is this so? In calling a certain MPP's office, to ask these same questions, one of the responses given to me by his Representative, was; "We don't want anyone defrauding the system...not you of course!" This obviously insensitive, and cruel comment, should not be directed to the public by a Representative, speaking on behalf of an elected Official! Especially during a health crisis! I don't see how a worker, asking legitimate questions, has anything to with "defrauding" the Province! I don't understand why no one is addressing ODSP Disability Recipients, directly, in their public messages, to alleviate the stress and uncertainty, to answer any questions during a global pandemic? Seems cruel to ignore the most vulnerable...when the Provincial Government "claims" they wish to "protect ALL the People in Ontario?" Does the Federal Government know that this is happening, at the provincial level, during this crisis? The discretionary funds promised by the Provincial Government, to ODSP Recipients are not available at ODSP Offices. ODSP Caseworkers, whom have received many calls, have no information to offer, nor funding! There are many, including low-income senior citizens and ODSP Disability Recipients, out of food and supplies. Not only due to having little or no funding, but unable to obtain their necessities due to others' hoarding!

This will give all of us some hope during the pandemic and the future.