CANADIAN POLITICS TORONTO:

PRE-BUDGET RALLY AGAINST ONTARIO AUSTERITY:

The following call-out is from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP).

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On March 16 FIGHT POVERTY AND DEMAND: A LIVING INCOME! HOUSING!
QUALITY PUBLIC SERVICES FOR ALL!

Solidarity Against Austerity

Friday, March 16, 2012
Rally and March
12noon
Meet at College St and Bay St, Toronto (Outside the Ministry of Housing)

*Free Meal (provided by members of the Ontario Nurses Association)
*ASL-English at the Rally
*Closest accessible transit station is Queen’s Park

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/168518953261094

Join the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) and allies for a march
and rally on Friday, March 16th, in the lead up to the 2012 Provincial
Budget. The McGuinty government has hired former head of the TD bank, Don
Drummond, to propose and provide the basis for massive social cutbacks in
their 2012 budget. It is being drafted as the Provincial component of the
austerity agenda that is gathering force across Canada and
internationally. City Hall, Queen`s Park and Ottawa are delivering
austerity, but clearly it is being cooked-up on Bay Street by bankers like
Drummond to the benefit of their rich friends.

We have to stop the cuts and fight for what poor and working people need!

For poor people and workers in this province, it has been a constant state
of crisis. McGuinty is now preparing to make this situation much worse.

On March 16, we will be rallying at an Ontario Government location but
taking our march to Toronto`s financial centre where the real decisions
are being made by and for the '1%'. We will be marching to oppose
austerity measures but also to demand
the reversing of previous cutbacks, the right to a living income, the
right to affordable and accessible housing, and for good quality public
services for all! We will be marching against the kind of society Drummond
and the rich are creating, and for one that meets the needs and improves
the lives of all of us!

JOIN US!

Endorsing Organizations: Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, Aids
Action Now, Barrio Nuevo, BASICS Community News, Bread & Bricks
Davenport West Social Justice Group, CUPE Local 1281, CUPE 4308, CUPE
4600, CUPE Toronto District Council, Disability Action Movement Now,
Educators for Peace and Justice, Greater Toronto Worker’s Assembly, Health
Providers Against Poverty, Health for All, Jane-Finch Action Against
Poverty, Kingston Coalition Against Poverty, Medical Reform Group, No One
Is Illegal Toronto, Ontario Association of Interval and Transitional
Houses, OCCUPY Toronto, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, Ontario
Network of Injured Workers, Ontario Nurses Association, Ontario
University Workers Coordinating Committee (CUPE Ontario), OPSEU Local 525,
Poverty Makes Us Sick (KW), Rhythms of Resistance, Sistering, Students for
Medicare, Toronto Stop the Cuts, Under Pressure Ottawa, Workers Action
Centre, and growing!

HOW TO BE INVOLVED IN MARCH 16:

-Organize a contingent: bring a group of people from your organization,
neighbourhood, city or union local to this demonstration, bring your
demands

-Drum out Drummond: bring drums, noise makers, pots and pans. Rhythms
of Resistance will also be there to start us off on the march.

-Join the CHILDCARE NOW contingent of parents, caregivers and kids

-Organize a group of students or a ‘kids block’ to be a part of the day as
part of March Break

-Banners, flags and signs: Organize a ‘banner making day’ in your area,
bring your banners to the march

-Help fund a bus, food, transit tokens, ASL, and materials for the day: if
you or your organization or union local can make donations of money or
in-kind, please help us make this day as participatory and accessible as
possible

-Build the movement: add your organization’s to the list of endorsers for
this day of action

-Get the word out: help us get the message out about this day of action,
download the poster and flyer at www.ocap.ca, forward this announcement
far and wide, contact us if you would like to help with postering,
flyering, etc.

GETTING TO MARCH 16th:

Don’t want to come alone? Need transit tokens or a bus to get in to
downtown? Join one of these many groups meeting up ahead of time and
coming together...

In T.O

Jane and Finch: 1st stop: BUS from Yorkgate Mall at the 'no frills' entrance
at 11am , 2nd stop: 35 Shoreham Drive [A senior centre about 5 or 6
minutes away]

Downtown East: Join the Downtown East Stop the Cuts, meeting at the
corner of Dundas and Sherbourne at 11am **with tokens

Weston-Lawrence/Mt.Dennis: Meeting at Weston King Neighborhood Centre
(2017 Weston Road) at 11am **with tokens

Davenport and Perth: Join Bread and Bricks Social Justice Group, meeting
at The Stop Community Food Centre (1884 Davenport Road) at 11am **with
tokens

Parkdale: Meeting at PARC (1499 Queen St. West) at 11am **with tokens

From Out of Town

Pick up in Hamilton: CUPE 5167 office, 818 King St East at 9 am
Departing Toronto to arrive back in Hamilton at the 5167 office for 4 pm.

Pick up from Kingston, Belleville, Peterborough: please call 613 328-1938
for a ride

**Vans are also coming from Ottawa, Sudbury and Kitchener

GET IN TOUCH: Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
Email: ocap@tao.ca
Phone: 416-925-6939
Web: http://OCAP.ca
Facebook: OCAP
Twitter: @OCAPtoronto#maketherichpay