NDP MPP Michael Prue blasted Finance Minister Dwight Duncan’s assertion that Ontario’s social assistance rates will not increase until the Fall due to a “computer system”.

“All Ontarians ought to be outraged by this blame game. The Minister is callously using the crutch of a faulty computer system to explain why social assistance recipients have to wait several months to get a measly two per cent increase in their benefits. Minister Duncan should be ashamed of himself,” fumed Prue.

Duncan’s flippant remark came in response to a question from Prue on when Ontario’s poorest families can expect to receive the increase announced in yesterday’s “Shortchange Budget”.

“The (social assistance) money will flow in the fall of this year. The computer system, as the member knows, causes us difficulty in getting that money out. But it is the intention that the increase will flow by this fall,” said Duncan.

“This is completely unacceptable. If the Minister of Finance needs some computer programming assistance, I know people – some of whom are living on social assistance – who can fix the problem,” said Prue.

“Unfortunately, the Minister’s comments are symptomatic of a government that has done very little to reduce poverty across Ontario. They have not ended the clawback of the national child benefit, are providing a laughable 20 cents per day in proper nutrition for poor school children and now they can’t program their computers to raise assistance rates by two per cent! The poor are once again being shortchanged.”

Following today’s Question Period, Prue took the rare of step of requesting a “late show” in the Legislature. This means the Minister must defend his statement before the Legislature within the coming week.