What students need to know for the upcoming provincial election

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If finances, health benefits, and career opportunities matter to you, then this election and voting should be on the top of your to-do list.

On June 2, Ontario voters will head to the polls to cast their ballot in the 2022 Ontario general election. That includes Fanshawe students. If finances, health benefits, and career opportunities matter to you, then this election and voting should be on the top of your to-do list.

As college students who are preparing to enter the “real world,” it’s important to understand what each party’s stance is on issues that will directly affect your immediate lives.

If elected, the New Democratic Party (NDP) is committed to:

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  • Making sure all students graduate debt-free by converting loans to grants.
  • Erasing student loan interest owed or paid to the province by any student or past student who still holds a provincial loan. The NDP also promises to increase Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) rates by 20 per cent. They will also ban postal code discrimination so nobody is gouged on auto insurance because of where they live.
  • Directing the Ontario Energy Board to regulate the retail price and wholesale mark-up of gas to stop big oil companies from gouging Ontarians.
  • Raising the minimum wage to $16 per hour in 2022, rising to $20 by 2026.
 

If elected, the Liberal Party of Ontario is committed to:

  • Eliminating harmonized sales tax (HST) on more meals, funded by fair taxes.
  • Replacing the minimum wage with a regional living wage, starting at $16 per hour.
  • Building 1.5 million new homes and delivering rent control.
  • Giving every worker access to benefits and 10 paid sick days.
  • Building to a four-day work week.
  • Raising disability and social assistance benefits.
  • Advancing Indigenous Reconciliation.
  • Banning handguns.
 

If elected, the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario is committed to:

  • Increasing disability support payment rates by five per cent and introduce legislation to tie annual increases to inflation. Investing an additional $114.4 million over three years in a Skilled Trades Strategy.
  • Enhancing the Low-Income Individuals and Families Tax Credit, boosting the maximum benefit from $850 to $875 and allowing people making up to $50,000 to qualify, up from a limit of $38,000.
 

If elected, the Green Party of Ontario is committed to:

  • Offering homeowners a grant of up to $15,000 to $20,000 to cover green retrofits like heat pumps and improved insulation. 
  • Building 160,000 affordable community rental homes.
  • Expanding the number of women’s health clinics and abortion clinics in Ontario.
  • Doubling ODSP rates.
  • Bringing 60,000 diverse young people into the green workforce and provide one year of free tuition and guaranteed apprenticeship
 

Voting may seem boring or overwhelming, but in today’s world, participating in making a change is more important than ever.

Visit elections.on.ca for all the information you need to cast your vote in the upcoming election.

How to vote in Ontario

Residents can vote early by mail, at an advance voting location or on election day.

If you are on the voters list, you need to present one piece of identification with your name to vote. If you are not on the voters list, you must present one piece of identification showing both your name and current residential address to vote. Use eRegistration to add or update your voter information by May 23 to receive a voter information card in the mail for the June 2 election.