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OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT INSIDEHALTON.COM EDITORIAL Storm clouds are threatening economic growth in Ontario and Canada. Last week, the central bank held interest rates amid slowing growth and fears of a major slowdown as early as 2020. The oil price crisis is hurting more than just Alberta's economy. Ontario's manufac- turing sector has suffered a setback with news of GM's Oshawa pullout. Other automakers are similarly pinched and more job losses are widely expected. Growth forecasts for 2019 have already been reduced. Against this worrisome backdrop, consider these recent reports. The number of Ontario seniors needing to use food banks jumped an alarming 10 per cent last year. And that's not just because more people have achieved senior citizen status. That's a growth rate three times faster than the growth of the province's senior population, according to the authors of the report, the Ontario Asso- ciation of Food Banks. A half-million Ontarians rely on food banks. The growth trend is expected to continue. There are a host of "why's." Let's look at a few. The changing workforce in Ontario features a rise in part- time jobs, contract work and precarious employment. More and more people are having trouble and living below the poverty line. But according to the report, housing costs are the single biggest driver of the crisis. It states that nearly 90 per cent of food bank users are rental or social housing tenants, and they spend the majority of their inadequate monthly income on housing. OAFB chair Michael Maid- ment says: "If rent consumes as much as 70 per cent of your income, there's little left over for anything else, like transit or food or even things like raising kids ..." Adding to this, the provincial government has re- moved rent controls on some kinds of rental units, meaning prices will continue to rise. If all this isn't worrisome enough, consider food pric- es. Canada's Food Price Report 2019 predicts an increase overall of about 3.5 per cent. Bakery, dairy, fruit and vegetables are forecast to get between three and six per cent more expensive. The average family grocery bill will grow by $400 next year. For many of us, that's an inconvenience. For low income citizens, it's much more. Consider the single social assistance recipient, receiving a little above $700 monthly, probably paying more than 70 per cent of that on housing. Or the single senior receiving the Old Age Security of $586 monthly. Or the CPP recipient getting the average of about $630, which when combined with OAS offers up about $1,200. For these folks, an extra $400 for food is not a minor glitch. It's a potential disaster. Governments can do something to mitigate these combined threats. They can expedite funding and policy around affordable housing. They can finally implement evidence-based rates for social assistance so they reflect the real cost of living. A national pharmacare program could make a huge difference. The federal government could pick up the Basic Income Pilot project killed by Ontario. The point is, there are opportunities to prepare for the storm pretty much everyone agrees is coming. Will we seize them, or sit back and wait? LOOMING ECONOMIC STORM THREATENS VULNERABLE CITIZENS In 2015, Canadians chose a government that would invest in the econo- my, strengthen and grow the middle class, and offer real help to people work- ing hard to join the middle class. Our federal govern- ment's plan is working - and the results speak for themselves. Canada's economy is strong and growing. At three per cent, Canada had the strongest econom- ic growth of all the G7 countries in 2017. Our economy is expected to re- main among the fastest growing economies this year and next. There are more well- paying jobs. In the last three years, Canadians have created more than 550,000 new full-time jobs, pushing the unemploy- ment rate to a 40-year low. Employment gains by women have been espe- cially strong, and the share of working-age Ca- nadian women who are employed is now at its highest level in Canada's history. Canadians' wages are growing. For the average Canadian worker, wage growth is outpacing infla- tion. If current trends con- tinue, 2018 could mark the strongest year of wage growth in close to a decade. Consumer confidence is strong. With more mon- ey, more jobs, rising wag- es, and lower taxes, Cana- dians are feeling confident about their own financial positions. This is reflected in consumer confidence, which remains elevated by historical standards. Business profits are up. After-tax profitability of businesses in Canada is el- evated compared to its his- torical average, adding to positive conditions for fur- ther investment, includ- ing in good, well-paying jobs for Canadians. Canada's strong econo- my is growing federal rev- enues faster than expens- es. The underlying strength of Canada's econ- omy is fuelling growth in federal revenues, contrib-federal revenues, contrib-f uting to improvements in the budget balance over the forecast horizon. While our prospects are encouraging, more work remains to improve the performance of Canada's economy and give middle class Canadians more op- portunities to benefit from economic growth. I have confidence that the new initiatives outlined in the recent Fall Economic Statement will further our progress in building an economy that works for everyone. John Oliver is the member of parliament for Oakville. Visit online at johnoliver.mp or contact him at john.oli- ver@parl.gc.ca. DELIVERING REAL ECONOMIC RESULTS FOR CANADIANS OUR COUNTRY'S ECONOMY IS STRONG AND GROWING, WRITES OLIVER JOHN OLIVER Column