Good afternoon. My name is Doris Grinspun, and I am the Executive Director of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO). RNAO is the professional organization for registered nurses who practise in all roles and sectors across Ontario. We appreciate the opportunity to address the Standing Committee on Social Policy on Bill 141.

Nurses are in a unique position to provide feedback on a pandemic response. We are the health professionals who deal directly with members of the public during a pandemic and help coordinate and provide care. Safeguarding the public by preventing the rapid spread of virulent sickness and disease is without question, a high priority.

At the outset, I extend, on behalf of RNAO our warmest congratulations to the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Arlene King, on her courageous and expert leadership.

Good Morning. My name is Lynn Anne Mulrooney and I am Senior Policy Analyst at the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. RNAO is the professional association for registered nurses who practice in all roles and sectors across the province.

Thank you to the Recession Relief Coalition for organizing this Hunger Inquiry on what is literally a life and death issue. From our daily nursing practice and from the overwhelming evidence, nurses know that not having access to nutritious food and affordable shelter is why those with lower incomes are sicker and die earlier compared with those who have more resources. Today we will be hearing from a variety of compelling speakers who will be able to tell us more about some of the evidence linking hunger and poverty with poor health. We will hear from people with direct experience of being hungry, health care providers who witness the negative impacts of short-sighted public policy on the health of their patients, and researchers who are helping us understand the big-picture patterns of what is happening to large segments of our community because of these harmful policies.

My name is Amarpreet Kaur Ahluwalia and I am delighted to be here this evening on behalf of Ontario’s nurses. I am a diabetes nurse educator and like other registered nurses across the province, I see every day why it is urgent from a health perspective to immediately increase social assistance by $100 per month as a first step toward income adequacy.

In my nursing practice, I have the privilege of working with a woman who has had to go to the emergency room twice a month for the last three months because of chest pain. This pain is linked to cardiovascular disease connected to diabetes caused by lack of access to nutritious, fresh food due to dangerously low social assistance rates. High blood sugar levels and lack of access to healthy food leaves people tired, most susceptible to infections, and often with difficulty concentrating. Single moms are eating once a day so that their children don’t go hungry. New immigrants are having to choose between buying food or buying medication. I can’t talk about the importance of Canada’s Food Guide to many of my patients because it is insulting to ask people to buy fresh fruits and vegetables when they can barely afford their rent. One of our patients came to the community health centre so hungry after not having eaten for two days that he had to stop on the way in to the appointment to eat some raw vegetables from the clinic’s community garden. Food is our life source—not having access to nutritious food is part of the reason why those with lower incomes are sicker and die earlier compared with those who have more resources.