The Standing Committee on Social Affairs has announced that there will be 2 days of hearings in Toronto on Bill 152, the Poverty Reduction Act 2009 - April 20 and 21.

There will be a conference call on Thursday, April 16 from 10 to 11 am, to help those who are planning to make a submission to the hearings prepare. We will discuss proposed amendments to Bill 152 that have been drawn up by the Legislation Action Table of the 25 in 5 Network for Poverty Reduction. And there will be time to share other suggestions about the Bill and the hearings.

Please RSVP to Greg deGroot-Maggetti at [email protected] if you plan to join the call on Thursday, April 16. Greg will send you the phone-in details.

If you plan to make a submission to the hearings, you must do so quickly! The deadline for registering to appear before the committee is noon on April 16.

Here is the information to register to appear before the committee:

For organizations interested in making a submission to the hearings, contact the clerk of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Katch Koch: 416-325-3526 or [email protected]. Interested people who wish to be considered to make an oral presentation on Bill 152 should contact the Committee Clerk by 12:00 noon on Thursday, April 16, 2009. Those who do not wish to make an oral presentation but wish to comment on the Bill may send written submissions to the Committee Clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.