BEAMSVILLE, ON, June 9, 2014 /CNW/ - More than 400 retirees, students and young workers held a tea party in protest against PC leader Tim Hudak's platform, which rally participants are saying would amount to deep cuts in health care, public services and jobs. A table with two place settings was set up in front of Tim Hudak's Beamsville constituency office – one for Tim Hudak and the other for those whose concerns are being most ignored – youth and seniors.
The rally was organized by the National Pensioners Federation.
"Holding this intergenerational rally was really important to us because we know that the deep cuts being proposed by PC leader Tim Hudak will affect young and aging Ontarians the most," said Herb John, President of the National Pensioners Federation.
"People know that reducing jobs in health care will not lead to improvements. The results would be a deterioration of health care. The plan also contains nothing about addressing poverty in aging Ontarians or children."
Melisa Larue, one of the rally speakers, said that as a young person she has worked more than 1,000 unpaid hours and is deeply troubled by what Tim Hudak and the PC party's platform would mean for jobs in the province.
"Cuts to grant programs, public sector jobs and public services would have a disastrous impact on young workers and students who are looking for work," said Larue. "It's clear from reading Tim Hudak's platform that he is totally out of touch with the concerns of students and young workers in the province. Students are graduating with huge amounts of debt and having to take on low-wage, low skilled jobs just to pay down their debts, caused by out of control tuition fees."
Rally attendees left hundreds of thank you cards to Tim Hudak, where they wrote their concerns.
Video footage will be available by 3pm today.
Video with caption: "Video: Hundreds of retirees, students and young workers hold tea party at PC leader Tim Hudak's office, call for vote against PCs". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20140609_C1243_VIDEO_EN_3572.mp4&poster=http%3A%2F%2Fphotos.newswire.ca%2Fimages%2F20140609_C1243_VIDEO_EN_3572.jpg&order=1&jdd=20140609&cnum=C1243
Image with caption: "Retirees and youth arrived from as far away as Windsor, Ontario to share their concerns with PC leader Tim Hudak. (CNW Group/National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140609_C1243_PHOTO_EN_3563.jpg
Image with caption: "Hundreds of thank you cards were signed by seniors, students and young workers, voicing their concerns about the PC platform. (CNW Group/National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140609_C1243_PHOTO_EN_3562.jpg
Image with caption: "More than 400 seniors, students and young workers crowded the sidewalk and parking lot near PC leader Tim Hudak's Beamsville constituency office. (CNW Group/National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140609_C1243_PHOTO_EN_3564.jpg
SOURCE: National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation
Retiree - Herb John, President of the National Pensioners Federation cell: 519-350-3221Young worker - Melisa Larue, Volunteer Outreach Coordinator, Windsor Workers' Education Centre, Cell: 226-346-7371; For video or additional photos, please email: [email protected]
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