Top Stories:
Why hiring people with disabilities makes good business sense:
http://www.moneyville.ca/article/1209238–why-this-tim-hortons-franchise-hires-disabled-workers
Vancouver Sun reports Harper may require First Nations youth to get job training before they qualify for welfare:
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Workers+midst/6773543/story.html
Ontario Human Rights Code amended to include gender identity and gender expression – rights of transgendered people affirmed and protected:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1210743–ontario-human-rights-code-amended-to-protect-transgendered-people
A debate in BC on whether Working Income Tax Benefits are good policy or bad:
http://thetyee.ca/News/2012/05/16/Wage-Subsidies/
Ontario Issues:
Divisional Court rules pay inequity OK if top rates are the same:
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1210250–pay-inequity-ok-if-top-rates-are-equal-ontario-court-rules?bn=1
People with disabilities can work with the proper supports, says Community Living Ontario – “rather than consider incentives to work … the focus should be on ‘disincentives’ and removing those as barriers”:
http://www.communitylivingontario.ca/news-events/news/community-living-ontario-commits-reinvigorate-employment-dialogue
Around the Province:
“Doll-ton” McGuinty hears from people living in poverty – this time in Belleville:
http://www.intelligencer.ca/2012/06/06/dummy-premier-visits-city
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee folds after 14 years – memorial June 12:
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1208536–toronto-disaster-relief-committee-folds-after-14-years-of-spotlighting-homeless
More “Destitution Day” coverage – nearly 1/4 of Torontonians live in poverty:
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1209687–nearly-a-quarter-of-toronto-residents-live-in-poverty-james#.T9czs123YIw.facebook
After first saying no, the province says yes – Toronto can sell off social housing:
http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/housing/dont-wait-for-facts-and-evidence-ontario-hits-reverse-and-okays-quick-sell-off-of-scarce-affordable-homes/
- Star: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1210768–housing-minister-wynne-reverses-course-and-okays-sale-of-65-tchc-houses
- Globe: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/ontario-reverses-delay-in-selling-toronto-community-housing-sites/article4256033/
One that I missed – the cost of poverty, in Windsor Essex:
http://www.windsorstar.com/business/Real+cost+poverty/6648003/story.html
Across the Country:
BC government changes social assistance rules to allow more earned income:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/06/11/bc-welfare-work-income.html
- CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/06/11/bc-welfare-changes-reaction.html
- Times Colonist: http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/Welfare+changes+still+fall+short/6774592/story.html
- Seth Klein of CCPA BC: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/policynote/2012/06/new-bc-welfare-rules-some-positive-steps-forward-couple-back
- BC NDP response:http://www.bcndpcaucus.ca/en/income_assistance_changes_a_shaky_first_pillar_for_%E2%80%98families_first%E2%80%99_plan
Alberta is raising its minimum wage this fall:
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Update+Alberta+minimum+wage+will+rise+cents+this+fall/6709940/story.html
New Brunswick Liberal leadership candidate says poverty reduction a primary plank:
http://country94news.blogspot.ca/2012/05/murphy-speaks-on-poverty-reduction.html
Capital Region Community Action Plan on Poverty launched in Victoria, BC:
http://www.timescolonist.com/business/Plan+tackle+poverty+into+action/6713328/story.html
Details of and commentary on PEI’s Poverty Reduction Strategy:
- CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2012/05/30/pei-poverty-plan.html
- Bread for the World: http://www.bread.org/media/coverage/news/poverty-reduction-strategy-a.html
- Guardian: http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2012-05-23/article-2986258/Province-releasing-poverty-reduction-strategy/1
City of Calgary and Calgary United Way launch poverty reduction program:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/City+launches+major+initiative+combat+poverty/6691642/story.html
National Issues:
Feds to track down failed refugees collecting welfare
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2012/06/06/19846761.html
National Day of Action June 18 against federal cuts to refugee health care:
http://www.health4all.ca/
Scott Brison tells Sudbury paper that cuts to OAS will hurt poor seniors the most:
http://www.northernlife.ca/news/columns/guests/05-cutting-OAS-hurt-poor-seniors-most-sudbury.aspx
Workfare’s “image problem” and what it “can do” for First Nations:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/06/07/john-ivison-workfare-can-do-for-first-nations-what-it-did-for-mike-harris-ontario/
Canada gets top rank among places for women to live:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/incoming/canada-gets-top-ranking-in-best-place-for-women-to-live/article4254186/
International:
The same thing is happening, even in Australia – working families are the new face of poverty:
http://www.news.com.au/money/cost-of-living/families-are-the-new-face-of-poverty/story-fnagkbpv-1226357266752
For all you policy geeks, a new tool calculates METRs for low-income Americans:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/poverty-calculator-single-mother-minimum-wage_n_1578425.html
UK government takes first steps to downgrade child poverty reduction targets:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/13/child-poverty-target-tories-move?newsfeed=true