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Income Security Advocacy Centre

Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy News: 28 February 2014

February 28, 2014

Top Stories

New IMF study shows taxing the rich is good for the economy:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/taxing-the-rich-is-good-for-the-economy-imf-says-1.2552141

  • The top 15 Canadian companies that pay the least tax (as % of income): http://www.canadianbusiness.com/companies-and-industries/complete-ranking-companies-paying-lowest-taxes/

Report shows Canadians with disabilities face “staggering barriers to success”:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/disabled-canadians-still-face-staggering-barriers-to-success-report-warns/article16944376/

  • NOTE: If you have the link to this report, please forward it my way. Thanks.
  • Video: The economic benefit of hiring people with disabilities:http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2439669551/
  • CCD proposal for a refundable disability tax credit: http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/income/tax-credit-propoal

Ontario NDP releases its position on minimum wage (and small business tax cuts):
http://ontariondp.com/en/minimumwage

  • Globe: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/liberal-minimum-wage-hike-not-enough-ontario-ndp-says/article17095633/
  • Star: http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/02/25/ontario_ndp_calls_for_12_minimum_wage_by_2016.html
  • CCPA’s Trish Hennessy says its political theatre but bad policy: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/ontario-ndp-proposes-small-business-tax-cuts-exchange-212602042.html
  • CCPA’s Kaylie Tiessen says it’s a toxic mix: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2014/02/26/a-toxic-mix-minimum-wage-and-business-tax-cuts/ 

Martin Regg Cohn gives two columns to Hudak’s Right-to-Work about-face

  • “It’s not a change of heart, just a political gut check”:http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/02/23/why_tim_hudak_made_a_uturn_on_righttowork_law_cohn.html
  • And Hudak’s “muddled political judgment”:http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/02/25/what_was_tim_hudak_thinking_on_righttowork_cohn.html

Federation of Canadian Municipalities survey reveals housing availability a big issue:
http://www.fcm.ca/home/issues/housing/fixing-canadas-housing-crunch/about-the-housing-crunch/national-survey-on-housing.htm

  • Slum landlords pocketing rent money in Newfoundland and Labrador: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/slum-landlords-pocketing-social-assistance-money-for-rent-1.2554226

StatsCan’s Survey of Financial Security reveals persistent economic inequality and rising debt:
http://www.pressprogress.ca/en/post/economic-inequality-numbers

  • Andrew Jackson’s take: https://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/en/blog/new-statscan-wealth-data-points-persistent-income-inequality
  • HuffPost: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02/25/canada-rich-poor_n_4855795.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

Carol Goar asks questions about a Basic Annual Income:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/02/25/basic_annual_income_loaded_with_pitfalls_goar.html

  • The Big Push and Basic Income Canada respond to some:http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/02/27/how_can_we_not_afford_a_basic_annual_income.html

Materials from IRPP’s Feb 24-25 conference, “Inequality in Canada: Driving Forces, Outcomes and Policy”:
http://www.irpp.org/en/events/income-inequality/

Ontario

Workers Action Centre on the important legislation waiting in the pipeline on decent pay and decent work:
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=b32b33961fd1e65272919d8a6&id=335ad25103&e=51059eb750

Child care advocates gearing up for a fight against new childcare rules:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/24/ontario_childcare_proposals_meet_mounting_opposition.html

MPP Jonah Schein: What Ontarians need is child care:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/02/25/queens_park_must_strengthen_ontarios_child_care_supports.html

Young workers offer solutions to Ontario’s youth unemployment problem:
http://ofl.ca/index.php/youthunemployment1/

Ontario to make civil servants pay more for retirement benefits:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ontario-to-make-civil-servants-pay-more-for-retirement-benefits/article16949608/

Latest poll shows none of the parties would get a majority:
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/02/27/minority_looms_in_next_ontario_election_poll.html

Around the Province

One in ten Niagara families are worried about putting healthy food on the table:
http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/4379369-hungry-for-healthy-food/

Feb 15 was a Day of Action to win a $14 minimum wage:
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b32b33961fd1e65272919d8a6&id=c254fd29ad&e=51059eb750

Colette Murphy of Atkinson, on expecting community benefits from municipal infrastructure investments:
http://www.thestar.com/bigideas/experts/2014/02/24/expect_more_from_public_infrastructure_investments_colette_murphys_big_idea.html

Across the Country

Vancouver Sun Columnist Stephen Hume: In praise of taxes:
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Stephen+Hume+praise+taxes/9541797/story.html

BC is consulting on “reducing barriers and increasing accessibility” for people with disabilities:
http://engage.gov.bc.ca/disabilitywhitepaper/

BC’s budget a missed opportunity to address the deficits that matter:
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/news-releases/ccpa-calls-bc-budget-%E2%80%9Cmissed-opportunity%E2%80%9D-address-social-environmental-and

Laid off Alberta oil sands workers say they were replaced with foreign workers making half their wage:
http://business.financialpost.com/2014/02/07/oil-sands-workers-foreigners-imperial-2014/?__lsa=1438-3c1c

Dispute over Canada Jobs Grant starting to impact employment services for people with disabilities in Nova Scotia:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1189709-disabled-could-lose-job-aid-in-funding-spat-with-ottawa

National

Feds cut EI benefits in Northern cities and huge increase in hours to qualify:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/feds-cut-ei-benefits-in-northern-cities-1.2543889

NDP says federal tax policy based on “make believe accounting”:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/02/20/average_family_income_in_conservative_budget_called_fantasy.html

Poll shows federal Liberals riding high:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/02/20/liberals_continue_to_ride_justin_trudeau_wave_poll_shows.html

Federal staff report says Canada’s middle class is mortgaging its future to stay afloat:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-s-middle-class-mortgaging-its-future-with-debt-1.2548633?cmp=rss

More response to the federal budget:

  • Advice to young workers: Get angry: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2014/02/20/my-advice-to-young-workers-get-angry/
  • Austerity for the many, prosperity for the few: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/commentary/work-life-2014-federal-budget
  • The buried measure that will dismantle national health care: http://healthcoalition.ca/budget-2014-triggers-harpers-plan-to-dismantle-national-health-care/
  • Why the federal budget is bad for women: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2014/02/21/bad-math-why-budget-2014-fails-to-add-up-for-women/

International

Greek austerity measures leave one million desperate:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tough-austerity-measures-in-greece-leave-nearly-a-million-people-with-no-access-to-healthcare-leading-to-soaring-infant-mortality-hiv-infection-and-suicide-9142274.html

NYT editorial: What the US stimulus plan accomplished:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/opinion/sunday/what-the-stimulus-accomplished.html?_r=0

“I’m never going to be able to retire”:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/-i-m-never-going-to-be-able-to-retire–134736593.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory

Egypt’s public transit workers on strike for the minimum wage:
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/95017/Business/Economy/Cairos-public-transport-workers-continue-strike-fo.aspx

New study shows people with intellectual disabilities have twice the rate of unemployment as others in the US:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unemployment-of-people-with-intellectual-disabilities-more-than-twice-as-high-as-general-population-245835281.html

United States ranks 34 of 35 developed countries on child poverty (note that Canada doesn’t fare well either):
http://iacknowledge.net/unicef-report-u-s-ranks-34th-out-of-35-in-childhood-poverty/

And, just because: “University of Chicago Hires Notorious Goldman Sachs Fraudster to Teach Economics to Undergrads”:
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/02/fabulous-fab-tourre-goldman-sachs-university-chicago

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This site contains general legal information for people in Ontario, Canada. It is not intended to be used as legal advice for a specific legal problem. ISAC is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization. ISAC is funded by Legal Aid Ontario (LAO). The funding for this website is also provided by LAO. The views expressed in any of ISAC’s publications (including written, oral, or visual) are the views of the clinic and do not necessarily reflect those of LAO.