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