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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy News: 10 July 2015

July 10, 2015

Top Stories

Provincial labour laws allow migrant workers to be treated like slaves:
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/provincial-labour-laws-allow-foreign-workers-to-be-treated-like-slaves-say-advocates

  • Justicia for Migrant Workers wants to be heard as government reviews employment standards legislation:http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/justicia-for-migrant-workers-wants-to-be-heard-as-ontario-reviews-labour-laws-1.3140603 

Those same labour laws allow workers’ wages to be stolen, seemingly without penalty:
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/06/30/wage-theft-puts-woman-at-rock-bottom-and-shes-not-alone.html

Little progress made on fixing Ontario’s SAMS social assistance computer system problems:
http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/reevely-little-progress-in-fixing-ontarios-welfare-computer-woes

Op-Ed: Why Housing First won’t end homelessness:
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/views-expressed/2015/07/why-housing-first-wont-end-homelessness

Op-Ed: Guaranteed Annual Income would solve the problem of poverty:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/07/04/lets-stop-pretending-we-cant-end-poverty.html

  • Utrecht testing a “basic income” program, using Mincome as a model: http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-07-02/how-canada-tried-eradicate-poverty-guaranteed-income 

BC Provincial Court rules mandatory victim surcharge is unconstitutional:
http://www.canadianlawyermag.com/legalfeeds/2773/mandatory-victim-surcharges-unconstitutional-b-c-court-main.html

Reports, Events and More

CCPA-BC report says $10 / day childcare is feasible:
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Child+care+feasible+Canada/11200074/story.html

  • Here’s the report: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/solving-bc%E2%80%99s-affordability-crisis-child-care

Call for Proposals: Connecting Research to Practice: Developing Toronto’s research agenda to solve homelessness:
http://homelesshub.ca/homelessness-symposium

CCPA article: The Big Heist: Canada continues to let billions leave the country tax free
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/big-heist

Statistics Canada: New Low Income Lines released:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75f0002m/75f0002m2015001-eng.htm

Ontario

Woman cut off ODSP after accumulating $7,000 in savings:
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/egan-child-like-autistic-woman-cut-off-after-ontario-eyes-her-7000-bank-account

Deena Ladd on Ontario Today: What’s wrong with Ontario’s employment standards legislation?
http://www.cbc.ca/ontariotoday/episodes/

Judge says people in poverty should be given a break from backbreaking fines:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/06/28/judge-signals-its-time-to-offer-relief-from-backbreaking-fines.html

  • Star Editorial: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/07/02/let-judges-ease-the-burden-on-the-poor-editorial.html 

Ontario Dental Association president says dentists need more provincial funding to adequately provide dental care for low-income people:
http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/5712006-stoney-creek-dentist-oda-president-victor-kutcher-says-provincial-dental-programs-severely-underfun/

Around the Province

How changes to TTC fares will impact low income people in Toronto:
http://homelesshub.ca/blog/how-will-toronto%E2%80%99s-transit-changes-impact-people-experiencing-homelessness

People who are poor in Hamilton get legal aid boost:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5702997-hamilton-s-poorest-get-major-legal-aid-boost/

Op-Ed: London must take efforts to reduce poverty more seriously:
http://www.lfpress.com/2015/07/03/pearson-london-urged-to-tackle-poverty

Court rules Sarnia church didn’t contravene zoning bylaws by running shelter for people who are homeless:
http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/07/03/appeal-court-finds-church-run-shelter-doesnt-contravene-city-zoning-bylaws

MarketMobile brings affordable food to new neighbourhoods in Ottawa:
http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news-story/5698181-marketmobile-branches-out-with-affordable-food-service/

Living wage campaign in Hamilton gets a boost from Chamber of Commerce and Good Shepherd:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5698330-new-voices-for-living-wage-program/

YWCA Niagara Region puts Cardboard House on display to raise awareness of homelessness:
http://www.ywcaniagararegion.ca/events/the-cardboard-house/

Talking about the Basic Income Guarantee in Perth:
http://www.insideottawavalley.com/news-story/5686153-basic-income-guarantee-an-economic-idea-whose-time-has-in-come-/

Across the Country

Vancouver Council passes a motion to become Canada’s first major city to be a Living Wage employer:
http://www.livingwageforfamilies.ca/media/news-releases/city-of-vancouver-passes-motion-to-become-a-living-wage-employer/

Vancouver is hamstrung on helping at-risk youth without support and collaboration from the province:
http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2015/07/07/vancouver-hamstrung-in-helping-at-risk-youth-watchdog

Vancouver Council proposing tough new fees to prevent loss of affordable housing stock:
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Vancouver+proposes+increase+change+room+from+welfare+rate+market+rental/11183841/story.html

Local BC school board urges provincial government to enact poverty reduction strategy:
http://www.nelsonstar.com/news/311510871.html

Why Jean Swanson should be honoured for her fight against legislated poverty:
http://www.straight.com/news/484781/why-not-honour-jean-swanson-her-tireless-fight-against-legislated-poverty

National

Groups seek court injunction on new voting rules, which would disenfranchise people who are homeless and others:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/advocacy-groups-seek-court-order-to-ease-voter-id-rules-before-fall-election-1.2449109

TD calls a recession, says an interest rate cut is likely:
http://www.thestar.com/business/economy/2015/07/06/canada-in-recession-rate-cut-likely-td.html

  • Finance Minister Oliver says no new economic measures are necessary: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/07/07/canada-doesnt-need-new-measures-to-boost-economy-finance-minister-joe-oliver-says.html 

Canada Without Poverty challenges CRA charity audits at UN in Geneva:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-without-poverty-charity-challenges-harper-govt-audits-at-un-in-geneva-1.3136289

  • Press release from Canada Without Poverty: http://www.cwp-csp.ca/2015/07/cwp-denounces-income-tax-act/

International

How the Eurozone has affected the welfare of its citizens:
http://theconversation.com/hard-evidence-how-has-the-eurozone-affected-the-welfare-of-its-citizens-43944

Community Land Trusts being used in Austin to ensure affordable housing:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/07/affordable-housing-always/397637/

“37 ways to reform the economy so it’s not rigged for the rich”:
http://www.alternet.org/economy/37-ways-reform-economy-so-its-not-rigged-rich-according-progressive-economists

UK government introduces its Budget, with 12 billion in welfare cuts, a higher minimum wage, and various tax changes:
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/08/uk-budget-to-spell-out-spending-and-tax-cuts.html

  • Osborne hopes minimum wage hike will offset welfare cuts: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/08/george-osborne-budget-minimum-wage-rise-12bn-welfare-cuts 
  • The welfare cap is government policy “at its worst”: http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/07/welfare-cap-government-policy-its-worst-labour-wont-challenge-it 
  • UK scraps its legislated child poverty commitments as poverty rates unchanged:http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/01/government-scrap-legal-requirements-child-poverty 

People in Ireland need an 11.50 euro Living Wage:
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/living-wage-set-at-11-50-a-third-more-than-minimum-wage-1.2274425

What child poverty campaigners can learn from New Zealand:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/08/child-poverty-campaigners-uk-learn-new-zealand

Relieving global poverty: Moving from abject poverty to low-income, not the middle class:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5714595-millions-leave-poverty-but-not-for-middle-class/

“Scarcity mindset” leads to feelings of self-loathing, says new report:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jun/30/poverty-negative-spiral-fear-self-loathing

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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.