Income Security Advocacy Centre

ISAC works to address issues of income security and poverty in Ontario

Media & Policy News: 11 May 2018

Ontario Election 2018

The writ’s dropped!

Every Friday until Election Day June 7 we’ll send out election-related highlights from the previous week, as well as a short collection of other stories and resources.

 

Top Stories

Election 101: Here’s what you need to know:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/ontario-election-101-1.4653863

CBC Vote Compass: Compare your views to party platforms:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/vote-compass-ontario-2018-1.4654141

Ontario must ensure public supports and services for everyone:
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2018/05/08/no-we-need-public-supports-and-services-for-everyone.html

Video: Rural poverty summit in Muskoka:
https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1385018

Social assistance policy can be a deciding factor in Ontario’s next election:
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/elizabeth-mcisaac/social-assistance-policy-can-be-a-deciding-factor-in-ontarios-next-election_a_23395568/

Ontario’s basic income experiment would continue under Doug Ford:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/04/24/ontarios-basic-income-experiment-would-continue-under-doug-ford.html

Ontario passes gender pay transparency law:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/05/01/ontario-passes-gender-pay-transparency-law.html

Ontario government backs down on controversial holiday pay changes:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/small-business/managing/article-ontario-government-backs-down-on-controversial-holiday-pay-changes/

Doug Ford promises 12% cut to Ontario hydro rates but doesn’t say how Tories would replace lost revenue:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-doug-ford-promises-12-per-cent-cut-to-ontario-hydro-rates-but-doesnt/

Green Party leader Mike Shreiner says it’s time to upset political status quo in Ontario:
https://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/8598698-green-party-leader-mike-shreiner-says-it-s-time-to-upset-political-status-quo-in-ontario/

Campaign kickoff: Several tight election races to watch in Hamilton:
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8596971-campaign-kickoff-several-tight-election-races-to-watch-in-hamilton/

Beset by bad polls, Wynne calls in a fixer from Ottawa:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/wynne-polls-astravas-election-1.4657674

Adding up the cost of the PC platform:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ford-pc-not-release-costed-platform-1.4656985

 

Polls

Maclean’s-Pollara poll: Welcome to third place, Liberals – but NDP has room to grow:
http://www.macleans.ca/politics/the-macleans-pollara-ontario-election-poll-welcome-to-third-place-liberals/

Ipsos poll: Doug Ford’s Ontario PC Party enjoys commanding lead over NDP, Liberals:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4192820/doug-ford-ontario-pc-lead-polls-ipsos/amp/

Forum poll: Poll predicts NDP opposition to a PC majority government:
http://torontosun.com/news/provincial/poll-favours-ontario-ndp-as-opposition-to-a-pc-majority-goverment

Andrea Horwath’s NDP making gains as Ontario election begins:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/grenier-ontario-polltracker-may10-1.4656808

Horwath top challenger to Ford in Ontario election: Poll:
https://www.cp24.com/news/horwath-top-challenger-to-ford-in-ontario-election-poll-1.3905690

Ipsos poll: In top 10 election issues, Ontario voters don’t trust the Liberals:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4199176/ontario-election-issues-liberals-ipsos-poll/

Global News election promise tracker:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4196074/ontario-election-promise-tracker/

 

Resources

ISAC: Tools you can use, including tools from other groups and campaigns:
http://incomesecurity.org/policy-advocacy/election-2018-tools-that-you-can-use/

  • Note: The link above includes ISAC’s election kits, questions for the parties / candidates, and facts about poverty by riding and demographics
  • We’ve also included links to materials from groups like:
    • $15 and Fairness
    • ACTO
    • ISARC
    • Legal aid clinics
    • Niagara Poverty Reduction Network
    • Ontario Mental Health and Addictions Alliance
    • Ontario Coalition for Better Childcare
    • ODSP Action Coalition
    • Ontario for All
    • Ontario Nonprofit Network
    • Real Healthcare for Injured Workers
    • Social Planning Toronto
    • Workers Comp is a Right!
    • And watch this space as we’re posting materials from more groups and campaigns as we find them.

CCPA special Ontario Election 2018 edition of the Monitor:
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/monitor-mayjune-2018

 

Other Issues

 

Ontario

This temp agency worker shows up every day, but his agency says he’s not a real employee:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/05/11/this-temp-agency-worker-shows-up-at-the-same-office-every-day-but-his-agency-says-hes-not-a-real-employee.html

Ontario’s bold basic income experiment creates high expectations:
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/05/02/ontarios-basic-income-experiment-pilot-project_a_23425399/?ncid=fcbklnkcahpmg00000001

Op-ed: Aging with poverty:
http://www.sackvilletribunepost.com/opinion/columnists/aging-with-poverty-208758/

Personal injury victims need more compensation:
http://blackburnnews.com/chatham/chatham-news/2018/05/07/personal-injury-victims-need-compensation/

Law protecting Ontarians from disclosure of police records finally gets green light:
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2018/05/07/law-protecting-ontarians-from-disclosure-of-police-records-finally-gets-green-light.html

 

Resources

Maytree: Social Assistance Summaries 2017:
https://maytree.com/social-assistance-summaries/

Stats Can: Annual review of the labour market, 2017:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/180424/dq180424a-eng.htm?CMP=mstatcan

Dignity for All: Tell your MP to set a course for Dignity for All!:
https://dignityforall.ca/set-a-course/

 

Around the Province

Hamilton land swap enables affordable housing build:
https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/projects/2018/05/hamilton-land-swap-enables-affordable-housing-build

Residents of East Hamilton buildings declare rent strike:
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8569090-residents-of-east-hamilton-buildings-declare-rent-strike/

‘My life has changed so much’: One Thunder Bay woman’s experience with Ontario’s basic income program:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/ontario-basic-income-1.4655594

Guelph parents protest plan to end sheltered workshops:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4194608/guelph-sheltered-workshops/

Legal Assistance Windsor offers help to those arrested for possible immigration violations:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/legal-assistance-windsor-immigration-refugee-1.4650976

 

Across the Country

BC government sidesteps call for disability rate hike, index to inflation:
http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-government-sidesteps-call-for-disability-rate-hike-index-to-inflation

These Vancouver neighbourhoods have the highest proportion of people who can’t afford their homes:
https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/05/08/these-vancouver-neighbourhoods-have-the-highest-proportion-of-people-who-cant-afford-their-homes.html

Mobile grocery market launches summer program into Calgary’s food deserts:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/below-market-mobile-grocery-truck-launches-in-calgary-1.4654532

Ten things to know about the 2018 Saskatchewan budget:
http://behindthenumbers.ca/2018/04/20/ten-things-to-know-about-the-2018-saskatchewan-budget/

Manitoba NDP bill aims to prevent child apprehensions due to poverty:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/child-apprehension-bill-poverty-1.4655402

Child poverty down in Manitoba – or is it?:
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/child-poverty-down-in-province-482140603.html

Ottawa fills the EI black hole for PEI’s seasonal workers:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-ei-black-hole-seasonal-workers-1.4655333

Nova Scotia municipalities urged to reduce rural poverty:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/valleyharvester/1569316-municipalities-urged-to-reduce-rural-poverty

 

National

Canadians want pot tax revenue to fund health care, not anti-drug campaigns: survey:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4199723/marijuana-tax-revenue-survey-deficit/

Is the TFSA program serving all Canadians equally?:
http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/may-2018/is-the-tfsa-program-serving-all-canadians-equally/

Federal government release: Government takes action to ensure Canada Child Benefit helps children who need it most:
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2018/04/government-takes-action-to-ensure-canada-child-benefit-helps-children-who-need-it-most.html

 

International

New Zealand to house country’s entire homeless population before winter hits next month:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-friday-edition-1.4648602/new-zealand-to-house-country-s-entire-homeless-population-before-winter-hits-next-month-1.4649023

New Zealand’s child poverty bill will leave children poor, experts warn:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/103729537/governments-child-poverty-bill-will-leave-children-poor-experts-warn

Money for nothing? Tracking global basic income initiatives:
https://www.wikitribune.com/story/2018/05/10/economics/money-for-nothing-tracking-global-basic-income-initiatives/69452/

PBS: Does a basic guaranteed income decrease the need for social services?:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/does-a-basic-guaranteed-income-decrease-poverty

Should the workers who deliver Amazon packages make the minimum wage? Seattle is looking into it:
https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/05/09/26158013/seattle-is-looking-into-whether-amazon-flex-drivers-are-protected-by-labor-laws

A million more UK children in poverty than in 2010: Study:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/may/07/million-more-uk-children-in-poverty-than-in-2010

Finland has slashed unemployment benefits for 80,000 as a result of “activation model” adoption: http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/15514-activation-model-has-cut-benefits-for-80-000-people-confirms-kela.html

Iceland no longer following Nordic welfare model:
https://grapevine.is/news/2018/05/09/iceland-no-longer-following-nordic-welfare-model/

Australia’s “brutal” plan to dock welfare for fines savaged by advocates:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/may/09/advocates-savage-coalitions-brutal-plan-to-dock-welfare-for-fines

Union rally for minimum wage increase disrupts Melbourne’s CBD as tens of thousands march:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-09/union-protest-minimum-wage-in-melbournes-cbd/9742280

New evidence shows that US anti-poverty programs, especially Social Security, work well:
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-antipoverty-20180507-story.html