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Income Security Advocacy Centre

Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy News: 14 August 2015

August 14, 2015

Top Stories

Why aren’t the federal political party leaders talking about poverty in this election campaign?
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/08/10/why-wont-politicians-address-the-poverty-problem.html

  • The reality of poverty in Northern Ontario, from Put Food in the Budget: https://nowtoronto.com/news/the-changing-face-of-poverty-in-northern-ontario/

Study finds food insecurity takes a heavy financial toll on Ontario’s health care system:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/food-insecurity-a-heavy-cost-on-ontarios-health-care-system-study/article25903266/

  • Here’s the study: http://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2015/08/10/cmaj.150234.full.pdf+html 
  • CTV coverage: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/food-insecurity-takes-significant-toll-on-health-care-system-study-1.2509984?hootPostID=0ce8a2535f9f28b188685d7651175087 
  • Canada Without Poverty: We’re all paying the price for hunger in Canada: http://www.cwp-csp.ca/2015/08/were-all-paying-the-price-for-hunger-in-canada/ 

Vancouver Sun Op-Ed: Tackling housing affordability now means we won’t have to pay for it later:
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/story.html?id=11186359&rel

  • City of Abbotsford bylaws on homelessness challenged with human rights challenge:http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/2015/08/06/cities-need-new-laws-to-balance-rights-lawyer 
  • CBC’s The Current: An inside look at the harsh realities of homelessness: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-august-5-2015-1.3179700/an-inside-look-at-the-harsh-realities-of-homelessness-1.3179721 
  • ONPHA blog: New and emerging forms of affordable housing: http://qc.onpha.on.ca/2015/08/emerging-forms-of-affordable-housing/ 

Globe Editorial: The time may be now for a Guaranteed Annual Income:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/the-time-for-a-guaranteed-annual-income-might-finally-have-come/article25819266/

  • Calling for a guaranteed minimum income pilot project in Calgary and Edmonton: http://www.planetsmag.com/story.php?id=1961 
  • More Dutch cities signing on to basic income study:
    http://qz.com/473779/several-dutch-cities-want-to-give-residents-a-no-strings-attached-basic-income

Star Editorial: Ontario legal clinics deserve the additional funding they are receiving:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/2015/08/02/ontario-legal-clinics-deserve-new-funding-editorial.html

Criminalizing poverty: What do we accomplish by locking up the poor for their poverty?http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Simons+Criminalizing+poverty+What+accomplish+locking+poor+being+poor/11268531/story.html 

“Spotifying” the irregular, precarious labour market:
http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/07/24/tasker-movement-championed-as-solution-to-torontos-precarious-work-problem.html

  • Letter to the editor: The “gig economy” rarely works for workers: http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/5769957–gig-economy-rarely-good-for-workers/ 
  • Restaurant workers in Toronto owed $675 million – but will they get paid?http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/08/04/restaurant-workers-owed-675000-in-wages-but-will-they-get-their-money.html 
  • Province-wide blitz shows majority of temp agencies on wrong side of the law:http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/08/12/province-wide-blitz-shows-majority-of-temp-agencies-on-wrong-side-of-the-law.html 
  • Star editorial: Government must crack down on law-breaking temp agencies:  http://www.ourwindsor.ca/opinion-story/5797934-toronto-star-s-view-crack-down-on-law-breaking-temp-agencies/ 

High daycare fees and lack of spaces plague GTA parents:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/08/01/high-daycare-fees-lack-of-spaces-plague-gta-parents.html

Ontario

Ontario Energy Board information about help for low income energy consumers:
http://www.ontarioenergyboard.ca/OEB/Consumers/Consumer+Protection/Help+for+Low-Income+Energy+Consumers

Improvements to Ontario’s debt collection legislation already being flouted by companies:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/01/ontario-debt-collection-act_n_7913956.html

Ontario announces Community Hubs Strategic Framework and Action Plan:
http://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2015/08/ontario-community-hubs-action-plan-released.html

  • Plan available here: http://www.ontario.ca/page/community-hubs-ontario-strategic-framework-and-action-plan 
  • Globe: Closed schools could be transformed into community hubs: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/closed-ontario-schools-may-be-transformed-into-community-hubs/article25901043/?cmpid=rss1&click=sf_globe 
  • Star: http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2015/08/10/queens-park-urged-to-create-more-community-hubs.html 

Ontario announces details of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan:
http://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2015/08/premier-releases-details-of-ontario-retirement-pension-plan.html

  • Two cheers and a raspberry from Hugh Mackenzie at the CCPA: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2015/08/11/two-cheers-for-the-details-of-the-ontario-retirement-pension-plan/ 
  • What the experts think of the ORPP: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/08/11/what-the-experts-think-of-the-ontario-retirement-pension-plan.html 
  • Globe: What you need to know about the ORPP: http://www.theglobeandmail.com//news/national/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-ontario-retirement-pension-plan/article25943866/?cmpid=rss1&click=sf_globefb 
  • Nearly 60% of Torontonians support the ORPP: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/as-harper-and-wynne-battle-it-out-over-ontario-pension-plan-poll-shows-majority-of-torontonians-support-it 
  • Medicine Hat News: Forced savings for retirement a good idea:http://medicinehatnews.com/commentary/opinions/2015/08/13/forced-savings-through-pension-plan-a-good-idea/ 
  • Ottawa has a duty to support it: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/ottawa-has-a-duty-to-support-the-ontario-retirement-pension-plan/article25929269/?click=sf_globefb 

Around the Province

Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network fundraising for affordable housing:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/careers-leadership/peterborough-poverty-reduction-group-fundraising-for-affordable-housing/article25881722/

Getting into affordable housing in St. Catherines took her off a park bench and a cardboard box:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/08/10/home-was-a-cardboard-box-and-park-bench

Shelter use in Thunder Bay increases at same time as affordable housing wait list shrinks:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/thunder-bay-shelter-use-grows-as-affordable-housing-list-shrinks-1.3168872

Landlord tells Toronto tenants to remove their air conditioners:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/08/05/tenants-told-to-remove-ac-as-temperatures-soar.html

  • How one TCHC building has become a success story for tenants: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/08/11/making-social-housing-work-a-tchc-success-story.html 
  • “Just, who in good conscience, throws vulnerable people with disabilities on the street with one week’s notice. I just don’t get it. It’s shocking. Who does that?” http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5791603-parkdale-activity-recreation-centre-finds-homes-for-seven-tenants-of-the-queen-s-hotel/ 

North Bay mayor troubled by unfilled local jobs and increasing Ontario Works caseloads:
http://www.nugget.ca/2015/08/06/mayor-at-a-loss-to-explain-unfilled-jobs

  • More on increasing caseloads: http://www.nugget.ca/2015/07/30/welfare-numbers-on-the-rise 

Cochrane Ontario Works caseloads also up, but still low overall:
http://www.timminspress.com/2015/08/04/welfare-numbers-up-despite-growth-in-jobs

Report: Calculating a Living Wage for Perth and Huron Counties:
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/calculating-living-wage-perth-and-huron-counties

Important federal election issues for Hamilton
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/4-important-federal-election-issues-for-hamilton-1.3178788

Across the Country

Technology requirements to access BC welfare programs deny access to people who are homeless:
http://www.timescolonist.com/life/b-c-s-homeless-people-left-out-by-high-tech-1.2022294

  • Is BC’s “Welfare Wednesday” a discriminatory term?: http://www.therockymountaingoat.com/2015/07/welfare-wednesday-debate-vancouver-police-bc-ambulance-defend-term-as-a-fact/ 

Alberta farmers’ group says making workers’ compensation mandatory may be a good thing:
http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/2015/08/04/farm-leaders-say-workers-compensation-coverage-is-a-good-thing/

Saskatchewan physiotherapists urge more public coverage for social assistance recipients:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/physiotherapists-urge-province-to-expand-services-to-people-on-social-assistance-1.3185435

  • Labour shortage in Saskatchewan attributed to changes in temporary foreign worker program:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/revisions-to-temporary-foreign-worker-program-develop-a-labour-shortage/article25867788/ 

Will Newfoundland and Labrador’s switch from student loans to grants be emulated by other provinces?
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/addressing-student-debt-the-newfoundland-solution-195237664.html

Food poverty a particular problem in PEI:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/food-poverty-stressing-p-e-i-health-system-researcher-1.3186416

Housing First program launches in Halifax with support from all three government levels:
http://www.cfra.com/HealthCP/Article.aspx?id=475176

Whitehorse mayor and groups set priorities for the federal election, including childcare, jobs CPP:
http://www.timminspress.com/2015/08/04/welfare-numbers-up-despite-growth-in-jobs

National

Why Canadian doctors should be on the front line of the struggle against poverty:
http://umanitoba.ca/outreach/evidencenetwork/archives/26677

Canada’s economy shrank by 0.2% in May, fuelling fears of recession:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-s-economy-shrank-by-0-2-in-may-boosting-recession-fears-1.3175099?cmp=rss

  • Small business owners think Canada is in recession: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-managing/are-we-in-a-recession-these-small-business-owners-certainly-think-so/article25832412/?click=sf_globefb 

Wages expected to rise less than previously projected:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canadian-wages-projected-to-rise-2-5-in-2016-1.3181897

Canadian household debt levels soaring, and many plan to borrow more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/12/household-debt-canada-bmo_n_7977366.html

  • But it’s good debt, says the report: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/canadians-piling-up-good-debt-report-says/article25932624/?click=sf_globefb 

Expanded take on resource benefit sharing a must to address poverty among First Nations:
http://investorintel.com/technology-metals-intel/resource-benefit-sharing-to-address-poverty-in-first-nations-just-not-enough/

Renewing Canada’s Social Architecture report: “Lower Risk, Higher Reward: Renewing Canada’s Retirement Income System”:
http://social-architecture.ca/lower-risk-higher-reward-canadas-retirement-income-system/

  • Another proposal to improve the retirement savings coverage gap:http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/Expand+just+think/11272773/story.html 
  • CCPA report on income risks for retiring Canadians: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/what-me-worry 

Calling for a Canadians with Disabilities Act:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/its-well-past-time-for-a-canadians-with-disabilities-act/article25904732/

Federal Election – Voting Process

Some instructions on the balloting process, given changes under the Fair Elections Act:
http://rabble.ca/news/2015/08/how-to-vote-under-harpers-fair-elections-act#.VcEUG-dmjMc.facebook

Detailed information on voting from the Council of Canadians with Disabilities:
http://ccdonline.ca/en/publications/chairpersons-update/2015/July

Federal Election – Issues

Social Planning Councils series of fact sheets on various issues:
http://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/news/canada-votes-2015-federal-election-fact-sheets-are-now-available/

CCPA’s ballot box questions:
http://behindthenumbers.ca/2015/08/05/ccpa-staff-share-their-ballot-box-questions/

Ottawa Citizen guide to what they’ve done and what they’ve promised:
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/federal-election-what-they-did-what-they-promise

  • National Post primer: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-parties-platforms 
  • Maclean’s magazine primer on pensions: http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/pensions-primer/ 
  • Maclean’s primer on jobs: http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/jobs-primer/ 

The affordability of legal representation should be an issue in the federal election:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/make-affordable-legal-representation-an-election-issue-prof-says-1.3182770

Support for federal involvement in housing on the campaign trail in Vancouver:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/social-housing-needs-more-federal-support-say-vancouver-candidates/article25856218/

How the present government compares to past governments on issues of the economy:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/some-hard-numbers-from-harpers-soft-economy/article25817790/

NDP criticized for misleading pledge to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 / hour:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/05/ndp-15-minimum-wage-pledge-mulcair_n_7944720.html

International

UK government considering cutting welfare benefits of people who are obese or have addictions:
http://www.businessinsider.com/uk-to-cut-welfare-of-addicts-and-obese-2015-8

  • A 55% increase in Dublin homelessness this year attributed to “social circumstance or the recession”:http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/the-new-homeless-in-dublin-are-victims-of-social-circumstance-or-the-recession-1.2314988#.VcxVgcymQKA.twitter
  • And in the UK generally, homelessness has increased by 47% since cuts to housing benefit:http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/stark-warning-welfare-cuts-after-6246057 

New Zealand proposing welfare changes that activists say will have a negative effect:
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11496023

Long-time anti-eviction activist elected mayor of Barcelona; the city’s first female mayor:
http://www.democracynow.org/2015/6/5/from_occupying_banks_to_city_hall

Is the US the land of limitations, not opportunity?
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-usa-land-of-limitations.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share&_r=0

  • In America, only the rich can afford to write about poverty: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/06/america-rich-write-about-poverty 
  • U.S. securities regulator rules that all companies must disclose the pay gap between CEO and workforce:http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/08/10/narrowing-the-inequality-wage-gap.html 
  • Debunking the myth that raising taxes on the rich will harm US states’ economies: http://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/fact-sheet-debunking-the-myth-that-raising-taxes-on-the-rich-will-harm 
  • Housing is a prescription for better health: http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2015/07/22/housing-is-a-prescription-for-better-health/ 
  • New York enacts $30 million program to help low-income residents access mental health services:http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/30/nyregion/30-million-program-to-help-low-income-new-yorkers-get-mental-health-care.html?_r=0 
  • Poverty maps of some key US cities: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/08/07/the-rise-and-spread-of-poverty-in-u-s-cities-in-darkly-beautiful-maps/ 
  • New report shows US Earned Income Tax Credit has pulled more than 10 million out of poverty:http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-08-13/a-poverty-buster-that-s-not-a-liberal-fantasy 

Poverty rate in Gaza reaches nearly 40%, attributed to the blockade:
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/08/01/422864/Poverty-Gaza-Soaring-Activists-

26% of Egyptian youth unemployed, 51% in poverty:
http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2015/08/11/26-3-of-youth-unemployed-51-2-suffer-poverty/

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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.