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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy News: 5 February 2016

February 5, 2016

Top Stories

MCSS making big changes to the ODSP medical review process:
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/medicalReviewODSP.aspx

Federal Minister eyeing guaranteed minimum income to tackle poverty:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/guaranteed-income-has-merit-as-a-national-policy-minister-says/article28588670/

  • Op-Ed: Time for another look at guaranteed annual income: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/time-for-another-look-at-a-guaranteed-annual-income/article28439737/

Ontario budget touted for March 3 or March 10:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/01/23/winter-budget-looms-for-ontario.html

  • OPSEU says government is “out-of-touch” with Ontarians on budget priorities: http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/liberals-out-of-touch-with-ontarians-on-budget-priorities-opseus-thomas-says-567251251.html

Federal Ombudsman’s report looks at problems in CPP-D:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/auditor-general-report-shared-services-1.3429861?cmp=rss

  • Here’s the report: http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/docs/parl_oag_201511_06_e.pdf
  • Belleville lawyer has seen the system “go from bad to worse”: http://www.intelligencer.ca/2016/02/02/agonizing-wait-for-disability-pension-benefits
  • Dying Canadians are missing out on vital disability payments: http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/02/02/news/dying-canadians-missing-out-vital-disability-payments
  • Benefits appeals too long and too arduous: http://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/6259269-auditor-benefits-appeals-too-long-arduous/
  • No end in sight for “spike unit” dealing with appeal backlog: http://www.benefitscanada.com/pensions/other-pensions/no-end-in-sight-for-spike-unit-helping-social-security-tribunal-76502

Ontario Energy Board issues alert of possible phone scam on Ontario Electricity Support Program:
http://www.ontarioenergyboard.ca/oeb/_Documents/Press%20Releases/news_release_OESP_Consumer_Alert_20160127.pdf

  • Help Centre in Cobourg says there’s no requirement for a home visit: http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/2016/02/02/help-centre-warns-of-hydro-scam

ACORN Canada pushes CRTC for low-income affordable internet program:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/02/02/anti-poverty-advocates-call-for-affordable-internet.html

Op-Ed: TPP threatens to worsen inequality:
https://www.hilltimes.com/opinion-piece/legislation/2016/02/02/tpp-threatens-to-worsen-inequality/45120

  • Canadian unions tell government the TPP threatens jobs, food safety and more: http://canadianlabour.ca/news/news-archive/canadian-unions-tell-government-tpp-threatens-jobs-food-safety-and-more
  • Angus Reid survey: Half of Canadians uncertain about TPP: http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f7dda22184bee7fac707500ef&id=5fc1a70c61&e=9e305f90ee

 

Ontario

More on labour groups’ call for Ombudsman to investigate WSIB practices: http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/labour-groups-call-for-ontario-ombudsman-to-probe-wsib-practices-1.2757087

  • OFL, injured workers and medical professionals official request to the Ombudsman: http://ofl.ca/index.php/ombuds2016/
  • WSIB says they give “quality service”: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/01/29/injured-workers-receive-quality-service-compensation-board-claims.html

Paid sick days for a fairer and healthier Ontario:
http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/6259946-paid-sick-days-for-a-fairer-and-healthier-ontario/

Aboriginal graduates help peers embrace post-secondary education:
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2016/02/02/aboriginal-grads-join-push-to-help-peers-embrace-higher-learning.html

 

Reports, Events, Campaigns, and Other Good Things

Save the Date: Low-Income Energy Network (LIEN) Annual Conference March 23 in Toronto:
http://yourlegalrights.on.ca/news/save-date-lien-annual-conference-march-23-2016

Upcoming online training on campaigning to build social movements:
http://socialmovementtechnologies.org/upcoming-online-training

Angus Reid: Most Canadians are pretty happy, but those who aren’t happy are miserable – note how satisfied “The Unhappy” are with “material satisfaction”:
http://angusreid.org/life-satisfaction/

Angus Reid: Nearly half of Canadians want Ottawa to stick with $10 billion deficit plan:
http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f7dda22184bee7fac707500ef&id=ac718437e0&e=9e305f90ee

Report shows prison-based needle and syringe programs reduce astronomically high HIV and Hep C infection rates:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/02/03/prison-needle-programs-touted-to-reduce-hiv-and-hep-c.html

 

Around the Province

Star editorial: Toronto’s chronic underfunding gets worse with virtually nothing for poverty reduction:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2016/02/01/torontos-chronic-underfunding-just-gets-worse-editorial.html

How supportive housing rescued one man who was homeless in Toronto:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/health/health-headlines/how-supportive-housing-rescued-one-homeless-man-1.2751852

Stand Up for Steel brings thousands to Hamilton city hall:
http://www.900chml.com/2016/01/30/stand-up-for-steel-rally-brings-thousands-to-hamilton-city-hall/

Thunder Bay legal clinic lawyer gets kudos for responsive advocacy:
http://www.chroniclejournal.com/opinion/remarkable-performance-not-taught-in-law-school/article_a9306c1c-c8f2-11e5-acb1-430c11719aa1.html

Waterloo advocates question delay in report on free bus passes for low-income residents:
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6260504-delayed-report-on-free-bus-passes-for-low-income-residents-irks-advocates/

Fenelon Falls Kawartha Missions reaching out to help First Nations people on reserve:
http://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/6259645-fenelon-falls-kawartha-missions-focuses-on-appalling-poverty-on-first-nations-reserves/

Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster gets OW training contract from City of Peterborough:
http://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/6257745-innovation-cluster-gets-ontario-works-training-program-contract-from-the-city-of-peterborough/

 

Across the Country

Op-ed: Quebec’s welfare reform bill is aiming at the wrong target:
http://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-quebecs-welfare-reform-bill-is-aiming-at-the-wrong-target

Maytree: Edmonton and Toronto launch bold poverty reduction strategies:
http://maytree.com/blog/2016/01/a-tale-of-two-cities-edmonton-and-toronto-launch-bold-poverty-reduction-strategies/

New Brunswick budget hikes the HST and cuts the bureaucracy:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/roger-melanson-provincial-budget-hst-1.3430148

  • Social justice group says HST hike will burden the poor: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/budget-poverty-social-justice-1.3431687

Vancouver offers up city land in pitch for new affordable housing funding:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/vancouver-offers-city-land-in-bid-for-social-housing-cash-from-ottawa/article28503349/

Injunction filed to stop BC from deducting $20 from methadone patients’ social assistance cheques:
http://www.straight.com/news/629451/legal-action-seeks-end-welfare-deductions-bc-methadone-patients

  • Background on class-action lawsuit: http://www.straight.com/news/571721/methadone-patient-alleges-discrimination-and-targets-bc-government-class-action-lawsuit

City of Calgary bylaw officers urge permits on volunteers providing meals to people who are homeless:
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/bylaw-officers-visit-group-who-gives-warm-food-to-homeless-calgarians

  • Community steps up to help the volunteers: http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/community-steps-up-to-support-group-feeding-homeless

 

National

Beyond cauliflower: Poverty and Canada’s food system:
http://www.cpj.ca/beyond-cauliflower-poverty-and-canada-s-food-system

Canadian economy shows signs of life:
http://www.mississauga.com/news-story/6254666-canadian-economy-shows-sign-of-life/

Prime Minister says Canada will “modernize” Employment Insurance to “be there” for Albertans:
http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/02/01/prime-minister-trudeau-liberals-will-be-there-for-alberta

  • Minister says EI changes will come “soon”: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/changes-to-employment-insurance-soon-says-minister
  • EI relief not likely to come before federal budget: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ei-relief-for-laid-off-alberta-workers-not-likely-to-come-before-federal-budget-employment-minister

CD Howe Institute says EI should be changed as only half of Canadians are covered:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/02/02/boost-workers-skills-tweak-employment-insurance-to-help-workforce-report_n_9137278.html?ncid=tweetlnkcahpmg00000002

  • EI needs to “keep up with changing times”: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/jobs/canadas-labour-market-not-keeping-up-with-changing-times-report-says/article28494862/

Ottawa used technicality to disqualify 1000 residential school claims:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-used-technicality-to-disqualify-1000-residential-school-claims/article28529588/

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board seeks info on climate change risks:
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6258174-canada-pension-plan-seeks-climate-change-info/

Canada’s media crisis: “It’s a joke to think a healthy democracy can be restored given the continuing depletion of the one industry that holds business and government to account”:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/canadas-media-a-crisis-that-cries-out-for-a-public-inquiry/article28494689/

  • “News poverty” can harm democracy and communities: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/news-poverty-local-1.3430069

 

International

European Union ready to scrutinise UK-Google tax deal in tax avoidance crackdown:
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/28/eu-ready-scrutinise-uk-google-tax-deal-avoidance-crackdown

Stanford study shows US is “dead last” on poverty and inequality measures:
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2016/february/poverty-report-grusky-020216.html

US policy proponents on both the left and right finding alignment on poverty proposals:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/03/business/finding-common-political-ground-on-poverty.html

Australia government hiring private companies track down welfare fraud by monitoring social media:
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/03/government-monitoring-social-media-accounts-to-hunt-down-welfare

How about matching welfare recipients to jobs in the “gig economy”? asks former US congressional staffer:
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/02/can-the-growing-gig-economy-reboot-welfare.html

 

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Tel: (416) 597-5820 • Toll Free: 1-866-245-4072 • Fax: (416) 597-5821

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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.