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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy News: 6 July 2018

July 6, 2018

Top Stories

Ford to recall Ontario legislature on July 11 – Throne Speech July 12, session starts July 16:
https://ipolitics.ca/2018/06/29/ford-to-recall-ontario-legislature-on-july-11/

Five Tory MPPs interested in becoming speaker of the House:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/07/04/five-tory-mpps-interested-in-becoming-speaker-of-the-house.html

Provincial funds for social housing repairs now in grave doubt, Tory concedes:
https://www.cp24.com/news/provincial-funds-for-social-housing-repairs-now-in-grave-doubt-tory-concedes-1.3998150

OHIP+ to no longer give kids, young adults with private insurance free medication:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/06/30/ohip-to-no-longer-give-kids-young-adults-with-private-insurance-free-medication.html

  • Ontario Health Coalition: Doug Ford’s first cut will hurt families with the sickest children the most: http://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/release-doug-fords-first-cut-will-hurt-families-with-the-sickest-children-the-most/
  • Regg Cohn: Pharmacare the first casualty of Doug Ford’s hasty hidden agenda: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2018/07/04/pharmacare-the-first-casualty-of-doug-fords-hasty-hidden-agenda.html
  • What Ontario’s changes to OHIP+ tell us about the future of national pharmacare: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-what-ontarios-changes-to-ohip-tell-us-about-the-future-of-national/

Ford government is ending co-operation with Ottawa on resettlement of asylum seekers:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/07/05/ford-government-is-ending-cooperation-with-ottawa-on-resettlement-of-asylum-seekers.html

  • Trudeau suggests Ford doesn’t fully understand Canada’s refugee system: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-says-federal-government-should-pay-for-mess-caused-by-border/
  • Ford government’s move to withdraw support for resettlement of asylum seekers ‘short-sighted,’ says Vaughan: https://www.hilltimes.com/2018/07/05/ford-governments-move-withdraw-support-resettlement-asylum-seekers-short-sighted-says-vaughan/150317
  • Canadian Council for Refugees: The US is less safe than ever for refugees, evidence filed in court challenge shows: http://ccrweb.ca/en/media/safe-third-court-challenge-july-2018

Premier Doug Ford puts new police oversight laws on hold:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/07/03/premier-doug-ford-puts-new-police-oversight-laws-on-hold.html

Price cap on ticket resales delayed by new Premier Doug Ford:
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2018/07/04/ticket-resale-price-cap-delayed-by-new-premier-doug-ford.html

Ontario Tory government halts Liberals’ vaping rules and ticket resale price caps:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4311665/ontario-government-ticket-resale/

  • Reevely: Ontario Tories halt changes to policing, ticket-scalping and vaping rules, don’t tell public for days: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/reevely-ontario-tories-halt-changes-to-policing-ticket-scalping-and-vaping-rules-dont-tell-public-for-days

Doug Ford kicks off premiership with a pay freeze on public service managers:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-doug-ford-kicks-off-premiership-with-a-pay-freeze-on-public-service/

Doug Ford fires privatization czar, chief investment officer and chief scientist:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/07/04/doug-ford-fires-privatization-czar-chief-investment-officer-chief-scientist.html

“Opening of the books” underway in Ontario, new finance minister Vic Fedeli says:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/new-ontario-finance-minister-1.4731800

Trudeau government reviewing $420 million in transfer payments to Ontario after Doug Ford begins ‘orderly wind-down’ of green programs:
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2018/07/03/news/trudeau-government-reviewing-420-million-transfer-payments-ontario-after-doug-ford

  • Greens, NDP compare scrapping cap and trade to cancelling gas plants: https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/greens-ndp-compare-scrapping-cap-and-trade-to-cancelling-gas-plants?video_autoplay=true

Star op-ed: Ontario’s Ford government shouldn’t close supervised injection sites:
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2018/07/03/ontarios-ford-government-shouldnt-close-supervised-injection-sites.html

Doug Ford inserted himself into city’s plans for Etobicoke homeless shelter:
https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2018/07/04/doug-ford-inserted-himself-into-citys-plans-for-etobicoke-homeless-shelter.html

Mulroney wants to talk bail reform with feds over gun violence:
https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/mulroney-wants-to-talk-bail-reform-with-feds-over-gun-violence

 

Other Ontario

Almost Forever PC: David Croll and Mitch Hepburn were the only Liberals to ever enact social assistance legislation in Ontario:
http://openpolicyontario.com/almost-forever-pc-david-croll-mitch-hepburn-were-the-only-liberals-to-ever-enact-social-assistance-legislation-in-ontario/

Now is the time to push for action against homelessness, say Anglican advocates:
https://www.anglicanjournal.com/articles/now-is-the-time-to-push-for-action-against-homelessness-say-anglican-advocates/

Bare shelves at one Ontario food bank illustrate summer struggle:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/summers-struggle-ontario-food-banks-1.4727706

 

Other Top Stories

Broadbent and Page: The right to housing is essential to resolving Canada’s housing crisis:
https://maytree.com/publications/the-right-to-housing-is-essential-to-resolving-canadas-housing-crisis/

Disability and the job churn:
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/disability-and-job-churn

Is precarious work really as bad for the economy as everyone says it is?:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/rob-magazine/article-is-precarious-work-really-as-bad-for-the-economy-as-everyone-says-it/

The norm for working hours may be that there is no norm:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-the-norm-for-working-hours-may-be-that-there-is-no-norm/

Economy adds 31,800 jobs in June, unemployment rate rises to 6.0%:
https://ipolitics.ca/2018/07/06/economy-adds-31800-jobs-in-june-unemployment-rate-rises-to-6-0/

BC government announces study of basic income for all residents:
http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-government-basic-income-residents-research-2018

  • Business in Vancouver: Task force struck to study basic guaranteed income: https://biv.com/article/2018/07/task-force-struck-study-basic-guaranteed-income
  • BC to explore how basic income could work in the province: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-to-explore-how-basic-income-could-work-in-the-province-1.4733084

The CRA makes life more difficult for people with disabilities:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-cra-makes-life-more-difficult-for-people-with-disabilities/

Hundreds of thousands of families in Canada live in daycare “deserts” report says:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/hundreds-of-thousands-families-in-canada-live-in-daycare-deserts-report-says-1.4726949

 

Reports, Events, Campaigns and Other Good Things

The future of work: What do we do? Queen’s International Institute on Social Policy: August 15-18:
https://www.queensu.ca/qiisp/

Policy Options: How a guaranteed income could work:
http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/july-2018/how-a-guaranteed-income-could-work/

Addressing poverty and metal illness:
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/special-reports/addressing-poverty-and-mental-illness

New Legislative Assembly of Ontario website:
https://www.ola.org/

Ontario Orders-In-Council online:
https://www.ontario.ca/search/orders-in-council

 

Around the Province

London Housing Registry closes after 3 decades:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-housing-registry-closes-1.4732681

US steel tariffs result in 40 layoffs in Sault Ste. Marie:
https://theprovince.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/u-s-steel-tariffs-result-in-lay-offs-in-sault-ste-marie-ontario/wcm/2c74f09b-7446-461d-822b-320207ae56ff

Toronto Mayor’s affordable housing plan “missing the mark,” advocates say:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/07/05/mayors-affordable-housing-plan-missing-the-mark-advocates-say.html

Toronto needs to change its definition of affordable housing, advocacy group says:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-acorn-canada-affordable-housing-1.4734473

Disabled Gananoque man’s electricity cut off:
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/disabled-man-in-gananoque-has-power-cut-off

Heron Gate evictions in Ottawa a human rights issue, says housing advocate:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/heron-gate-residents-fight-to-stay-in-their-homes-amid-eviction-1.4728259

Windsor west end school sees food donations for hungry summer months:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/operation-windsor-hungry-tummy-windsor-west-1.4725715

Child poverty in Nipissing-Temiskaming still much too high:
http://www.nugget.ca/2018/06/26/child-poverty-still-much-too-high

Why shopkeepers in Peterborough have enlisted a low-income cleanup crew:
https://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/why-shopkeepers-in-one-ontario-city-have-enlisted-a-low-income-cleanup-crew

Chatham-Kent-Leamington child poverty rates slightly higher than national average:
http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2018/06/28/chatham-kent-leamington-rates-slightly-higher-than-national-average

Child poverty rates among lowest in Kitchener-Conestoga in riding-by-riding study:
https://observerxtra.com/2018/06/28/child-poverty-rates-among-lowest-in-kitchener-conestoga-in-riding-by-riding-study/

 

Across the Country

Poverty, racism, disability issues top Yukon’s human rights concerns, conference hears:
https://www.yukon-news.com/news/poverty-racism-disability-issues-top-yukons-human-rights-concerns-conference-hears/

Federal government increases funding for NWT job training:
https://cabinradio.ca/7590/news/economy/federal-government-increases-funding-for-nwt-job-training/

Poverty counts as neglect as families torn apart in B.C. for being poor:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-how-poverty-is-tearing-families-apart-in-bc/

Without housing, health care for the homeless and mentally ill brings limited results, Vancouver study finds:
https://www.straight.com/life/1093611/without-housing-health-care-homeless-and-mentally-ill-brings-limited-results-vancouver

Vancouver transit system “open to starting dialogue” on free transit for children, youths:
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/translink-open-to-starting-dialogue-on-free-transit-for-children-youths

Legal Aid cutting staff in Saskatoon office:
http://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/legal-aid-cutting-staff-in-saskatoon-office

  • Legal Aid layoffs cause concern among Saskatoon legal community: https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/legal-aid-layoffs-cause-concern-among-saskatoon-legal-community-1.4000405

Social assistance changes in New Brunswick provide help for mom:
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/letter-to-the-editor/opinion-changes-provide-help-for-mom-223890/

  • Changes highlight lack of understanding by government when looking at poverty, finding solutions: http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/letter-to-the-editor/opinion-poverty-a-serious-problem-223606/

New Brunswick announces 5 days of paid leave for domestic violence victims:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/domestic-violence-paid-leave-new-brunswick-1.4728534

 

National

Canada needs to get out of the immigration detention business:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/immigration-detention-1.4733897

Council that regulates immigration consultants accused of fraud, forgery and human rights violations:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/immigration-consultants-council-court-filing-1.4729412

People “dying unnecessarily” because of racial bias in Canada’s health care system, researcher says:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/health-care-racial-bias-north-1.4731483

New ruling on freedom of speech will help protect against hate:
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2018/07/04/new-ruling-on-freedom-of-speech-will-help-protect-against-hate.html

$7.5 million settlement approved in GoodLife class action:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/goodlife-class-action-lawsuit-settlement-1.4733718

John Ivison: Who’s more vulnerable than our venerable seniors? In fact, just about everyone:
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/john-ivison-whos-more-vulnerable-than-our-venerable-seniors-in-fact-just-about-everyone

Increase to OAS benefits takes effect July 1:
https://www.benefitscanada.com/news/increase-to-oas-benefits-take-effect-july-1-116627

Ottawa details list of US tariff targets, offers billions in support for Canadian industry and Employment Insurance:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-ottawa-to-give-more-than-1-billion-in-loans-funding-to-steel-and/

 

International

Why the world should adopt a basic income:
https://www.economist.com/open-future/2018/07/04/why-the-world-should-adopt-a-basic-income?fsrc=scn%2Ffb%2Fte%2Fbl%2Fed%2F

  • Who really stands to win from Universal Basic Income: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/07/09/who-really-stands-to-win-from-universal-basic-income
  • Basic income grant in South Africa more morally just and effective than minimum wage:
    https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2018-07-04-basic-income-grant-more-morally-just-and-effective-than-minimum-wage/

Opposition says UK Work and Pensions Secretary “should resign for misleading on welfare changes”:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jul/04/esther-mcvey-welfare-secretary-misled-parliament-over-reforms-auditors-say#top

  • UK “will miss fuel poverty target by more than six decades”: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/03/government-fuel-poverty-target-ippr-energy-efficiency

“A delicate balance”: Minimum wage hikes in the US squeeze restaurants amid fewer customers, worker shortages:
https://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/a-delicate-balance-minimum-wage-hikes-squeeze-restaurants-amid-fewer-customers-worker-shortages

  • Latest minimum wage hike comes as some Los Angeles employers launch bidding wars for scarce workers: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-labor-market-minimum-wage-20180701-story.html
  • Minimum wage? It’s time to talk about a maximum wage:
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/30/minimum-wage-maximum-wage-income-inequality

US SNAP work requirements could increase deep poverty for some:
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article214228284.html

What we get wrong about the poverty gap in education:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2018/07/02/what-we-get-wrong-about-the-poverty-gap-in-education/?utm_term=.1eac80c77979

Biggest ever poverty survey in New Zealand gets underway:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1807/S00017/biggest-ever-poverty-survey-gets-underway.htm

  • New Zealand’s Prime Minister welcomes new welfare reforms from the sofa with new baby: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/02/jacinda-ardern-new-zealand-welfare-reforms-baby

Australia welfare recipients to undergo face scan in order to get payments:
https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/security/welfare-recipients-to-undergo-face-scan-in-order-to-get-payments/news-story/9ca653201454c0f64c5b331a36564cf5

  • The drastic change for welfare recipients to get benefits: https://au.news.yahoo.com/drastic-change-welfare-recipients-get-benefits-105539510.html

Ending poverty the way to better health:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/05/ending-poverty-the-way-to-better-health

 

 

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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.