Top Stories
New report shows Canadians believe political parties’ focus on winning elections is coming at the expense of hearing their views:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Political+parties+failing+Canadians+survey/9517929/story.html
- Here’s the report from Samara Canada: http://www.samaracanada.com/research/current-research/by-invitation-only
CBC Hamilton 5-part Report: Kids, Poverty and Mental Health:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/kids-poverty-and-mental-health-hamilton-fights-back-1.2536295
Put Food in the Budget finds Premier Wynne “guilty” on social justice:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/19/premier_kathleen_wynne_guilty_of_denying_her_social_justice_pledge_group_rules.html
Upcoming Events, New Reports, and Other Info
Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship and IRPP roundtable on the Fair Elections Act, Feb 21:
http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f538f283d07ef7057a628bed8&id=f6a00a29e6&e=93c40f0305
Council of Canadians wth Disabilities: “Looking Into Poverty: Income Sources of Poor People with Disabilities in Canada ”
http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/poverty-citizenship/demographic-profile/income-sources-of-poor-people-with-disabilities
Social Planning Network of Ontario statement about the utility of National Household Survey data:
http://www.spno.ca/news/latest/116-spno-statement-on-the-national-household-survey
From partners at Ontario Campaign 2000 – items connecting poverty and health:
- Ontario Medical Review: Why Poverty is a Medical Problem: https://www.oma.org/Resources/Documents/Oct13_OMR_Poverty1.pdf
- Ontario Medical Review: Policy and Population Approaches to poverty:https://www.oma.org/Resources/Documents/Nov13_OMR_Poverty5_PolicyPop.pdf
- Hamilton Spectator: Minimum wage increase falls short: $14 per hour helps create ‘fairer’ society the province has promised:http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/4360915-minimum-wage-increase-falls-short/
- Ontario Medical Association: Office Interventions for Poverty: https://www.oma.org/Resources/Documents/Oct13_OMR_Poverty_feature2.pdf
- OMA: Office Interventions for Poverty: Child Health: https://www.oma.org/Resources/Documents/Nov13_OMR_Poverty3_ChildHealth.pdf
- OMA: Office Interventions for Poverty: Racialized Groups: https://www.oma.org/Resources/Documents/Nov13_OMR_Poverty4_Racialized.PDF
Around the Province
Hamilton declares itself a Sanctuary City:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/12/hamilton_declares_itself_sanctuary_city_for_undocumented_immigrants.html
A new partnership opens homeless shelter in Sudbury:
http://www.northernlife.ca/news/localNews/2014/02/18-homeless-shelter-sudbury.aspx
Advocates say Sudbury needs a long-term wet shelter:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/long-term-wet-shelter-for-homeless-alcoholics-needed-advocates-say-1.2543031
Local Councillor says Toronto should have a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy:
http://www.thestar.com/bigideas/quality_life/2014/02/10/big_ideas_toronto_needs_its_own_comprehensive_plan_to_fight_poverty_councillor_says.html
- In Councillor Mihevc’s own words: http://nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=196704
Across the Country
Vancouver Council votes to send back a development proposal that would violate the rights of people with disabilities:
http://www.vancourier.com/opinion/columnists/pearson-dogwood-redevelopment-plan-a-matter-of-human-rights-1.852918
Halifax woman fights social assistance for dental device funding:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1188013-halifax-woman-turns-to-court-over-lost-funding-for-dental-device
National – Federal Budget
CCPA: 2014 Federal Budget Analysis
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/2014-federal-budget-analysis
Campaign 2000: Children in poverty wait while surplus accumulates:
http://www.campaign2000.ca/
Canada Without Poverty: Federal budget forgets the poor:
http://www.cwp-csp.ca/2014/02/a-federal-budget-without-solutions-or-vision/
Canadians for Tax Fairness: Talk about tax fairness but not much action:
http://www.taxfairness.ca/news/budget-2014-talk-about-tax-fairness-not-much-action
Caledon Institute: The 2014 Unbalanced Budget:
http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/1037ENG.pdf
Council of Canadians with Disabilities: Federal budget includes funding to help people with disabilities find employment:
http://www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/employment/Press-Release-12Feb2014
Clutterbuck: Tax delivered benefits don’t come close to the value of national programs:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/02/11/peter-clutterbuck-budgets-should-help-citizens-not-just-taxpayers/
Hennessy: How can you maintain a political agenda of service and job cuts when the budget is well and truly balanced?
http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=196764
MacEwen: Young workers left behind in federal budget:
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/behind-numbers/2014/02/young-workers-left-behind-budget-2014
Walkom: A real budget would address the jobs issue head-on. This one does not:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/02/11/flaherty_budget_a_masterpiece_of_hype_walkom.html
International
27 Anglican bishops slam Cameron’s UK welfare reforms “in unprecedented attack”:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/27-bishops-slam-david-camerons-3164033
Huge costs and low signups may put UK welfare reforms in jeopardy:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/universal-credit-governments-welfare-reform-may-be-scrapped-after-next-election-9139458.html
Brussels tells the UK the crackdown on benefits for EU migrants is illegal:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2563437/Migrant-welfare-crackdown-illegal-Brussels-tells-PM-Statement-says-minimum-earning-threshold-not-compatible-EU-law.html
Why the Gap is raising its minimum wage in the US to $10 / hour:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/02/19/3306841/gap-raising-minimum-wage-10/