• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Income Security Advocacy Centre

Income Security Advocacy Centre

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

  • Our Work
    • Litigation
    • Policy
    • Community Organizing
    • Public Education
  • Publications
  • Updates
  • Campaigns
  • About Us
    • Mission, Vision & Mandate
    • Staff
    • Members
    • Board Members
    • Annual Reports
    • Contact Us
  • Resources
  • Share Your Story
  • Twitter

Media & Policy News: 21 January 2014

January 21, 2014

Top Story

Oxfam released a report yesterday in advance of the World Economic Forum in Davos starting tomorrow.

The report is important not only because it reveals that 85 people hold half the world’s wealth – which is garnering the most media attention – but also because it makes the connection between growing inequality and growing social instability, the subverting of democracy, financial deregulation, tax avoidance and evasion, and cuts to public services.

The report calls for those countries gathered at the WEF to pledge to:

  • Support progressive taxation and not to dodge their own taxes;
  • Refrain from using their wealth to seek political favors that undermine the democratic will of their fellow citizens;
  • Make public all the investments in companies and trusts for which they are the ultimate beneficial owners;
  • Challenge governments to use tax revenue to provide universal healthcare, education and social protection for citizens;
  • Demand a living wage in all companies they own or control;
  • Challenge other members of the economic elite to join them in these pledges.
  • Tackle inequality by cracking down on financial secrecy and tax dodging, including through the G20; investing in universal education and healthcare; and agreeing a global goal to end extreme inequality in every country as part of the post 2015 negotiations.

The Report: http://www.oxfam.ca/news/rigged-rules-winner-takes-all

Selected Coverage:

  • CBC: “Wealthy elites have co-opted political power to rig the rules of the economic game, undermining democracy and creating a world where the 85 richest people own the wealth of half of the world’s population,” Oxfam claimed:http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/oxfam-warns-of-dangers-of-growing-inequality-1.2503661
  • Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/worlds-85-richest-people-have-wealth-equal-to-that-of-half-the-population-report/article16407230/#dashboard/follows/
  • CTV: http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/world-s-85-richest-people-have-as-much-wealth-as-half-the-population-oxfam-1.1646911
  • Huffington Post UK: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/17/oxfam-bus-wealth_n_4616103.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
  • Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/20/oxfam-85-richest-people-half-of-the-world
  • ABC Australia: “Income inequality is crippling the fight against poverty”: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-20/oxfam-report-says-1pc-of-world-owns-50pc-of-wealth/5207714

Ontario

Wellesley Institute: Act now on poverty reduction:
http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/news/getting-it-right-in-2014-acting-now-on-poverty/

Development services consultations hear from frustrated parents of people with disabilities:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Going+circles+Ontario+developmental+services+committee/9401950/story.html

How does Ontario legal aid compare? (hint: “the clinic system…‘is one of our really special features’”:
http://www.lawtimesnews.com/201401203721/headline-news/how-does-ontario-legal-aid-compare

Is Hudak abandoning his Right-to-Work pledge?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/hudak-shies-away-from-union-fight-in-latest-proposal/article16398062/#dashboard/follows/

St Catherines Standard on Hudak’s million jobs plan:
http://blogs.canoe.ca/grantrants/news/tim-hudaks-explaination-doesnt-clear-the-fog-on-his-jobs-policy/

Around the Province

Don’t forget – Fight for Fair Wages Forum in Toronto January 24:
https://www.facebook.com/events/608238165909898/

Across the Country

Resource extraction and taxation – if every Norwegian’s a millionaire, why is Alberta in hock?
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/01/15/If-Every-Norwegians-a-Millionaire-Whys-Alberta-in-Hock/

Nearly 500 Saskatchewan children with close social services connections have died in the past 20 years:
http://news.ca.msn.com/local/saskatchewan/hundreds-of-children-with-social-services-ties-died-in-sask

Acorn BC lobbies for $10/month internet:
http://hqprincegeorge.com/news/local/news/v/Local/334466/Poverty-advocacy-group-wanting-10-month-internet

National

Provincial labour ministers still not happy with revamped Canada Jobs Grant:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/provincial-labour-ministers-disappointed-with-canada-job-grant-proposal/article16397317/#dashboard/follows/

Very cheeky Globe and Mail editorial (!) on the Canada Jobs Grant:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/wanted-policy-analyst-experience-necessary/article16373663/

Canada Border Services setting targets for stripping migrants of refugee status:
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/01/16/border-services-set-quota-for-stripping-refugee-status

Feds set up snitch line to catch tax cheats – with rewards for informants:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/01/15/tax-cheats-hotline-canada_n_4604338.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-politics&ir=Canada%20Politics

The changing face of poverty in Canada – it’s not single moms anymore:
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/Canada/ID/2428727730/

Unifor about to launch a nationwide campaign on workplace rights:
http://www.unifor.org/en/whats-new/news/unifor-standing-rights-work

Ideas for individualizing pension reforms:
http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2014/01/19/how_voluntary_contributions_could_reshape_cpp_pensions.html

Fraser Institute comes out against a living wage:
http://www.pressprogress.ca/en/post/surprise-fraser-institute-comes-out-against-living-wage

Broadbent Institute working toward the 2015 federal election:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/broadbent-institute-primes-progressives-for-2015-election-and-beyond-1.2495173

International

Southern Poverty Law Centre: We need a new war on poverty, not a war on the poor:
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/news/we-need-a-new-war-on-poverty-not-a-war-on-the-poor

Salon: 8 Conservative anti-poverty ideas that will only make things worse:
http://www.salon.com/2014/01/17/8_conservative_anti_poverty_ideas_that_will_make_things_so_much_worse_partner/

Utah is on track to ending homelessness – by giving people homes:
http://www.nationofchange.org/utah-ending-homelessness-giving-people-homes-1390056183

Letters to the Seattle Times editor on the value of public assistance programs:
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/northwestvoices/2014/01/20/war-on-poverty-the-benefits-of-public-assistance-programs-for-the-poor/

In Indiana, mandatory drug screening for welfare recipients “has failed the test”:
http://www.goshennews.com/local/x651181217/Drug-screening-for-welfare-has-failed-the-test

The UK is ending housing payments to immigrants unless they have jobs:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-20/u-k-tightens-immigrant-welfare-rules-by-removing-housing-pay.html

The connection between poverty and obesity, and the struggle for food security for all:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/craig-and-marc-kielburger/poverty-obesity_b_4611040.html

General, Media and Policy News E-list Archive

Primary Sidebar

Blog sidebar

Subscribe

"*" indicates required fields

Name

Income Security Advocacy Centre

Footer widget

1500 – 55 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5J 2H7
Tel: (416) 597-5820 • Toll Free: 1-866-245-4072 • Fax: (416) 597-5821

  • Contact

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.