Top Stories
Star editorial: Province must correct computer and administrative errors for welfare recipients: “The bottom line is that people receiving welfare and disability cheques are among the most powerless in our society. They should not have to wait a moment longer than normal to receive the money they need to pay rent, eat and clothe themselves. Nor should they have to worry about how they will come up with money to make up for overpayments when they are living on a razor’s edge.”
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/12/03/queens_park_must_correct_computer_and_administrative_errors_for_welfare_recipients_editorial.html
- Premier Kathleen Wynne apologizes: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/12/03/kathleen_wynne_very_sorry_for_social_assistance_payment_issues.html
2014 Hunger Report shows food bank use is soaring across Ontario – I’m quoted on the inadequacy of social assistance benefits:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/12/01/hunger_report_use_of_food_banks_soaring_across_ontario.html
- Put Food in the Budget report says food banks provide only 9% of food requirements: ending poverty is the answer:http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/12/01/canada_food_banks_provide_9_per_cent_of_users_food_needs_report_says.html
On provisions in Bill C-43 that would allow provinces to restrict refugee claimant access to social assistance:
- Ratna Omidvar op-ed: Don’t cut social assistance for newcomers to Canada:http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/11/26/dont_cut_social_assistance_for_newcomers_to_canada.html?app=noRedirect#
- Citizens for Public Justice launch a provincial Premiers letter writing campaign: http://www.cpj.ca/letter-premiers-protect-refugee-social-assistance
ACTO press release: Ontario Court of Appeal issues split decision on Right to Housing Charter challenge case: Advocates will appeal to the Supreme Court:
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/-1972864.htm
- Court rules housing for all is not a right:http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/12/01/housing_for_all_not_a_right_court_of_appeal_rules_in_rejecting_charter_challenge.html
- Winnipeg Free Press (CP story): http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/no-place-for-courts-in-affordable-housing-fight-ontarios-top-court-rules-284362091.html
People who are terminally ill, deep in debt, among those waiting for appeals at the backlogged social security tribunal:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/social-security-tribunal-backlog-includes-terminally-ill-others-deep-in-debt/article21864630/
How the WSIB is failing injured workers in Ontario:
http://rankandfile.ca/2014/12/03/how-the-wsib-is-failing-the-injured-workers-of-ontario/
CCPA-Ontario op-ed: Five strategic tax increases to deal with Ontario’s debt and invest in public services:
http://www.therecord.com/opinion-story/5155910-in-ontario-we-re-running-up-debt-let-s-trim-tax-breaks/
Toronto Star editorial: Canada needs a national pharmacare plan:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/11/28/canada_needs_a_national_pharmacare_plan_editorial.html
Ontario
Social assistance software problem goes from “glitch” to “serious”:
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/12/02/social_assistance_computer_errors_go_from_glitch_to_serious.html
- Critics slam Premier over social assistance payout “glitch”:http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/12/01/kathleen_wynne_downplays_glitch_that_led_to_erroneous_welfare_cheques.html
- Liberals criticized for erroneous payments: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/liberals-criticized-for-erroneous-social-assistance-payments-1.2856178?cmp=rss
- Error in new social assistance computer program sees millions paid out by mistake: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/social-assistance-computer-error-sees-millions-paid-out-by-mistake-1.2854050
- Computer glitch sees $20 million paid in error:http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/11/28/computer_glitch_sends_20m_in_overpayments_to_social_assistance_recipients.html
- CUPE survey: new data management program is leaving Ontario’s social assistance system in chaos: http://cupe.on.ca/d2823/social-assistance-chaos-new
- CBC: New software causing havoc for clients and caseworkers: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/social-assistance-software-causes-havoc-for-clients-case-workers-1.2852503
Report says WSIB rewards dangerous employers:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/11/24/workplace_safety_board_still_rewards_dangerous_employers.html
Ontario plans to cut $500 million in education funding:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/ontario-government-planning-500m-cut-to-education-funding-ndp-1.2107704
Op-Ed: Ontario needs to raise corporate taxes to pay for public services:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/11/21/ontario_should_stop_hitting_its_head_against_a_fiscal_wall.html#
Ontario announces pilot project for community transportation services benefiting seniors, people with disabilities and youth:
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5157279-province-to-pay-for-community-bus-to-get-seniors-people-with-disabilities-and-youth-around-toronto/
Celebrating a 20-year movement for greater accessibility for people with disabilities in Ontario:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/11/26/a_remarkable_20year_struggle_for_disabled_rights_hepburn.html
Resources and Publications
New publication from CLEO: If you’re not a citizen yet, you may want to apply now:
http://yourlegalrights.on.ca/news/new-publication-cleo-not-canadian-citizen-why-you-should-think-about-applying-now
TD bank report says inequality is a problem and public policy is the answer:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-becomes-more-unequal-but-good-policies-could-halt-that-td-bank-1.2847027
- Interview on CBC Metro Morning: http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/episodes/2014/11/24/inequality-study/
- Here’s the report: http://www.td.com/document/PDF/economics/special/income_inequality.pdf
New report shows immigrants took the brunt of the recession and rely more heavily on self-employment:
http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2014/11/18/immigrants_took_the_brunt_of_recessionyear_turn_toward_selfemployment.html
- Here’s the report: http://newcomerwomen.org/pdf/EARN%20Report.pdf
Around the Province
Women fly under the radar as hidden homeless in Hamilton:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5161077-women-fly-under-radar-as-hidden-homeless-in-hamilton/
Living on the Edge poverty simulation puts names and faces to poverty statistics in Windsor:
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/poverty-gets-personal-with-role-playing
Should cities with higher costs of living (in this case, Toronto) have higher minimum wages?:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/12/02/should_toronto_have_a_higher_minimum_wage_than_the_rest_of_ontario.html
Across the Country
Nunavut leader stands by comments: local residents must look for food in the dump as prices are too high:
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/nunavut-leader-stands-by-comments-about-residents-175302295.html?cmp=cafb_news
Medicine Hat set to end “chronic homelessness” by 2015:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/alberta/Medicine+track+become+first+Canadian+city+chronic+homelessness/10347290/story.html
What child poverty looks like in one Vancouver school:
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/11/25/Child-Poverty-No-Numbers-Game/?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=251114
Saskatchewan releases 10-year Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan:
http://ckom.com/story/sask-releases-plan-address-mental-health-and-addiction-issues/469141
National
Joe Fiorito says the Governor General’s “Dare to Give” challenge is misguided because “I don’t want my neighbours to be fed the crumbs of charity as their main meal”:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/11/27/dare_to_give_me_a_break_fiorito.html
Martha Friendly and Susan Prentice: Child care shouldn’t be for profit: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/child-care-shouldnt-be-for-profit-284428981.html?device=mobile
Without policy change, Tax-Free Savings Accounts could mean millionaires would collect GIS:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tfsas-will-lead-to-welfare-for-the-wealthy-government-warned-1.2843835
Reforming the tax system a first step to addressing income inequality, say economists:
http://www.biv.com/article/2014/12/inequality-canada-growing-here-are-some-fixes/
Income inequality is killing thousands of Canadians each year:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/11/23/income_inequality_is_killing_thousands_of_canadians_every_year.html
“Inequality is bad for our economy … and our government should be doing more with the tax system to redistribute wealth, but the current government is doing the opposite.”
http://www.paherald.sk.ca/News/Local/2014-11-24/article-395 0450/Tackling-the-issue-of-tax-avoidance-and-fairness/1
Harper is sending immigration policy for precarious migrant workers back to 1973:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/syed-hussan/canada-immigration_b_6238252.html
Child Poverty in Canada
Campaign 2000 marked last week’s 25th anniversary of the 1989 House of Commons commitment to end child poverty by 2000.
- National and provincial reports (from BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) and releases (from Saskatchewan and PEI) on child poverty are here: www.campaign2000.ca.
- CBC’s The Current examines the 25th anniversary and how and why child poverty persists:http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2014/11/24/canadas-broken-promise-on-child-poverty-25-years-later/
- 1 in 6 children in PEI lives in poverty: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/1-child-in-6-on-p-e-i-living-in-poverty-1.2847040
- Child poverty is on the rise in BC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/child-poverty-on-rise-in-b-c-says-first-call-coalition-report-card-1.2847293
- BC needs a Poverty Reduction Strategy: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Opinion+needs+poverty+reduction+plan/10420565/story.html
- Infographics on the Press Progress website: http://www.pressprogress.ca/en/post/child-poverty-canada-even-after-vowing-1989-end-it
- Hamilton Spectator op-ed from Ontario Campaign 2000 and the Hamilton Roundtable: http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/5151352-child-poverty-is-a-national-crisis/
- Star editorial: End child poverty in Canada now:http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/11/21/end_child_poverty_in_canada_now_editorial.html
International
One in every 30 children in the US is homeless:
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/11/child-homelessness
Chicago votes to raise the minimum wage to $13 / hour by 2019:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/us/illlinois-chicago-will-raise-minimum-wage-to-13-.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0
When raising the minimum wage isn’t enough:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/11/when-raising-the-minimum-wage-isnt-enough/383116/?single_page=true#disqus_thread
Guardian commentary: Austerity has clearly failed. So why don’t they ditch it?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/19/austerity-failed-incomes-deficit-votes-cameron?CMP=fb_gu