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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy Updates: 16 December 2014

December 16, 2014

Top Stories

Liberals backtrack on plan that would have disentitled low income kids from dental care:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/12/08/thousands_of_kids_of_lowincome_families_to_lose_dental_care_ndp.html?app=noRedirect

Brantford Mayor calls new social assistance computer system “an act of staggering incompetence”:
http://www.brantnews.com/news-story/5186553-new-social-assistance-software-implementation-an-act-of-staggering-incompetence-friel/

OECD report says trickle-down economics doesn’t work; shows how inequality holds back economic growth:
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/dec/09/revealed-wealth-gap-oecd-report?CMP=share_btn_tw

The health effects of income inequality are disastrous:
http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/5206217-health-effects-of-income-inequality-disastrous/

St. Mike’s project prescribes income support to address root causes of poor health:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/12/14/doctors_at_st_mikes_launch_project_to_address_root_causes_of_poor_health.html

Letters to the Editor: Food banks are not enough:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2014/12/06/food_banks_are_not_enough.html

Incredible poverty numbers tarnish Canada’s reputation: six prescriptions for policy reform:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/we-are-no-longer-a-prosperous-country-1.2870526?cmp=rss

Governments in Canada have been seduced by public-private partnerships:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/canadian-governments-have-become-seduced-by-private-public-projects/article22078500/

Ontario

Fully indexed benefits are coming for injured workers in Ontario:
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/12/11/fully_indexed_benefits_coming_for_injured_workers_in_ontario.html

John Stapleton op-ed on the social assistance computer system and old problems:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/12/08/same_problems_keep_recurring_in_welfare_computer_systems.html

The Landlord and Tenant Board has no power to enforce its own rulings:
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5205017-landlord-and-tenant-board-lacks-power-to-enforce-its-own-rulings/

Former AG says Safe Streets Act hurts the poor and should have been repealed:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/i-didnt-repeal-the-squeegee-law-it-hurts-the-poor-and-should-be-abolished/article21809521/

Reports and Other Important Information

Webinar from ISAC and the ODSP Action Coalition on upcoming changes to ODSP employment benefits, hosted by Your Legal Rights – attended by 100+ across Ontario:
http://yourlegalrights.on.ca/webinar/odsp-employment-benefits

Three new medical conditions are being added to the OW/ODSP Special Diet Allowance:
http://news.ontario.ca/mcss/en/2014/11/ontario-updates-special-diet-allowance.html

Here’s the OECD report on inequality and growth:
http://www.oecd.org/social/Focus-Inequality-and-Growth-2014.pdf

Raise the Rates petition:
https://www.change.org/p/the-honourable-premier-kathleen-wynne-join-the-raise-the-rates-campaign-to-raise-ow-odsp-and-minimum-wage-to-a-sustainable-income

Around the Province

Community justice hub opens in Niagara:
http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/5202891-doors-open-on-justice-hub/

Fundraiser helps Kitchener’s Homelessness and Housing Umbrella Group to March 2016:
http://www.kitchenerpost.ca/news/money-raised-will-fund-homelessness-group-into-march-2016/

Injured workers in Thunder Bay protest for changes to WSIB:
http://www.tbnewswatch.com/News/365581/WSIB_Rally

Chronicle Journal editorial: Government must fix the injured workers support system:
http://www.chroniclejournal.com/editorial/daily_editorial/2014-12-10/wsib-savings-come-cost

Income inequality in five Toronto neighbourhoods
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/12/08/a_tale_of_income_inequality_in_five_toronto_neighbourhoods.html

Across the Country

On taxes and income inequality, from Alberta:
http://albertaprimetime.com/Stories.aspx?pd=7248

Medicine Hat’s doubting Mayor, who just ended homelessness:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/medicine-hats-ted-clugston-the-mayor-who-ended-homelessness/article22058811/

National

Unemployment trends upwards in November:
http://globalnews.ca/news/1710098/unemployment-rate-ticks-up-to-6-6-as-job-market-sputters-in-november/

Amid huge service complaints, Ottawa hires 400 new staffers to manage EI applications:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-hiring-400-public-servants-to-manage-employment-insurance-files/article21996968/

Fewer than half of adult Canadians with disabilities have jobs:
http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/toronto/less-than-half-of-canadian-adults-with-disabilities-have-jobs-statscan-1.2858954

TD Bank asks: Is Canada becoming a nation of the part-time employed?
http://www.td.com/document/PDF/economics/special/Part_time_Nation.pdf

Household debt climbs to 162.6% of disposable income:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/household-debt-climbs-to-162-6-of-disposable-income-statscan-1.2148248

Business students want to do well by doing good:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/business-education/for-todays-business-students-profit-is-a-means-not-an-end/article21641762/

International

Leaked documents show how giants like Bombardier avoid paying taxes:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/bombardiers-tax-scheme-revealed-includes-arrangements-in-luxembourg/article22032443/

UK Minister hints two kids may be limit for child benefits, to “help behavioural change”
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/14/child-benefit-limited-two-children-iain-duncan-smith?CMP=share_btn_tw

How liberal democracy promotes inequality:
http://commondreams.org/views/2014/12/06/how-liberal-democracy-promotes-inequality

Op-Ed on International Human Rights Day: The work of winning human rights is never over:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/12/09/the_work_of_winning_human_rights_is_never_over.html

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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.