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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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

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Media & Policy News: 10 April 2015

April 10, 2015

Top Stories

Op-Ed: Provincial and federal budgets must invest in people, not drive them deeper into poverty:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1279258-miserly-governments-driving-people-deeper-into-poverty

ODSP medical reviews could overwhelm legal clinics already reeling under disability appeals:
http://www.lawtimesnews.com/201504064592/headline-news/tribunals

Province announces launch of $50 million Local Poverty Reduction Fund:
http://news.ontario.ca/tbs/en/2015/04/local-poverty-reduction-fund-to-support-community-driven-solutions.html

  • Backgrounder: http://news.ontario.ca/tbs/en/2015/04/ontarios-local-poverty-reduction-fund.html
  • Toronto Sun: http://www.torontosun.com/2015/04/07/province-unveils-50-million-fund-to-fight-poverty 

CCPA Ontario report shows Toronto residents need $18.52 / hour living wage to get by:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/04/10/toronto-couples-with-kids-must-make-1852hr-each-to-get-by-report-finds.html

  • Here’s the report: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/making-ends-meet

Important legal victory for people who are homeless in Abbotsford BC:
http://www.pivotlegal.org/victory_for_abbotsford_homeless_as_court_rules_in_favour_of_access_to_justice

  • Raise the Roof’s “Humans for Humans” campaign: People who are homeless read mean tweets:http://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/homeless-canadians-brought-to-tears-by-the-mean-things-people-say-about-them-1.3016409

Stapleton: The plight of low income hard-working seniors:
http://openpolicyontario.com/blog-2/

Province announces Community Hubs Advisory Group:
http://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2015/04/premier-wynne-appoints-community-hubs-advisory-group.html

  • Backgrounder: http://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2015/04/members-of-the-premiers-community-hub-framework-advisory-group.html

Research, Reports, Events

15 and Fairness Campaign launch April 15:
http://15andfairness.org/

The Precariat Charter: Q&A with economist and author Guy Standing:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/04/09/qa-with-precarious-work-expert-guy-standing.html

RNAO Action Alert asks members to urge Ontario to do more to end poverty:
http://rnao.ca/policy/action-alerts/minister-matthews-lets-invest-healthier-ontario-addressing-poverty

History of health and social transfers in Canada:
http://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/his-eng.asp

Ontario

Minister Jaczek compares SAMS problems to BlackBerry acting up:
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/04/02/helena-jaczek-likens-sams-woes-to-blackberry-acting-up.html

  • Minister dismisses calls for her resignation: http://www.torontosun.com/2015/04/01/jaczek-dismisses-calls-for-resignation-over-welfare-computer-woes
  • Social assistance staff overwhelmed by memos on computer fixes: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/social-assistance-staff-overwhelmed-by-memos-on-fixing-computer-issues-report-1.2308289
  • Man avoids homelessness after SAMS computer error delays rent cheque:http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/04/07/man-avoids-homelessness-after-error-causes-eviction.html
  • Renfrew County staff recount problems with SAMS social assistance computer system:http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2015/04/07/social-assistance-management-system-causing-stress-for-recipients-county-staff
  • Manitoulin DSB gets update on SAMS problems: http://www.manitoulin.ca/2015/04/08/computer-glitches-continue-to-dog-ontario-works-software/
  • OPSEU response to consultants’ interim report on SAMS problems:http://www.opseu.org/news/consultants-sams-report-avoids-real-issue-thomas
  • Report can be found here: http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/pwc_report.aspx

What Ontario businesses want Ottawa’s budget to do to stimulate the economy:
http://www.therecord.com/opinion-story/5544414-businesses-want-ottawa-to-stimulate-ontario-s-economy/

Around the Province

Homelessness funding gets major boost in Niagara:
http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/5538642-homelessness-funding-gets-major-boost-in-niagara/

Lambton gets $4.4 million for homelessness:
http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/04/02/county-of-lambton-secures-44-million-in-provincial-funding-to-address-homelessness-over-next-two-years

Low income families in Guelph struggle to provide dental care:
http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/5537075-low-income-guelph-area-families-struggling-to-provide-dental-care/

Op-Ed: Sudbury’s “down-and-out” deserve treatment and hope:
http://www.thewhig.com/2015/04/06/down-and-out-citizens-deserve-treatment-hope

Wall of bricks falls from Toronto Community Housing building:
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5543448-water-seeping-in-may-have-led-to-bricks-falling-from-apartment-says-toronto-community-housing/

Suburban homelessness in Toronto:
http://torontoist.com/2015/04/hidden-homelessness-in-the-suburbs/

Charity-owned “predatory” landlord protested by Parkdale residents:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-227-canada-s-moral-obligation-to-fight-isis-tidal-akelius-and-abortional-reversal-1.3019698/tenants-protest-charity-owned-landlord-1.3019706

Mental health professionals ride along with Hamilton police:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/hamilton-police-send-mental-health-pros-to-the-front-lines-with-cops-1.3024000

Across the Country

New Quebec welfare rules unfair, particularly to immigrants:
http://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/opinion-new-welfare-rules-unfair-to-immigrants-in-particular

City of Vancouver’s new definition of “social housing” faces court challenge:
http://www.straight.com/news/425931/city-vancouvers-new-definition-social-housing-facing-legal-challenge

Mistawasis First Nation takes team approach to job creation:
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/life/Mistawasis+Trims+Welfare/10948510/story.html

Newfoundland and Labrador to use judgement in collecting public service pension overpayments:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/government-does-not-expect-to-collect-all-pension-overpayments-says-ross-wiseman-1.3024424

  • 85 year old pensioner would have trouble paying overpayments back: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/paying-back-pension-overpayments-a-struggle-for-85-year-old-1.3023006 

Workers in Nova Scotia are fighting to increase the minimum wage:
http://rankandfile.ca/2015/04/08/workers-in-nova-scotia-fight-to-raise-the-minimum-wage/

PEI group unveils Guaranteed Annual Income plan:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/scrap-social-assistance-top-up-earnings-says-livable-income-group-1.3026001

National

A painful exodus of foreign workers:
http://www.asianpacificpost.com/article/6815-painful-exodus-migrant-workers.html

Labour in solidarity with temporary foreign workers:
http://rabble.ca/news/2015/04/labour-solidarity-temporary-foreign-workers

Accessible banking services are key to reducing poverty:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/accessible-banking-services-are-key-to-reducing-poverty/article23828256/

International

Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank hailed by World Bank as poverty fighter:
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/apr/07/world-bank-china-new-aiib-kim-combat-extreme-poverty

A new round of welfare reforms is happening in the US:

  • Missouri lawmakers want to prevent people receiving assistance from buying steak or seafood:http://mic.com/articles/114628/state-reps-want-to-lower-quality-of-life-for-welfare-recipients
  • Kansas lawmakers want to end all “non-essential” spending by people receiving assistance:http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2015/0407/Why-is-Kansas-pursuing-tougher-welfare-rules-video
  • Maine governor also eyes changing social assistance rules to limit spending:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/06/us-usa-maine-welfare-idUSKBN0MX1GW20150406
  • States take aim at welfare programs but advocates are worried about more than restrictions on lobster: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/04/09/states-take-aim-at-social-welfare-programs
  • Seven myths that we need to stop telling about poverty: http://mic.com/articles/115054/7-myths-we-need-to-stop-telling-about-poverty
  • Commentary: The rush to humiliate the poor: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-commentary-st-0410-20150409-story.html
  • The double standard of making poor people prove they’re worthy of benefits:http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/07/the-double-standard-of-making-poor-people-prove-theyre-worthy-of-government-benefits/

Austin, Texas lawmakers consider raising minimum wage:
http://www.chron.com/jobs/article/Lawmakers-consider-raising-state-minimum-wage-6186914.php

Activists say a Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street financial transactions would help end poverty:
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/04/robin_hood_tax_on_wall_street.html

Presidential candidate Rand Paul wants to fight poverty but his budget would limit severely limit his ability to do so:
http://www.vox.com/2015/4/8/8370629/rand-paul-wants-to-fight-poverty-but-his-budget-would-make-it-much

Japan to announce fund to tackle child poverty:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-3-310368-Japan-to-announce-fund-for-tackling-child-poverty

Food banks: Not a “popular welfare solution” in the UK:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2015/apr/03/food-banks-no-theyre-not-a-popular-welfare-solution

“There’s nothing wrong with people in poverty that a good dose of fair and rational economic policy wouldn’t cure”:
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/29976-trickle-down-economics-and-trickle-down-poverty#

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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.