Ed. Note: Media & Policy News will be on hiatus until July 8. Have a happy June!
Top Stories
Canadians getting priced out of fresh fruit and vegetables:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/food-inflation-canadians-getting-priced-out-of-fresh-vegetables-fruit-1.2932641
- Low income and lack of access to groceries creates a “double whammy”: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/healthy-food-cost-thunder-bay-1.3618952
- Stop trying to solve hunger with corporate food waste: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/nick-saul/food-waste-poverty_b_10327320.html
WSIB critics say spending cuts are devastating injured workers:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/10/inadequate-health-care-devastating-injured-workers-critics-say.html
- Read the open letter here: http://iavgo.org/day-of-action-on-health-care-open-letter/
Angus Reid poll: Canadians believe there are two sets of rules, one for the rich and one for everyone else:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2743972/panama-papers-canadians-say-there-are-two-sets-of-rules-one-for-the-rich-one-for-everyone-else/
- House of Commons committee muzzles experts asked to testify about KPMG’s tax avoidance scheme: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/kpmg-isle-of-man-commons-testimony-1.3622824
- McQuaig: Different tax rules for wealthy and powerful: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/06/09/different-tax-rules-for-wealthy-and-powerful-mcquaig.html
Beefed up provincial and federal child benefits in Alberta are a poverty game changer:
http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-beefed-up-child-benefits-are-a-poverty-game-changer
Report says Ontario needs strategy to end youth homelessness:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/02/ontario-needs-strategy-to-end-youth-homelessness-report.html
Study highlights link between precarious work and ‘miserable’ commutes:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/04/study-highlights-link-between-precarious-work-and-miserable-commutes.html
Switzerland says “no” to a basic income for all:
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/06/05/swiss-says-no-to-unconditional-basic-income-for-all.html
- Looking the Basic Income gift horse in the mouth: http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1241.php
- Coyne: How a guaranteed minimum income could work in Canada: http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blog.html?b=news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/andew-coyne-how-a-guaranteed-minimum-income-could-work-in-canada
It’s a myth that off-shore workers are taking Canadian jobs:
http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2016/06/09/its-a-myth-that-off-shore-workers-are-taking-a-canadian-jobs
Ontario
Climate Change Action Plan – Backgrounder on actions to assist low-income households and vulnerable communities:
https://news.ontario.ca/ene/en/2016/06/actions-to-assist-low-income-households-and-vulnerable-communities.html
- ISAC’s submission to support measures to reduce the impact of cap-and-trade: https://news.ontario.ca/ene/en/2016/06/actions-to-assist-low-income-households-and-vulnerable-communities.html
- NDP says Ontario is wrong to do little for low-income residents: http://saultonline.com/2016/06/liberal-climate-change-plan-wrong-to-leave-behind-low-income-rural-and-northern-families-ndp/
- Climate change plan announced to mixed reviews: https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/06/08/critics-pounce-on-vague-83b-climate-plan.html
- CCPA: Ontario’s new climate plan needs bigger sticks, more carrots: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2016/06/10/ontarios-new-climate-plan-needs-bigger-sticks-more-carrots/
Municipal Affairs & Housing Minister Ted McMeekin resigns from Cabinet to help achieve gender parity:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/06/06/ontario-minister-ted-mcmeekin-resigning-from-cabinet-to-help-achieve-gender-parity.html
Ontario Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur resigning from politics:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/09/ontario-attorney-general-madeleine-meilleur-resigning-from-politics.html
Ontario Pension Plan Act changes welcomed:
http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2016/06/07/ontario-pension-plan-act-changes-welcomed
Ontario children’s aid societies agree to collect race data:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/06/ontario-childrens-aid-societies-agree-to-collect-race-data.html
ARCH Press release: Amendments to the customer service standard under the AODA a step backward:
http://www.archdisabilitylaw.ca/node/1130
National Aboriginal History Month celebrations this month in Ontario:
https://news.ontario.ca/maa/en/2016/05/celebrate-national-aboriginal-history-month-this-june.html
New rules on employees’ tips and gratuities start June 10:
https://news.ontario.ca/mol/en/2016/06/ontario-protects-employees-tips-and-gratuities.html
Occupational Health and Safety Act changes coming in July:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/tighter-mine-regulations-1.3622394
Increasing funding for Legal Aid isn’t enough:
http://www.slaw.ca/2016/06/05/increasing-funding-for-legal-aid-is-not-enough/
- Star editorial: Ottawa must help provinces fix legal aid: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2016/06/06/ottawa-must-help-provinces-fix-legal-aid-editorial.html
14 bills passed and 7 introduced during spring sitting:
https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2016/06/14-bills-passed-and-7-additional-bills-introduced-during-spring-sitting.html
Events, Campaigns, Reports, and Other Good Things
Canada’s Disability Tax Credit: Why are the neediest disabled Canadians receiving the least benefit?:
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/canadas-disability-tax-credit–why-are-the-neediest-disabled-canadians-receiving-the-least-benefit-582351511.html
- Here’s the report: http://www.policyschool.ucalgary.ca/?q=content/disability-tax-credit-why-it-fails-and-how-fix-it
New Metcalf Foundation report: “Canada’s Choice: Decent work or entrenched exploitation for Canada’s migrant workers”:
http://metcalffoundation.com/stories/publications/canadas-choice/
New IRPP research program: “Canada’s changing federal community”:
http://irpp.org/research/canadas-changing-federal-community/?mc_cid=075f061b16&mc_eid=93c40f0305
Poll results: Most Canadians support action to get broadband to all households:
http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f7dda22184bee7fac707500ef&id=b3dd8cd17b&e=9e305f90ee
Around the Province
Sudbury column: It’s time to invest in poverty reduction:
http://www.thesudburystar.com/2016/06/07/sudbury-column-time-to-act-on-poverty-reduction?platform=hootsuite
Video: Hunger is happening in London:
http://london.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=880647
Funds earmarked for four social programs in Muskoka:
http://www.muskokaregion.com/news-story/6712949-funds-earmarked-for-four-social-programs-in-muskoka/
Muskoka Circles initiative to launch in fall 2016:
http://www.muskokaregion.com/news-story/6713553-muskoka-circles-poverty-reduction-initiative-to-launch-in-fall-2016/
Toronto house prices up 15.7% in May:
https://www.thestar.com/business/2016/06/03/toronto-house-prices-up-157-in-may.html
Toronto landlords appeal to tenants to stop apartment licensing:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/04/landlords-appeal-to-tenants-to-stop-apartment-licensing.html
Food insecurities addressed at Quinte poverty roundtable:
http://www.quintenews.com/2016/06/food-insecurities-addressed-poverty-round-table/118355/
Man declared a tenant under the Residential Tenancy Act, requiring more responsibility from landlord for him and other residents:
http://www.thewhig.com/2016/06/07/man-declared-a-tenant
Across the Country
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak action plan seeks to growth northern First Nations’ economies:
http://www.thompsoncitizen.net/news/nickel-belt/mko-action-plan-seeks-to-grow-northern-first-nations-economies-1.2268886
Saskatchewan moving people off social assistance and into training:
http://leaderpost.com/news/politics/province-moving-people-off-social-assistance
Poverty reduction coalition hit by Saskatchewan government cuts:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/ric-cuts-sask-education-1.3616043
Column: Saskatchewan budget penalizes vulnerable workers:
http://leaderpost.com/opinion/columnists/sask-party-budget-penalizes-vulnerable-workers
Ten things to know about a $15 minimum wage in Alberta:
http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/ten_things_to_know_about_a_15_minimum_wage_in_alberta
PEI launches new employment website:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-employment-website-1.3614914
PEI family doctors get toolkit to help patients in poverty:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/poverty-toolkit-doctors-p-e-i-1.3621432
Nova Scotia casual employees of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada still not paid:
http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2016-06-07/article-4552652/Citizenship-workers-say-they-haven%26rsquo%3Bt-been-paid/1
Story from the street: Homeless and alone in Chilliwack, BC:
http://www.theprogress.com/news/381827371.html
The number of people who are homeless in Vancouver is rising and more young people are homeless:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/homeless-people-in-vancouver-numbers-are-rising-ages-are-dropping/article30279251/
Mayor says Vancouver’s economy is at risk due to housing prices:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/gregor-robertson-luxury-tax-flipping-tax-1.3617636
BC eyes more housing for people who are homeless, in a push to shut Victoria’s tent city:
http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-eyes-more-housing-for-homeless-in-push-to-shut-victorias-tent-city
BC lags in making Hydro affordable for people with low incomes:
http://thetyee.ca/News/2016/06/06/BC-Lags-Making-Hydro-Affordable/
Alberta says South African firefighters will be compensated in accordance with labour laws:
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/edmonton/rachel-notley-alberta-firefighter-south-africa-1.3625499
National
Immigration minister McCallum prefers a path to permanent residency for temporary foreign workers:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/139933/canada-seriously-looking-at-permanent-status-path-for-tfws
Here’s why the EI system is not working and what can be done:
http://rabble.ca/news/2016/05/heres-why-ei-system-not-working-and-what-can-be-done
Canada’s unemployment rate falls unexpectedly:
https://www.thestar.com/business/2016/06/10/canadas-unemployment-rate-falls-unexpectedly.html
Will 18-month parental leave reduce pressures on working families?:
http://www.benefitscanada.com/news/will-18-month-parental-leave-reduce-the-pressures-on-families-82317
Ottawa slammed on First Nations funding for child welfare, suicide prevention:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2752524/ottawa-slammed-on-first-nations-funding-for-child-welfare-suicide-prevention/
Toronto home prices soar as fears of “the B-word” mount in Vancouver:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/top-business-stories/toronto-home-prices-soar-as-fears-of-the-b-word-mount-in-vancouver/article30257082/?cmpid=rss1&click=sf_globefb
- Vancouver and Toronto at rising risk of housing correction, Poloz warns: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/bank-of-canada-financial-system-review/article30363984/?click=sf_globefb
Federal government boosts national legal aid programs:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/08/ottawa-boosts-funding-to-national-legal-aid-programs.html
- Press release: http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/government-ensuring-access-to-justice-through-increased-legal-aid-support-2132602.htm
- Women left out of federal money for legal aid: Lawyers: http://globalnews.ca/news/2752556/women-left-out-of-federal-money-for-legal-aid-lawyers/
- No direct federal funds for civil legal aid: http://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/6716142-no-direct-federal-funds-for-civil-legal-aid/
Canada’s top judge says Canadian society today is more just than it once was:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/03/canadian-society-today-is-a-more-just-society-than-it-once-was-top-judge-says.html
International
The IMF is starting to think that “neoliberalism” has created an inequality problem:
http://uk.businessinsider.com/imf-employees-write-article-questioning-the-effectiveness-of-neoliberal-economics-2016-5
- The wages of neoliberalism: Poverty, exile and early death: http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/06/07/the-wages-of-neoliberalism-poverty-exile-and-early-death/
UK report shows welfare benefit cuts create barriers to finding work:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jun/05/docking-welfare-payments-is-not-incentive-to-work-report-claims
Homeless protesters in Melbourne, AU say they’re not moving until housing is provided for all:
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/homeless-protesters-say-they-are-not-moving-until-housing-is-provided-20160529-gp6mns.html
Australian man on hunger strike over cashless welfare card privacy issues:
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/kununurra-man-daniel-taylor-on-hunger-strike-over-cashless-welfare-card/news-story/e4af75df3428217cd616bb17164ad850
How a giant US restaurant conglomerate teamed up with banks to stiff its workers:
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/05/12/3777607/darden-restaurants-payroll-cards/
American families that can’t afford summer:
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/06/05/sunday-review/the-families-that-cant-afford-summer.html
The many lives of a New York SRO:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/05/nyregion/the-many-lives-of-a-new-york-sro.html
Which industries are being too greedy to pay Americans fairly?:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/ask-the-headhunter-which-industries-are-being-too-greedy-to-pay-you-fairly/
Republican House Speaker’s anti-poverty plan “looks more like an agenda for creating poverty”:
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/elizabeth-warren-rips-paul-ryans-poverty-plan
Two decades after “welfare to work”, many Americans can find neither:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/moneybox/2016/06/_welfare_to_work_resulted_in_neither_welfare_nor_work_for_many_americans.html
The welfare quiz: How well do you understand one of the most sweeping legislative changes in the US in the past 20 years?:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/moneybox/2016/06/how_much_do_you_know_about_welfare.html
A guaranteed income for every American:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-guaranteed-income-for-every-american-1464969586
A universal basic income is no solution to US poverty:
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-06-03/a-universal-basic-income-wouldnt-reduce-poverty
UK union backs campaign for unconditional basic income:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/news/gmb-union-supports-unconditional-basic-income-to-help-eradicate-poverty-34775957.html
Addictions are harder to kick when you’re poor. Here’s why:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/01/drug-addiction-income-inequality-impacts-recovery