Media & Policy News: 11 January 2016 - Income Security Advocacy Centre

Ontario

Ontario human rights chief calls for race-based stats for kids in care:
http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2016/01/11/ontario-human-rights-chief-calls-for-race-based-stats-for-kids-in-care.html

New protections introduced for people using payday loan outlets and “alternative financial services”:
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/province-proposes-safeguards-for-payday-loan-borrowers

Star editorial: Ontario should set up long-promised anti-racism secretariat:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/12/27/ontario-should-set-up-long-promised-anti-racism-secretariat-editorial.html

Ontario pension plan will launch in 2017 regardless of CPP changes:
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/01/04/ontario-pension-plan-will-launch-in-2017-regardless-of-cpp-changes-kathleen-wynne-says.html

A sensible approach to ending poverty – because it’s not rocket science:
http://www.northumberlandnews.com/news-story/3779771-a-sensible-approach-to-ending-poverty/

Charity alone won’t solve hunger:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/12/22/charity-alone-wont-solve-hunger-crisis

Reports, Events, Campaigns

A new way to petition Parliament – ePetitions are being accepted by the federal government:
http://www.hilltimes.com/news/hill-life-people/2016/01/04/new-year-new-way-to-petition-parliament/44657

Here’s the new ePetition site: https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Home/Index

Rights factsheets for Caregivers and Temporary Foreign Workers from Migrant Workers Alliance for Change:
http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9de587703062110954e080261&id=0642035b32

MCSS fact sheet: Changes to Dental Benefits for Children and Youth on Social Assistance:
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/healthySmiles.aspx

Info on new Healthy Smiles Ontario program: http://www.ontario.ca/page/get-dental-care

MCSS publication: Developmental services: Spotlight on Transformation:
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/documents/en/mcss/publications/spotlight/DS-Spotlight_issue51_en.pdf?platform=hootsuite

OCAP staff to teach online course “Community Resistance to the War on the Poor”:
http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1199.php

Around the Province

Guelph woman with intellectual disability on ODSP evicted from longtime home after getting work:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2410794/guelph-woman-with-intellectual-challenges-evicted-from-longtime-home/

Photographer highlights Ottawa’s marginalized neighbourhoods – and their residents:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/rey-martin-s-photos-highlight-ottawa-s-marginalized-neighbourhoods-1.3371677

Community Living Thunder Bay working to find non-sheltered workshop job opportunities for clients:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/sheltered-workshops-closure-1.3374319?platform=hootsuite

York Region’s faith community dedicated to fight against child poverty:
http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/6214931-road-ahead-york-region-faith-community-dedicated-to-fight-against-child-poverty/

Judge rules City of Toronto negligent towards low-income, rooming house tenants:
http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/01/07/judge-rules-city-of-toronto-negligent-towards-tenants.html

Social justice organizations urge Toronto City Council to reinstate vehicle registration tax to pay for poverty reduction:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/01/06/toronto-council-urged-to-reinstate-vehicle-registration-tax.html

But Mayor Tory says “we don’t need to do this”: http://www.640toronto.com/2016/01/07/bring-back-the-vehicle-registration-tax-tory-says-no-thanks/
And the budget chief says new revenue tools “aren’t even on my radar at this point”: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/6221330-a-couple-of-taxes-could-solve-toronto-s-budget-woes-poverty-advocate/
Why the city has left some cash generating tools in its back pocket: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/01/04/torontos-revenue-problem-why-the-city-has-left-some-cash-generating-tools-in-its-back-pocket.html
Star editorial: Toronto should bring back vehicle registration tax, in part to pay for poverty reduction: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2016/01/11/toronto-should-bring-back-vehicle-registration-tax-editorial.html

Teen with disabilities and his mom waiting in a cramped Ottawa hotel room for 18 months for housing:
http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/severely-disabled-teen-mom-in-cramped-motel-room-for-18-months-awaiting-housing

Across the Country

Manitoba Premier Selinger eyes higher taxes for the rich:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-premier-greg-selinger-eyes-higher-taxes-for-the-rich-1.3374294

City of Kelowna, BC, taking on challenge to reduce and eliminate homelessness:
http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/news/article_5f65ce1a-b2a4-11e5-bf89-1b2b21378f32.html

Group home for people with intellectual disabilities approved in Stonewall, Manitoba:
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/manitoba/group-home-for-people-with-intellectual-disabilities-approved-in-manitoba-s-stonewall-1.3392452

Adult Dental Program in Newfoundland and Labrador doesn’t provide the coverage that’s needed:
http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2016-01-03/article-4392499/A-bite-out-of-low-income/1

Eligibility for free legal aid in Quebec increases:
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/financial-eligibility-scale-for-free-legal-aid-is-increased-by-1775-564235881.html

Rising number of homeless families in Calgary spurs the need for new projects:
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/concerns-over-homeless-families-lead-to-new-projects

National

At least 2,250 veterans are homeless, according to federal government analysis:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/nationaltest/1330673-at-least-2250-veterans-are-homeless-according-to-groundbreaking-analysis#.Vo16QfrkFrZ.facebook

Op-Ed: how Ottawa can help families with disabilities:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/12/30/how-ottawa-can-help-families-with-disabilities.html

Canada may not have escaped the recession in 2015:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/top-business-stories/a-dire-thought-canada-may-never-have-escaped-recession/article27943875/

Why some disability advocates are worried about a national disability act:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/the180/letting-canadian-women-sell-their-eggs-passenger-trains-and-ending-elections-for-school-trustees-1.3368081/why-some-disability-advocates-are-worried-about-a-national-disability-act-1.3368380

Walkom: Trudeau government “wimps out” on Canada Pension Plan Reform:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/12/23/trudeau-government-wimps-out-on-canada-pension-plan-reform-walkom.html

What true leadership on CPP reform would look like: http://leaderpost.com/opinion/columnists/cpp-reform-what-true-leadership-should-look-like

Toronto Sun Op-Ed (that quickly went missing from its own website) says Trudeau’s right that some small businesses are “just ways for wealthier Canadians to save on taxes”:
http://spon.ca/trudeaus-right-on-taxes/2016/01/03/

Government increases duration of EI compassionate care benefit:
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-increases-duration-of-employment-insurance-compassionate-care-benefit-564178831.html

New efficient 2016 long-form census going out the door soon:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/statscan-to-unveil-new-efficient-long-form-census-for-2016/article28047229/?cmpid=rss1

Canada’s first transgender judge is appointed:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadas-first-transgender-judge-named/article27876501/

Agar: A guaranteed income would be great, but unions are standing in the way:
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/12/28/lets-give-people-a-guaranteed-income

And no, refugees don’t get more money for food than Canadians on welfare:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/do-government-assisted-refugees-receive-more-money-for-food-than-canadians-on-welfare-1.3230503

International

New York Governor Cuomo orders officials to protect people who are homeless from cold weather:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/andrew-cuomo-homeless-freezing-temperatures_5689d677e4b0b958f65c0100

More, from the Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/03/new-york-governor-andrew-cuomo-homeless-shelters-freezing-temperatures
But here’s why people who are homeless avoid the New York City shelter system: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/horror-stories-show-homeless-avoid-nyc-shelters-article-1.2485417

The IRS knows you’re more likely to pay your taxes if you’re a “cheater” than if you “cheat”:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/05/business/economy/if-the-irs-is-watching-you-youll-pay-up.html?_r=0

Jeb Bush releases welfare reform program that would eliminate benefits in favour of block grants to states:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/08/politics/jeb-bush-welfare-reform-proposal/

Why welfare works: Five million Americans kept out of poverty: http://trofire.com/2016/01/06/why-welfare-works-5-million-people-kept-out-of-poverty/

Most Americans are one missed paycheque away from poverty:
http://www.mtv.com/news/2723971/majority-americans-no-savings-for-emergencies/

Lawsuit in Oregon ensures people with disabilities will get jobs that pay real wages:
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2016/01/06/judge-shift-sheltered/21732/?platform=hootsuite

Social Impact Bonds program in London puts roofs over heads and profits into pockets:
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/01/04/london-homelessness-program-puts-roofs-over-heads-and-profits-into-pockets.html

Here are the four Ontario short-listed ideas for pilots, mentioned in the article: http://www.ontario.ca/page/social-impact-bonds#section-2

UK woman told she no longer qualifies for disability benefits on the day she died from her illness:
http://www.clactonandfrintongazette.co.uk/news/north_essex_news/14185620.Mum_told_she_s_too_healthy_for_sick_benefits_on_the_day_she_dies/?ref=twtrec

A basic income: If it’s good enough for the Royals, it’s good enough for all:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/07/basic-income-royal-family-living-wage-economy?CMP=share_btn_fb

Food banks in UK brace for surge in demand when Tories next welfare cuts kick in:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/food-banks-fear-surge-demand-7123640

Cameron pledges poverty “blitz” by demolishing housing estates:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/09/david-cameron-vows-to-blitz-poverty-by-demolishing-uks-worst-sink-estates

Scottish government cuts funding for fuel poverty:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3392145/Fuel-poverty-funding-cut-10–says-Labour.html

An Australian news programme runs a poll asking if women on benefits should be forced to take contraception:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/an-australian-news-programme-is-running-a-poll-asking-if-women-on-benefits-should-be-forced-to-use-a6795761.html

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