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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy News: 11 September 2015

September 11, 2015

Top Stories

Ontario government defers decision that would have eliminated the ODSP Work-Related Benefit:
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/news/releases/2015/20150909.aspx

  • ISAC email: http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=095b12c98935ecaadd327bf90&id=29ceb0292a
  • ODSP Action Coalition Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/ODSPACTION?fref=nf 

Ontario being taken to court over child support clawbacks in OW and ODSP:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/09/10/lawsuit-calls-for-end-to-claw-back-of-child-support.html

  • Yours truly on CBC Ottawa Morning on the problem and what it means (scroll down to “A class action lawsuit is putting Ontario’s child support policies in the spotlight”):http://www.cbc.ca/ottawamorning/episodes/ 

Ottawa activists protest for higher ODSP shelter rates:
http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news-story/5827462-disability-activists-seek-boost-in-housing-allowance/

CBC’s Ideas: It’s the Economists, Stupid: A look at the ideologies and tactics behind conventional economics, and how it shuts down debate and limits our choices:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/it-s-the-economists-stupid-1.3219471

New website aims to help non-Aboriginal Canadians learn about Indigenous issues:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/new-website-aims-to-help-non-aboriginal-canadians-learn-about-indigenous-issues-1.3217692?cmp=rss

Toronto Star Labour Day Editorial: Unions are battered but not broken:
www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/09/07/unions-are-battered-but-not-broken-editorial.html

  • OFL Labour Day Statement: It’s time for workers to demand the change they want:http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sid-ryan/workers-demand-change_b_8090716.html
  • Rochester union leader: The ability to organize is key to climbing out of poverty:http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/guest-column/2015/09/06/ability-organize-key-climbing-poverty/71826540/ 

Why “on-call” shifts have workers stressed and activists fuming:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/precarious-employment-why-on-call-shifts-have-workers-stressed-activists-fuming-1.2546323

How to sponsor a refugee from Syria:

  • Lifeline Syria: http://lifelinesyria.ca/sponsor/
  • Mennonite Central Committee: http://mcccanada.ca/stories/sponsors-needed-syrian-refugees-0
  • Globe and Mail primer: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/migrant-crisis-a-primer-for-canadians-who-want-to-sponsor-refugees/article26244470/

Reports, Events, and Other Good Stuff

New survey shows Canadians are living paycheque to paycheque, especially in Ontario and BC:
http://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/debt/almost-half-of-canadians-are-living-paycheque-to-paycheque-with-finances-stretched-the-most-in-ontario-and-b-c

  • Media decks and infographics available here:http://www.payroll.ca/CPA/Media_Room/News/en/MediaRoom/news.aspx?hkey=6b9e4005-5e78-4302-99a5-4d7ee8b1ff56 

Video: How to find a lawyer in Ontario:
http://familyllb.com/2015/09/09/finding-a-lawyer-video/

Ontario

New report shows Ontario has the highest tuition fees in the country:
http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2015/09/08/ontarios-tuition-fees-highest-in-the-country-says-new-report.html

  • Here’s the report: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/whats-difference
  • Meanwhile, Alberta has just announced a two-year freeze on tuition fees:http://globalnews.ca/news/2208840/alberta-ndp-government-begins-tuition-freeze-for-post-secondary-students/ 

CCPA’s Sheila Block Blog: Ending on-call scheduling and unpaid overtime – lessons from the US:
http://behindthenumbers.ca/2015/09/10/ending-on-call-scheduling-and-unpaid-overtime-lessons-from-the-u-s/

Around the Province

Fully one-quarter of Windsor-Essex kids live in poverty, says United Way:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/1-in-4-windsor-essex-youth-living-in-poverty-united-way-says-1.3222737

  • New Windsor-Essex program aims to “bust” kids out of poverty:http://blogs.windsorstar.com/news/united-way-launches-program-to-bust-kids-out-of-the-poverty-cycle 

An army of seasonal agricultural workers powers Niagara’s farms:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/09/03/army-of-migrant-workers-power-niagaras-farms

Letter to the Editor: Migrant workers are part of the Northumberland County community:
http://www.northumberlandnews.com/opinion-story/5834337-migrant-workers-are-a-part-of-northumberland-county/

Editorial: St. Catherines Mayor’s poverty task force needs to involve people with lived experience:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/09/04/to-combat-poverty-committee-needs-to-be-fixed

  • Mayor Sendzik responds to criticisms:http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2015/09/10/sendzik-action-needed-to-conquer-poverty 

Two men who are homeless start Toronto’s only “underpass library”:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/with-no-fixed-address-two-men-start-toronto-s-only-underpass-library-1.3214286

Ottawa activists push for a low-income transit pass:
http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news-story/5821575-transportation-coalition-pushes-for-low-income-transit-pass/

Across the Country

Montreal mayor Denis Coderre pledges to open safe injection sites with or without Ottawa’s approval:
http://ipolitics.ca/2015/09/03/montreal-mayor-vows-to-open-injection-sites-even-without-federal-approval/

Concern about evictions of people with disabilities leads social service agencies to urge a delay in new Alberta safety rules:
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/social-service-agencies-urge-changes-to-new-housing-standards-for-disabled-clients

Program to help people who are homeless in Powell River BC expands:
http://www.prpeak.com/articles/2015/09/09/news/doc55f078e8b993d714315479.txt

National

New study shows 1 in 5 Canadian renters affected by Canada’s affordable housing crisis:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/housing/the-real-estate-beat/affordable-housing-crisis-affects-one-in-five-renters-in-canada-study/article26287843/

Leah McLaren: Child care affects all of us. It’s time our politicians took notice:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/leah-mclaren-in-a-society-that-sentimentalizes-children-there-lacks-a-system-of-actual-care/article26209935/

Federal Election

New website highlights the plight of Canadian renters:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5837966-new-website-highlights-plight-of-canadian-renters/

At Renfrew County Poverty Reduction Forum, Senator Art Eggleton says poverty isn’t getting enough traction this election:
http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2015/09/10/parties-ignoring-poverty-as-issue-eggleton

  • More on the two-day forum: http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/2015/09/10/county-poverty-reduction-forum-eyes-task-force 

Fighting for decent work during the federal campaign:
http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=8e3951a35d48e64f736884ea9&id=f79a0283f9&e=f3bab51a7a

Groups want to make a national Pharmacare program an election issue:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/election/groups-hope-to-make-national-pharmacare-program-an-election-issue-1.2550700#_gus&_gucid=&_gup=twitter&_gsc=MOcEFNl

Climate change and energy retrofits are an election issue, especially for people with low incomes:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/09/federal-election-environment-energy-conservation-efficiency_n_8079182.html

Seven Canadian expats who have lost their right to vote:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-expats-cant-vote-1.3204664

The 52 most vulnerable ridings, based on 2011 results:
http://www.hilltimes.com/feature/2015/09/08/the-52-most-vulnerable-ridings-in-2015-election-based-on-2011-election/43327

International

Economist says a global recession in next two years a “likely scenario”:
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/sep/09/global-recession-two-years-likely-economist-buiter

UK advocates say increasing reliance on food banks due to benefit cuts is simply “storing up a health nightmare for the future”:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/food-banks-are-storingup-a-health-nightmare-for-the-future-due-to-foods-lack-of-nutritional-standards-government-warned-10488679.html

Child poverty in Scotland so bad that teachers being given advice on how to spot malnourished kids:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/scotlands-child-poverty-levels-so-severe-teachers-are-sent-advice-on-spotting-malnourished-students-10495873.html

America’s poorest are getting virtually no assistance:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/09/welfare-reform-americas-poorest/403960/

  • How the geography of poverty in the US has shifted since 1960:http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/09/10/how-the-geography-of-u-s-poverty-has-shifted-since-1960/
  • Report showing newcomers “drain” US welfare funds doesn’t account for the taxes they pay: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/122714/immigrants-dont-drain-welfare-they-fund-it
  • US unemployment rate now 5.1%; lowest since 2008:http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20150904/NEWS/150909899/u-s-unemployment-rate-falls-to-5-1-the-lowest-since-2008
  • 2 in 5 American children spend at least a year in poverty, report says:http://time.com/4028236/child-poverty-rate/
  • How growing up in poverty hurts American adults:http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-09/here-s-how-growing-up-in-poverty-hurts-american-adults
  • Warren Buffet says poverty in America “makes no sense”:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/warren-buffett-us-poverty_55ef2df8e4b03784e276c478 

1 in 6 children in Japan lives in poverty, putting education and future at risk:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/09/10/national/social-issues/one-six-japanese-children-live-poverty-threatening-education-future/#.VfLYIJeTTk1

Turkmenistan set to scrap core welfare benefits of free electricity, cooking gas and water:
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/75016

From the Philippines, you can’t reduce poverty without a strong public health system:
http://www.rappler.com/views/imho/104847-poverty-reduction-strong-public-health-care

One third of Australians over 60 live in poverty:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-09/third-of-australians-over-60-living-below-the-poverty-line/6761520

Globally, women still suffer a “pensions gap”:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d68b296e-2a18-11e5-acfb-cbd2e1c81cca.html#axzz3lFaJ7Etd

Denmark dissuades Syrian asylum seekers by cutting social benefits, advertising in Lebanese papers:
http://mwcnews.net/news/europe/54101-denmark-advert-in-lebanon.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.