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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy News: 14 February 2017

February 14, 2017

Ed note: This is all for this week – MPN will return February 24.

Top Stories

Ontario is proving that taxing the one per cent works:
http://www.macleans.ca/economy/economicanalysis/ontario-is-proving-that-taxing-the-one-per-cent-works/

Critics tired of foot dragging on WSIB discrimination against injured workers making mental stress claims:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/02/13/critics-tired-of-foot-dragging-on-injured-worker-discrimination.html

  • Class action against WSIB claiming unfair benefit cuts given go-ahead: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/02/14/class-action-against-wsib-claiming-unfair-benefit-cuts-given-go-ahead.html

Ontario Liberals eyeing hydro rate cut in the range of 8 percent – including changes to global adjustment and using tax base to cover low-income electricity subsidies:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-hydro-bills-global-adjustment-kathleen-wynne-1.3975946

  • New details on hydro relief plan: Ontario Liberals consider reductions: http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/new-details-on-hydro-relief-plan-ontario-liberals-consider-reductions-1.3284454?autoPlay=true

Federal Liberals launching consultations on national Poverty Reduction Strategy:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/02/13/liberal-government-poverty-strategy_n_14727668.html

  • Liberals set up committee to test public input on poverty strategy – National Housing Strategy expected shortly after budget: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/liberals-set-up-committee-to-test-public-input-on-poverty-strategy/article34005073/
  • Government release: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=1187479&tp=1

10,000 Canadians sign petition supporting a basic income guarantee:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/02/06/basic-income-canada_n_14633042.html

Alberta government considers changing labour laws:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-government-labour-laws-1.3977786

Thieving recruiter ordered to return illegal fees he charged migrant workers:
http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/thieving-recruiter-ordered-to-return-illegal-fees-he-charged-migrant-workers

Unemployment rate dips as Canada gains 48,300 jobs, but wages stalled and work hours shrink:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/unemployment-rate-dips-as-canada-gains-48-300-jobs-1.3279440

Judge sides with Indigenous survivors of Sixties Scoop:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/60s-scoop-ruling-aboriginal-1.3981771

Bombardier among companies using legal tax havens at expense of home country:
http://business.financialpost.com/news/transportation/bombardier-among-companies-using-legal-tax-havens-at-expense-of-home-country

  • Bombardier: A master class in tax dodging: http://www.taxfairness.ca/en/news/bombardier-master-class-tax-dodging
  • Toronto Sun editorial: It’s time to rethink corporate welfare: http://www.torontosun.com/2017/02/10/its-time-to-rethink-corporate-welfare

Ideas: Surviving Post-Capitalism: Coping, hoping, doping and shopping:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/surviving-post-capitalism-coping-hoping-doping-shopping-1.3973042

 

Ontario

Environmental Defence: Shining a light on the true costs of renewable energy in Ontario:
http://environmentaldefence.ca/2017/02/01/shining-light-true-costs-renewable-energy-ontario/

Auditor General rebuked for $10.7 billion “miscalculation”:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/02/14/beware-watchdogs-who-swallow-up-billions-cohn.html

OPSEU wins arbitration award affirming equal pay for equal work at LCBO:
http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/cnw/release.html?rkey=20170213C1330&filter=5611

Government release: Strategic investments creating foundation for prosperity: Province releases long-term report on the economy:
https://news.ontario.ca/mof/en/2017/02/strategic-investments-creating-foundation-for-prosperity.html

Government release: Ontario continuing to provide support for child care professionals:
https://news.ontario.ca/edu/en/2017/02/ontario-continuing-to-provide-support-for-child-care-professionals.html

Reminder: Election day moved up from October to June 7, 2018:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/10/19/ontario-moves-election-date-to-june-7-2018.html

 

Ontario 2017-18 Pre-Budget Submissions

Deadline is tomorrow, February 15 to send submissions  to Minister of Finance – submissions@ontario.ca

  • ISAC on employment standards: https://incomesecurity.org/policy-advocacy/2017-pre-budget-submission-investments-needed-in-employment-standards-enforcement-il-faut-investir-dans-lapplication-des-normes-demploi/
  • ISAC on social assistance: https://incomesecurity.org/policy-advocacy/1-billion-for-ow-odsp-isacs-2017-pre-budget-submission-1-milliard-de-dollars-pour-ot-le-posph-soumission-prebudgetaire-2017-du-casr/
  • Anglican Diocese of Toronto: http://www.toronto.anglican.ca/2016/11/22/archbishop-urges-ontario-government-to-support-poverty-reduction/
  • Canadian Federation of University Women – Ontario Council: http://www.cfuwontcouncil.ca/Issues/PDFs/2017-01-20_PRE-BUDGET.pdf
  • Catholic Charities of Toronto: http://www.catholiccharitiestor.org/CC/media/catholic-charities/Advocacy%20Resources/Reports/ON-Budget-2017-SCFEA-Catholic-Charities-10JA2017-F.pdf
  • CMHA Ontario:
    http://ontario.cmha.ca/news/need-increased-investments-mental-health-addictions-highlighted-cmha-ontarios-pre-budget-submission/#.WIYYNH1WLeR
  • Children’s Mental Health Ontario: http://www.cmho.org/get-involved/ontario-budget-2017
  • Colleges Ontario: http://www.collegesontario.org/policy-positions/budget-submissions/CO_2017_Budget_WEB_HQ.pdf
  • CUPE: http://cupe.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/PreBudget-Submission-FINAL-December-8-2016.pdf
  • Hamilton Community Legal Clinic: https://www.hamiltonjustice.ca/blog?post=Ontario+Pre-Budget+Consultations+Offer+Opportunity+to+Advocate+for+Social+Assistance+Reform&id=385
  • Injured Workers Consultants: http://injuredworkersonline.org/documents/law-and-policy-submissions/Ltr_IWC_20161214_PreBudgetConsultations.pdf
  • Interfaith Social Assistance Reform Coalition: http://isarc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Pre-budget-submission-Jan-2017.pdf
  • Mennonite Central Committee of Ontario: https://mcccanada.ca/sites/mcccanada.ca/files/media/common/documents/2016-12-20mccoletterregarding2017ontariobudget.pdf
  • ODSP Action Coalition: http://www.odspaction.ca/resource/coalition-asks-ontario-government-invest-1b-social-assistance
  • Ontario Campaign 2000: http://ontariocampaign2000.ca/ontario-2017-pre-budget-consultation/
  • Ontario Federation of Labour: http://www.makeitfair.ca/read_the_ofl_pre_budget_submission
  • Ontario Nonprofit Network: http://theonn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/ONN-prebudget-submission-to-MoF-Jan-25-2017-FINAL.pdf
  • OPSEU: https://opseu.org/news/age-austerity-must-end-thomas-tells-budget-committee
  • Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO): http://rnao.ca/policy/submissions/ontario-pre-budget-2017

 

Reports, Events, Campaigns and Other Good Things

February 15 Hamilton event: Give us a chance to succeed: First-person accounts of poverty point to possibilities for the future: A report on the 2016 Hamilton Social Audit:
http://us13.campaign-archive1.com/?u=c8b37c6bca2cddff796f96ed6&id=9795dd6b17&e=f90ef465f6

March 2 Webinar: Lead in drinking water: Sharing details about Ontario’s response:
http://www.cela.ca/newsevents/announcement/webinar-march-2nd-lead-drinking-water

Launch of the Canadian Poverty Hub: Submissions being sought:
http://homelesshub.ca/resource/call-submissions-canadian-poverty-hub

StatsCan: Study: Trends in pre-retirement RRSP contributions and withdrawals:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170213/dq170213a-eng.htm

New book: The Shattered Mosaic: How Canadian social structures cause homelessness:
http://homelesshub.ca/resource/shattered-mosaic-how-canadian-social-structures-cause-homelessness

Canada Council for Refugees FAQ: Refugees entering from US and Safe Third Country:
http://ccrweb.ca/en/refugees-entering-us-and-safe-third-country-faq

 

Around the Province

Homeless crisis must end; Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal initiative building team to develop plan:
http://www.chroniclejournal.com/news/homeless-crisis-must-end-chronicle-journal-initiative-building-team-to/article_37b8d230-f05c-11e6-9991-17b3714e2e12.html?mode=jqm

Sheltering Toronto’s most vulnerable proves to be a struggle:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/02/11/sheltering-torontos-most-vulnerable.html

Customers and food banks hit by No Frills closures in the GTA:
https://www.thestar.com/life/2017/02/09/customers-food-banks-hit-by-no-frills-closures.html

What the new population data from the census tells us about Toronto’s budget:
http://spacing.ca/toronto/2017/02/13/lorinc-2016-canadian-census-tells-us/

Living Wage effort is a moral responsibility, say Hamilton bishops:
http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/7137992-living-wage-effort-is-a-moral-responsibility-bishops-bird-and-crosby/

Poverty statistics present difficult task for Dufferin County:
http://www.orangeville.com/news-story/7138044-poverty-stats-present-difficult-task-for-dufferin-county/

 

Across the Country

Some sex workers enter the industry because it’s more lucrative than low-paying service jobs: BC study:
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/some-sex-workers-enter-the-industry-because-its-more-lucrative-than-low-paying-service-jobs-b-c-study-finds

BC judge gives woman $46,000 wrongful dismissal award for firing over Burger King fish sandwich:
http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/burger-king-b-c-judge-awards-46000-to-cook-fired-for-taking-food

Long Overdue: Why BC needs a poverty reduction plan:
http://homelesshub.ca/resource/long-overdue-why-bc-needs-poverty-reduction-plan

Yellowknife mall owners pen open letter seeking help to address “war zone” caused by homeless crisis:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yellowknife-centre-square-mall-violence-homeless-1.3979233

 

National

3 reasons why Finance Minister Morneau should not raise the retirement age to 67:
http://www.alternateroutes.ca/index.php/ar

  • NUPGE: Federal advisory council recommendations would increase income inequality: http://www.nupge.ca/content/13335/federal-advisory-council-recommendations-would-increase-income-inequality
  • Asking Canadians to delay their CPP benefits? Good luck: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/retirement/retire-planning/asking-canadians-to-delay-cpp-retirement-benefits-good-luck/article33964757/

Facing tough talk over NAFTA renegotiations, Canadians rediscover affection for the trade pact:
http://angusreid.org/trump-nafta-renegotiation/

Liberals looking to eliminate many mandatory minimum sentences, justice minister says:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mandatory-minimum-sentences-justice-1.3976205

Canadian citizenship applications decline after processing fees triple:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-citizenship-applications-decrease-1.3976140

Pre-clearance bill would give US border agents in Canada new powers:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pre-clearance-border-canada-us-1.3976123

60 years since introduction of RRSPs, which pre-date the Canada Pension Plan:
http://www.capebretonpost.com/business/2017/2/13/rrsps-one-of-the-last-gasps-of-the-louis-st-laurent-government-60-years-ago.html

Former Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan CEO to head up new national infrastructure bank:
http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2017/02/10/liberals-tap-former-pension-fund-ceo-to-help-build-new-infrastructure-bank.html

 

International

California farmers backed Trump, but now fear losing field workers:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/09/us/california-farmers-backed-trump-but-now-fear-losing-field-workers.html

Irish activists launch anti-poverty campaign:
http://www.newstalk.com/Irish-activists-launch-antipoverty-campaign

Privatization has damaged the economy, says Australia’s consumer and competition commissioner:
http://www.smh.com.au/business/privatisation-has-damaged-the-economy-says-accc-chief-20160726-gqe2c2.html

Australia “should not pit vulnerable Australians currently receiving family tax benefit against another group of vulnerable Australians wanting to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme”:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/13/linking-welfare-cuts-to-ndis-dumb-politics-xenophon-warns-coalition

Universal basic income accelerates innovation by reducing our fear of failure:
https://evonomics.com/universal-basic-income-accelerates-innovation-reducing-fear-failure/

Silicon valley is right – Our jobs are already disappearing:
https://qz.com/895681/silicon-valley-is-right-our-jobs-are-already-disappearing-due-to-automation/

Study: American children have a 43% chance of being born into poverty:
http://www.mintpressnews.com/study-american-children-have-a-43-chance-of-being-born-into-poverty/224792/

Poverty a top concern of US mayors, survey finds:
http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/poverty-a-top-concern-of-u-s-mayors-survey-finds/article_c9cd397c-ef0d-11e6-bb68-177eb003f2ff.html

Even Trump voters want the minimum wage raised:
http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/14/news/economy/donald-trump-minimum-wage/

Charities hail turning point in Scotland’s child poverty battle:
http://thirdforcenews.org.uk/tfn-news/charities-hail-turning-point-in-child-poverty-battle

China plans to relocate 3.4 million people living in poverty in 2017:
http://shanghaiist.com/2017/02/14/poverty_relocation.php

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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.