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Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy News: 16 July 2014

July 16, 2014

Top Stories

Star op-ed by Leilani Farha: Poverty is “a structural issue, which cannot be solved by individuals alone, but also requires substantive government involvement, resources, vision and leadership.”
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/07/12/can_kathleen_wynne_change_the_conversation_on_poverty.html

Star editorial: Wynne’s pledge to tackle poverty needs fleshing out:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/07/11/kathleen_wynnes_pledge_to_tackle_poverty_needs_fleshing_out_editorial.html

  • John Cartwright, on other ways to reduce poverty – reducing the number of people earning poverty wages:http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2014/07/15/other_ideas_on_how_to_tackle_poverty.html 

Generating additional revenue and big movement on poverty reduction might be possible under Wynne:
http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/07/14/social_advocates_eye_higher_taxes_down_the_road.html

  • Canadians for Tax Fairness on how Budget 2014 makes the tax system fairer: http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/4633000-budget-offers-fairer-tax-system/

Budget Responses & Coverage

OFL welcomes the Budget but rejects privatization and cuts:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2052933 

25in5 says Budget invests in fairness and builds momentum for the upcoming second Poverty Reduction Strategy:
http://25in5.ca/ontario-budget-2014-invests-in-fairness-builds-momentum-for-the-next-poverty-reduction-strategy/ 

Social Planning Council of Cambridge and North Dumfries says the 2014 Budget doesn’t do enough for people living in poverty:
www.therecord.com/news-story/4631548-provincial-budget-doesn-t-offer-enough-support-to-the-poor-social-planning-council/ 

ISAC repeats Budget analysis but adds comment on increased funding for ODSP medical reviews:
http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=095b12c98935ecaadd327bf90&id=fc23603396 

  • More on medical reviews here: http://toronto.mediacoop.ca/story/systemic-shortcomings-odsp-review-process-could-sp/31167 

Criminal Lawyers Association applauds more funding for Legal Aid:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2053112 

Globe editorial on the 2014 Budget as an austerity budget:
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/ontarios-budget-on-second-thought-this-might-hurt/article19607475/?service=mobile 

  • ROB column: Only higher taxes will cure Ontario’s fiscal ills: http://m.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/rob-insight/only-higher-taxes-will-cure-ontarios-fiscal-ills/article19600295/?service=mobile

Ontario

Walkom: Wynne should choose growth over austerity:
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/07/04/kathleen_wynne_should_choose_growth_over_austerity_walkom.html

PCs appoint new critics:

  • Jim McDonell for Ministry of Children and Youth Services and Poverty Reduction: http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2014/07/07/sdsg-mpp-mcdonell-given-new-critic-role-n-ontario-legislature 
  • Bill Walker for Ministry of Community and Social Services: http://www.simcoe.com/news-story/4626506-bruce-grey-mpp-walker-accepts-new-critic-appointments/

Around the Province

Advocates push back against targeting the poor in downtown Hamilton:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/don-t-crackdown-on-the-poor-in-hamilton-s-core-poverty-advocates-1.2698674

Health – and its relationship to wealth – in Ottawa:
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/health-and-wealth-in-the-city-of-ottawa

Toronto WheelTrans drivers strike over reduced pay:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/07/08/wheeltrans_taxi_drivers_strike_over_wage_cuts.html

Toronto Council votes to study discount fare for low-income riders:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/07/08/toronto_to_study_ttc_fare_discount_for_lowincome_riders.html

Two men die at Toronto’s Seaton House shelter:
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/johnbon/2014/07/two-men-die-seaton-house-mens-shelter#.U71BjOpC2WE.twitter

Report from Bridges Community Health Centre gives recommendation for action on dental coverage:
http://www.bridgeschc.ca/media/pdf/Dental_Health_Report_Bridges_Community_Health_Centre_June_2014.pdf

Study shows poverty among urban Aboriginal people in Hamilton in a major barrier to good health:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/poverty-a-major-barrier-to-good-health-for-urban-aboriginals-study-1.2701497?cmp=abfb

  • More coverage: http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4623522-poverty-and-chronic-disease-plaguing-hamilton-s-aboriginal-population/ 

Older women in St. Catherines facing life on social assistance:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2014/07/02/poverty-older-women-face-life-on-assistance

Poverty in Muskoka, and one woman’s success story:
http://www.muskokaregion.com/news-story/4624435-overcoming-poverty-a-muskoka-success-story/

New services to help low-income families separate will be a big help in northwestern Ontario:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/low-income-ontario-couples-to-get-legal-help-with-separating-1.2700862

Coupons for farmers markets available to low-income seniors in Ontario County:
http://www.mpnnow.com/article/20140710/NEWS/140719967/1994/NEWS

Across the Country

PEI’s Finance Minister has abandoned Ontario’s pension push and refocuses on Ottawa:
http://www.troymedia.com/2014/07/13/pei-finance-minister-changes-mind-on-pensions/

TD says the jobs picture everywhere east of Manitoba will remain bleak:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/top-business-stories/unemployment-to-remain-ugly-everywhere-east-of-manitoba/article19504141/?click=sf_globefb

Opposition Private Members Bill to create a Poverty Reduction Strategy for BC needs all-party support:
http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/opinion/columnists/article_4db95e1a-06fd-11e4-83c7-001a4bcf6878.html

National

Appeals on denials of federal disability benefits are increasingly unsuccessful:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/fewer-claimants-successful-when-appealing-disability-benefit-denials/article19501881/

The federal government is moving to direct deposit for ALL federal payments:
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/direct-deposit/

  • John Stapleton comments on direct deposits in this article:http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2014/07/06/financial_literacy_leader_focuses_on_seniors_roseman.html
  • But the feds are also considering pre-paid cards for those who don’t sign up:
  • http://www.leaderpost.com/business/Feds+examine+prepaid+cards+alternative+cheques/10016425/story.html 

Ottawa’s overhaul of the Temporary Foreign Worker program ignores abuse of migrant workers:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/07/02/ottawas_overhaul_ignores_abuse_of_migrant_workers.html

  • And Temporary Foreign Worker program changes could penalize workers:http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Changes+rules+foreign+workers+could+penalize+labourers+rights+group+says/10029821/story.html
  • Who do the changes really help? http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/policynote/2014/07/temporary-foreign-worker-program-changes-who-do-they-help 

Canadian Taxpayers Federation says it’s not the TFW program that’s the problem – it’s Employment Insurance paying people not to work:
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/64397

  • More coverage: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/ei-may-be-opening-door-to-foreign-workers-1.1198895
  • And more: http://www.bnn.ca/News/2014/7/12/Does-temporary-foreign-worker-program-mask-EI-overuse.aspx
  • CFIB gets in on the action: http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2014-07-10/article-3793983/Reform-EI,-not-temporary-foreign-worker-program,-says-business-leader/1

Food banks in Canada are vital but could work better:
http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/4629938-vital-food-banks-can-work-better/

Press Progress’ take on the OECD’s income inequality warning for Canada:
http://www.pressprogress.ca/en/post/oecds-dire-warning-canada-income-inequality-will-get-lot-worse

International

23.1% of Americans – the highest percentage ever – are now receiving welfare program benefits:
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/07/percentage_of_americans_on_welfare_hits_record_levels.html

A simplified way to tax multinational corporations:
http://billmoyers.com/2014/07/15/a-simplified-way-to-tax-multinational-corporations/

Both red and blue states in the USA agree on taxing corporations more:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/red-and-blue-states-agree-on-taxing-corporations-more?utm_source=YTW&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20140711

The European Central Bank finds that the 1% are even richer than we thought:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-15/top-1-percent-is-even-richer-than-surveys-say-ecb-paper-finds.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.