Top Stories
Safe Streets Act to be challenged in court:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/06/22/safe-streets-act-to-be-challenged-in-court.html
- Anti-panhandling law criminalizes poverty, legal clinic argues: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/anti-panhandling-law-criminalizes-poverty-legal-clinic-argues-1.3471799
The CRA is keeping tax cheat data secret, breaking minister’s commitment:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/06/17/the-cra-is-keeping-tax-cheat-data-secret-breaking-ministers-commitment.html
- Our tax system is riddled with unfair loopholes – and it’s getting worse: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/dennis-howlett/canada-tax-loopholes_a_22528627/?ncid=tweetlnkcahpmg00000002
Meat prices set to rise by up to 9% this year even as other groceries take less of a bite:
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/business/canada-food-inflation-2017-report-dalhousie-researchers-1.4166923
- 9 in 10 Canadians see no progress being made on food insecurity, poll finds: http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/9-in-10-canadians-see-no-progress-being-made-on-food-insecurity-poll-finds-629409103.html
Governments have to start acting on poverty, and citizens must pressure them to act: Gossage:
http://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/june-2017/governments-have-to-start-acting-on-poverty/
Adult literacy gets $185 million funding boost from province:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/06/16/adult-literacy-gets-185-million-funding-boost-from-province.html
New legal hotline a lifeline for Ontario’s low-income Chinese and Southeast Asians:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/chinese-southeast-asian-legal-hotline-1.4168196
Child care crunch doesn’t end when school begins:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/06/20/child-care-crunch-doesnt-end-when-school-begins.html
Employees with disabilities need more than a government strategy, say advocates:
http://www.rabble.ca/news/2017/06/employees-disabilities-need-more-government-strategy-say-advocates
Canada starved aboriginal people into submission: Goar:
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2014/06/10/canada_starved_aboriginal_people_into_submission_goar.html
Why wages aren’t rising while workers remain in short supply:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/inflation-canada-outlook-1.4167888
LCBO workplace the “complete opposite” of Ontario’s proposed labour laws, say employees:
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/toronto/lcbo-workplace-complete-opposite-1.4167722
Minimum Wage and Employment Law Changes
- Ontario Liberals embed 2019 minimum wage hike in new law: https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/06/22/ontario-liberals-embed-2019-minimum-wage-hike-in-new-law.html
- “It’s not a kid’s wage any more”: http://www.thewhig.com/2017/06/22/its-not-a-kids-wage-anymore
- Minimum wage increase has some Kawartha businesses concerned: https://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/7356049-wage-increase-has-some-local-businesses-concerned/
- Bancroft & District Chamber of Commerce asks businesses about potential minimum wage impacts: http://www.mybancroftnow.com/21466/local-chamber-commerce-asks-businesses-potential-minimum-wage-impacts/
- Peterborough County Council wants to speak to province about proposed minimum wage increase: http://www.thewolf.ca/syn/146/138638/ptbo-county-council-wants-to-speak-to-province-about-proposed-minimum-wage-increase
- Peterborough DBIA members question Leal about minimum wage hike: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2017/06/21/peterborough-dbia-members-question-leal-about-minimum-wage-hike
- Local food will cost you more under $15 minimum wage: Simcoe County farmer: https://www.simcoe.com/news-story/7353472-local-food-will-cost-you-more-under-15-minimum-wage-simcoe-county-farmer/
- Minimum wage legislation disturbs the flow: http://oshawaexpress.ca/minimum-wage-legislation-disturbs-the-flow/
- Dollarama expects to offset minimum wage hikes, but won’t rule out price hikes: http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/dollarama-expects-to-offset-minimum-wage-hikes-but-won-t-rule-out-price-hikes-1.3447239
- Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce opposes minimum wage hike: http://www.saultstar.com/2017/06/20/chamber-opposes-minimum-wage-increase-to-15
- Greenhouse operators vowing to fight Queen’s Park over minimum wage hike: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/greenhouse-minimum-wage-workers-agriculture-1.4148760
- Vineyard owners worry about minimum wage hike: http://www.countyweeklynews.ca/2017/06/20/vineyard-owners-worry-about-minimum-wage-hike
- Why a $15 minimum wage is a worry for small business: http://thechronicleherald.ca/editorials/1476245-opinion-why-a-15-minimum-wage-is-a-worry-for-small-business
- Aylmer farmer questions minimum wage hike: https://www.theweeklynews.ca/news-story/7359021-aylmer-farmer-questions-minimum-wage-hike/
- Split Decision: Raising Ontario’s minimum wage: http://www.wellingtonadvertiser.com/comments/columns.cfm?articleID=1000002074
- Minimum wage laws hurt people and there is proof: http://www.torontosun.com/2017/06/21/minimum-wage-laws-hurt-people-and-there-is-proof
- Letter: Don’t blame minimum wage for precarious employment: https://www.yorkregion.com/opinion-story/7375882-letter-to-the-editor-don-t-blame-minimum-wage-for-precarious-employment/
- Higher minimum wage is good for Ontario: http://www.chroniclejournal.com/opinion/higher-minimum-wage-is-good-for-ontario/article_13980f88-4c9b-11e7-ac8a-e7565621a972.html
- Minimum wage hike unlikely to stem demand, says Hamilton food bank: https://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/7353583-minimum-wage-hike-unlikely-to-stem-demand-says-n2n-food-bank/
- Employment Law: Not all recommended changes to standards act make sense: http://www.thespec.com/news-story/7338890-employment-law-not-all-recommended-changes-to-standards-act-make-sense/
- More must be done to help Ontario workers and their families: https://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/7376795-opinion-more-must-be-done-to-help-ontario-workers-and-their-families/
- Building services seen as precarious employment: https://www.reminetwork.com/articles/building-services-seen-precarious-employment/
- Here’s why employers should be very concerned about Ontario’s labour changes: http://business.financialpost.com/executive/0626-biz-hl-levittwkpl/wcm/49876550-b357-4f5e-96df-4f9ecf7be8e2
- Home care layoffs reveal flaw in the law: OPSEU: http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/home-care-layoffs-reveal-flaw-in-the-law-opseu-628884513.html
- Public hearings scheduled to consider minimum wage increase and other labour act changes: https://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/7380238-public-hearings-scheduled-to-consider-minimum-wage-increase-and-other-labour-act-changes/
- Minimum wage law hearings come to Niagara: https://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/7375849-minimum-wage-law-hearing-coming-to-niagara/
Basic Income
- Basic income project applications being mailed out in Ontario: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/basic-income-rollout-1.4168771
- Is $17,000 a good enough starting point for basic income?: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/17000-good-enough-starting-point-basic-income-113048298.html
Ontario
Holding refugees hostage at Legal Aid Ontario:
http://www.slaw.ca/2017/06/19/holding-refugees-hostage-at-legal-aid-ontario/
Ontario doctors groups slam survey on privatization:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/06/07/ontario-doctors-groups-slam-survey-on-privatization.html
Stapleton: New social assistance asset test welcome news:
http://openpolicyontario.com/new-social-assistance-asset-test-welcome-news/
Poll: Premiers’ Performance: Ball and Wynne bounce, Wall and Pallister slide:
http://angusreid.org/premier-approval-june2017/
Leaping from third place to power poses challenge for Ontario NDP:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-election-2018-ndp-andrea-horwath-interview-1.4169361
Reports, Events, Campaigns and Other Good Things
Reconciliation Begins with Me:
http://reconciliationcanada.ca/reconciliation-begins-with-me/featured-stories/
Mowat Centre: Making post-secondary education available at no cost to all Canadians:
https://mowatcentre.ca/video-bold-ideas-making-post-secondary-education-available-at-no-cost-to-all-canadians/
Stats Can: Employment Insurance, April 2017:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170622/dq170622b-eng.htm?CMP=mstatcan
Around the Province
Wage increase advocates stage protest outside Ale House London:
http://globalnews.ca/news/3540653/wage-increase-advocates-stage-protest-outside-ale-house-london/
- Outrage brews over London’s pub signs protesting minimum wage hike: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/sign-protests-minimum-wage-protesters-protest-sign-1.4168382
Affordable housing project for Indigenous people in Hamilton rises in remains of burned out building:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/affordable-housing-1.4171116
Social Planning Council of Cambridge and North Dumfries launches Solutions to Poverty initiative:
https://www.cambridgetimes.ca/community-story/7384584-poverty-initiative-aims-to-find-new-ways-of-sharing-message/
Food security in York Region: “Garbage food for garbage people” not a solution to hunger:
https://www.yorkregion.com/community-story/7382463–garbage-food-for-garbage-people-not-solution-to-hunger/
Toronto needs new plan to be barrier free as accessibility becomes law, says advocate:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/public-input-needed-to-help-meet-accessibility-rules-1.4165906?cmp=news-digests-toronto
Heartening to hear Toronto mayor provide leadership on shelters:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/06/20/heartening-to-hear-mayor-provide-leadership-on-shelters-keenan.html
Toronto opening more library branches on Sundays this summer, part of poverty reduction strategy:
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/more-library-branches-to-open-on-sundays-this-summer-630080233.html
Tools needed to fight poverty: Sudbury Medical Officer of Health:
http://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/06/17/sudbury-letters-tools-needed-to-fight-poverty
Puzzle pieces of poverty in Hastings-Prince Edward:
http://www.intelligencer.ca/2017/06/14/puzzle-pieces-of-poverty
Social assistance made simpler:
http://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/06/12/accent-social-assistance-made-simpler
Across the Country
Indigenous woman says Saskatchewan Transportation Company shutdown will cost lives:
http://regina.ctvnews.ca/indigenous-woman-says-stc-shutdown-will-cost-lives-1.3472354
BC Liberals reverse decade-long policy with pledge to increase welfare rates by $100 a month:
http://www.straight.com/news/925941/bc-liberals-reverse-decade-long-policy-pledge-increase-welfare-rates-100-month
- BC Liberal vow to raise welfare rates is “cynical opportunism,” say advocates: https://thetyee.ca/News/2017/06/19/Welfare-Rate-Hike-Cynical/
- Anti-poverty group says BC Liberals plan to increase welfare rates not enough: http://globalnews.ca/news/3541099/anti-poverty-group-says-bc-liberals-plan-to-increase-welfare-rates-not-enough/
- Time to raise welfare rates: Debunking the BC government’s sorry excuses for inaction: http://www.policynote.ca/time-to-raise-welfare-rates/
- BC Liberals announce daycare policy to create 60,000 new child-care spaces: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-liberals-announce-new-daycare-policy-to-create-60000-new-child-care-spaces/article35417770/
- Then and now: How BC Liberal promises have changed: http://www.timescolonist.com/then-and-now-how-b-c-liberal-promises-have-changed-1.20725763
Tax fairness in BC? Hardly:
http://www.policynote.ca/unfair/#.WUDG82xyDgQ.twitter
“Not having housing is life-threatening”: Activist takes the stage at Vancouver forum on future of housing:
http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/mayor-says-system-is-broken-regarding-sro-woes-at-vancouver-housing-forum
BC business owners nervous about minimum wage hikes in wake of NDP-Green deal:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/talent/ndp-green-deal-means-big-labour-changes-on-the-horizon-in-bc/article35371729/
Migrant farm workers in BC celebrate Father’s Day far from their families:
http://bc.ctvnews.ca/migrant-farm-workers-celebrate-father-s-day-far-from-families-1.3465331
Vancouver airport workers push for new minimum wage:
http://www.news1130.com/2017/06/17/airport-workers-push-new-minimum-wage/
Refugees in Manitoba could wait up to 11 years for hearing as Legal Aid faces spike in cases, flat funding:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/legal-aid-manitoba-79-per-cent-increase-11-year-wait-1.4162397
Number of Albertans on EI declines for sixth straight month:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-employment-insurance-benefits-claims-april-2017-1.4172901
No commitments from Ottawa about ice compensation for Newfoundland and Labrador fish plant workers:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/fish-plant-workers-ice-compensation-ottawa-federal-1.4172679
National
How high debt loads are hurting our children:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/genymoney/how-high-debt-loads-are-hurting-our-children/article35399348/
Maternity leave Private Members Bill passes final hurdle:
http://www.thewhig.com/2017/06/15/gerretsens-maternity-bill-passes-final-hurdle
International
Seattle’s minimum wage hike did not reduce restaurant jobs, study finds:
http://www.foodandwine.com/news/seattles-minimum-wage-hike-did-not-reduce-restaurant-jobs-finds-study
- A higher minimum wage is not doing the bad things critics said it would do: https://www.fastcompany.com/40434565/a-higher-minimum-wage-is-not-doing-the-bad-things-critics-said-it-would-do
- House votes to raise Rhode Island’s minimum wage: http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170622/house-votes-to-raise-rhode-islands-minimum-wage
Finland tests an unconditional basic income:
http://www.economist.com/news/business-and-finance/21723759-experiment-effect-offering-unemployed-new-form?fsrc=scn/fb/te/bl/ed/
- Finnish citizens given universal basic income report lower stress levels and greater incentive to work: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/finland-universal-basic-income-lower-stress-better-motivation-work-wages-salary-a7800741.html
- The bizarre tale of President Nixon and his basic income bill:
https://thecorrespondent.com/4503/the-bizarre-tale-of-president-nixon-and-his-basic-income-bill/173117835-c34d6145
Trump wants to keep new immigrants from getting welfare – which is already law:
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/338901-trumps-suggests-creating-law-that-has-been-enacted-since-1996
Escaping poverty requires almost 20 years with nothing going wrong:
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/04/economic-inequality/524610/
Finding home: Lack of affordable housing is a crisis across the West:
https://newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2017/06/01/finding-home/
No child will live in poverty? 30 years on, former Australian prime minister’s promise remains an elusive goal:
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/no-child-will-live-in-poverty-30-years-on-bob-hawkes-promise-remains-an-elusive-goal-20170621-gwvdya.html
Scotland’s first welfare system legislation introduced at Holyrood:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/welfare-system-legislation-introduced-at-holyrood-1-4481970
People in Hong Kong still need better social welfare protection:
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2099294/hong-kong-people-still-need-better-social-welfare-protection
Brexiters have voted for a poverty even worse than austerity:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jun/18/brexiters-vote-poverty-even-worse-than-austerity
Artificial Intelligence a “game changer” in the fight against hunger and poverty. Here’s why:
https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/tech/ai-game-changer-fight-against-hunger-poverty-here-s-why-ncna774696
Poverty really is the result of a state of mind – among rich people:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2017/06/20/poverty-really-is-the-result-of-a-state-of-mind-among-rich-people/