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Media & Policy News: 23 June 2017

June 23, 2017

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/

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1500 – 55 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5J 2H7
Tel: (416) 597-5820 • Toll Free: 1-866-245-4072 • Fax: (416) 597-5821

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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.