Income Security Advocacy Centre

ISAC works to address issues of income security and poverty in Ontario

Media & Policy News: 29 April 2016

Top Stories

Report: Widespread workplace abuse persists for restaurant workers of Chinese descent:
http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2016/04/25/widespread-workplace-abuse-persists-for-chinese-restaurant-workers.html

Ontario workers killed and injured on the job commemorated on National Day of Mourning:
http://www.inews880.com/syn/104/88662/ontario-workers-day-of-mourning

Ontario’s basic income program poses threat to existing social programs:
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/blogs/insight/ontarios-basic-income-plan-poses-a-threat-to-144120414.html

Letter to the Editor: Provinces must not claw back the Canada Child Benefit from social assistance:
http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Opinion/Letter-to-editor/2016-04-16/article-4499241/Provinces-must-not-claw-back-Child-Benefit/1

Editorial: Paul Miller’s private member’s bill on a Social Assistance Research Commission would do a lot of public good:
http://www.hamiltonnews.com/opinion-story/6506774-paul-miller-s-private-member-s-bill-would-do-a-lot-of-public-good/

Canadian Human Rights Tribunal orders federal government to ensure services for Aboriginal kids:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/tribunal-orders-federal-government-ensure-services-1.3554279

Man walking 1100km across Ontario on poverty and mental health awareness journey:
http://eriemedia.ca/making-extreme-journey-poverty-mental-health/

Saint John, NB wants to be a national demonstration site for a national Poverty Reduction Strategy:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2658489/saint-john-wants-to-be-national-site-for-poverty-reduction/

More on Ottawa’s preparations for the month that new Syrian refugees lose federal funding:
http://www.ottawacommunitynews.com/news-story/6509801-councillors-want-staff-to-keep-an-eye-on-refugee-settlement-costs/

The Long Form Census returns May 10!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/long-form-census-back-1.3542479

Progressive taxation: The original crowdfunding:
http://behindthenumbers.ca/2016/04/27/progressive-taxation-the-original-crowdfunding/

 

Ontario

Minister knew of “significant” problems with social assistance computer system before launch:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/04/27/minister-knew-of-significant-challenges-of-disability-and-welfare-payment-system-before-launch.html

Moody’s upgrades Ontario’s credit rating outlook to “stable”:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/moodys-ontario-credit-rating-stable-1.3554371

Ontario Retirement Pension Plan should compete with private sector, says advocates:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/orpp-should-compete-with-private-sector-advocates-say/article29777110/

Ontario streamlines free dental care for low-income kids:
http://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2016/04/26/ontario-streamlines-free-dental-care-for-low-income-kids.html

ACORN: Does $500,000 in donations to Ontario political parties buy pro-landlord legislation?
https://www.acorncanada.org/does-500000-donations-ontario-political-parties-buy-pro-landlord-legislation

 

Events, Campaigns, Reports and Other Good Things

June 1: Injured Workers’ Day Rally and March – Stop the cuts to Workers Compensation:
http://iavgo.org/437/

The End of Poverty: A survivor’s journal – by Mike Creek:
http://thephilanthropist.ca/2016/04/the-end-of-poverty-a-survivors-journal/

 

Around the Province

Kingston Coalition Against Poverty rallies to support higher social assistance rates:
http://www.kingstonregion.com/news-story/6512376-kcap-holds-rally-to-raise-awareness-about-social-assistance-rates-in-ontario/

Peterborough councillor says eliminating poverty is possible:
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2016/04/14/eliminating-poverty-is-possible-therrien

Spectator Editorial: Hamilton’s Mayor stands up to poverty:
http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/6510549-the-spectator-s-view-hamilton-s-mayor-stands-up-to-poverty/

Premier Wynne talks affordable housing in Hamilton:
http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/6514820-ontario-premier-kathleen-wynne-talks-affordable-housing-lrt-in-hamilton/

Toronto program that helps intellectually disabled adults live in dependently gets funding:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/program-that-helps-intellectually-disabled-adults-live-independently-gets-provincial-funding-1.3549983

Toronto’s growing food insecurity crisis – with child poverty map:
https://nowtoronto.com/news/city-hall/toronto’s-growing-food-insecurity-crisis/

The Urban Worker Project gives “a floor” to GTA’s freelance and contract workers:
http://www.yongestreetmedia.ca/civicimpact/urbanworker042716.aspx

Student Poverty Challenge in Belleville breaks down stereotypes:
http://www.insidebelleville.com/news-story/6519527-student-poverty-challenge-breaks-down-stereotypes/

Sudbury health unit supporting the concept of a guaranteed minimum income:
https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/health-unit-lift-more-people-out-of-poverty-with-a-basic-income-guarantee-285837

“Moving Forward on Poverty” event in Cobourg highlights “social enterprise”:
http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/2016/04/25/thomas-speaks-at-moving-forward-on-poverty-event

 

Across the Country

Report: Two-thirds of First Nations children in Saskatchewan live in poverty:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/04/27/two-thirds-of-saskatchewans-first-nations-children-live-in-poverty-advocate-says.html

Quebec pledges $45 million for youth unemployment; critics call it workfare:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2661740/quebec-government-pledges-45m-for-youth-unemployment-critics-call-it-workfare/

Two meals a day: People with disabilities live on less as prices in Vancouver rise:
http://thethunderbird.ca/2016/04/20/two-meals-a-day-disabled-live-on-less-as-prices-rise-in-vancouver/

Massive Employment Insurance claims jumps in oil-dependent provinces:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/04/22/canada-ei-claims_n_9753568.html

Chamber of Commerce says tent city is bad for Victoria businesses:
http://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/chamber-of-commerce-says-tent-city-is-bad-for-victoria-businesses-1.2869304

Councillor in Kamloops, BC, wants Council to offer free bus passes to new refugees:
http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/cavers-wants-council-to-give-nod-to-free-bus-passes-to-refugees/

Report: BC’s minimum wage is far too low; workers in Kamloops need a living wage:
http://www.castanet.net/news/Kamloops/164169/Wage-is-too-low-to-live

New Canada Child Benefit lowers living wage throughout BC:
http://blogs.theprovince.com/2016/04/27/guest-column-feds-new-child-benefit-helps-lower-living-wage/

Saint John mayoralty candidates debate city’s poverty situation:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-poverty-debate-mayor-election-1.3554456

 

National

CPI rose 1.3% in March; food prices rose 3.6%, led by vegetables and fresh fruit:
http://sonoranweeklyreview.com/canadas-consumer-prices-rise-1-3-in-march-as-food-shelter-indexes-increase-indexdjx-dji/

Wall Street Journal chief economics commentator says Canada can safely take on more debt:
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2016/04/22/yes-canada-can-safely-take-on-more-debt-heres-why/

Canadian corporate investment in tax havens is at an all-time high:
http://www.taxfairness.ca/en/news/canadian-tax-havens-all-time-high

Finance Minister Morneau on future tax changes and CPP reform:
http://www.advisor.ca/news/industry-news/bill-morneau-on-future-tax-changes-and-cpp-reform-204679

Federal study shows RESP benefit mostly accrues to higher income Canadians:
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/politics/resp-education-grants-higher-income-families-1.3555615

Federal government considers “asset recycling” like leasing public infrastructure, and using public pension funds to bankroll mounting infrastructure costs:
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/feds-to-consider-public-pension-funds-to-help-bankroll-big-infrastructure

Bank of Canada governor says low interest rates may be new normal:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/poloz-trade-economy-1.3553264

Long-term fix needed for Canada’s temporary foreign workers’ woes:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/138868/long-term-fix-needed-for-canadas-temp-foreign-worker-woes

Trades groups endorse maternal leave proposal:
http://www.thewhig.com/2016/04/27/trade-groups-endorse-maternal-leave-proposal

Fraser Institute report says 9/10 Canadians move out of the lowest income bracket within 10 years:
http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/nine-every-10-canadians-lowest-income-group-move-up-income-ladder-within-10-years-2117061.htm

 

International

The “sharing economy” doesn’t share the wealth:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-06/the-sharing-economy-doesn-t-share-the-wealth

Documentary: Panama Papers: The shady world of offshore companies:
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/panama-papers-shady-world-offshore-companies/

 

Report to France’s Prime Minister on welfare review “paves the way” for basic income:
http://www.basicincome.org/news/2016/04/france-welfare-review-paves-the-way-for-basic-income/

After one year, Seattle’s minimum wage hike hasn’t raised retail prices:
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3059118/after-a-year-seattles-new-minimum-wage-hasnt-raised-retail-prices

Lack of access to abortion leaves women in poverty:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/27/contraception-abortion-access-women-poverty

The welfare stigma that’s leaving the poorest in the UK homeless:
http://www.politics.co.uk/blogs/2016/04/22/the-welfare-stigma-which-is-leaving-the-poor-homeless

New definitions of poverty are redefining financial hardship:
http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spend-save/food-poverty-fuel-poverty-funeral-poverty-are-re-defining-financial-hardship-a6982431.html

FIFA sets up worker welfare body in advance of Qatar World Cup:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-fifa-qatar-idUSKCN0XJ17H

Poll shows Australians want government to spend on welfare, not cut taxes:
https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/31436175/aussies-want-welfare-spend-over-tax-cuts/