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Income Security Advocacy Centre

Income Security Advocacy Centre

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Media & Policy News: 30 October 2015

October 30, 2015

Ed. note: Hope you enjoy this long update today – lots has happened in the last two weeks!

Top Stories

Sheila Block blog: What Ontario should expect from the new federal government:
http://behindthenumbers.ca/2015/10/20/quid-pro-quo-what-ontario-should-expect-from-the-new-federal-government/#.ViaY5qw5ayY.facebook

Caledon: Ottawa must get serious about poverty reduction:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/ottawa-must-get-serious-about-poverty-reduction/article27020577/

  • Canada Without Poverty: Why do we accept poverty in a nation as rich as Canada?: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/views-expressed/2015/10/chew-on-this-why-do-we-accept-poverty-nation-rich-canada
  • Poverty ruins health and costs billions: Health Providers Against Poverty, Nova Scotia: http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1317032-poverty-left-untreated-it-ruins-health-and-costs-billions
  • Canada needs a child poverty reduction strategy: http://www.therecord.com/opinion-story/5962622-canada-needs-to-adopt-a-child-poverty-reduction-strategy/ 

Roy Romanow Op-Ed: The time has come for universal pharmacare:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/10/29/the-time-has-come-for-universal-pharmacare.html

  • Wellesley: What’s next for prescription drug coverage?: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/wellesley-institute/prescription-drug-coverage_b_8401906.html 

Ontario sets 10-year deadline to end chronic homelessness:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/10/29/ontario-sets-10-year-deadline-to-end-homelessness.html

  • Response from Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO): http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/-2068642.htm
  • Government news release: https://news.ontario.ca/mah/en/2015/10/report-of-the-expert-advisory-panel-on-homelessness.html?_ga=1.213318612.1998352270.1408027848
  • Report of the Expert Panel: http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=11038 

CCPA study: There’s plenty of room to raise taxes on Canada’s wealthiest:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/plenty-of-room-to-raise-taxes-paid-by-canadas-wealthiest-study-says/article27023507/

  • Here’s the report: https://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/updates/how-much-income-tax-could-canadas-top-1-pay 

BC Supreme Court rules people who are homeless in Abbotsford, BC, have a right to public space:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/abbotsford-homeless-court-ruling-1.3281875

  • Comment from Pivot Legal Society, who represented the group: http://www.pivotlegal.org/bc_supreme_court_rules_homeless_have_right_to_public_space
  • Comment from the BC Civil Liberties Association: http://www.pivotlegal.org/bc_supreme_court_rules_homeless_have_right_to_public_space 

Wellesley Institute: The Trans-Pacific Partnership could jeopardize Canadians’ health:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/wellesley-institute/trans-pacific-partnership-health_b_8312976.html

Inflation cools to 1% – but food prices soar by 11%:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/inflation-cools-to-1-in-canada-even-as-food-prices-soar-1.3285348?cmp=rss

  • Stapleton Blog: Single people on Ontario Works are the new hunter gatherers: http://openpolicyontario.com/hunter-gatherers-in-toronto-what-a-long-strange-trip-its-been/
  • OW and ODSP shelter allowances should increase and reflect market rent rates in Ontario: http://www.lfpress.com/ur/story/1059554 

Being poor is too expensive:
http://lifehacker.com/being-poor-is-too-expensive-1736233505

Reports, Events, and Other Good Stuff

National Housing Day Assembly for the Right to Housing Nov 20 – full info and registration here:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/national-housing-day-in-toronto-the-peoples-assembly-for-the-right-to-housing-registration-19175873554

Report from Canadians for Public Justice: On the Margins: A Glimpse of Poverty in Canada:
http://www.cpj.ca/on-the-margins

New resource from CLEO: Getting Legal Help: A Directory of Legal Clinics in Ontario:
http://www.cleo.on.ca/en/publications/ontario

Ontario

Ontario releases Social Assistance Management System (SAMS) transition plan:
https://news.ontario.ca/mcss/en/2015/10/ontario-releases-social-assistance-management-system-transition-plan.html

  • Coverage: Cost of problem-plagued system soars to $294 million: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/cost-sams-welfare-payments-1.3283132
  • Star Editorial: Ontario government botches rollout of welfare technology:  http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/10/25/ontario-government-botches-rollout-of-welfare-technology.html 

Ontario opens Gathering Rooms at Queen’s Park for traditional Aboriginal ceremonies:
https://news.ontario.ca/maa/en/2015/10/ontarios-gathering-rooms-a-first-for-the-province.html

  • CBC coverage: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/ontario-retrofits-two-rooms-for-aboriginal-ceremonies-1.3286378 

Financial Accountability Officer says selling Hydro One will leave the province worse off:
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/10/29/hydro-one-sale-bad-idea-warns-ontarios-budget-watchdog.html

  • Leclair’s report: http://www.fao-on.org/web/default/files/publications/FAO%20Hydro%20One%20EN.pdf 

Local Poverty Reduction Fund announcements:

  • Reducing high-school dropout rates for at-risk youth in Belleville: https://news.ontario.ca/tbs/en/2015/10/ontario-partners-with-john-howard-society-of-belleville-on-community-based-poverty-solutions.html
  • Projects in North Bay for Aboriginal women and people receiving Ontario Works: https://news.ontario.ca/tbs/en/2015/10/ontario-invests-in-projects-to-help-north-bay-residents-affected-by-poverty-1.html
  • Evaluating the Circles program in Guelph: http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/5957386-province-to-provide-138-800-to-evaluate-guelph-poverty-reduction-program/;send=false 

 

Around the Province

New micro-loan program available for OW recipients in Sault Ste. Marie:
http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/details.asp?c=99369

Ottawa’s OC Transpo exploring low-income transit fares:
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/oc-transpo-to-explore-low-income-fares

Port Colborne to tackle poverty and health through a new committee:
http://www.wellandtribune.ca/2015/10/29/port-colborne-to-tackle-poverty-health-with-new-committee

Hennessy: In 25 years, could good policies make Hamilton inequality free?
http://www.thespec.com/opinion-story/5966140-hamilton-25-years-from-now-inequality-free-/

  • Gentrification in Hamilton is changing the inner city: http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6034508-affordable-housing-if-boom-means-bust/ 

Poverty in Toronto a big issue, despite what the election rhetoric said:
http://www.metronews.ca/views/toronto/torys-toronto-matt-elliott/2015/10/18/middle-class-gets-campaign-attention-as-poverty-looms.html

  • Toronto set to launch 20-year poverty reduction strategy: http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2015/10/20/toronto-set-to-launch-20-year-anti-poverty-plan.html
  • Op-Ed from Board of Trade CEO: Let’s build a city that’s prosperous for all:  http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/10/26/lets-build-a-city-thats-prosperous-for-all.html
  • Star Editorial: Both the province and the feds need to help fix Toronto Community Housing:  http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/10/18/province-and-feds-need-to-help-fix-community-housing-editorial.html
  • Rapping about Toronto’s poor job market: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/mohammad-ali-aumeer-raps-about-toronto-job-market-1.2980551
  • Toronto OW ID rules will mean low-income immigrants will be forced into homelessness: http://www.voiceonline.com/welfare-id-rules-will-create-homeless-immigrants-say-community-organizations-and-front-line-social-service-providers/
  • Plans for LGBTQ rec facility have anti-poverty activists worried about impact on Toronto’s Downtown East: https://nowtoronto.com/news/features/waving-a-rainbow-flag-over-poor-communities/
  • Demolition of Toronto’s Seaton House shelter spells jeopardy for people who are homeless: http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2015/10/18/infamous-toronto-shelter-slated-for-demolition.html 

Rally in Welland focuses attention on poverty and the need for affordable housing:
http://www.wellandtribune.ca/2015/10/17/rally-focuses-on-poverty

New downtown refuge for people who are homeless in Timmins:
http://www.timminspress.com/2015/10/16/new-downtown-refuge-for-timmins-homeless

Advocates in Sarnia ‘Stand Up Against Poverty’ and call for a national housing strategy:
http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/10/16/anti-poverty-advocates-call-for-national-housing-strategy

Across the Country

Homeless census in Moncton:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2295858/homeless-census-aims-to-give-better-understanding-of-homeless-people-in-moncton/

Iqaluit family of six lives in a downtown tent:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/iqaluit-family-living-in-tent-1.3291655

Winnipeg program that pays people who are homeless to clean the streets is full every day:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-program-that-pays-homeless-11-hr-to-clean-streets-full-every-day-1.3291441

Vancouver elementary school program brings parents together:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-elementary-school-program-parents-1.3291808

National

Swift action for refugees urged as deadline looms:
http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2015/10/22/swift-action-for-refugees-urged-as-trudeaus-promised-deadline-looms.html

New national coalition pressing for migrant workers’ rights:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/10/28/nannies-migrants-ask-trudeau-to-end-work-permit-limits.html

Experts excited at the prospect of the return of the long form census:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/10/23/return-of-the-long-form-census-excites-the-experts.html

Canadian Human Rights Commission: Repair the erosion of human rights in Canada:
http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=tp&crtr.page=1&nid=1018479&crtr.tp1D=1&_ga=1.8802229.1628755010.1445443251

Harm reduction back on the table:
http://www.metronews.ca/news/vancouver/2015/10/20/harm-reduction-back-on-table-with-trudeau-win.html

Voter turnout was highest in two decades:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/10/20/canada-voter-turnout_n_8335662.html

Manitoba chief says Stephen Harper “awoke a sleeping giant” in First Nations people:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/election-restores-sense-of-power-in-first-nations-manitoba-chief-says-1.3280118?cmp=abfb

What a Liberal majority means to First Nations:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/what-a-liberal-majority-means-to-first-nations-1.3281061?cmp=rss

Trudeau has huge democratic reform at all levels on his to-do list:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/trudeaus-to-do-list-huge-democratic-reform-at-all-levels/article26883437/?click=sf_globefb

And lots of changes to justice / law-and-order items:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/after-a-decade-long-conservative-reign-whats-on-trudeaus-justice-agenda/article26885833/

International

If the UN, World Bank, and IMF focused on eliminating “Extreme Wealth”:
http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/swedish-band-the-knife-nail-central-flaw-of-the-uns-sustainable-development-goals/

UN arrives in Scotland to probe “grave violations” of disabled people’s human rights by Tory cuts:
http://m.heraldscotland.com/news/13876881.UN_arrives_in_Scotland_to_probe__grave__violations_of_disabled_people_s_human_rights_by_Tory_welfare_cuts/?ref=fbshr

The next financial crash is coming – and we haven’t even cleaned up from the last one:
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/07/next-financial-crash-is-coming-imf-global-stability-report?CMP=share_btn_link

Education doesn’t cure poverty – it cures ignorance:
https://gadflyonthewallblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/18/education-does-not-cure-poverty-it-cures-ignorance/

Who are the 1%? It might surprise you:
https://agenda.weforum.org/2015/10/who-are-the-1-the-answer-might-surprise-you/

Starbucks and Fiat Chrysler will pay tens of millions as tax avoidance deals ruled illegal: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/20/starbucks-fiat-chrysler-tax-bill-ec-rule-deal-illegal

The numbers of poor in London, UK, surges 70% in 10 years:
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/21/number-of-londons-working-poor-surges-70-in-10-years?CMP=fb_gu

Inside the secretive world of tax-avoidance experts:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/10/elite-wealth-management/410842/

The myth of welfare’s corrupting influence on the poor:
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/10/21/business/the-myth-of-welfares-corrupting-influence-on-the-poor.html

How a Mississippi town resurrected the debtor’s prison:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/21/mississippi-debtors-prison-poverty-lawsuit

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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.