Top Stories
Globe Editorial: Fix Canada’s broken Employment Insurance system:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/editorials/fix-canadas-broken-employment-insurance-program/article25654947/
Star Editorial: Ontario must do more to collect unpaid wages:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2015/07/26/ontarios-labour-ministry-must-collect-unpaid-wages-editorial.html
Ontario’s community legal clinics given $3.9 million, some for giving more help to vulnerable workers:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/07/29/legal-clinics-get-boost-to-help-vulnerable-workers.html
- Legal Aid Ontario announcement: http://www.legalaid.on.ca/en/news/newsarchive/1507-29_clinic-funding-boost.asp
Ontario hit with hundreds of privacy breach complaints, some over SAMS and ODSP fax fiascos:
http://metronews.ca/news/canada/1436616/ontario-hit-with-hundreds-of-privacy-breach-complaints/
Tenant organizing in Parkdale pays off with compensation award, but superintendents still missed:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/07/27/tenants-work-together-receive-compensation-after-superintendents-removed.html
Put Food in the Budget tour hits Sault Ste. Marie exploring poverty in the North:
http://www.saultthisweek.com/2015/07/28/visionary-visits–city-advocating-social-justice
- And discovers the Kapuskasing Crown Attorney diverts court fines to the food bank instead:http://www.putfoodinthebudget.ca/dispatches2015/kapuskasing_court_fines_donated_to_food_bank.html
Campaign for National Drug Coverage aims to make pharmacare an issue in the federal election:
http://campaign4nationaldrugcoverage.ca/
- Wellesley Institute’s Jo Snyder says pharmacare makes everyone healthier:http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/health/pharmacare-decreasing-disparity-between-rich-and-poor/
Ontario
Ontario slams Ottawa for refusing to help with Ontario Retirement Pension Plan:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/07/30/charles-sousa-slams-ottawa-for-refusing-to-help-run-ontario-pension-plan.html
- Fraser Institute says Ontario’s RPP will “reduce choice and bring little benefit”:http://www.thesudburystar.com/2015/07/28/column-ontario-pension-plan-will-reduce-choice-and-bring-little-benefit
- CCPA-Ontario: Fraser Institute report misses the mark on retirement security:http://behindthenumbers.ca/2015/07/30/fraser-institute-report-misses-the-mark-on-retirement-security-2/
Ombudsman report highlights problems with Family Responsibility Office:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2135448/ontario-ombudsman-says-he-gets-too-many-complaints-about-family-responsibility-office/
Around the Province
Muskoka still having problems with SAMS social assistance computer system:
http://www.muskokaregion.com/news-story/5767799-provincial-reporting-system-is-still-a-cause-for-concern/
Sudbury hearing of the Changing Workplaces Review told workers need more protections:
http://www.thesudburystar.com/2015/07/24/workers-need-more-protection-sudbury-hearing
Sudbury researcher says National Household Survey stats for northern communities are unreliable:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/northern-ontario-stats-aren-t-reliable-enough-to-be-used-data-librarian-says-1.3169472
Ancaster’s food bank seeing dwindling supplies:
http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/5749817-ancaster-community-services-food-assistance-program-struggles-to-meet-rising-demand/
Affordable housing on Toronto’s waterfront: Laudable goal, questionable implementation:
http://brianeng.ca/2014/07/12/east-bayfront-affordable-housing-laudable-public-policy-goal-questionable-public-policy-implementation/
Rethinking housing for people who are homeless in Hamilton:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5753449-rethinking-housing-the-homeless/
Predatory payday lenders embarrass Hamilton and point to need for more income security:
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5764910–predatory-lenders-an-embarrassment-to-hamilton-councillor/
Tenants in Hamilton push back against gentrification:
http://www.900chml.com/2015/07/28/tenants-in-hamiltons-downtown-core-pushing-back-against-gentrification/
And hold a rally this week to protect low-income housing:
- Spec: http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5766988-tenants-say-low-income-housing-under-threat/
- Hamilton News: http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/5767754-hamilton-s-prosperity-displacing-tenants-in-downtown/
Ideas for solutions in Thunder Bay:
http://www.netnewsledger.com/2015/07/27/moving-to-solutions-on-social-issues-in-thunder-bay/
Poverty impacting Durham kids before the reach school:
http://www.durhamregion.com/news-story/5744337-poverty-leaves-durham-kids-lagging-before-they-even-start-school/
Community outreach helps ease isolation of migrant workers in Durham:
http://www.durhamregion.com/opinion-story/5765730-community-outreach-helps-ease-isolation-of-durham-region-s-seasonal-migrant-workers/
National
Ontario Regional Chief calls for a national energy policy to alleviate high energy costs in the North:
http://www.netnewsledger.com/2015/07/28/ontario-needs-a-national-energy-policy-with-first-nations-as-a-partner-ontario-regional-chief-isadore-day/
Federal Court rules federal government’s “safe countries” list for refugee claims is unconstitutional:
- CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservatives-refugee-system-overhaul-dealt-another-blow-by-federal-court-1.3165544
- Star: http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2015/07/23/court-strikes-down-ottawas-safe-country-list-for-refugees.html
Did Canada break its promise to people with disabilities?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/did-canada-break-a-promise-to-its-disabled-citizens/article25734170/
- Caledon Commentary: We are all disabled: http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/1075ENG.pdf
Jamaican farm workers succeed in getting Jamaican government to drop its “wage clawback” practice:
http://www.simcoereformer.ca/2015/07/28/jamaicans-workers-take-control-of-wages
International
“The last mile” in ending extreme poverty worldwide:
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/future-development/posts/2015/07/27-extreme-poverty-kharas
Welsh government urged to oppose UK welfare cuts:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/28/welsh-government-urged-take-lead-opposing-welfare-changes
France passing legislation to prohibit discrimination against people living in poverty:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/27/france-discrimination-poor-poverty-illegal?CMP=fb_cif
“Cashless” welfare cards, only useful for “necessities”, being trialed in three Australia towns ignore Aboriginal culture and technological problems:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-24/concerns-healthy-welfare-card-ignores-aboriginal-culture/6645922
Why disability and poverty still go hand in hand, 25 years after landmark US law:
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/07/23/424990474/why-disability-and-poverty-still-go-hand-in-hand-25-years-after-landmark-law
These San Francisco café owners are just fine with a $15 minimum wage:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/san-francisco-minimum-wage_55b62f53e4b0224d8832b207
Four out of five Americans will experience economic hardship before age 60:
http://national.deseretnews.com/article/5308/if-you-aren8217t-living-in-poverty-odds-are-you-will-before-your-60th-birthday.html
US census says one in five American children are living on food stamps – double that of 2007:
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/jan/28/one-in-five-us-children-food-stamps-census-bureau-report
Columnist: Does a higher minimum wage in Washington result in more welfare fraud?:
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/dayton/opinion/potts-does-minimum-wage-increase-cause-welfare-fraud/article_6e80cacf-6827-5d41-af52-267c9d8e81d7.html
US states rethinking restrictions on benefits for people with drug convictions:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/welfare-for-drug-felons_55ba38bfe4b0b8499b187591
Arizona’s drug testing finds only 1 of 87,000 welfare recipients positive:
http://www.mintpressnews.com/results-of-az-welfare-recipient-drug-testing-1-out-of-the-87000-tested-were-positive/208061/