Media & Policy News: 8 July 2016

Top Stories

What will and won’t be delivered, including benefit cheques and other payments, if Canada Post locks out CUPW workers:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/what-will-and-wont-be-delivered-if-theres-a-labour-disruption-at-canada-post/article30789967/

• MCSS says contingency plans have been drawn up for social assistance cheques and to contact local offices for information: http://mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/social/index.aspx

Fewer workers getting help from the WSIB for serious injuries:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/07/03/fewer-workers-getting-help-for-serious-injuries-statistics-show.html

• Doctor hired by WSIB involved in US battle over US insurance company cut to medical benefits: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/13/doctor-hired-by-wsib-in-us-legal-battle-over-slashed-medical-benefits.html

• WSIB denies funding slashed for injured workers: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/07/05/wsib-denies-funding-slashed-for-injured-workers.html

Debilitating illness leaves Toronto man struggling to get by on ODSP:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/27/debilitating-illness-leaves-toronto-man-struggling-to-get-by.html

Saskatchewan and federal government announce $74.1 million affordable housing strategy:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2810852/saskatchewan-and-federal-government-announce-74-1-million-affordable-housing-strategy/

Federal government consultation on a National Housing Strategy – deadline Oct 21, 2016:
https://www.letstalkhousing.ca/

• Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness: “Have your say”: http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3ab6441cec1986db191b15a35&id=26ee22bca1

• Right to Housing Coalition website: https://righttohousing.wordpress.com/ (check back for substantive proposals coming soon)

• Meanwhile, “Canada’s ‘hands off’ housing policy is right move in free market economy”: http://business.financialpost.com/midas-letter/canadas-hands-off-housing-policy-is-right-move-in-free-market-economy

• Housing advocates ask Ottawa to rethink how country counts and tracks homeless: http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2016/06/22/housing-advocates-to-ask-ottawa-to-rethink-how-country-counts-tracks-homeless.html

• Working group launched to study housing market: https://www.reminetwork.com/articles/working-group-launched-to-study-housing-market/

Payday loan borrowers in line for share of $10 million class action:
https://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_saving/2016/07/05/payday-loan-borrowers-in-line-for-share-of-10m-class-action.html

• Here’s a notice of information for people affected who may want to make a claim: http://www.consumerscouncil.com/site/consumers_council_of_canada/assets/pdf/cash-store-instaloans-notice-english.pdf

• Here’s the class action website: https://www.takebackyourcash.com/

Nunavut proposes big changes to social assistance:
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_government_pitches_many_changes_to_welfare_policy/

• The report: https://www.scribd.com/doc/316935639/Reducing-dependence-Supporting-communities

Six in 10 adults with disabilities can’t benefit from the federal Disability Tax Credit:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/six-in-10-adults-with-disabilities-can-t-benefit-from-disability-tax-credit-study-1.2970258

• Simpson / Stevens report: The Disability Tax Credit: Why it fails and how to fix it: http://www.policyschool.ucalgary.ca/sites/default/files/research/disability-tax-credits-simpson-stevens.pdf

PBO says provinces and cities are racking up debt at an unsustainable rate:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pbo-debt-provinces-cities-subnational-1.3656027

Op-Ed: Many communities are still waiting for results of Trudeau’s “sunny ways”:
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/06/29/many-communities-are-still-waiting-for-results-of-sunny-ways.html

Just one-quarter of Canadians say NAFTA has been good for the country:
http://angusreid.org/three-amigos-summit-nafta/

No new jobs in June; more people give up looking for work:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/jobs-june-employment-1.3670110

Revenue Canada forbids Unitarians from working for social justice:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-revenue-agency-political-audit-unitarians-justice-liberals-1.3658743

Zon blog: Less red tape for business, why not people?:
http://maytree.com/policy-and-insights/opinion/less-red-tape-for-business-why-not-people.html

Affordable child care can help curb food insecurity:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/ontario-association-of-food-banks/affordable-child-care_b_10804744.html

 

Worth Repeating: News from the last 3 weeks

Ontario allowing single parents on social assistance to keep 100% of child support, and making pursuit of child support voluntary:
https://news.ontario.ca/mcss/en/2016/06/ontario-ensuring-that-vulnerable-families-keep-child-support-payments.html

And, Ontario will not claw back the Canada Child Benefit from social assistance:
https://news.ontario.ca/mcss/en/2016/06/ontario-ensuring-vulnerable-families-keep-full-canada-child-benefit.html

• Feds say Canada Child Benefit will slash child poverty by 40%:
  https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/15/child-benefit-to-pull-record-number-of-kids-out-of-poverty-minister-says.html

• Child care and housing are key priorities for federal Minister Duclos: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/06/15/child-care-housing-key-priorities-for-families-minister.html

• Yukon also announces no CCB clawback from social assistance benefits: http://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/child-benefit-won-t-mean-a-clawback-ytg-says

• Northwest Territories announces no CCB clawback – and no clawback of child support, and an increase to the NWT Child Benefit: http://www.gov.nt.ca/newsroom/news/alfred-moses-changes-income-assistance-program

• Campaign 2000 welcomes Canada Child Benefit: http://campaign2000.ca/campaign-2000-welcomes-new-canada-child-benefit/

• YWCA Canada says CCB is a game-changer for women and children: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/ywca-toronto/canada-child-benefit_b_10758290.html

Ontario sets up Income Security Working Group to advise on “social assistance reform, income security, and supports for housing, health and employment” based on “fairness, adequacy and simplicity”:
https://news.ontario.ca/mcss/en/2016/06/ontario-establishing-income-security-reform-working-group.html

• Provincial panel to draft welfare reform roadmap: https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/06/29/provincial-panel-to-draft-welfare-reform-roadmap.html

• Working group members – including ISAC’s Mary Marrone: https://news.ontario.ca/mcss/en/2016/06/membership-of-ontarios-income-security-reform-working-group.html

• Minister Jaczek vows to ensure all low-income Ontarians benefit from reforms: https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/06/27/province-aims-to-boost-support-for-low-income-residents.html

Ontario appoints Hugh Segal to provide advice on design and implementation of a Basic Income Pilot:
https://news.ontario.ca/mcss/en/2016/06/ontario-moving-forward-with-basic-income-pilot.html

• Champion of basic income to design Ontario’s pilot project: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/06/24/hugh-segal-basic-income-ontario_n_10658764.html

• Millennials could be big beneficiaries of basic income: http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2016/07/04/millennials-big-basic-income-winners-says-expert-.html

CMHC rental subsidies to be renewed for two years, securing thousands of low-income residents:
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/housing-co-ops-to-sleep-easy-after-rental-subsidies-extended-for-low-income-members-582567451.html

• CMHC announcement: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/corp/nero/nere/2016/2016-06-11-0930.cfm

Feds and provinces reach agreement to expand CPP:
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/federal-government-provinces-agree-to-new-deal-on-cpp-reform

• Premier says CPP deal means no need for an Ontario pension plan:
  https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/06/21/wynne-says-cpp-deal-means-no-need-for-ontario-pension-plan.html

• Statement from Ontario’s Minister and Associate Minister of Finance: https://news.ontario.ca/mof/en/2016/06/ministers-joint-statement-cpp-enhancement.html

• Agreement reached to expand CPP: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/finance-ministers-reach-deal-to-expand-canada-pension-plan/article30532203/

• What does CPP expansion mean for Canadians?: http://legalblogs.findlaw.ca/legal-business/what-does-cpp-expansion-mean-for-canadians-840/

• 3 in 4 of Canadians say yes to CPP expansion: http://angusreid.org/cpp-expansion/

• Struggling seniors, withering workplace pensions: Why Canadians support plans to expand CPP: http://angusreid.org/canada-pension-plan-reform/

• Block blog: CPP expansion is a major advance for Canadians: http://behindthenumbers.ca/2016/06/21/cpp-expansion-a-major-advance-for-canadians/

• Four out of 10 Canadians say they’re not saving enough for retirement: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/four-out-of-10-canadians-say-they-re-not-saving-enough-for-retirement-1.2976442

• CPP revamp popular across the country: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/07/07/small-business-group-wants-changes-to-cpp-to-be-delayed.html

• Canadian Federation of Independent Business wants agreement on CPP changes delayed: http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/business-group-wants-agreement-on-cpp-changes-delayed-1.2975250

• Manitoba signs on to CPP reforms after all: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/cpp-manitoba-agreement-1.3669412

Regg Cohn: Politicians dare not forget the humanity in social policy:
https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2016/06/30/politicians-dare-not-forget-the-humanity-in-policy-cohn.html

 

Ontario

Ontario rent increase guideline set at 1.5% for 2017; review of guideline approach coming:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/ontario-rent-guideline-2017-1.3640458

CELA blog: What the Ontario Climate Change Action Plan means for low income Ontarians:
http://www.cela.ca/blog/2016-06-11/ontario-climate-change-action-plan?platform=hootsuite

• Cap-and-trade keeps poor Ontarians trapped in energy poverty: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/megan-hooft/energy-poverty-ontario_b_10447512.html

• LIEN Blog: $900 million from cap-and-trade program to help with energy retrofits and efficiency: http://www.lowincomeenergy.ca/news-events/2016/06/$900-million-from-cap-and-trade-to-help-social-housing-with-energy-retrofits/

Aboriginal and black kids more likely to be taken into Ontario’s child protection system than white kids:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/23/cas-study-reveals-stark-racial-disparities-for-blacks-aboriginals.html

Legal Aid Ontario developing strategy for racialized communities:
http://www.legalaid.on.ca/en/news/newsarchive/2016-06-13_racialized-communities-strategy.asp

 

Reports, Events, Campaigns, and Other Good Things

CCPA-Ontario summer 2016 OnPolicy magazine – mapping working poverty in nine Ontario cities:
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/onpolicy-ontarios-working-poor

ARCH Disability Law: Class action claims period has started for people with disabilities who lived at certain Ontario institutions:
http://archdisabilitylaw.ca/node/1131

Free legal resources in First Nation languages now available from Law Society of Upper Canada:
http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/free-legal-resources-in-first-nation-languages-now-available-from-law-society-583283451.html

Stats Can: Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/160705/dq160705b-eng.htm

CMHA Ontario: Think Outside the Box: Mental health accessibility project:
http://thinkoutsidethebox.cmha.ca/

Updated resource from CLEO: “Appealing a decision about social assistance:”
http://www.cleo.on.ca/en/publications/apir

New Tamarack website:
http://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/

 

Around the Province

Hamilton’s social assistance caseloads still not down to pre-recession levels:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/ontario-works-recession-1.3667742

Niagara Region facing cuts to social assistance discretionary benefits:
http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/6742754-social-assistance-supports-face-funding-crunch/

Waterloo Region backs off on proposal to cut social assistance discretionary benefits:
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6723168-region-kicks-in-extra-funding-for-social-assistance-benefits/

United Way report maps poverty in Windsor and Essex County:
http://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/united-way-report-maps-area-poverty-shows-need-for-investment

Northern union leaders gather to appeal to Ontario government on working conditions and labour laws:
http://www.nugget.ca/2016/06/26/northern-union-leaders-gather-to-appeal-to-ontario-government

London report shows food insecurity isn’t just about income:
http://www.lfpress.com/2016/07/01/pearson-food-insecurity-not-just-about-low-income

Kingston’s Kozy Inn residents evicted after LTB rules similar motel resident is a tenant:
http://www.thewhig.com/2016/06/10/kozy-inn-lodgers-given-eviction-notice

Haliburton, Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit supports basic income guarantee:
http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/2016/06/26/health-unit-supports-guaranteed-income

Grand River Transit to raise fares; 25 cent increase a burden for those with low incomes:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/grand-river-transit-raises-bus-fares-on-july-1st-1.3659906

550 Toronto families to get rent subsidy while they wait for affordable housing:
https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/07/07/rent-relief-coming-for-550-toronto-families-waiting-for-affordable-housing.html

Why Toronto needs a low-income Metropass program:
http://torontoist.com/2016/07/why-toronto-needs-a-low-income-metropass-program/

Most Toronto millennials are living at home because they can’t afford to leave:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/most-millennials-living-at-home-simply-cant-afford-to-leave/article30746657/

Northumberland Community Legal Centre establishes Social Justice Award to celebrate 25 years:
http://www.northumberlandtoday.com/2016/06/16/social-justice-award-established

Oakville agencies talk about food security:
http://www.insidehalton.com/community-story/6747869-oakville-food-and-social-service-agencies-talk-food-security/

 

Across the Country

Alberta minimum wage to be highest in Canada as of October 1:
http://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/alberta-minimum-wage-set-to-be-highest-of-any-province-as-of-oct-1

Calgary City committee endorses sliding-scale monthly low-income transit pass; $5.15 lowest rate:
http://calgaryherald.com/news/traffic/city-committee-endorses-5-15-monthly-transit-pass-for-calgarys-poorest

Poverty in BC a serious detriment to public health:
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/trevor-hancock-poverty-serious-detriment-to-public-health-1.2294629

Working poverty on the rise in most Metro Vancouver municipalities:
http://nupge.ca/content/13031/working-poverty-rise-most-metro-vancouver-municipalities

Syrian refugees relying on food banks in Nanaimo, BC:
http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/news/384713621.html

Nunavut government proposes changes to social assistance:
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674nunavut_government_pitches_many_changes_to_welfare_policy/

Prince George, BC, to call on that province to institute a poverty reduction strategy:
http://www.myprincegeorgenow.com/31980/poverty-pot-non-profits-focus-prince-george-ubcm-resolutions/

New Brunswick HST to go up 2%; poverty advocate worries about impact on those with low-incomes:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-hst-increase-1.3659386

Saint John Social Enterprise Hub to contribute to reducing poverty:
http://globalnews.ca/news/2805433/saint-john-community-hub-aims-to-reduce-poverty-through-creativity-entrepreneurship/

 

National

42% of Canadian jobs at high risk of being affected by automation, says new study:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/automation-job-brookfield-1.3636253

Canada’s migrant agricultural workers deserve full and equal rights: Here’s why:
http://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/shared-values/canadas-migrant-agricultural-workers-deserve-full-and-equal-rights-heres-why?platform=hootsuite

Federal analysis shows imposing road tolls could hit low-income commuters hard:
http://www.brantnews.com/news-story/6755612-tolls-hit-low-income-commuters-hard-memo/

Court chides KPMG, Canada Revenue Agency for delay in Isle of Man tax dodge case:
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/business/kpmg-cra-delays-court-1.3635155

• Retiring CRA boss leaves KPMG tax-dodge scandal for successor to deal with: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cra-boss-treusch-retires-1.3638695

• Billions in lost revenue as agreements meant to crack down on tax evasion have opened up corporate loopholes: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/06/17/offshore-tax-avoidance-fixing-it-made-it-worse.html

• CRA has double standard for tax cheats: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/06/25/cra-has-double-standard-for-tax-cheats.html

Data gaps leave public servants scrambling to catch up:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/22/public-servants-scramble-to-fill-data-deficit-on-liberals-priorities.html

Justice minister makes large number of judicial appointments:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/justice-minister-makes-large-number-of-judicial-appointments-1.2950788

 

International

New round of austerity begins in Greece; wages and pensions slashed:
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2016/07/02/greeks-see-wages-and-pensions-slashed-as-new-round-of-austerity-begins/

Norway’s Oilfund includes tax ethics in investment decisions:
http://www.taxjustice.net/2016/06/14/norways-oil-fund-minor-victory-tax-ethics/

Study shows millionaires actually don’t move based on how high their taxes are:
http://www.pressprogress.ca/show_this_to_anyone_who_claims_taxing_millionaires_will_cause_them_to_move_somewhere_else

750,000 Irish living below the poverty line:
http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/245596419/new-social-justice-ireland-study-reveals-750000-living-below-poverty-line

Irish minimum wage increase will not tackle poverty:
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/minimum-wage-increase-will-not-tackle-poverty-esri-1.2684613

IMF cuts growth predictions for Eurozone over post-Brexit confusion:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jul/08/imf-cuts-growth-predictions-for-eurozone-over-post-brexit-confusion

Replacing welfare benefits with guaranteed income coming soon to a Dutch city near you:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/replacing-welfare-benefits-with-guaranteed-income/article/2003035

Money for nothing: Why a universal basic income is a step too far:
http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/social-mobility-memos/posts/2016/06/15-universal-basic-income-is-step-too-far-sawhill

Food drive in Tokyo highlights poverty problem in Japan:
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003033406

Millions of Latin Americans could fall back into poverty due to recession in the region:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/millions-latin-americans-could-fall-back-poverty-un-210154720.html