By Mariel Angus | Friday, February 27th, 2009 - 12:44PM
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This past Wednesday, February 25, the government of Ontario introduced new anti-poverty legislation that aims to commit future governments to reducing poverty in the province. If it passes, the bill will be the first legislative component of the government’s poverty reduction strategy that it unveiled last December. Read more »
By Mariel Angus | Thursday, February 26th, 2009 - 2:12PM
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A few weeks ago, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC) released a study that compared food prices by region across the country.The results were troubling. Prices for basic staples were found to vary dramatically across the country, and the high cost of food in many regions is having a disturbing impact on the nutritional intake of many people. This is especially true for those living in poverty. Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Wednesday, February 25th, 2009 - 1:51PM
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One of the things we had on my trip last week was great coverage in the local media. In particular, Carol Martin of the online news site SooToday.com wrote a wonderful article summarizing my presentation on faith and poverty. There's also a photo gallery accompanying the article, offering some highlights from the evening. Read more »
People often fear the work disincentive of guaranteed livable income because they believe that people will choose not to work if they have income security. This belief assumes that there are enough jobs for everyone, and that GLI or generous social benefits encourages some people not to engage in paid employment. The reality is, however, that there are not enough paid jobs for every Canadian, nor enough good jobs to meet every Canadian's needs. Income security for Canadians should therefore not be determined solely by participation in the paid labour force. Read more »
Feb. 20 was the World Day of Social Justice – around the globe, people gathered to raise awareness about persistent injustices. Speaking out together, they advocated for real and substantial change.
Welcome to Ola!, the e-newsletter of Citizens for Public Justice. Let us continue to use our voices and actively work for justice in our communities and our country. Below, in addition to our regular news, you’ll find a responsive Psalm used worldwide as part of the Feb. 20 gatherings. Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 - 9:25AM
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Last week, Rob Rainer from Canada Without Poverty and I traveled to Sault Ste. Marie. We were there at the invitation of St. Andrews United Church, to speak at a two-evening forum on poverty organized by the Rev. Phil Miller. Local Member of Parliament, Tony Martin, organized events during the day, including a visit to the Soo's food banks, soup kitchens and shelters. It was a powerful learning experience for Rob and me, and an excellent opportunity to share inspiration with others in the fight against poverty and to build excitement for our forthcoming Dignity for All campaign. Read more »
On February 3, the National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO) launched their new public name – Canada Without Poverty (CWP) – and their newly revised logo, an image of a sun rising above darkness. Read more »
On February 19, Barack Obama flew into Ottawa for his first presidential trip outside the United States. His host, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, is yearning for some of his visitor’s high approval ratings to rub off here at home.
Although such visits are highly controlled and orchestrated affairs, comparisons of the two leaders’ characters, styles and (hopefully) policies will be unavoidable. Most notably, while both leaders have advocated massive spending packages to get their economies growing again, the differences between the ways they stimulate are starkly evident. Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Wednesday, February 11th, 2009 - 4:40PM
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I’m a few weeks late for Martin Luther King day in the US now, but this mention still seems timely. Towards the end of his life when his attention turned towards poverty, Martin Luther King Jr. supported a guaranteed income as a solution to poverty.
While women in Canada enjoy relative equality in comparison to many other countries around the world, gender inequalities still exist. Government policies can help strengthen the status of women by offering opportunities for women to participate more fully in society. One such policy is childcare. Accessible, affordable, quality childcare can help promote women’s equality by assisting them with their domestic caring responsibilities and enabling them to engage in the paid workforce if they choose. Read more »
By Mariel Angus | Friday, February 6th, 2009 - 5:13PM
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A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about the proposed changes to federal pay equity legislation in the federal budget. These changes have now been introduced to Parliament in the proposed Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act. If approved, the Act will narrow the legal options for women seeking recourse for pay equity violations. Read more »
Mira Sucharov (a former professor of mine from Carleton University) had an article in the Ottawa Citizen challenging Canadians to start talking politics. “With Canadian voter turnout in the 2008 elections being the lowest on record at 59 per cent, I can't help but wonder if Canadian political culture might not benefit from a dose of frank political conversation among regular citizens -- daily and often.” Read more »
By Karri Munn-Venn | Thursday, February 5th, 2009 - 1:42PM
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Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services,Deb Matthews, was in Ottawa this week for a community conversation on the Ontario Poverty Reduction Strategy. Set against the failure of the federal government to address the needs of the poor, this strategy is an exciting initiative. The challenging reality of people's lives, however, demonstrate that we still have a long, long way to go. Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 - 1:28PM
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The UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review of Canada took place yesterday, with the review focusing on Canada’s record on Aboriginal rights, domestic poverty, and racial discrimination, among other issues. The UPR Working Group will adopt the report on Canada on Thursday. Read more »
By Chandra Pasma | Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 - 4:51PM
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I received an excellent suggestion from a CPJ supporter about the federal government's tax credit for home renovations. JD from Victoria writes: Read more »
By Mariel Angus | Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009 - 4:34PM
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While the global economic crisis continues to threaten the jobs and savings of millions of Canadians, it has also been casting a shadow across much of the developing world. Read more »
By Karri Munn-Venn | Monday, February 2nd, 2009 - 5:03PM
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You’ve heard us say it before, and I’ll say it again: there are over 3.4 million Canadians living in poverty – this according to the Statistics Canada after-tax Low Income Cut-Off (LICO).
Sadly, the Conservative government failed to deliver for Canada’s poor.
The budget contained no poverty reduction strategy. In fact, it contained no mention of poverty, let alone a commitment to ensure that it is addressed. And, the measures aimed at “low-income” Canadians provide far too little for those that need it most. Read more »
Philipps notes that those earning less than $35,000 - more than 60% of tax filers and mostly women - will gain no benefit but the additional $33 a year due to the increased personal amount. Read more »
Feb. 20 was the World Day of Social Justice – around the globe, people gathered to raise awareness about persistent injustices. Speaking out together, they advocated for real and substantial change.
