Social Policy in Ontario

Blacks ‘grossly overrepresented,’ more likely to be hurt or killed by Toronto police, racial profiling report finds

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While Black people made up 8.8 per cent of the population in 2016, from 2013 to 2017 they comprised: 25.4 per cent of SIU investigations; 28.8 per cent of police use of force cases; 36 per cent of police shootings; 61.5 per cent of police use of force cases that resulted in civilian death; 70 per cent of police shootings that resulted in civilian death… “The interim report findings goes some way toward explaining why trust between the TPS and Black communities remains fractured…

Ontario government loosens child-care rules, raising safety concerns

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The government is easing daycare age ratios for the province’s youngest children — loosening restrictions that were introduced five years ago after a number of baby deaths… Under the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, the province plans to allow a home child-care operator to supervise three children under age 2 — up from the current two. It also will allow two providers to look after six infants or toddlers at a time, up from the current maximum of four, with the rules applying to both licensed and unlicensed caregivers.

Auditor General’s claims about OSAP inaccurate and irresponsible

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Contrary to the Auditor General’s flawed claims, there is ample evidence to suggest that, in the long term, increasing the amount and availability of non-repayable grants are the best means to remove the financial barriers faced by students wishing to pursue a postsecondary education… Since the program is income tested, it should be inferred that the 25 per cent increase in uptake is, in fact, from families who would otherwise be incurring high levels of debt.

Ontario government cancels plans for province’s first official Francophone university

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The Ontario government has cancelled plans to open the province’s first Francophone university despite having promised to do so during the election campaign and shortly after taking office… Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, said in a statement that the government is committed to supporting existing French-language postsecondary programs, but could not proceed with the proposal because of spending constraints.

Tories’ Bill 66 would undermine clean-water protections that followed Walkerton tragedy, victims and advocates warn

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Last week, the government tabled a new piece of legislation, Bill 66, that, if passed, would allow commercial development to bypass several long-standing laws meant to protect the natural environment and the health of residents, including the Clean Water Act that was put in place following the Walkerton tragedy… The stated purpose of the proposed bill, called the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, is to cut “red tape” around planning approvals for businesses looking to invest in local communities.

WSIB staffers decry chaos caused by ‘broken’ system that’s putting injured workers at risk

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Chronic understaffing, long wait times and chaotic case management at Ontario’s workers compensation board are putting vulnerable accident victims at risk, compromising the integrity of the provincial compensation system, and jeopardizing financial accountability, according to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s own employees.

Why anti-black racism persists in the Toronto Police Service

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Toronto police officers provided biased and untrustworthy testimony, inappropriately tried to stop the recording of incidents, and failed to co-operate with the SIU. And the Human Rights Commission noted that in its final report, it will examine the role and impact of police culture…. A key ingredient of that culture is lax accountability… An important first step in ensuring accountability is collecting, analyzing and publicly reporting data related to police stops, detentions and use of force to determine if they disproportionately affect members of the black communities.

Not all Ontarians are being asked to sacrifice

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So far I have not seen business sacrifice. I have seen them given tax breaks, offered less red tape, offered payment not to pollute, and given lucrative opportunities to sell cannabis — and I expect private companies will be given more access to health care. In the fall economic statement the most vulnerable have been asked to sacrifice.

How we can beat HIV in Canada

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… In total, more than 23,000 Canadians are falling through the cracks in our response to HIV… There is a critical shortage of testing options available in Canada to reach those who are undiagnosed. There is uneven coverage and access to anti-retroviral medications for prevention and treatment of HIV. Finally, unlike other countries, Canada lacks political commitment to implement the necessary scale-up and access to testing and medications.

Drugs Other Than Cannabis Are Too Hazardous to Legalize

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We need to spend at least a decade studying the impact of cannabis legalization on public health and society before considering additional action. Then, if the results from these studies give us reason to move forward, it would be crucial to examine… the potential harms each drug can cause to individuals, to those around them and to society. We’d need to consider the addiction potential of each drug, the acute effects of each drug and its chronic, long-term effects. We’d have to consider how likely people are to overdose from the drug.

Why not let the women and children in the Tijuana camp resettle in Canada?

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Canada has set out that the treatment of women and girls is a priority of our international policy. One of the key findings of the World Refugee Council Report to be released in the new year is the extent of discrimination against women in refugee situations. Here is a clear opportunity to act against such bias… Canadian leadership in meeting this tragedy on our doorstep would be a welcome, tangible demonstration of how the compacts can be a springboard for direct action and lead to improved collaboration on migration and refugees issues.

Help the poor: Stop donating canned goods to food banks

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If you hand your food bank a 30 pound office hamper filled with random food, you’re handing over a miniature logistical challenge that may or may not end up on the table of a hungry family. Hand over $20, and the food bank will be able to buy $100 worth of food, they’ll save on processing costs and Ottawa will kick you back up to $6.

Making sense of Ontario’s social assistance reforms

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Under 2018 budget measures, since scrapped by the Ford government, those on OW would have been able to work themselves well out of poverty before losing their benefits. But under the changes, a person on OW will still be almost $6,000 below the poverty line when their earnings make them ineligible for welfare… Currently, a single person on ODSP can work himself out of poverty while still receiving social assistance, but under the changes would be almost $4,000 short when becoming ineligible.

Welfare in Canada 2017

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The Welfare in Canada reports look at the total incomes available to those relying on social assistance (often called “welfare”), taking into account tax credits and other benefits along with social assistance itself. The reports look at four different household types for each province and territory. The reports are a continuation of the Welfare Incomes series originally published by the National Council of Welfare

Election reform bill passed in time for implementation in 2019 federal vote

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Bill C-76 is an omnibus bill that will reverse a number of changes wrought by the previous Conservative administration’s widely denounced Fair Elections Act. It will restore the use of voter information cards as a valid form of identification to prove residency… It will limit spending by parties and advocacy groups during the three-month period before an election is officially called, as well as during the official campaign… It will also extend the right to vote to ex-patriate Canadians… It will ban advocacy groups from ever using money from foreign entities to conduct partisan campaigns…

Ontario has undermined its Ombudsman’s independence

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… not everyone will agree with the reforms just announced by the Ford government… One matter… is the introduction of a new clause in the Ombudsman Act, which allows the governing party to suspend an ombudsman if they are “of the opinion the suspension is warranted”… It is not uncommon for ombud statutes to contain provisions for removal with cause, but to contemplate the suspension of an ombudsman based on the government’s opinion takes a jackhammer to the foundation of our work.