Equality « Social Policy in Ontario

Archive for the ‘Equality’ Category

The way we live now

Monday, June 21st, 2010

March 14, 2009
The authors point out that the life-diminishing results of valuing growth above equality in rich societies can be seen all around us. Inequality causes shorter, unhealthier and unhappier lives; it increases the rate of teenage pregnancy, violence, obesity, imprisonment and addiction; it destroys relationships between individuals born in the same society but into different classes; and its function as a driver of consumption depletes the planet’s resources.

Tags: participation, poverty, standard of living
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Ontario’s Growing Gap: The Role of Race and Gender

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

June 15, 2010
A new analysis done by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives discusses sexism and racial discrimination in the Ontario labour market. The findings within the report demonstrate a striking difference between racialized and non-racialized Ontarians.

Tags: Indigenous, poverty, standard of living, women
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Supreme Court upholds restrictions on government documents

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Jun. 17, 2010
In a unanimous 7-0 decision, the court concluded that the freedom of expression protection in the Charter of Rights does not guarantee “access to all documents in government hands.” The ruling overturns a decision in the Ontario Court of Appeal… “Some information… is… entitled to protection in order to prevent the impairment of those very principles and promote good governance.”

Tags: participation, rights
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Natives to win HST concessions from Ottawa

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Jun. 16, 2010
Until this month, Ottawa had ignored natives’ pleas for a provincewide point-of-sale exemption from the HST after it takes effect on July 1. But with native leaders set to plan protests that could include outright blockades, federal and provincial officials engaged in a frantic round of negotiations. Sources say that an 11th-hour deal to give aboriginals the exemption is now imminent…

Tags: Indigenous, tax
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HST deal with Ontario First Nations nearly done

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Jun 16 2010
The HST will cause some daily items such as haircuts, gasoline and home heating fuel to increase in price, but 83 per cent of consumer items won’t be affected. However, provincial point-of-sale exemption is a treaty right, said Beardy… The province has been talking about an exemption for status Indians for a long time but the objections have been “coming on the part of the federal government” because of the complexity of the proposal, McGuinty said.

Tags: Indigenous, tax
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Thinking the truly unthinkable on poverty and inequality

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

June 10, 2010
When a small group is holding the rest of the country to ransom, whether it is the union barons of the 1970s or the company directors of today, it has ceased to be part of the solution and has become part of the problem. Something, as they say, must be done.

Tags: globalization, standard of living, tax
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Women’s power equals economic power, say authors

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Jun 09 2010
Women are more likely to put others’ financial needs ahead of their own. They often feel torn between the desire to do what’s best for their family and what’s best for their own future. While women may be hurting themselves, there’s clearly a social benefit when women chose to use their earnings to pay for university, support their children or help care for aging parents.

Tags: economy, globalization, women
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Listening but only in two official languages [legal aid]

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Jun 07 2010
Nationally, the province is a leader. It established the first legal aid program in the country in 1951. It still provides clients with more financial support than any other province. And it has a well-developed network of private lawyers who do pro bono work for clients who can’t afford to pay. But half of lower-income Ontarians with non-criminal legal problems still don’t get the help they need. And those who do are often given a restricted range of choices that don’t meet their needs.

Tags: participation, rights
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Native counsellors vital to student success

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

June 5, 2010
The Ontario Native Education Counselling Association (ONECA) has released Walk In Our Moccasins: A Comprehensive Study of Aboriginal Education Counsellors in Ontario… The report addresses many of the challenges facing native students in post-secondary institutions and confirms the necessity of culturally validated curriculum. It also presents the need for parental and community involvement, academic readiness, social services, and the native counsellors to advocate on behalf of, and provide guidance to, First Nations students.

Tags: Indigenous
Posted in Education Debates, Equality Debates | 1 Comment »

Lawyers reach out to those who can’t afford them

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Jun 04 2010

The results confirmed what legal aid workers and anti-poverty activists have long said: The problem is big, it is pervasive and it is life-disrupting. One out of three lower-income Ontarians is grappling with a non-criminal legal problem (such as child custody, wrongful dismissal, personal bankruptcy, eviction or denial of benefits) at any given time. The poorer people are, the more complex their needs… It gave researchers a platform on which to build. And it gave the province a strong prod to do better.