Transforming Ontario Works: An Information Symposium

Income Security Advocacy Centre and the Toronto legal aid clinic system's Social Assistance Action Committee (SAAC) recently partnered to host two information sessions on critical issues that will arise in the course of the Social Assistance Review.

The first session, "Transforming Ontario Works", was held in March 2011 to explore issues around the transition "from welfare to work".
The presentations were video taped, and these can be viewed on the ISAC website. Use this link to view Power Point presentations from each of the speakers - Michael Mendelson, of the Caledon Institute, John Stapleton, of Open Policy Ontario, and Lisa Philipps, of Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.

ODSP reform: What stops us from working?

What stops us from working?

A report by John Stapleton, Stphanie Procyk & Lindsay Kochen, commissioned by The Dream Team, Houselink, and CAMH, makes the case for reform of ODSP practices that discourage recipients from working.

Personal narratives of ODSP recipients illustrate the roadblocks faced by recipients, and these narratives are linked to concrete policy recommendations intended to promote greater labour market attachment for ODSP recipients.

Implementing the changes recommended in this report should help bring down the extraordinarily high unemployment rate of ODSP recipients and enhance their ability to find fulfillment, financial self-sufficiency, and better health outcomes through productive employment.

Democracy

Hennessy's Index: A number is never just a number April 2011: Democracy 
(download the PDF from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)

1918
The year women secured the right to vote in Canada. 1944 France. 2005 Kuwait.

1947
The year Chinese Canadians secured the right to vote.

1960
The year non-enfranchised Aboriginal peoples in Canada secured the right to vote.

73.1
Percentage of Canadians who voted in 1867 federal election: year of confederation.

Two Parties
Choice in 1867 federal election: Conservatives 50%. Liberals 49%.

74.2
Percentage of Canadians who voted in 1935 federal election: mid-Great Depression.

75.3
Percentage of Canadians who voted in 1945 federal election: end of Second World War.

79.4
Percentage of Canadians who voted in 1958 federal election: John Diefenbaker’s Conservative government secured one of largest majorities in Canadian history.

75.7
Percentage of Canadians who voted in 1968 federal election: Trudeaumania.

75.3
Percentage of Canadians who voted in1988 federal election: free trade.

Five Parties
Choice in the 2008 federal election: Conservative, Liberals, NDP, Bloc, Greens.

58.8
Percentage of Canadians who voted in the 2008 federal election. Historical low.

The Poor Still Pay More

Just read a Dec 2010 article by Stapleton, Milway, Cook & Chan "The Poor Still Pay More : Challenges Low Income Families Face in Consuming a Nutritious Diet". 

The highlights:

Food and proper nutrition are critical for a functioning society and a healthy work force.  This paper seeks to address the challenges that low income families face and to explore solutions that can alleiate some of the pressures that the poor face when it comes to food.  These include:

• Affordability of a healthy and nutritious diet - in the case of single social assistance recipients, the situation has become increasingly dire -- highest increase in food prices are found in food groups which are covered by marketing boards (esp. dairy!) -- a litre of milk is more expensive than a litre of pop
• Quality of food they currently consume -- low income households is geared more towards food with lower nutritional value -- low income families purchase foods with higher carbohydrate, sodium, sugar and fat, such as cured meats, canned fruits and vegetables, as well as fluid milk with a higher fat content -- consuming these foods lead to chronic diseases: heart disease, diabetes and cancer -- one of the most preventable yet prevalent problems that the poor face is obesity, which is a a driver of other chronic diseases and is a result of poorer nutrition due to consuming less expensive but less healthy food
• Accessibility to healthy food options for low income households -- the term "food desert" has been coined to refer to those neighbourhoods, particularly in low income communities, where there is limited access to food retailers -- residents in food deserts have mobility disadvantages:  less likely to have access to a car, so are limited to purchasing what they can carry, and may have to depend on smaller corner stores, where prices are higher and fresh fruit and vegetables are limited or non-existant

The recommendations:

new housing benefit that will free up constrained finances to purchase food

• A new housing benefit that will free up constrained finances to purchase food 

• Improved incentives that will increase accessibility by low income communities to lower priced and healthier food options

• Lower dairy prices through the eventual elimination of the restrictive quotas by dairy marketing boards

Links:

Open Policy

Menu 2020: Ten Good Food Ideas for Ontario

The Impact of Poverty on Health:
A Scan of Research Literature