We encourage
you to send letters to the editor of the Toronto Sun in support of this column.
Tell the Sun what you think of the McGuinty Muzzle Motion. Let the public know
that this will be an election issue next fall.
It summarizes “facts” and “current government
policy” for six issues.
Read text here,
highlighting one detail from each section. November
24, 2006
Text
of Legislature Debates over McGuinty's Motion to Shut Down Bill 107 Public Hearings
Here we set out the text of the debates in the Ontario legislature surrounding
the McGuinty Government's shutting down further public hearings on the widely-criticized
Bill 107. Bill 107 would weaken the Human Rights Commission and take away
key rights that we fought for and won 25 years ago, rights regarding public investigation
and public prosecution of discrimination cases.
This
is a lot of material. (some 62 pages) We provide it all to ensure everyone can
see what is said on this important topic on the floor of the Legislature. You
will see:
The extensive exchanges in Question Period on
Tuesday, November 21, 2006 on the impending closure motion. (17 pages) This
occurred while many in the public Galleries (whose scheduled public hearings were
cancelled) looked on. These exchanges occurred just hours before the closure motion
would be debated.
There
are a good number of other mentions of this topic scattered in debates over other
topics over this week. We have not included those here.
We again express our deep appreciation to the NDP and Conservative Party for continuing
to press this issue.
As
you read these debates, you will see that the Conservative leader John Tory
repeatedly offered that if the Liberals restore the cancelled public hearings,
the Conservatives will support a swift vote on the bill when the legislature resumes
in March. The Liberals never give a reason for turning this offer down. The Liberals
claim that this matter has been debated or considered for over 200 days. However,
there have not been 200 days of debate in the Legislature or the Standing Committee
on this bill. Throughout the vast majority of those 200 days, we had all been
relying on the McGuinty Liberals' commitments regarding the public hearings, and
preparing for them. By this closure motion, the McGuinty Government breaches those
commitments.
The
Liberals say they have heard enough at the hearings. Yet the clear message from
a majority of the presenters to date is that the bill is seriously flawed.
Here
is a list of all the
Liberal MPPs who voted on November 21, 2006 for the McGuinty muzzle motion.
You may wish to call these MPPs to let them know how you feel about the muzzle
motion, and to urge them to get the Government to reverse itself and re-open the
promised public hearings. Read More
November 24, 2006
McGuinty
Liberals to Shut Down Bill 107 Public Hearings TAKE
ACTION: URGENT Join
Our "Dial Dalton" Campaign! Without
any prior warning, the McGuinty Government has just served a motion that tomorrow
night, Tuesday, November 21, 2006 it will ask the Legislature to invoke "closure"
or "time allocation" on Bill 107. This motion will be debated Tuesday
night, and likely voted on Tuesday night or Wednesday. The Liberals can be expected
to use their majority to force through this motion. Read
More | Take Action November
21, 2006
Commentary
on Sept. 26th Announcement of $1-Billion Funding Cuts Canadian
Association of University Teachers (CAUT) CAUT
commentary on Treasury Board funding cuts (PDF, 4 pgs, 20 kb) On
September 26 Stephen Harper’s Conservative government announced a series
of cuts totaling $1 billion over the next
two years. The cuts were announced on the same day the government made a $13.2-billion
payment on the national debt. The cuts affect a vast array of departments but
are concentrated primarily on aboriginal programs, skills and literacy training,
social policy research, legal assistance and research, and funding for Status
of Women Canada. Read More November
5, 2006
Support
a National Child Care Program Momentum
is building for a private members’ bill that would boost child care from
a patchwork of services to a pan-Canadian program. Add your support today by emailing
your member of parliament about this important bill. Read
more and Take Action October 30, 2006
In
Spain, women are shaping a cultural revolution Molly Moore, The
Washington Post MADRID
- When Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega graduated from law school in the 1970s,
Spanish law prohibited her -- and any other woman -- from becoming a judge, serving
as a witness in court or opening a bank account.
Today,
the angular, outspoken 57-year-old is Spain's first female vice president, helping
orchestrate a cultural revolution in the boardrooms and living rooms of the country
that coined the word machismo -- male chauvinism -- five centuries ago.
"We
have a prime minister who not only says he's a feminist -- he acts like a feminist,"
Fernandez said in her cavernous office of polished wood floors and cream-colored
sofas. "In 2 1/2 years, we have done more than has ever been done in such
a short time in Spain."
Her
Socialist government is requiring political parties to allot 40 percent of their
candidate lists to women and is telling big companies to give women 40 percent
of the seats on corporate boards. Half of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero's
Cabinet members are women -- the highest proportion in any European government.
New
divorce laws not only make it easier for couples to split, but stipulate that
marital obligations require men to share the housework equally with their wives.
Read
full article here October 8, 2006
Harper's
social Darwinism Silver
Donald Cameron, ChronicleHerald.ca OPPOSITION PARTIES don’t win elections,
says the old maxim; governments lose them. In 1957, Louis St. Laurent lost. In
1984, John Turner. In 2006, Paul Martin. On each occasion, the over-ripe Liberals
yielded to a new-ish Conservative leader — Diefenbaker, Mulroney, Harper.
New
Tory prime ministers always believe they won the elections, and thus have a mandate
to reshape the country according to their dark fantasies. Wrong: Canadians did
not suddenly decide to cleave unto the National Citizens’ Coalition and the
Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute. They mainly wanted to punish the Liberals.
Failing to understand that, the Tories soon make themselves loathed, and are firmly
propelled into the wilderness for another generation.
The
Harper Tories have started already, with their brainless budget cuts. With a surplus
of $13.2 billion, the government is "swimming in money," notes former
Liberal Revenue Minister John McCallum. The national debt as a percentage of GDP
is at its lowest level in 24 years. No matter. Without even a fig-leaf of necessity
to cover its naked social Darwinism, the government gleefully mounts a sly, mean-minded
assault on civil society — the voluntary and non-commercial activities which
glue the country together. Read
full article here October 8, 2006
In
a letter sent to Prime Minister Harper today, ETFO president Emily Noble stressed
that the reductions in funding are "shamefully targeting the most vulnerable
and marginalized groups in our community."
"Reverse
these cuts and policy changes," Noble urged the Prime Minister. Read
More
October 8, 2006
Liberals
Stand Up For Canadian Women Liberal Party release dd Sept.
28, 2006 The
Liberal Opposition today stood up on behalf of all Canadian women today and called
on the Conservative minority government to respect the rights of women and promote
their equality in Canadian society.
“This government has gutted
the funding for equality seeking groups that help raise awareness and fight discrimination,
including those for women” said Liberal Critic for Status of Women Maria
Minna. “Moreover, we are saddled with Conservative Minister for Canadian
Heritage Bev Oda, who won’t rule out the possibility that the Status of Women
Agency might wind up on the Conservative chopping block. Read
More September 28, 2006
Support
for Court Challenges Program (CCP) Dear
Friends of the Court Challenges Program As
you know by now the Court Challenges Program has been cancelled by the Conservative
minority government. This is a blow to all those in Canada who believe in fairness,
equality and language rights for French and English minorities. Please help us
reverse this decision. Below
you will find links to a letter to the Prime Minister and several background documents
regarding the Court Challenges Program. A
Steering Committee representative of both language rights and equality rights
communities has prepared these materials and is asking that you do the following:
Inform
CCD by noon of Monday, October 2nd if
you or your organization are willing to be listed as either a supporting organization
or individual on this letter, or both.
Send
your confirmations of support to
april@ccdonline.ca along
with your contact information.
Your
endorsement should indicate the full name (not simply an acronym) of the organization
in both English and French if you choose, as well as the full spelling of your
name and title if you wish it included.
Circulate
this letter to others that have not received it and encourage their support. There
will be follow up letters to the Prime Minister. We are seeking as many names
as possible by Monday but do not stop seeking endorsements of the letter, there
will be other opportunities for organizations and individuals to support this
work.
Write
your own letter as an individual or organization to the Prime Minister and forward
a copy for our records to april@ccdonline.ca
Write
your own Member of Parliament and send her or him a copy of the letter to the
Prime Minister. We will circulate the final letter to the Prime Minister with
endorsements to you on Monday afternoon.
An
axe that harms democracy Court Challenges
Program played key role in settling equality rights by
Lorne Sossin, Op/Ed, Toronto Star, Sep. 28,
2006
On
Monday, after announcing more than $1 billion in reduced federal government spending,
including the axing of the Court Challenges Program, Treasury Board president
John Baird said, "I just don't think it made sense for the government to
subsidize lawyers to challenge the government's own laws in court."
At
first glance, Baird has a point. Why should the government fund lawsuits against
it?
The Court
Challenges Program provides selective funding to "test cases" which
seek to advance equality and language rights under the Constitution.
The
rationale for the fund lies in the fact that access to justice requires resources
— both in terms of court fees and fees for the lawyers who argue these cases.
The
Court Challenges Program has over the years offered a voice in the debate on the
scope and nature of language and equality rights to individuals and groups, which
would otherwise not be able to bring these issues to court.
Equally
important, this program has conferred legitimacy on rights-seeking individuals
and groups. The program stands for the proposition that it is in the public interest
to have courts clarify the nature of the constitutional constraints on government.
... Read
More September 28, 2006
Tories
defend end to law program benefitting seniors, women, gays, minorities by
Alexander Panetta (CP), Wed Sep 27, 2006 Donated by The Canadian Press OTTAWA (CP) - The Conservatives are under fire for killing a legal-aid program
that has assisted Canadian minority groups in a series of historic court victories
over the last three decades.
The
cancellation of the Court Challenges Program was slammed Wednesday by the country's
largest legal organization, opposition parties, and at least one Tory provincial
government.
The
Trudeau-era program has helped fund successful court challenges that broadened
the rights of Canadian seniors, women, the disabled, homosexuals, religious groups,
aboriginals, and minority-language groups.
The
federal Tories announced this week that cutting the program would save taxpayers
$5.6 million over two years.
Newfoundland
Premier Danny Williams - a provincial Tory and a lawyer - called the cuts
worrisome and distanced himself from the "right-wing" federal Conservatives.
Read More
September 27, 2006
Cancellation
of Court Challenges Program a Step Back for Equality Rights Read
the press release that went out after today's press conference held by Liberal
MPs Omar Alghabra, Sue Barnes, Mauril Bélanger, Bonnie Brown and Maria
Minna The Conservative government's elimination of the Court Challenges
Program will strip minority groups of the ability to challenge legislation that
infringes on their rights, says the Liberal Opposition. Read
More
Court
Challenges: Mary's story Dad tells how axing program will hurt disabled Canadians Winnipeg Free Press, Wed Sep 27 2006, by
Kevin Rollason WE'RE
not gay, and my nine-year-old daughter and I have never been jailed in a federal
prison. We're ordinary Canadians who have been helped by a federally funded legal
program the Harper government now wants to axe.
The
Harper government's spin on shutting down the Court Challenges Program of Canada,
to save $5.6 million, is that this is the organization that has been part of controversial
cases including funding the advocates for gay marriage and the right of prisoners
to vote.
In announcing
the axing of Court Challenges, along with numerous other programs as part of $1
billion in spending cuts yesterday, Treasury Board president John Baird said those
initiatives "weren't meeting the priorities of Canadians" or providing
"value for money."
Scarier
still, Baird went on to say about Court Challenges that the federal government
is no longer interested in funding opposition to legislation it believes is right.
But if not for
Court Challenges, I would not have been able to fight the government when our
family was discriminated against by the federal employment insurance program.Read More September 27, 2006
Cuts
reveal Harper Conservatives agenda - For women and Court Challenges Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Press Release The government
has announced a series of cuts to social programs - so they can save $2 billion
over the next 2 years. "Likely the money from these programs will be designated
for some type of tax cut that the Harper Conservatives will announce in the next
federal election - probably sometime this spring," said Paul Moist, national
president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
"When
we look at just 2 of these program cuts $5 million from the Status of Women and
$5.6 million from the Court Challenges program, a clear message is being sent.
The government is essentially saying that any voice given to addressing gender
inequality in this country will be further silenced - furthermore any voices wanting
to challenge the current status of the laws of this land will be muzzled,"
added Moist. Read
More September 27, 2006
Canadian
Conservative Government Slashes Funding to Wasteful Anti-Family Programs LifeSiteNews.com, John-Henry Westen, dd September 26, 2006 OTTAWA,
September 26, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The budgets of some of the most wasteful
and at the same time biased Canadian government funded programs have been slashed
by the new Conservative Government. Three organizations which have been overtly
pushing for same-sex marriage have been denied millions of tax-dollars they have
been receiving for years under the previous Liberal government.
<SNIPED> REAL Women Canada,
a conservative women's group said in a press release today that they were "especially
pleased" at the cut to Status of Women. "This is a good start,
and we hope that the Status of Women will eventually be eliminated entirely, since
it does not represent 'women', but only represents the ideology of feminists,"
said the group. "The Status of Women was established in 1973 under
Prime Minister Trudeau and over the years, it has funded feminist groups to serve
as agents of change, never recognizing that other women have different views and
have no wish to be represented by these feminist organizations." Hold
your nose & read more
The
elimination of the Court challenges Program will deny legal redress to
poor and marginlized women: the Conservative Government is abrogating CEDAW
Article 2 (c) To establish legal protection of the rights of
women on an equal basis with men and to ensure through competent national tribunals
and other public institutions the effective protection of women against any act
of discrimination. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not include
the financial means by which to access the courts on an equal basis with the wealthiest
citizens or corporations when a individual’s rights have been violated.
Harper’s
Government cut $5 million from the Status of Women budget despite the recommendations
of the Parliamentary Committee, representing all parties in the house, to an increase
in the budget of at least 25%. How does this action live up to his promised commitment
to Canadian women? September 26, 2006
Government's
real priorities revealed - Media Statement We
are deeply concerned about the gutting of the only federal agency that addresses
critical questions pertaining to equality and about what it suggests about what
this government's true intentions are for equality matters in Canada.
Announced Monday, the 5 million dollar cut to Status of Women Canada (SWC) is
a serious attack on the lone federal department engaged in the development of
gender responsive policy and in the fulfillment of Canada's human rights obligations
to women at the international, domestic, and inter-governmental levels.
We
now see the government's real priorities revealed. Read
More September 26, 2006
Federal
Conservatives Betray Commitments to Women's Equality: Provincial
Advisory Council Responds to Cuts to Status of Women Canada
The Provincial
Advisory Council on the Status of Women is alarmed by the federal government's
decision to cut 1 billion dollars in spending. "The federal government signaled
its intention to make these cuts last spring, and our worst fears are being realized,"
says Leslie MacLeod, President. "They are eliminating 1% of their
overall spending by eliminating or reducing critical social programs."
The Advisory Council denounces the decision to cut the federal Department
of Status of Women Canada by $5 million over two years. These cuts will
be taken from its modest budget of $13 million per year. It is one of the smallest
federal departments but has a huge role in advancing women's equality. This department
provides critical analysis of the effect of policies and programs on women.
... The Advisory Council
also condemns the decision to shut down the Court Challenges Program of
Canada. Yesterday, federal Treasury Board President John Baird stated, "I
just don't think it makes sense for the government to subsidize lawyers to challenge
government's laws in court." The Advisory Council disagrees. Read
More September 26, 2006
Sue
Genge Responds to Edmonton Sun column 'Despair over cuts to women's groups' I read and disagree with
much of Ms.
Jacobs' article. But, in particular, I thought she should be clear that when
women's organizations talk about the wage gap, we are not talking about the difference
between men in highly skilled and higly paid professions vs women in low skilled
and low paid professions. In particular, I'm refering to the following assertion
in her article.
"The
paper harps about the ongoing pay gap between men and women, without pointing
out that men tend to choose higher-paying jobs because they're socialized to be
the breadwinners.
It's
disingenuous to complain that women working full time only earn about 70 cents
for every dollar men make if you've deliberately chosen to work as, say, a low-paid
restaurant hostess."
I've
forwarded the attached Chapter
1 - Wage Inequities from the 2004 Pay Equity Task Force Report. If you consult
Table 1:4 and Table 1:5 you will see a number of interesting and telling facts,
based on Statistics Canada data. One, women are concentrated in lower paid occupations,
which you will undoubtedly attribute to life choices. We will have to disagree
about how much real choice many women have in our society. The other fact you
should notice is that within each broadly defined occupational category, without
exception, there is a significant gap between the wages of men and women ... the
only "profession" where women earn more than men is as "babysitters,
nannies and parent's helpers".
Read More September
26, 2006
Cuts
to Status of Women and Court Challenges Program Undermine Government’s Commitment
to Women’s Equality FAFIA (Canadian
Feminist Alliance for International Action) Press Release Ottawa: FAFIA,
a pan-Canadian alliance of women’s and human rights organizations, is denouncing
the $5 million cut to the federal department of Status of Women over two years.
These cuts will be taken from its modest annual budget of $13 million. The grants
and contributions arm ($11 million) of the department was not affected.
“These cuts will
critically affect the federal government’s own commitment to live up to its
equality commitments to women,” said Shelagh Day,
Co-Chair of the Canadian Feminist Alliance (FAFIA).
Conservatives
make their mark on government spending with tough choices by: Jennifer Ditchburn,
CP The Conservatives put their mark on government spending Monday with
the announcement of $1 billion in cuts to programs they did not consider priorities,
from funding to Canadian museums to research on the use of medical marijuana.
... Some of the cuts, over two years, included: * $4.6 million in assistance
to museums; *
$5 million from Status of Women Canada; * Elimination of the $4-million medical
marijuana research program; * Elimination of Law Commission of Canada;
* Elimination of $9.7 million in support to Canadian Volunteerism Initiative;
* Elimination of $10.8 million First Nations/Inuit tobacco control strategy;
September
25, 2006
Conservatives
Elimininate Court Challenges Program and Cut $5 Million from Status of Women of
Canada (SWC) over next 2 years The $5 Million
cut to Status of Women Canada (SWC) and the elimination of the Court Challenges
Program (CCP) seriously undermine the Government's commitment to women's equality.
The
overall budget at SWC is $24 million. The women's program absorbs almost $11 million
(grants and contributions). That means the department functions on effectively
$13 million, 5 million of which has just been cut over next 2 years.
The
Harper government response on pay equity this week demonstrates why it
is so important that women's groups receive adequate and stable funding: we need
to have the capacity to defend women's rights, and to respond to retrograde and
ineffective policies that bring us back 20 years. Read
More
Bonjour,
je m'appelle Andrée Côté,
et j'étais jusqu'à il y a quelques semaines directrice des affaires
juridiques de l'Association nationale
Femmes et droit. L'ANFD a dû fermer ses portes il y a quelques semaines
à cause de retard dans le renouvellement de notre demande de subvention
auprès de Condition féminine Canada.
La
politique annoncée cette semaine en catimini par le gouvernement Harper
sur la question de l'équité salariale illustre de façon
non équivoque l'importance d'accorder un soutien financier stable et suffisant
aux groupes de femmes . Il est très important que nous puissions continuer
à intervenir pour dénoncer des politiques rétrogrades qui,
comme celle-ci, nous ramènent plus de vingt ans en arrière, et qui
seront d'aucune utilité dans la lutte contre la discrimination sexuelle
au travail.plus en français
September
22, 2006
Pay
Equity: at the heart of equality Canadian
Labour Congress & Public Service Alliance Of Canada Press
Release dd Sept. 21, 2006 The
federal government announced yesterday that it is taking a giant step backwards
on the question of equal pay for women workers. More than thirty years after the
adoption of the Canadian Human Rights Act, women still earn less, on average,
than men regardless of their occupation, age or education. Today, a woman earns
72.5 cents for every dollar a man earns. Our equal pay legislation is not working.
The wage gap is even greater for Aboriginal women, women of colour and women with
disabilities. Read the full release in English
L'équité
salariale... au coeur de l'égalité Congres
du Travail du Canada&Alliance
de la Fonction Publique du Canada Le
gouvernement fédéral a annoncé hier qu'il prenait un énorme
pas en arrière dans le dossier de l'équité salariale pour
les femmes. Plus de trente ans après l'adoption de la Loi canadienne sur
les droits de la personne, les femmes gagnent encore moins que les hommes en moyenne,
peu importe leur profession, leur âge ou leur scolarité. A l'heure
actuelle, une femme touche 72,5 cents pour chaque dollar que touche un homme.
Notre législation sur l'équité salariale ne fonctionne pas.
L'écart salarial actuel est encore plus important chez les femmes autochtones,
les femmes de couleur et les femmes handicapées. Read
the full release en français September
22, 2006
Women's
groups fear federal cuts coming by
Norma Greenaway, CanWest News Service, Vancouver Sun, Sept. 22, 2006 A
leading Canadian women's rights group has been forced to close its office for
lack of money and other federally financed organizations fear a similar fate as
the Conservative government zeroes in on a promise to cut spending by $1 billion
this fiscal year.
The
prospect cheers Gwen Landolt, vice-president of the pro-life, pro-family conservative
lobby group REAL Women Canada and a fierce critic of federal funding of ''feminist''
and other special interest groups. ''It's
simply an abuse of taxpayers' money to fund only one ideology,'' Landolt said
in an interview.
Suspense
over how much, if any, money will flow to women's and other groups should end
within the next week or so when the government tells Canadians what programs it
plans to curb or kill to meet its budget commitment.
Opposition
MPs accuse the government of using the spending review to dismantle by ''stealth''
the 30-year-old agency known as Status of Women Canada, which, among other things,
hands out almost $11 million a year to groups committed to promoting gender equality
and the full participation of women in society. Read Full article at: http://tinyurl.com/fl9aw
September
22, 2006
PM's
pick for bench draws fire Social
activists cite conservative views Globe
& Mail, Kirk Makin The
appointment of an Ontario judge who is seen as an opponent of pro-choice and gay
rights has created a stir among social activists.
Spokesmen
expressed concerns yesterday about the appointment of Mr. Justice David Brown,
a Toronto lawyer who has represented Christian family-value positions in several
cases, and has written papers dealing with legal developments involving the sanctity
of life. ... He represented Focus on the Family (Canada) and REAL Women
of Canada in a court intervention against the constitutionality of same-sex
marriage. Read
full article September 21, 2006
“By
not responding to funding applications, the Conservatives are allowing programs
to shut down, one by one.,” said NDP MP critic for the Status of Women Irene
Mathyssen. "What's next? The entire department? It looks like Bev Oda is
spoiling to dismantle the Status of Women department."
As
of Sept. 12, The National Association of Women and the Law, has closed their doors
due to insufficient federal funding. The Canadian Feminist Alliance for International
Action (FAFIA) will shut down on Sept. 26. Organizations have put in applications
for funding, but have heard nothing from the Minister responsible for Status of
Women, Bev Oda. English
version en français
September 20, 2006
New
Data Offers Hope to Patients With Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia Bipolar disorder
is the sixth largest cause of disability worldwide in people aged 15-44 years(1)
and is commonly mistaken for other diseases such as acute depression. Consequently,
people may suffer with symptoms for years before receiving appropriate treatment
and up to half of all individuals with bipolar disorder may make at least one
suicide attempt in their lifetime(2).
Data
presented at the 19th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology in Paris has
highlighted the significant impact of this disease and demonstrated the efficacy
of an 'atypical' antipsychotic known as quetiapine (SEROQUEL). Read
More September 18, 2006
Straight.com,
ddSeptember
14, 2006 Queer
film fest under attack The
Department of Canadian Heritage should cut $23,000 in funding to the Vancouver
Queer Film Festival because the films are “degenerate and degrading to humanity”,
according to conservative lobby group REAL Women of Canada.Read
More September 14, 2006
AODA
Alliance's Latest News Release on Controversial Bill 107 Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Update dd September 1, 2006 The AODA
Alliance has just issued its latest news release on the controversial McGuinty
Government's bill to weaken the Human Rights Commission.
Legal Aid Ontario
(LAO) documents disclose six months after the McGuinty government announced its
Bill 107 would strip the Human Rights Commission of key powers to enforce the
Human Rights Code, it still doesn't know how it will deliver legal representation
for all discrimination victims. An LAO internal consultation paper recently made
public on the internet reveals Attorney General Michael Bryant has just recently
asked LAO to make a proposal on this controversial role. LAO won't decide for
weeks whether it wants to make a proposal. The McGuinty government extravagantly
pledged its human rights reforms will ensure publicly-funded free independent
legal counsel for all human rights complainants, regardless of income.Read
More September 4, 2006
Help
Raise Controversial Bill 107 In Upcoming Hotly-Contested September 14 Toronto
By-Election Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update dd August 31, 2006 An
important provincial by-election has been called for Thursday, September 14, 2006
for the hotly-contested west Toronto riding of Parkdale--High Park. The riding
was vacated when Liberal MPP Gerard Kennedy resigned to run for the federal Liberal
leadership. We urge everyone to help raise the McGuinty Government's controversial
plans to weaken the Human Rights Commission via Bill 107 in this by-election campaign.
You can help whether or not you live in the riding. This by-election gives us
an excellent chance to show that the controversial Bill 107 will be a serious
issue in next year's general provincial election if the McGuinty Government persists
in its plans to weaken the Human Rights Commission despite strong community opposition
to Bill 107. As
always, the non-partisan AODA Alliance doesn't tell anyone who to vote for, nor
does it support or oppose any party. We encourage everyone to let voters in the
riding know about the Bill 107 issues, to inform people about the parties' position
on Bill107, and to encourage voters to take it into account when deciding how
to vote. Read More September
4, 2006
Blair:
"clamp down on antisocial children before birth" Setting
out plans for state intervention to prevent babies born into high-risk families
becoming problem teenagers of the future, Tony Blair said teenage mothers could
be forced to accept state help before giving birth, as part of a clampdown on
antisocial behaviour. Read More September
1, 2006
Fighting
the Blues - What the Social Conservative Agenda Means to Women The CLC 13th National Women’s
Conference Paper REAL
Women Canada is a key partner in the alliance of social conservative groups
which strongly supports the Conservatives. In this statement, REAL Women acknowledges
that the future they have planned for us is something that will alarm Canadians.
What is their agenda? Should we be alarmed?
“Social
Conservatives to Sell Tory Daycare Plan”, read the headline of a
Globe and Mail story on April 19, 2006. The Globe and Mail reported
what many in Canada may have known intuitively. On April 3, the day Parliament
re-opened — the Conservative government had met with far right-wing groups
to strategize around how to convince the public that a taxable $1200/year/pre-school
child was preferable to setting-up a public system of early childhood learning
and care. Their ideological base of support is really the far right. The most
vocal critics of public child care come from small, fundamentalist religious-based
groups; the Conservatives are relying on them to counter the voices of working
families and child care advocates. And they now have a direct link to the
Prime Minister’s office. Read
More August
30, 2006
Alliance for Marriage & Family (AMF) seeks to protect family as ‘3-parents
case’ seen as impacting definition of marriage Canadian
Catholic News dd August 30, 2006 The AMF
[composed of the Catholic Civil Rights League (CCRL), REAL Women of Canada,
the Evangelical Fellowship (EFC), Focus on the Family, and the Christian Legal
Fellowship] has filed a factum in the so-called “three parents case,”
saying its member groups have a “common cause” to protect the “traditional
family unit in Canadian society and law.” Read
More August
30, 2006
Hospitalizations
due to traumatic head injuries down 35% over a decade
Children and youth have seen the largest improvement New data released
today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) show that fewer
Canadians are admitted to hospitals due to traumatic head injuries than were a
decade ago. In 2003-2004, 16,811 were admitted to hospitals compared to 25,665
in 1994-1995, a 35% decrease.Read More August
30, 2006
Legal
Aid Ontario LAO documents, recently revealed to the public on the Internet, disclose
that six full months after the McGuinty Government announced it would strip the
Human Rights Commission of most power to enforce the Human Rights Code, it still
doesn't know how it will ensure its promised legal representation for all discrimination
victims. An internal Consultation paper that LAO recently sent to Ontario legal
clinics documents that Attorney General Michael Bryant, who pledged that all human
rights complainants will have publicly-funded legal representation, still doesn't
know how it will deliver on this extravagant promise. It says Bryant asked
Legal Aid whether it would take on this controversial role. LAO won't decide for
weeks whether to make a proposal. To see the Legal Aid consultation paper and
correspondence to Ontario legal clinics, visit: http://www.aclc.net/full-lao-letter.html
The McGuinty
Government pledged free publicly-funded independent legal counsel throughout Human
Rights Tribunal hearings to every human rights complainant(annually some 2,500).
It pledged to establish a Human Rights Legal Centre. The bill's supporters and
critics agree that the bill doesn't guarantee this. Facing mounting criticism,
the Attorney General committed on June 8, 2006 to amend the bill to address this.
However in an August 3 letter to the AODA Alliance, he didn't act on the AODA
Alliance's request that he reveal his amendments before the public hearings. See
the Attorney General's letter to the AODA Alliance, below.
Legal
Aid Ontario's Consultation Paper states that LAO has explicitly decided not to
consult with the public, and instead only to consult with legal clinics, on the
issues set out in that Consultation Paper. The AODA Alliance has written LAO to
urge it to open up its consultation process to include not only legal clinics,
but the end-users who would use the legal services that the McGuinty Government
has promised. This letter also sets out some preliminary input from the AODA Alliance
to LAO on its Consultation Paper. See
the AODA Alliance's August 25, 2006 letter to LAO, set out below.
The AODA Alliance
has also written to Attorney General Michael Bryant as a result of these recent
developments. In its August 25, 2006
letter to him, set out below, the AODA Alliance asks that public hearings
on Bill 107 be halted until LAO decides whether it will offer to deliver free
legal counsel to all human rights complainants, and until the Government makes
public specifics on its proposed amendments to bill 107.
August
29, 2006
Autism
Fact Sheet Friends of Children with Autism (FOCA) - August
2006 Autism
is now a National Epidemic *
Less
than 20 years ago the prevalence of autism was 2 to 5 in 10,000 births. *
1 out of 165 babies born today will receive the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.
* Number of diagnoses for children under 5 has increased 150% over the last 6
years. * Autism diagnoses continue to increase at a rate of 10 to 17 percent
each year. * Autism
treatment specifically ABA/IBI is one of the few medical treatments that derive
a cost savings to taxpayers. Misconceptions
in Ontario Being Presented to the Public Summary of Facts & Providing
Solutions August
29, 2006
Conservatives
Must Come Clean on Agenda for Status of Women Canada Liberal
Party of Canada Press Release dd August
25, 2006 OTTAWA
– Liberal Critic for Status of Women and Multiculturalism Maria Minna
today called on Heritage Minister Bev Oda to reveal the Conservative government’s
true intentions for the future of Status of Women Canada.
“The
Conservative grassroots community is actively campaigning for the demise of this
important agency which promotes the rights of women in Canada,” said Ms.
Minna. “Ms. Oda must come clean and reveal whether or not she will bow to
the pressure of these extreme right-wing groups or if she will take a stand and
publicly distance herself from their position.”
Recent media reports
indicate that several socially Conservative blogs have begun a campaign to eliminate
the federal agency for the Status of Women. The group REAL women of Canada, which
also opposes same-sex marriage and legalized abortion, launched the campaign because
of their belief that the agency “promotes feminist policies on the false
premise that women in Canada are victims of a patriarchal society.” Read
More August
25, 2006
Law
Society Silences Non-Advocacy Paralegals Imagine
having your ability to make a living severally changed or eliminated, and you
are not able to use your constitutional right to speak out in protest. That
is what the non-advocacy paralegal faces, as the McGuinty government moves forward
with its controversial Bill 14, The Access to Justice Act. The bill,
if passed, would have paralegals regulated by the Law Society of Upper Canada.Read More August
25, 2006
Federal
Court orders sign language services In
a landmark ruling, the Federal Court of Canada has ordered the federal government
to make professional sign language interpretation services available on request
when providing services to people who are deaf or affected by hearing loss. Read
More August
25, 2006
Still
Time to Sign Up to Present at Public Hearings on the Controversial Bill 107 for
this Fall in Toronto - Act Now! Accessibility
for Ontarians With Disabilities Act Alliance Update dd August 22, 2006
It's more important than ever that as many of you as possible, either
organizations or individuals, sign up as soon as possible to make an oral presentation
this fall at the continued public hearings on the controversial Bill 107 before
the Legislature's Standing Committee on Justice Policy. Bill 107 is the McGuinty
Government's proposed new law that will take away from the Ontario Human Rights
Commission most of its power to investigate and publicly prosecute discrimination
cases. Below we help you with information on how to sign up. Read
More August 22, 2006
Strong
Opposition to Bill 107 Dominates First Three Days of Public Hearings Strong opposition
to Bill 107 dominated last week when the Legislature's Standing Committee on Justice
Policy held its first three days of public hearings on Bill 107, the McGuinty
Government's proposed new law to weaken the Ontario Human Rights Commission. These
hearings have so far dealt a powerful blow to the controversial bill 107. They
have shown that Ontario's Attorney General Michael Bryant was incorrect when he
claimed last spring that there is a community consensus in support of the kind
of reforms the McGuinty Government has proposed. Hearings will resume in Toronto
at as-yet unspecified dates after the Legislature resumes sitting on September
25, 2006. Read More August 21, 2006
Women
and HIV: The promise of microbicides Randy
Sheppard, CBC News Online According
to the World Health Organization, women account for nearly 70 per cent of HIV-AIDS
cases worldwide.
When
most people think about AIDS, they see it primarily as a problem of the gay community
or of those who share needles. And they wouldn't be wrong.
But
over the past half-dozen or so years, the face of AIDS in Canada and the United
States has begun to change quite dramatically. More and more of those acquiring
the disease turn out to be young heterosexual women, infected
by their partners. Read
More
August 21, 2006
The
Global AIDS Crisis: Four Steps for Canada is a civil society platform for
action to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS globally and to improve the quality of life
of people living with HIV/AIDS. The platform has already been endorsed by more
than 80 organizations across Canada, including the labour movement, faith groups,
AIDS organizations, student groups, human rights advocates, and humanitarian and
development organizations. Read More
August 10, 2006
Women
and HIV/AIDS: The Barcelona Bill of Rights As
we enter the third decade of HIV/AIDS, women, especially the young and the poor,
are the most affected. Because gender inequality fuels the HIV/AIDS pandemic,
it is imperative that women and girls speak out, set priorities for action and
lead the global response to the crisis. Therefore, women and girls from around
the world unite and urge all governments, organizations, agencies, donors, communities
and individuals to make our rights a reality. Read
More August 8, 2006
A Dose of Reality: Women's Rights in the Fight against HIV/AIDS The global HIV/AIDS pandemic
is taking a catastrophic toll on women and girls. The number of HIV infections
among women and girls has risen in every region in recent years, and in sub-Saharan
Africa, women and girls constitute nearly 60 percent of those living with HIV.
In some countries, the HIV infection rates for girls are many times higher than
for boys. The rising number of HIV infections among women and girls is directly
related to violence against women and their unequal legal, economic, and social
status.
Abuses
of women's and girls' human rights impede their access to HIV/AIDS information
and services, including testing and treatment. Those who do obtain HIV services
sometimes face disclosure of their confidential HIV test results by public health
officials without the women's consent. This heightens women's risk of being ostracized
by their communities and abused by their intimate partners.
Governments
around the world have done far too little to combat the entrenched, chronic abuses
of women's and girls' human rights that put them at risk of HIV. Misguided HIV/AIDS
programs and policies, such as those emphasizing abstinence until marriage, ignore
the brutal realities many women and girls face. By failing to enact and effectively
enforce laws on domestic violence, marital rape, women's equal property rights,
and sexual abuse of girls, and by tolerating customs and traditions that subordinate
women, governments are enabling HIV/AIDS to continue claiming the lives of women
and girls. Read
More August
8, 2006
ATHENA:
Advancing
Gender Equity and Human Rights in the Global Response to HIV/AIDS As the world
enters the third decade of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, women — especially
the young and the poor — are increasingly affected. Because gender inequity
fuels HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS fuels gender inequity,
it is imperative that women and girls speak out, set priorities for action, and
lead the global response to the crisis. The ATHENA
Network was created to realize this imperative. ATHENA
strives to bridge the communities around the world that are addressing gender,
human rights, sexual and reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS. Further, ATHENA
promotes the leadership and participation of women and girls, especially those
living with HIV/AIDS, as central to the global response. Through these efforts,
we are guided by four central mandates for our collective work – the indivisibility
and intersectionality of issues and experiences; the need for independence and
integrity; the inclusion of grassroots and indigenous groups; and the importance
of intergenerational exchange, new voices, and the involvement of youth. Read
More August 8, 2006
Practical
Tips on How to Prepare an Oral or Written Submission to the Legislature's Standing
Committee on Justice Policy Regarding the Controversial Bill 107 Accessibility for Ontarians
with Disabilities Act Alliance Update dd July 31, 2006 Here are helpful
tips for preparing your written and/or oral presentation on Bill 107 to the Legislature's
Standing Committee on Justice Policy. Everyone's contribution to these hearings
makes a real difference. We hope that these tips will be useful for presenters
from the disability community and from any other individual or group interested
in advancing the protection of human rights in Ontario. We
explain
Please
note that portions of the AIDS 2006 Conference will be available for viewing on
the Internet at no cost and with no registration... Webcasts and transcripts,
along with additional coverage, will be accessible at a later date. You can now
sign up now to receive a daily update email during the week of the conference,
providing summaries of each day's developments and direct access to all of the
online coverage. Sign up at www.kaisernetwork.org/aids2006.
For those of
you living in or near the Greater Toronto Area, please note that there are a number
of women's events that will be held in the Global
Village at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. These are open to the general
public (free of charge) as well as to conference delegates.
Here
is the link to the Programme available online: www.aids2006.org/PAG/ProgrammeAtAGlance.aspx.
Any event marked with GV as the venue is scheduled to take place in the
Global Village and does not require a conference badge to attend. As
an example, here are 2 events scheduled at the Global Village (which I am anxious
to attend):
1).
An interactive session hosted by Association for Women's Rights in Development
(AWID)
AWID will share its 'hot
off the press' research on resources for women's rights organizations and HIV/AIDS.
Come share and learn if women are being short-changed and become part of the strategies
to mobilize more resources for women's rights. For more info, contact awid@awid.org.
When: Sun.
Aug. 13, 2006 from 3:00pm to 4:30pm Where: Global
Village, Main Stage, Metro Toronto Convention Centre
2). Hosted by the
International Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW), International
Women's Health Coalition (IWHC) and AWID:
This
panel will expose rights violations that have led to the growing number of women
who are now living with HIV, calling for greater respect and promotion of women's
rights within the HIV/AIDS response. Panelists from different parts of the world
-- HIV+ women activists and policy analysts -- will identify where appropriate
policy or program interventions might have made the difference in terms of HIV
status, treatment and community response. For more info, contact Cami Hilsendager
at chilsendager@iwhc.org.
When:
Mon. Aug. 14, 2006 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm Where:Global
Village, Main Stage, Metro Toronto Convention Centre Read
More July 29, 2006
The
Context: Women's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS Worldwide In January 2002, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan announced that
for the first time, women represented half of HIV-positive individuals worldwide,
and more than half in sub-Saharan Africa, the region of the world hit hardest
by the epidemic. HIV/AIDS had become a generalized epidemic in many African countries,
moving from high-risk groups such as sex workers and injection drug users to the
general population, largely because of pervasive gender inequality. The combination
of social and political inequalities and severe poverty is lethal to women in
the developing world, rendering them disproportionately vulnerable to the virus.
... Read
more
The
Commitment: Addressing Women's Realities Despite
women's disproportionate vulnerability, few programs aimed at curbing the pandemic's
spread target them or reflect the realities of their lives. If we want to stop
HIV/AIDS—in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, in Eastern Europe, and in
Canada and the United States — we must do two things: ... Read
more
Colleagues:
Empowering Women on the Ground IWHC's
colleagues worldwide are providing young people with the information, skills,
and strategies to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS, and advocating for policies
that mandate the gender-sensitive comprehensive sexuality education that will
enable future generations to reach adulthood in good health. They are also working
to erode the gender inequalities that fuel the epidemic's spread by advocating
for women's sexual and reproductive rights and focusing attention on the realities
of women's lives. For example: ... Read
more July
29, 2006
With
Women Worldwide: A Compact to End HIV/AIDS Outlines
priority actions for making global HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care strategies
work for women. Developed by a group of women advocates for use in 2006 negotiations
on HIV/AIDS and beyond. ...Read More July 29, 2006
Women
and HIV/AIDS: Select Facts Women are increasingly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.
Young people, especially young women, are disproportionately at risk.
Women and girls do not have access to comprehensive information and services.
The biggest HIV/AIDS risk
for many women and girls is marriage.
Sexual coercion and violence lead to a greater chance of infection. Read
More July
29, 2006
How
Much Longer? by Eduardo Galeano 07/28/06
"IPS" -- One country
bombed two countries. Such impunity might astound were it not business as usual.
In response to the few timid protests from the international community, Israel
said mistakes were made.
How much longer will horrors be called mistakes?
This slaughter of civilians began with the kidnapping of a soldier.
How much longer will the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier be allowed to justify
the kidnapping of Palestinian sovereignty?
How much longer will the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers be allowed to justify
the kidnapping of the entire nation of Lebanon?
For centuries the slaughter of Jews was the favorite sport of Europeans. Auschwitz
was the natural culmination of an ancient river of terror, which had flowed across
all of Europe.
How much longer will Palestinians and other Arabs be made to pay for crimes they
didn’t commit? Read More July
28, 2006
The
stigma surrounding abortion continues in New Brunswick - Open Letter from Dr.
Henry Morgentaler The
New Brunswick government continues to deny women access to publicly funded abortions.
Under the current Medical Services Payment Act, to have an abortion covered by
Medicare, women are obliged to have the approval of two doctors in writing and
the abortion must be performed in a hospital by a gynecologist. This leaves women
with no family doctor or an anti-choice doctor no option other than the Morgentaler
Clinic in Fredericton. This discriminatory practice must stop. Read
More July 28, 2006
Specifically, it is possible that
the Government may soon announce the funding it will provide to the human rights
legal clinic it promised to establish. Last February, the Government said it would
eliminate the Human Rights Commission’s core role of investigating human
rights violations, and prosecuting where evidence warrants. The Government said
it would instead provide legal representation for discrimination victims who take
their case to the Human Rights Tribunal. When it introduced Bill 107 last spring,
it made the extravagant promise that each and every human rights complainant would
be given legal representation at the Human Rights Tribunal, regardless of their
income. A new Human Rights legal clinic would do this work.
Read More July 27, 2006
Inflammatory
Breast Cancer (IBC): The Silent Killer Inflammatory
Breast Cancer (IBC)
is an advanced and accelerated form of breast cancer usually not detected by mammograms
or ultrasounds.
Inflammatory breast cancer requires immediate aggressive treatment with chemotherapy
prior to surgery and is treated differently than more common types of breast cancer.
African Americans have
a higher incidence of IBC than do Caucasians and other ethnic groups (10.1%, 6.2%,
and 5.1%, respectively)."
She
hopes the ideas in the report are a joke, calls the report "sloppy",
"sentimentalist", "Rousseau-ian", "sprinkled with neo-Luddite
thinking", "buttressed with Marxist-socialist cant"; that I am
"channeling the founders of the Social Credit party", making the guaranteed
annual income idea seem "ridiculous", doing a "huge disservice"
to the women interviewed, that I "trivialized the desperate needs of the
poor", made a "nonsensical lament about how [low income women] can't
buy organic", put feminism in disrepute and made the rest of Canada see us
as "wigged-out West Coasters." I'm surprised she didn't call me a blood-drinking
vampire as well, but then she wonders if I'm vegan. If she had contacted me, I
would have told her: that's right, I only drink the blood of organic carrots.
Read
More July 24, 2006
A
shameful silence on women's rights Paul
Sheehan asks why Western feminists are mute on the plight of their Islamic sisters
Excerpt:
"... In this cultural clash, the treatment of women is the most hotly
contested terrain. Not just the treatment of non-Muslim women by Muslim men, but
the treatment of Muslim women within Western culture. Many Muslim women live under
constraints that are unacceptable to wider society. For years, a symptom of this
tension, which is largely submerged, has been the distraught young women turning
up at the Australian embassy in Beirut to escape forced marriages.
In
the midst of this cultural and moral struggle one element has been conspicuously
missing - the feminists - the authors, academics and commentators who rose to
prominence as advocates of women's rights. In Australia and Europe, their response
to the growing levels of sexual intimidation, harassment or suppression of women
by Muslim men has either been a deafening chorus of silence, or denial and blame-shifting.
Read
the Full Article July 23, 2006
Peace
in Lebanon Immediately by
Kamala Sarup From
the news, it seems that thousands of innocent people are targeted in Lebanon.
More than 500,000 people, over a third of them children, had been touched in Lebanon
by the conflict and more than 100,000 Lebanese were now in Syria, most of whom
needed assistance. According to news, Israel's 12-day air offensive in Lebanon
has left more than 350 Lebanese and 33 Israelis dead, while more than 100 Palestinians
and one Israeli soldier have died in Gaza.
I
want immediate unilateral cease fire in Lebanon. I want equity and justice for
Palestinians and Israelis, especially for those children. Most of the deaths in
Middle East can be prevented by peace negotiations. Israeli and Palestinians must
accept a political solutions. People from both countries want peace.
I
see only one solution to solving major problems peace power can't be stopped if
it's great and persistent enough. The solution is to serve the needs of all the
people. Our history proves that when enough people act they get results. The greatest
peace gains were gotten by people action. We need that now especially to
end Middle East war. Read More July
23, 2006
She
states: "Far from helping women like them, this report makes the whole
idea [guaranteed income] seem ridiculous." and
"The 72-page report by Cindy L'Hirondelle reeks of a sloppy,
sentimentalist view of nature, a vision of an idyllic, Rousseau-ian rural life
minus the peasants." and "Please,
somebody tell me that the Victoria Status of Women Action Group's recently released
list of benefits of a guaranteed annual income wasn't written for David Letterman."
But
that is not all. She also makes a very damaging mistake about one of the points
listed under the section on "concerns". She thinks we were saying that
we did not want people new to Canada to have a GLI. She got it backwards! We had
the opposite concern. We wanted to ensure that people new to Canada could easily
access getting a Guaranteed Livable Income. Throughout the report it is also noted
that a GLI must happen in every country in the world. Read
More July 23, 2006
R.E.A.L.
Women file complaint against Ontario Chief Justice The
R.E.A.L. Women clan are at it again ... Now they have filed a formal complaint
against Ontario Chief Justice Roy McMurtry with the Canadian Judicial Council,
alleging judicial misconduct.
Excerpt:
Judge
Who Gave Canada Homosexual "Marriage" Had Conflict of Interest Says
Women's Rights Group
TORONTO,
July 19, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The women’s rights organization,
REAL Women of Canada, has filed a formal complaint against Ontario Chief Justice
Roy McMurtry with the Canadian Judicial Council, alleging judicial misconduct.
McMurtry was the judge who issued a ruling in 2003 on the Halpern case that effectively
ended the traditional definition of marriage in Canada.
McMurtry’s
son, James, revealed in a letter to the editor of a BC newspaper that his sister
is a lesbian in a live-in relationship with another woman. This, says REAL Women,
creates a serious concern that “McMurtry had a personal and familial interest”
in the Halpern case, “which seriously impaired his objectivity and his ability
to adjudicate the case.”
REAL
Women’s letter alleges that McMurtry’s personal interest biased the
entire process and violated the “fundamental judicial obligations of office.”
REAL Women says that in addition, Justice McMurtry deliberately chose and selected
judges sympathetic to same-sex "marriage" to hear the case. Read
the Full Article July 20, 2006
explains the problems with the Government's process for developing Bill 107.
summarizes how to improve Bill 107, and
for
those interested in far more detailed information, Part
II, the longer part, gives an extensive explanation of each of the 49
amendments we propose. Accompanying this brief are appendices with important background
materials to support our proposals. These include: 1.
A list of the AODA Alliance's 49 recommendations for amending Bill 107 2.
The AODA Alliance's "Fact Check" on Official Statements about Bill 107
3. The AODA Alliances
April 3, 2006 Discussion Paper on Options for Reforming the Ontario Human Rights
Code.Read
More July
19, 2006
Autistic
Children Abandoned by McGuinty Autism Policies Martel
rallies with children, parents, and advocates in Toronto July
12, 2006 - QUEEN'S
PARK -
Shelley Martel, MPP for Nickel Belt and the NDP Health and Long-Term Care Critic,
is calling on Dalton McGuinty to immediately deliver on his two explicit election
promises to Ontario's autistic children.
"The
McGuinty Liberal government needs to honour their promises to autistic children
and their parents during the 2003 election," said Martel. "In addition,
significant funds need to be invested to ensure that all children who need IBI
treatment receive it. That's clearly not happening because, as of March 31, 2006,
753 children were languishing on the wait list, waiting for IBI treatment to begin."
Read More July
19, 2006
NDP
to Dalton McGuinty: Keep Your Promises to Autistic Children July
7, 2006 - QUEEN'S
PARK -
Shelley Martel, MPP for Nickel Belt and the NDP Health and Long-Term Care Critic,
is dismayed by today's Court of Appeal decision but emphasized that, for New Democrats,
this issue has always been a political issue about what Dalton McGuinty promised
during the 2003 election and what he has continually failed to do.
"Dalton
McGuinty made an explicit promise to the parents of autistic children. He promised
IBI treatment for every single child who needs it - regardless of age," Martel
said.
"Mr.
McGuinty should never have dragged parents and their vulnerable autistic children
through the courts, at great expense to taxpayers and the families, just so he
could break a promise. I am calling on the premier to do the right thing for autistic
children and extend IBI treatment to all children who need it -- without delay."
Read More July 19, 2006
Martel
Applauds Autism Rights Ruling June
28, 2006 -QUEEN'S
PARK - NDP Critic Shelley Martel says
a recent ruling by Madame Justice DeGuire is a win for families of autistic
children, who have long argued that the McGuinty government is violating their
children's basic rights. Last
week, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ruled that children with autism
- whose provincially funded therapy is denied after age 6 - are now free to proceed
with their argument that the McGuinty government is discriminating against them
on the basis of age.Read More July
19, 2006
Autism
Announcement is a Drop in the Bucket Martel
skeptical about McGuinty's promises to autistic children June 16,
2006 - QUEEN'S
PARK - Shelley Martel, MPP for Nickel Belt and the NDP Health and Long-Term
Care Critic, says
that today's announcement by the McGuinty Liberal government to provide Intensive
Behavioural Intervention treatment to 120 additional children is a drop in the
bucket compared to what is actually needed to address the long wait lists.
Read
More July 19, 2006
Behind
Batwoman's Gayness Today's women are pigeonholed
as either girly girls or lesbians Op-Ed in today's LA Times
Excerpt
... Whatever
the reason, it appears that there are only two ways to go about being female these
days: You are either a midriff-bearing, gum-snapping, engagement ring-chasing
girly girl or you are a probable lesbian.
We
used to think of this dichotomy in terms of "separating the women from the
girls." Perhaps you remember how this went. Teenagers and early twentysomethings
wore nameplate necklaces and waited for the phone to ring, and adult women owned
condos and knew how to unclog a toilet without losing their sex appeal.
But
in a culture that's as allergic to subtlety as it is obsessed with youth, acceptable
versions of womanhood seem to be melting away with the polar ice cap. You either
get the Botox, the boob job, the bikini wax and baby doll dresses, or you take
the radical step of looking and acting like a fully formed, grown-up female. Read
More July 15, 2006
Family
Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile 2006 Victims Rarely Report Abuse: StatsCan Report
Victimization surveys have
shown that spousal violence frequently involves multiple incidents. However, a
new study examining 10 years of police-reported data shows that most spousal violence
is reported to police on only a single occasion.
The
study, which analyzed spousal violence offenders and their contact with police
using a 10-year data file for 1995 to 2004, was published today in the 2006 edition
of Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile. It found that 8 out of every
10 spousal offenders were reported to police on only one occasion during the 10-year
time frame. Persons accused of repeated spousal violence (those with two to four
police-reported incidents of spousal violence) accounted for 18% of the total.
Only 1% were considered chronic abusers, that is they were involved in five or
more reported incidents.
These
results may be partially explained by the 2004 General Social Survey (GSS) on
victimization that found that only 28% of victims of spousal violence turned to
police for help. Incidents that are reported tend to depend on the severity and
frequency of the violence, and on whether children were witnesses. Other factors
include whether the victim was female, young, Aboriginal or turned to others for
support. Read More July
13, 2006
Kirby
report (2) turns a blind eye to women Despite
the mounting evidence — as well as Canada's many commitments to using Gender-Based
Analysis in policy and program development — federal health studies somehow
remain gender-blind. by
Laila Malik, CWHN Almost
20 years ago, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) issued an in-depth
report calling for action to address mental health concerns facing women in Canada. Women and
Mental Health in Canada: Strategies for Change
warned of the dire mental health effects of the feminization of poverty and violence
against women and drew attention to the disproportionate number of women assigned
with the diagnostic categories of depression and anxiety. It outlined 25 recommendations
for improvement, including the development of affordable, high quality child-care
services, the establishment of pay equity policies, recognition of unpaid caregiving,
and the creation of a national clearinghouse of research and programs on women's
mental health. The report was promptly buried, its recommendations consigned
to oblivion. Read
More July
12, 2006
Few
Canadians hospitalized with a spinal cord injury go back to work shortly after
rehabilitation Spinal cord injury patients have among the longest stays in
inpatient rehabilitation New analysis released today by the Canadian
Institute for Health Information (CIHI) paints a picture of what life
is like during and after inpatient rehabilitation following a traumatic spinal
cord injury. Between 2000 and 2004, Canadians admitted to inpatient rehabilitation
with a traumatic spinal cord injury stayed an average of 59 days, compared to
35 and 14 days for stroke and orthopaedic rehabilitation patients, respectively.
Clients with complete quadriplegia stayed the longest, 101 days, compared to 49
days for patients with partial paraplegia.Read More July
12, 2006
Right
of Choice: It's In Our Hands: Stop Violence Against Women Amnesty International Report 2006 From birth to death, in
times of peace as well as war, women face discrimination and violence at the hands
of the state, the community and the family. Female infanticide deprives countless
women of life itself. Every year, millions of women are raped by partners, relatives,
friends and strangers, by employers and colleagues, security officials and soldiers.
Women, children and men suffer from violence inflicted in the home, but the overwhelming
majority of victims are women and girls. During armed conflicts, violence against
women is often used as a weapon of war, in order to dehumanize the women themselves,
or to persecute the community to which they belong.
Violence
against women is not confined to any particular political or economic system,
but is prevalent in every society in the world. It cuts across boundaries of wealth,
race and culture. The power structures within society which perpetuate violence
against women are deep-rooted and intransigent. The experience or threat of violence
inhibits women everywhere from fully exercising and enjoying their human rights.
Read More July
10, 2006
Aboriginal
Issues - Glossary of Terms The following is a guide
to various terms associated with First Nations people, issues and treaties. Please
note that individual preferences may vary and should be respected when known.
When unsure,
it is polite and appropriate to ask how a person, band or council wishes to be
addressed. July 7, 2006
Uncertain
Futures: Gaining access to publicly funded abortions is not easy in New Brunswick by Chris Arsenault [The
only hospital in New Brunswick that was providing publicly funded abortions stopped
performing the procedure at the end of June.] The decision to have
an abortion is rarely easy, but after the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton
stopped performing the procedure at the end of June, and with pro-life groups
rallying to prevent Moncton's George Dumont Hospital from picking up the slack,
many New Brunswickers are wondering about the procedure's future in the province.
Read
the Full Article here July 7, 2006
Abortion:
Ensuring Access Sanda
Rodgers and Jocelyn Downie, Guest Editorial in the CMAJ, July 4, 2006
Access to reproductive
health care is essential to women's health, and for some women, abortion is a
key component of that care. But not all women in Canada have adequate, or in some
cases any, access to abortion.1 It is important for Canadian physicians to know
the facts about access to abortion so that they can better protect and promote
the health of their female patients. Many
of us assume that, in contrast to the United States, women's access to abortion
in Canada is enshrined in law and guaranteed by our health care system. This is
not always true. A brief review of history is needed here. Read the Full Article here July 7, 2006
Remarks
by Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa to High- Level Panel on
U.N. Reform in Geneva There
is a crying need for an international agency for women. Every stitch of evidence
we have, right across the entire spectrum of gender inequality suggests the urgent
need for a multilateral agency. The great dreams of the international conferences
in Vienna, Cairo and Beijing have never come to pass. It matters not the issue:
whether it's levels of sexual violence, or HIV/AIDS, or maternal mortality, or
armed conflict, or economic empowerment, or parliamentary representation, women
are in terrible trouble. And things are getting no better. Read
More July 6, 2006
REAL
Women are on the warpath, as I guess I would be too if I were REAListic, Equal,
Active, and for Life. Hey, I am all those things! Oh, they mean "not in your
unREAL way." I think.
REALists
have been quiet for a long time. But they see the Stephen Harper minority government
as their chance to change Canada back to the way they say it used to be. Whatever
that was, I'm sure it was lovely. And frankly, their view of the future does verge
on the dire.
"We
are living in the best of material times. Yet, simultaneously, we are also living
in a time of moral decadence: abortion on demand, the legalization of same-sex
relationships as marriages, the cultural and legal acceptance of homosexuality
despite its destructive ramifications, both psychologically and medically, rampant
sexual promiscuity and euthanasia, legalized drug use and legalized prostitution
just around the corner."
But
I'm for all these things. Not sure about rampant euthanasia (get it in writing,
I say, and point out the drawbacks: "Yer dead") or prostitution, but
perhaps they don't grasp that legal changes regarding prostitution are aimed (by
good men and good women) at saving hundreds of sex workers and other women who
have vanished into the thinnest of air in Canada. Some of them might have been
fed to pigs. Follow
this link to read the rest of this column
Then, please consider writing
to the CBC before all the misogynists get there first! Heather is one of the
few remaining feminist voices left in MSM and could do with some support! Email:
letters@cbc.ca July
2, 2006
Hard
copies of the report (printed with 100% recycled newsprint with a colour cover)
have been distributed to many groups and individuals in across Canada and a few
to the US and overseas. Out of 1000 copies, we have only 200 hard copies left
which we are reserving for those without easy access to the internet.
Note:
This report is not just for women. All the women interviewed want a Guaranteed
Livable Income for everyone; however, they also recognize that women face more
poverty, stress, violence, unpaid and underpaid work, while also carrying primary
responsibility and worry for the well-being of the world's children. Read
More June 29, 2006
A
Direct Attack on Abortion Rights by
Joyce Arthur, Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada On
June 21st, Parliament saw first reading of a private
member’s bill by Liberal MP Paul Steckle to re-criminalize abortion. Bill
C-338, 'An Act to Amend the Criminal Code (procuring a miscarriage after 20 weeks
of gestation), would restrict later abortions performed after twenty weeks.
For anyone
who doesn't wish to visit the REAL Women website, DAWN Ontario has copied and
pasted the text from the REAL Women letter to MPs dated April 4, 2006 at this
pinpoint URL: http://dawn.thot.net/real_women.html#rwl
Senate
Committee on Autism Funding for the Treatment
of Autism referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science
and Technology for Study and Report After
all this hard work, by so many, it appears that we finally got funding for
autism treatment on the agenda! What happens now is not within our control
obviously, but we can have an impact on the final report and its recommendations
to the government if we all speak up. We need to speak up now more than
ever. This committee must hear what each of us wants them to know. Please take
some time to think of a submission that you would send to them. Read
More June 24, 2006
Sexual
Health for Lesbians: Risks and Realities Canadian Health Network,
2006 Consistent, non-judgmental sexual health care for lesbian women that
supports them to make informed decisions depends on partnership and good communication
with their health care providers. Because this kind of communication is often
lacking, many women who have sex with women are unaware of their individual risk
factors for contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Read
More June
24, 2006
National
Child Benefit / National Child Benefit Supplement - Rate increase July 2006 The provincial government
stopped taking the 2% NCBS increases, as part of the Clawback, a couple of years
ago. Thus, as of July, you get to keep 6% of the increases, which are included
in the amounts above. If
you receive income assistance in Ontario the provincial government reduces your
assistance cheque by 84% of the NCBS you receive, regardless of whether
or not you are working. Read More June
24, 2006
Bill
to End the Long-Gun Registry The
Conservative government has followed up on its one-year amnesty for long-gun owners
by tabling a bill to end the Canadian long-gun registry. With the House of Commons
about to close for the summer, nothing will happen on the bill until the fall,
and even then it's not clear if the government can muster enough votes to get
it passed. While the bill does away with the need to register rifles and shotguns,
it keeps the requirements for registering restricted and prohibited firearms such
as handguns. Some of the current requirements for long-gun owners would also remain
in place, like all gun owners requiring a firearms license, the need for police
safety checks, and safety training. Read
More June 24, 2006
Report:
Are Wage Supplements the Answer to the Problems of the Working Poor?
(PDF 184KB/13p.)
Andrew
Jackson, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2006 The
idea of addressing poverty through some kind of wage supplementation program has
been around for some time, but has only recently moved to the centre stage of
Canadian social policy. Unlike the more visionary concept of a Guaranteed Annual
Income for all citizens, wage supplements are intended to promote and support
employment in low-paid jobs.
This paper examines different recommendations and finds wage supplements can play
useful supporting roles in assisting the working poor, but should not be seen
as the centerpiece of a new social architecture.
According
to the World Health Organization, Where There Is No Doctor is perhaps the
most widely used health care manual for health workers, clinicians, and others
involved in primary health care delivery and health promotion programs around
the world. The manual provides practical, easily understood information on how
to diagnose, treat, and prevent many common illnesses. With over 90 translations
and adaptations of the book available worldwide, and millions of copies in print,
the book is an essential health resource for individuals and communities around
the world. June
24, 2006
Ontario
Domestic Violence Death Review Committee Releases Annual Report Dr.
Barry McLellan, Chief Coroner of Ontario, announced today the release of the third
annual report of the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC).
The report contains
an overview of domestic violence deaths occurring in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005
that were reviewed by the committee, along with the statistical analysis of information
collected. Recommendations arising from the review are also included in the report.
The
DVDRC is an advisory committee and reports directly to the chief coroner. The
committee was created in response to recommendations made by the juries in the
coroner's inquests in the deaths of Arlene May and Randy Iles (1998), and
Gillian and Ralph Hadley (2002), as well as the Joint Committee on Domestic
Violence. The committee members are drawn from the health, justice, advocacy
and social services sectors. Read More
June 20, 2004
Canadians
Rejecting Harper Government Child Allowance, Poll Shows The
results of a poll released today show that Canadians are rejecting Stephen Harper's
plan to distribute a $1,200 child allowance to parents with children under six
years of age. The Environics poll asked more than 2,000 Canadians their views
on child care and the response was clear - 76% of Canadians support a national
affordable child care strategy such as the 2004 federal-provincial agreement that
was cancelled by the Conservative government.
Monica
Lysack, Executive Director of the Child
Care Advocacy Association of Canada(CCAAC) says that Canadians
are not buying into the Harper government's child-care strategy adding, "They
see that this plan isn't going to help them find affordable, quality care for
their children." The poll showed that only 35% of Canadians support the government's
child allowance plan.
What's
most crucial for the minority Conservative government is that many Canadians say
that their opposition to the child allowance is strong enough that it is likely
to influence their vote in the next federal election. This is even true for one
third of Conservative voters, a fact Lysack cautions that Stephen Harper should
be very concerned about. Read More June
20, 2006
CNIB
announces print clarity standards for all Canadians Black and white contrast, Arial or Times Roman, and matte paper finish are
among ten recommendations for improved clarity and readability CNIB,
Canada's primary provider of vision loss support programs and services, today
launched Clear Print, the first formal print clarity standards for making
printed materials more accessible to all Canadians, from fully sighted individuals
to aging and low-vision readers. The standards were developed following an extensive
international review of research into the variables that affect an individual's
ability to easily consume print information. ...
Clear
Print identifies 10 variables that affect print clarity, including contrast (black
and white is always best), most readable fonts (Arial and Times Roman top the
list), paper finish (many readers are highly sensitive to glare), and size of
type (the bigger the better). Other recommendations cover type colour, type heaviness,
letter spacing, margins and columns, and design and simplicity. Read
More June 20, 2006
McGuinty
Government Improves Patient Access to Drugs New Act Will Lead to Better Value for Taxpayer Dollars The McGuinty
government is providing Ontario residents with better access to drugs while ensuring
significant new savings with legislation that received third and final reading
today, Health and Long Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced. "We're
on the side of Ontarians who want and deserve better health care, especially those
who will benefit from better access to medications," said Smitherman. "The
Transparent Drug System for Patients Act will allow our government to deliver
better value for money to the taxpayers of Ontario."... "Bill
102 brings the most significant change to Ontario's public drug system,"
said Marc Kealey, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists' Association. Read
More June 20, 2006
Monica
Lansing Monica
Lansing was a terminally ill mother who had her three children taken away from
her on the night she died Monica
Lansing’s entire life was centered around her three children. She worked
very hard to support them and provide them with a safe and loving home. Monica
and her ex-husband, had a joint custody agreement, in regards to their children,
but Monica had primary guardianship of all three children and they lived with
her full time.
4
years ago, she fled from her husband, who continued to harass her even though
she had moved to another province. He employed members of his family, specifically
a brother-in-law, to watch her house and enter into her home when she was at work.
His brother-in-law is a former police officer and paramedic and is now the subject
of a complaint filed with the Alberta College of Paramedics.
For
three years Monica was granted day-to-day care and was the primary guardian of
the children until she became sick. When Monica was diagnosed with Leukemia he
took her children away from her and cut off his support payments. Contrary to
what he told the courts and the newspapers, he uprooted the children from their
schools and friends and relocated them to British Columbia without notification
or her consent. Read More June
19, 2006
It
sets out growing concerns over Bill 107, the government's human rights reform
legislation, and condemns the Premier's plan to hold public hearings on the legislation
in the summer when people are less able to attend and boards are unable to meet
to approve submissions. The groups are calling on the Premier to hold the hearings
in the fall and be prepared to make the necessary changes. Read
More June 15, 2006
Creating
Job Opportunities for People on Social Assistance Innovations
Fund Encourages Ontario Businesses to Get Involved TORONTO,
June 14, 2006 - The McGuinty government is calling on the Ontario business community
to help social assistance recipients get into the workforce and on the path to
a brighter future, Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services,
announced today.
The
government is launching a new Employment Innovations Fund to engage employers
in expanding employment opportunities for people on social assistance, including
people with disabilities. Organizations such as employer associations, municipalities
and not-for-profit organizations are invited to submit proposals for new programs
that will create sustainable job opportunities and help businesses tap into this
pool of willing, job-ready people. Read More June
14, 2006
Launch
of 'Failing the Homeless' report on Barriers to ODSP Access: June 20th Street Health - Release Over the past year and
a half Street Health, a community-based health care organization working
with homeless and underhoused people in downtown Toronto, has been working on
a research project exploring the barriers to accessing ODSP for our clients, while
at the same time helping them to secure benefits.
The
report, entitled: “Failing the Homeless: Barriers
in the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) for Homeless People with Disabilities”,
identifies key barriers and delays in the ODSP system for homeless people. It
also makes recommendations for how to improve access to ODSP benefits for homeless
people with disabilities. Read More
June 14, 2006
OHRC
Fact Sheet In
response to recent inquiries and to help provide additional information for the
discussion on Bill 107 and how best to improve and rebalance Ontario’s Human
Rights System, the Commission has prepared a Fact Sheet highlighting cases the
Commission has been involved in over the years that have received decisions from
higher courts. Please
go to www.ohrc.on.ca/english/news/e_june-06-facts.shtml.
Fiche
de renseignements du CODP
En réponse aux enquêtes que nous avons reçue et pour donner
desrenseignements additionnels pour l’entretien sur le projet de loi 107
et le sujet des meilleurs moyens d’améliorer et de rééquilibrer
le système des droits de la personne en Ontario, la Commission a mis au
point une fiche de renseignements qui souligne des causes dont la Commission a
participé qui ont reçu une décision d'une cour supérieure.
Veuillez visiter www.ohrc.on.ca/french/news/f_june-06-facts.shtml.
June 14, 2006
Report:
Count Us In! Inclusion and Homeless Women in Downtown
East Toronto - June 2006 Project Partners:
Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse, Ontario Women's Health
Network, Toronto Christian Resource Centre and Toronto Public Health The
purpose of this project was to investigate how health and social services in Toronto,
and in the province of Ontario, can be made more inclusive, and in turn, promote
the health and well-being of marginalized groups. Homeless and underhoused women
who live in Downtown East Toronto led the research and were actively engaged in
all stages of the project, from collecting and analysing the data to developing
the final recommendations.
They
facilitated 11 focus groups with 58 women who are homeless or underhoused.(4)
The researchers collected feedback on the health and social services that women
use as well as the participants’ ideas about how policies and services could
be improved. Count Us In! aims to influence how governments and service
providers plan, deliver and fund services for populations that are marginalized.
As one participant said, this is an opportunity for the service providers to "step
back and take a good look at what is needed."
This report summarizes
what the women said. It describes many of the barriers they face, and then highlights
their solutions for making services more inclusive. Read
the key
recommendations
Count Us In!
highlights the importance of marginalized women being actively involved in every
part of the process, to ensure that their voices are heard, that they are "at
the table," and that the appropriate actions are taken to meet their needs.
Read
More
Support
Falun Gong Peaceful 24-hour Appeal Site In front of the Vancouver Chinese Consulate
Add Your Voice to the Petition On
June 8, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan ordered local Falun Gong practitioners to
dismantle the appeal site they've maintained outside the Chinese Consulate 24/7,
rain or shine, for the past five years. Mayor Sullivan said the group's signs
and booth erected by the consulate contravene a city bylaw.
The
Falun Gong practitioners say they were initially given verbal permission to hold
a constant vigil at the site in order to raise awareness of the persecution
against Falun Gong in China, now in its seventh year. They
say the site bears witness to the thousands of practitioners who have been
tortured and killed as a result of the persecution, and believe they should
be allowed to remain until the persecution comes to an end.
It would also
be very helpful and much appreciated if you would write an email or letter to
Mayor Sullivan asking him to
re-think his stance on the bylaw, as the site is not a safety hazard, and previous
city councils were not averse to it. Letters should be sent by Friday, June 16
which is the date the site is to be dismantled.
Daily
Bread’s Who’s Hungry Report Illustrates Depth of Hunger Crisis Survey examines
hunger in the GTA and Daily Bread advances solutions TORONTO,
June 6, 2006 - Food bank use across the GTA has risen a dramatic 79% since
1995, according to the report Who’s Hungry: 2006
Profile of Hunger in the GTA released
today at BCE Place. The results of Daily Bread’s annual survey paint a picture
that cannot be ignored of the struggles and financial plight of the diverse population
relying on food banks. The 894,017 people who accessed emergency food services
last year through GTA food banks, 38% of whom were children, would not go hungry
if the issue of poverty were addressed. So, in conjunction with the report, Daily
Bread advances the Blueprint to Fight Hunger.
Read More June
12, 2006
STOP
Ryerson from honouring homophobia Please
lend your support by forwarding this communication widely and signing the on-line
petition at:http://www.PetitionOnline.com/5087MCT/petition.html
Excerpt: Ryerson
Students' Union, representing all full-time and graduate students at Ryerson and
RyePRIDE, representing the queer and Trans voices of Ryerson, are extremely concerned
about the University's decision to award MARGARET SOMERVILLE an honourary
degree on June 19, 2006 at 9:30am, as part of Ryerson's convocation ceremonies.
...
... Although Ryerson claims to respect and celebrate
diversity in all its forms and the right of individuals to live free of discrimination,
their actions to uphold this decision speaks louder than these words. Homophobia
is not honorary in any form and no individual should be rewarded for propagating
hate and intolerance in our communities.
For those of you who do
not know Margaret Somerville, she is a McGill University ethicist and is widely
known for her controversial views on same-sex marriage. In both the public and
academic spheres Somerville has argued that same-sex marriage, "compromises
the right for all children to be raised by both genders and to know their biological
parents". Read More June
9, 2006
Toronto
gets rolling! Rick Hansen Wheels In Motion to raise funds and awareness for people
living with spinal cord injury On
Sunday, June 11, people from across Toronto will participate in the 4th
annual Rick Hansen Wheels In Motion presented by Scotiabank. The national
fundraising event aims to raise awareness and funds to help improve the quality
of life of people living with spinal cord injuries (SCI), and to support research
that will ultimately lead to a cure. People of all ages and abilities are encouraged
to wheel, walk or run in support of SCI. Read
More June
9, 2006
When
skepticism is needed, most media outlets let us down
Security sting of terror suspects seems a bit too pat and may well be by
Ish Theilheimer, Editorial June 6, 2006, Straight Goods
Excerpt: Last weekend, federal and Toronto authorities swooped down
on and arrested 17 Canadian Muslim youth and young men for allegedly plotting
to bomb landmarks and public buildings. It is alarming to think that "home-grown"
acts of terror are likely or inevitable, as many reporters and sources are convinced.
It is just as alarming when an ideologically-driven government uses an event to
drive support for itself and a harsh agenda of pro-American foreign policy and
repressive American-style policing and legislation at home.
No
country is immune from terrorism, but neither is any country safe from politically-motivated
and heavy-handed police operations that are intended to scare the public as much
as to protect them. We should wonder about the credibility of a sting operation
and media circus headed up by Stockwell Day, whose penchant for hyperbole is well
known. (His partner in ideology is Justice Minister Vic Toews). We should also
wonder why the media is not more cautious. Read More June
8, 2006
Take
Action: Support for Feminist
Voices in Public Places Read
Heather Mallick's
column, Protect
all women while they're alive published June 2nd on CBC news viewpoint
regarding the "fetal homicide"
bill.
Heather
Mallick is one of the very few feminist voices left in public places ... her CBC
column generated a lot of negative responses (they appear below her column). Hence,
we are calling for emails to: letters@cbc.ca
in Heather's defence.
It
must be incredibly frustrating for Heather Mallick to continue being one of the
few feminist voices left in MSM ... Please write and show solidarity with Heather
while countering the voices of the misogynist types who have responded to date.
June
8, 2006
The
New Bully on the Block: Cyber Bullying
Womyn's Voices The Internet has created a whole new world
of social communications for young people. They are using e-mail, Web sites, instant
messaging, chat rooms and text messaging (STM) to stay in touch with friends and
make new ones. While most of the interactions that these kids engage in are positive,
increasingly kids are using these communication tools to antagonize and intimidate
others. This has become known as cyber bullying.
The
Internet has facilitated the creation of an interactive world that is away from
adult knowledge and supervision. Because bullies tend to harass their victims
away from the watchful eyes of adults, the Internet is the perfect tool for reaching
others anonymously from any where at any time. This means that home, for children
who are victims of bullying, is no longer a refuge from the cruel peer pressures
of school. Read
More June
8, 2006
NOTHING
NEW FOR CANADA...Terror & Religious Conflict Is Old Hat Edward Pickersgill, Passing Times, Guelph, Ontario, 7 June 2006
Excerpt: Back
in the dawn of the white man's creation known as Canada and many steps along the
way we've had terror, violence, religious conflict and attempts at cultural genocide.
Acknowledging this reality should not be taken as any indication I support any
of that. It's just a simple statement of fact.
Today's
conflicts between "Christians" and "Islam" is, for me, just
more of the same old, same old. Having witnessed the history of conflict between
Catholics and Protestants it is impossible to see the current conflicts as any
worse. English and Irish combatants shed as much blood and blew up as many of
each others things as anything happening today between ruffians and desperados
carrying copies of the bible or qur'an. Both gangs purport to carry the direct
word of God. Neither seem to carry much spirit of forgiveness or peace and both
seem to have large sections of their books with the pages glued shut. Read
More June
8, 2006
None
of Our Business - Canada's role in the world and the business press by Dru Oja Jay
Hugo Chavez: makes the news when he affects the bottom line. Did you know that
Royal Bank (RBC), Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE), Alcan and SNC-Lavalin all share
board members? Or that Yves Fortier, Canada’s former ambassador to the UN,
sits on the boards of RBC and Alcan? Where does one go for the plain facts about
Canada’s tiny, interconnected corporate and political elite? Read
More June
7, 2006
Residential
care facilities, 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 Women
outnumbered men by a ratio of more than two to one in Canada's residential care
facilities for seniors in 2003/2004. Data for all provinces and territories, except
Quebec, show that nearly 103,500 women lived in homes for the aged, compared with
just under 42,400 men.
Soliciting
Endorsements from Individuals & Organizations Sign
on to the Open Letter to Premier McGuinty re: Bill
107, the Human Rights Code Amendment Act, 2006 Excerpt:
As individuals and
community organizations who believe Ontario needs a strong human rights system,
we are writing to urge your government to take a balanced and genuinely open approach
in reforming the human rights system.
Bill
107, the Human Rights Code Amendment Act, 2006, sets out to reform the process
for enforcing human rights in Ontario. We agree reform is long overdue, but Bill
107 is not the solution we are looking for.
We
understand that, prior to the introduction of the Bill, the Attorney General's
office has engaged in some private dialogues with select human rights and legal
clinic lawyers, all of whom are very skilled, but are not the people who are in
need of the assistance afforded by the human rights system. Many communities -
including racialized, disabled, GLBT, aboriginal and women's communities - of
which we are a part, were never consulted by this Government on what is truly
needed to improve the system. Read More June 2, 2006
Campaign
to End Poverty in Canada The
NDP launched a national “End Poverty in Canada”
campaign yesterday vowing to engage Canadians and their politicians to deciding
what the fairest way forward is for all Canadians. The NDP Social Policy Caucus
cited recent United Nations and Ontario-based reports documenting the crisis which
found: Over half of Canadians receiving social assistance
still need food banks to survive.
Working
with their civil society allies, the NDP will engage Canadians in dialogue on
the Canada Social
Transfer which transfers billions of dollars to provinces and territories
with no accountability nor monitoring of its adequacy. “We
will travel to communities to hear from Canadians about what their principles
of fairness, justice and equity say about what they want for themselves, their
neighbours and all Canadians. It is time for a fair deal for all” said Tony
Martin (MP Sault Ste Marie).
As
part of the campaign, Martin introduced a motion in Parliament today to increase
the federal minimum wage to $10 an hour for federal jurisdiction workers, and
to implement recommendations from the Pay
Equity Task Force Final Report.
Nouveau
rapport du YWCA : La violence contre les femmes : une honte nationale La violence contre les femmes : Une
honte nationale dont il faut faire une priorité nationale YWCA
Canada présente les résultats alarmants d'une étude nationale
qui indiquent qu'un haut pourcentage des femmes qui cherchent refuge dans les
maisons d'hébergement risquent d'être tuées. Des 368 femmes
interviewées à dix sites de recherche dans l'ensemble du pays, 77
pour cent étaient en extrême ou grave danger de mort.
«
Le public, en général, n'a pas idée de la peur et de la déchéance
que vivent les femmes victimes des mauvais traitements de leur partenaire intime,
explique la professeure Leslie Tutty, chargée de recherche. Il s' agit
de terrorisme continuel pour ces femmes. »
Les
femmes qui font appel aux refuges ont maintes fois tenté de faire cesser
les violences à leur égard, mais elles n'ont aucun contrôle
sur les actions de leur conjoint violent. Quand elles ont épuisé
leurs ressources et sont à leur plus vulnérable, les refuges leur
fournissent la sécurité. Les
femmes de l'étude ont indiqué que les maisons d'hébergement
étaient pour elles le moyen d'appui le plus efficace, mais cela ne suffit
pas. Read More June
1, 2006
New
report from YWCA: Violence against women is a national shame Violence Against Women is
a National Shame: Now it Must Become a National Priority
YWCA Canada
releases a national study that indicates an alarmingly high percentage of women
coming to shelters are at risk of being murdered. Of the 368 women interviewed
at ten research sites across Canada, 77 percent were at extreme or severe risk
of homicide.
"The
general public has little understanding of the fear and degradation commonly experienced
by women abused by their intimate partners", explains researcher Professor
Leslie Tutty, "it is an ongoing secret terrorism for these women."
The
women who seek shelter have made many attempts to stop the abuse, but they cannot
control the abuser's actions. When they have exhausted their resources and are
most vulnerable, shelters provide safety. The women in the study indicate that
shelters are the most effective support available to them; but it is not enough.
Read More June
1, 2006
Ontario
Gov't Invests in Services for Ontarians who are Deaf or Deafblind Ministry of Community &
Social Services Press Release dd June 1, 2006 The
McGuinty government is investing in more services for Ontarians who need intervenors
or sign language interpreters to assist them with daily activities. "For
someone who is deafblind or has a hearing disability, communication barriers can
seriously limit their access to things that most of us take for granted, such
as going to the bank or visiting their doctor," said Community and Social
Services Minister Madeleine Meilleur. "By breaking down these communication
barriers, we are building greater independence for people with disabilities."
The
government's 2006 Budget includes nearly $11 million for interpreter and intervenor
services, an increase of nearly 65 per cent over existing funding levels. The
funding will help to provide more service to people who need it, improve the quality
of services and improve wages to attract and keep people who provide interpreter
and intervenor services. The government will also explore opportunities to increase
the availability of French sign language interpreters and intervenors in the coming
year. Read More June
1, 2006
New
Toll free number connects children with disabilities Launch of first integrated,
coordinated care model for children with special needs bridges service gaps
and shortens waitlists For the first time,
families of children with multiple disabilities in York Region and Simcoe County
have a single point of contact to access an integrated plan of care. Today marks
the official launch of the Children's Treatment Network of Simcoe York's new
toll-free number. By dialing 1-866-377-0286 parents of kids with special
physical, developmental and communications needs connect to the first service
delivery model that links regional healthcare, recreation, education, social and
community resources from over 25 agencies and organizations.
The
Network provides a single plan of care and coordinates services from many agencies
through all stages of a child's development from birth through to age 19. There
are over 4,500 children with multiple disabilities in Simcoe and York whose families
are currently challenged with battling waitlists and navigating and coordinating
services for their children as they mature. Read
More June
1, 2006
Bill
107 will take away rights now entrenched in the code Commentary by Mary Woo Sims, former
chief of the B.C. Human Rights Commission Excerpt: ...
If
you're having difficulty in understanding why these reforms are a big deal, let
me draw this analogy. Many victims of crimes are unhappy with the justice system.
Imagine if the government responded to these concerns by eliminating the police
who investigate crime and Crown prosecutors who bring the matter before the courts.
Imagine the government saying that, since investigating and prosecuting crime
takes too long, you can now bring your charge directly to the courts. I can't
imagine Canadians would agree that this is an effective fix for our problems with
the criminal justice system. So why would we believe that this type of system
would work for human- rights administration?
Ontario
isn't the first province to move in this direction. British Columbia and Nunavut
have also gone down this road, saying these reforms would improve human-rights
delivery. Indeed, these reforms have been seductively referred to as “direct
access.” But, as we've learned in B.C., “direct access” does
not mean direct access to justice, nor does it mean direct access to a hearing
on the merits or substance of a complaint. What it means, in practical terms,
is only direct access to a tribunal. Read More
June
1, 2006
Help
Support the Canadian Breast Cancer Network by Participating in their first Online
Auction on June 1st On
June 1, 2006, the Canadian Breast
Cancer Network (CBCN) launches its first-ever online auction to raise funds
for the Canadian Breast Cancer Network! From
June 1-30, 2006, more than 170 items will be up for auction; new items will be
listed almost daily, so be sure to check back regularly - find theatre, dinner
theatre, comedy club and sports tickets, get a great deal on hotel packages, buy
some new tunes or reading materials. On Mondays and Thursdays, log on to see the
newest selection of books and other items. Visit
the auction website tomorrow at http://www.realauction.ca/cbcn/en/and start surfing for items to bid on. Read
More May
31, 2006
Ontario
Gov't Eliminates 4 Month Retroactive Payment Rule Ministry
of Community and Social Services (MCSS) Press Release dd May 31, 2006 As
part of its plan to restore integrity to Ontario's social assistance program,
the government has eliminated the four month limit on retroactive ODSP payments.
Now, an individual who is approved for ODSP after submitting an application will
receive retroactive payments for the full amount of time that they have been waiting
for approval. Under the previous rule, this person would only have been eligible
for up to four months of retroactive support.
The announcement builds
on previous initiatives to cut the amount of time it takes to process an application,
including investments in new technology and the hiring of additional staff. It
also responds to a major recommendation made by the provincial Ombudsman in his
report released today. Read More May
31, 2006
Ontario’s
most vulnerable are losing out: says Ontario's Ombudsman André Marin Ombudsman Ontario Press
Release dd May 31, 2006
Ontario’s
disabled have lost out on disability benefits to the tune of at least
$6 million, as a result of delays in processing their applications
for support by the Ministry of Community and Social Services’ Ontario Disability
Support Program and the impact of a provincial regulation, which limited retroactive
benefit payments to four months. “Thousands of Ontario’s most vulnerable
citizens have become losers in a cruelly insensitive and intensely bureaucratic
waiting game” Mr. Marin notes in his latest report titled “Losing
the Waiting Game.”
The
Ontario Disability Support Program provides income support, health and other benefits
for people with disabilities who are in financial need. The Ombudsman’s investigation
was launched after the office received 71 complaints of delays of up to 10 months
at the Ontario Disability Support Program’s Disability Adjudication Unit,
which is charged with determining whether or not an applicant for financial support
meets the stringent definition of a “person with a disability” as set
out in the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997. During the Ombudsman’s
investigation, an additional 74 complainants came forward and upon reviewing Ministry
statistics it was found that at least 4,630 individuals and probably many more,
were affected during the period from April 1, 2004 to December 31, 2005 alone.
To
add insult to injury, Mr. Marin found that once an applicant was deemed to be
entitled to financial support, they were limited by regulation, to receiving four
months of retroactive benefits, regardless of how long it may have taken for the
Ministry to process their application and even though the delay was through no
fault of their own. Read More May
31, 2006
A
coalition of women's advocates and anti-violence & income security groups
have come together to create an avalanche of support to demand real change.
We are calling on all women to raise our collective feminist
voices - TOO LOUD TO BE IGNORED
AND TOO ANGRY TO BE APPEASED - until real changes
are made.
On
June 7, plan on attending one of the simultaneous protests in Toronto and Ottawa
and/or help spread the word! Read More
Demands:
A
40% increase
in social assistance rates
End
the clawback
of the National Child Benefit Supplement
Reinstate
the Special Diet supplement
Time:
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Toronto: Picket
outside Minister Meilleur's office at the Ministry of Community & Social Services,
Hepburn Block, 80 Grosvenor St.
Toronto
Ottawa: Picket outside Minister Meilleur's constituency office at
237 Montreal Rd., Vanier
End
Violence Against Women & Children
With the increased cost of living, women can not afford to pay
rent & feed their children
Child
Welfare Workers call '1-800 number' idea "an Accident Waiting to Happen" The union representing
frontline workers in child welfare agencies across the province says a planned
1-800 number to replace on-call services is an accident waiting to happen. The
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says the Department of Community
Services plans to use its own employees to answer calls about cases from across
the province - and then have them make crucial decisions about cases that may
be hundreds of kilometers away. Read More May
31, 2006
ADHD
& Medication Practical Education for Canadian
Healthcare Professionals Due
to a shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists more pediatricians and family
doctors are being asked to diagnose and treat Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) creating a need for knowledge
on current research and the latest information on ADHD medication. Recently Health
Canada has up-dated the prescribing information for all drugs indicated for the
treatment of ADHD in adults and children. The changes affect the Contraindications,
Warnings and Precautions, Dosing recommendations, and Information for the Patient.
Many parents as well as adult patients will be asking for clarification on this
newly released information and will need reassurance that medication is still
a safe choice. Read More May
31, 2006
What
are the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)? The
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set a powerful agenda for a global partnership
to fight poverty, offering a shared vision of a better world by the year 2015.
They
aim to cut extreme poverty by half, ensure every child has the chance to go to
school and live a long and healthy life, and bring discrimination against women
to an end. The risks of dying as a result of childbirth are to be dramatically
reduced, deadly diseases brought under control, the environment better managed,
and the benefits of progress more equally shared by all the nations of the world.
Together, the aspirations set out in the MDGs and their associated targets and
indicators represent a powerful framework for action.
Goal
3 challenges discrimination against women, and seeks to ensure that girls
as well as boys have the chance to go to school. Indicators linked to this goal
aim to measure progress towards ensuring that more women become literate, have
more voice and representation in public policy and decision making, and have improved
job prospects. But the issue of gender equality is not limited to a single goal
— it applies to all of them. Without progress towards gender equality and
the empowerment of women, none of the MDGs will be achieved. Read More Plain language guide to MDGs May
30, 2006
Colourful
paper dolls billowed in the warm spring breeze as hundreds rallied on Parliament
Hill (May 25th) to push the Harper gov't to build a real child care program.
Child care advocates brought thousands of paper dolls & stuffed animals
to symbolize the 7,000 Ottawa children who are stuck on child care waiting lists
under misguided Conservative child care policies.
The rally attracted
hundreds of Ottawa child care workers, parents and kids who were joined by hundreds
more CUPE Ontario members in town for their annual convention. Speakers called
for public, quality, not-for-profit early learning and child care programs across
the country. Read
More View
photo gallery of Child Care Rally May 25th 2006 at Parliament Hill May
30, 2006
Bill
107 needs to come with some assurances: Sandi Ellis As
someone who works for the Canadian Labour Congress and who has been a member of
the Ontario Federation of Labour Human Rights committee for over a decade, I quite
understand the positioning of Michael Bryant and the provincial government on
changes to the Human Rights Commission and the Code under Bill 107.
The
labour movement in Ontario has been lobbying for changes to the Human Rights Commission
for many years. There is no question that the current system for resolving violations
in Ontario is in need of reform, with two primary problems:
A
delay in the process with some investigations taking over a year to be assigned.
The
fact that some complaints are dismissed without ever being referred to the tribunal,
when it is believed they do not need to be.
Bill
107, as it is presented, seemingly alters the process of resolving human rights
complaints, stripping the commission of its responsibilities and transferring
the entire system to the tribunal.
Jamaican
Women Learn to Use CEDAW as a Tool for Change Workshops Teach Women About Their Rights Several
local women's groups in Jamaica have come together to address women's rights through
a series of five training workshops. While
talking to the women being trained at the first of five workshops recently, independent
gender issues consultant Dr. Glenda Simms said that many women do not know
what their rights are, and the workshops are a good place to start.
"You
have a role to play. Use your privilege to empower the less privileged,"
she told the organisers, which comprised the Women's Resource and Outreach Centre
(WROC), the Coalition for Community Participation in Governance, Development Alternatives
with Women for a New Era and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung organisation.
The
workshops, designed to teach Jamaican women about the UN Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (UN CEDAW), attracted
65 participants from all over the island. "CEDAW
is a serious treaty document and the government should be held accountable for
what it does or does not do for you," Dr. Simms said. Read
More May 29, 2006
A
Women’s Gathering In Honour of Lyallen Hayes Hosted
by Minwaashin Lodge, the Aboriginal Women’s Support Centre - August 4 - 6,
2006 Minwaashin
Lodge, the Aboriginal Women’s Support Centre is hosting a Women’s Gathering
in a country setting just 40 minutes from Ottawa. The
gathering will begin on Friday, August 4th (evening), Saturday, August 5th and
end on Sunday, August 6th, 2006.
All women (aged 16 and over) are invited
to join us in a two-day healing weekend, featuring traditional Native teachings,
as well as women’s teachings from around the world. We
have chosen “Truth Survives” as
our theme because the truth of women’s power as healers and keepers of our
traditions will never be destroyed. This will be a camping weekend in the country
not far from Ottawa. Come and share your gifts as a healer or learn from others.
Read More May
29, 2006
Under
the direction of professor André Marette (Laval University), Nicole Beauchemin
(McGill University), Martin Oliver (McGill University Health Centre) and Katherine
Siminovitch (University of Toronto) were part of a Canadian and American team
which published an article in the May issue of Nature Medicine that explains the
role of SHP-1 in the control of blood glucose.
The
researchers already knew that SHP-1 played a role in regulating the immune system.
However, no one had previously taken the time to verify if this protein was involved
in the regulation of metabolism. This is precisely what this team of Canadian
and American researchers did, thanks to a series of mutant or genetically modified
mice producing little or no SHP-1. Read More
May 29, 2006
Increased
Support for Students With Disabilities at Ontario's Colleges and Universities
Ontario
Government Press Release dd May 29, 2006 TORONTO,
May 29, 2006 - The McGuinty government has expanded support for students with
disabilities to ensure they have the opportunity to study and succeed at postsecondary
institutions, Chris Bentley, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities,
announced today.
"We
are on the side of hard working Ontario families who want their children to find
opportunity through access to postsecondary education," Bentley said. "That's
why our government is committed to ensuring that all Ontarians, including students
with disabilities, have the opportunity to reach their full potential."
The government
provided $28.2 million in 2005-06 to help universities and colleges provide services
for students with disabilities to help them succeed. This funding is used to support
a wide range of services provided through offices for students with disabilities.
Read More
May 29, 2006
Women's
Economic Justice Report on Guaranteed Livable Income released On
April 29, 2006, the "Women's Economic Justice Report on Guaranteed Livable
Income" was released. This
72-page report documents over 40 interviews held with women between September
2005 to April 2006 to examine these questions:
What
would the benefits of Guaranteed Livable Income be to women? To family and community?
To children?
How would it impact health, equality, spirituality, politics, peace and the environment?
How do the
benefits of GLI compare with the impacts of poverty?
How does GLI compare with the goal of jobs as a solution to poverty?
What are the barriers and strategies to achieving a GLI?
What
are the concerns about what could go wrong?
What
community initiatives would complement a GLI?
This
report also contains the article The Strong Case for a Guaranteed Livable Income;
data on women's income specially acquired for the project from Revenue Canada;
and where to learn more or get involved. This project was funded by Status of
Women Canada BC/Yukon Region. Read More
May 28, 2006
UN
Committee Criticizes Canada for Persistent Poverty in the Midst of Wealth - Notes
Discriminatory Impact on Women FAFIA
& NAWL Press Release - May 23, 2006 In Concluding Observations
released yesterday in Geneva, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights expressed great concern about persistently high
rates of poverty among women, Aboriginal peoples, African Canadians, people with
disabilities, youth and single mothers. The Committee reviewed Canada's
4th and 5th periodic reports on its compliance with the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights during its 36th session, which ended in
Geneva on Friday.
"The
Committee concluded that Canada is failing to fulfill the rights in the Covenant,
including the right to an adequate standard of living, despite Canada's wealth
and economic prosperity," said Shelagh Day, who was at the review
to represent FAFIA, a broad alliance of women's
and human rights groups, and the National Association
of Women and the Law. Read More May 23,
2006
Bill
C-291 -- the 'fetal homicide' bill Bill
C-291 is a private members' bill that would make it a separate offence to kill
or injure a fetus while committing a violent crime against its mother. Introduced
and given first reading May 17th by MP Leon Benoit, Bill C-291 would recognize
two "persons" in crimes such as the murder last year of Liana White
in Edmonton, or Lacey Peterson in California.
In
both cases, the women killed were pregnant. California law allows for murder charges
in the deaths of both the mother and her unborn child in such cases, but Canadian
law does not. There
is an article in the Toronto Star -- "MP
unveils fetal homicide bill" that quotes Mary Eberts, co-founder
of LEAF about the implications of Bill C-291 for the abortion debate. Read
More May
22, 2006
The
Harper Government: Towards A New Social Order? by
Prof Ann Porter - May 22, 2006 - Socialist Project e-bulletin No, 21 The
election of Stephen Harper's Conservative government on January 23, 2006 has significantly
shifted the terms of the social policy debate in Canada. While in some respects
the Harper government represents a continuation of the market-based neo-liberal
trajectory that has been set over the last 20 some years, in other respects it
represents a turn of a kind that we haven't seen before at the federal level in
Canada. Many aspects of the Conservative agenda are likely to alter both the framework
and nature of social policy discussions. This ranges from specific program proposals
in areas such as childcare and healthcare, to the federal-provincial decentralization
agenda; from proposals to enshrine property rights in the constitution, to changes
in the process of Supreme Court judge selection that could have long run implications
for court challenges and equality-based claims. Of particular concern, however,
and permeating through specific policy proposals, is a reformulation of what the
"social" itself means, both in terms of how we understand the role and
nature of "social" policy, and more fundamentally, how we do or should
constitute ourselves as social beings.Read More May 22, 2006
Bill 107 sets back human rights protection. It seriously weakens the Ontario
Human Rights Commission, the public agency responsible to enforce your right not
to suffer illegal discrimination. We appreciate both the opposition Conservative
and New Democratic Parties voicing our concerns with Bill 107 in the Legislature.
We urge everyone
to act now to help with our campaign to fix Bill 107 so it makes things better,
not worse. This Kit:
AODA
Alliance - Talking Points - Queen’s Park News Conference - May 19, 2006 Read
what the AODA Alliance had to say today at their Queen's Park's news conference
announcing our strong
opposition to the McGuinty Government's Bill 107, the proposed Human Rights
Code Amendment Act, now before the Legislature for Second Reading.Read
More May 19, 2006
The
words that sank Harper's Mr. Clean - Toronto Star Link to the Toronto Star article published May 17, 2006 Gwyn Morgan's
views on ethnic Canadians virtually killed his chances of becoming the PM's federal
watchdog
This
is a speech [Getting Beyond the Symptoms to Root Causes:
What Politicians are Afraid to Say] by Gwyn Morgan, president
and CEO of EnCana Corp., made Dec. 2005 to the Fraser Institute. Morgan's previous
statements on immigration were cited as one of the reasons Liberals, New Democrats
and Bloc Québécois refused to confirm the Prime Minister's pick
as head of public appointments on Tuesday. The theme of Morgan's speech was that
political correctness was preventing politicians from solving some of Canada's
problems.
Canadian
privacy advocates are pushing the federal government to back away from any moves
to extend legal protection to digital rights management technology through copyright
reform.
Excerpt:
"More than a dozen organizations, including the Electronic
Frontier Foundation (EFF), the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS)
and the Canadian Association for Open Source signed a pair of open letters
that were sent to Ministers of Canadian Heritage and Industry earlier this week.
The letters were complemented with the launch of a Web site, Intellectualprivacy.ca,
which provides more background and context to the privacy risks they claim are
associated with digital rights management (DRM).
Federal privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, along with her Ontario and British
Columbia counterparts Ann Cavoukian and David Loukidelis, endorsed the letter
and sent letters of their own."
Bill
109: Residential Tenancies Act Hearings will be held Only in Toronto Hearings on the
new Residential Tenancies Act will be held only in Toronto on May 29,
31 and June 5th. Tenants in other Ontario cities will have to travel to
Toronto or submit a written submission to the Committee. Hearings could
wrap up by June 8th and the Bill can then proceed to Third and final reading.
Tenants who waited 2 ½ years for the new Act can only watch as
the Bill is rammed through the legislature... Bill 109 could become law
before the Legislature rises for the Summer on June 22nd.
Read More May 19, 2006
Supreme
Court of Canada to Rule on Access Rights of Persons with Disabilities Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) Press Release
dd May 17, 2006 The
leadership of Canada's disability community will be in the Supreme Court of
Canada at 9:30 am on May 19th, where the community's access rights will be
interpreted by the country's highest court for the first time. In October 2003
the Canadian Transportation Agency[CTA] ordered VIA Rail to make
its recently purchased rail cars accessible to persons with mobility and vision
disabilities. In March 2005 the Federal Court of Appeal overturned this
decision, saying people with disabilities who can't use the new trains will have
to find other means of transportation.
Before
the trains were purchased, using 100% taxpayer money, former Liberal Transport
Minister David Collenette promised the trains would meet the CTA's train
accessibility standards. When told the trains were inaccessible Collenette washed
his hands of the matter, suggesting VIA seek the CTA's guidance on the issue.
VIA refused. Faced with Canada being the only developed country in the world where
new inaccessible trains could be brought into service, and with the CTA unable
to act on its own initiative, the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD),
on behalf of it broad membership, applied to the CTA for a ruling on whether or
not the trains were legal. Read
More May
18, 2006
Bill
102 Transparent Drug System for Patients Act, 2006 Ontario Health
Coalition - Urgent Update The
drug industry and the pharmacy chains are descending on Queen’s Park regarding
a piece of legislation that will likely work to control the costs of drugs. The
OHC has been calling on government to take action to control the cost of drugs
for years. Now we need to act to support the initiatives in Bill 102 that will
work to control drug costs.
We
strongly encourage local coalitions, member groups and affiliated organizations
and individuals to sign up for standing at the committee hearings on this Bill.
Please note the deadline is next Tuesday, May 23rd, to email or call in to book
a spot. Please call or email in to book your spot now.
A
briefing note on the issues which you can use for
the hearings is below. A full submission from the OHC will be sent out early next
week for your use. Read More
May 17, 2006
Working
families want withdrawal from Afghanistan The
Canadian Labour Congress calls for the withdrawal of Canada’s troops
in Afghanistan and an increase of our commitment to the reconstruction and development
of that country.
At its regular spring meeting earlier this week, the Executive Council of the
Canadian Labour Congress commended the courage and bravery of all the men and
women serving in Afghanistan. The Executive Council, which brings together the
senior leaders of the country’s largest unions along with the presidents
of the provincial and territorial federations of labour, adopted a statement that
also denounces the fact that our federal government “has moved beyond the
NATO mission of humanitarian relief and peacekeeping to an active combat role
in support of the US military mission in Afghanistan. In so doing, our government
has put Canadian troops in harm’s way in an unprecedented manner.”
The Executive Council
of the Canadian Labour Congress does not “accept the argument that Canadian
presence is intended to bring democracy to the people of Afghanistan. Nor do we
accept the premise that our presence is intended to put Afghanistan on the road
to sustainable development or improve women’s equality in that country.”
Read More
May 17, 2006
Funding
for Treatment of Autism Autism in the Senate - Debates
of the Senate (Hansard) May 16, 2006 Hon.
Terry M. Mercer: Honourable senators, it is an honour for me to support my
colleague, the Honourable Senator Munson, in his ongoing effort to raise awareness
of a problem in Canada with regard to our children. I will, no doubt, echo many
of the thoughts and feelings of those here today. I can only hope that we will
do our best to continue to raise awareness of autism and solve the issues surrounding
it.
The Autism
Society Canada estimates the number of children with autism has grown by more
than 150 per cent in the last six years. This statistic is startling. These sufferers,
with compulsive behaviours and speech disorders, become alienated from their family
and friends, those who care about them so deeply. According to most research,
the disorder affects approximately 190,000 Canadians. Three out of every 1,000
children are being diagnosed - up from four in every 10,000 in 1986. Read
More May 17, 2006
Neither the AODA
Alliance (whom the Attorney General appears to have confused with its predecessor,
the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee), nor anyone speaking for it, has
asked the Government to hold off debating reforms to the Human Rights Commission
for twenty years. To the contrary, we have agreed that reform is needed and called
for prompt, time-limited public consultations. However we have opposed the specific
weakening of the Human Rights Commission that the Government announced on February
20, 2006 and enshrined in Bill 107. Read More
May 16, 2006
DAWN
Ontario has grave concerns
about the direction this document suggests for people with developmental disabilitiesin Ontario and are in the process of contacting other stakeholders
to see if we might be able to develop a common understanding on the issues and
a common response to these plans.
The
government is inviting public comments on Opportunities and Action --
note the deadline for feedback/comments is June 30, 2006.
Poverty:
Enough is Enough by
Jacquie Chic, Toronto Star Opinion-Editorial, May 16, 2006 No
matter the model, income security reform must reflect the actual cost of living
in each community, says Jacquie Chic Excerpt: "The dire poverty in which social assistance recipients and minimum
wage workers live is attributable to the inexcusable state of our income security
system.
No
amount of bickering about how to measure poverty and therefore how widespread
it is changes the fact that it exists and that the gap between rich and poor is
widening.
Recent
immigrants, Indians, women and people living with disabilities are most likely
to be poor. [please note: the text for this
Op-Ed was submitted by Jacquie Chic as "Aboriginal people" and was edited
by the Star to read "Indians"].
Governments
don't make the choices they do because they are blind to the existence of poverty
or its effects. On the contrary, choices that reduce or minimally increase low
income are favoured despite the peril that causes for the poor because they create
increased profit margins and allow CEO salaries to soar...."
Action
Alert: Equal Marriage Vote Stephen
Harper has confirmed he’ll hold a vote on re-opening equal marriage.
So the only issue is when. How long will he delay that vote? Until he thinks he
has the votes to win? Until after the next election? Although
we’re ahead in the vote count, opponents of equal marriage are pressing for
a delay so they can take advantage of what they call “a window of opportunity”
to pressure MPs to vote for re-opening the divisive marriage debate.
Equal marriage opponents are using this “window” to actively
target MPs in Ottawa. They’re even hosting receptions for “supportive
and persuadable” MPs!! One was hosted on Parliament Hill just a few weeks
ago by Pat O’Brien’s group, Vote Marriage Canada.
It’s
critical that MPs hear not only from equal marriage opponents, but from supporters
as well. We know 2/3 of Canadians are against rolling back the clock on equality,
but MPs may not believe that, if all they hear are calls to “restore traditional
marriage.” Read More & Take Action May
16, 2006
Bill
109: Will the Legislative Committee for Bill 109 travel outside the GTA? The New Residential
Tenancies Act is well into Second Reading and the government has given no
indication as to whether Committee hearings will be held throughout the province
or only be held in Toronto. Issues surrounding the Tenant Protection Act and
the Housing Tribunal are finally being addressed in Bill 109, The Residential
Tenancies Act. It is vital that all groups that wish to give a presentation to
the Committee have the chance to do so. This Bill could be rushed through committee
and passed by June 22nd when the Legislature rises for the summer. Read
More May
15, 2006
'Time
For A Fair Deal' The Task Force to Modernize Income
Security for Working-Age Adults Releases its Final Report - May 2006
Bill
C-225 Pesticide Ban -- Sign Petition Please
add your support for this petitionand forward to your friends, networks and family; to all ecologically minded
citizens. There is a paid business lobbyist working for pesticide companies in
London - The "grassroots" of Canada can certainly meet this challenge
to the integrity of our children's health, not to mention the birds, bugs and
squirrels that cannot read the warning signs either. Irene
Mathyssen (London-Fanshawe MP) and Bill Armstrong (Ward 4 London City
Councillor) have created an online petition in support of Bill C-225. The bill
would place a moratorium on the cosmetic use of pesticides until products are
proven safe and approved by a committee of Parliament.
CRIAW
is a national non-profit research institute whose work centres on making the
links between feminist research, action and social change. Its main objective
is to advance social justice and equality for all women.
Rethinking
Mainstream Approaches to Questions of Social and Economic Policy: Intersectional
Feminist Frameworks (IFFs) follow
this link to CRIAW
Intersectional Feminist Frameworks: An emerging
vision CRIAW's
critical reflection piece on Intersectional Feminist
Frameworks (IFFs) is the result of over
two years of conversations with community activists and academics on the intersectionality
experienced by historically marginalized groups. IFFs examine how factors including
socio-economic status, race, class, gender, sexualities, ability, geographic location,
refugee and immigrant status combine with broader historical and current systems
of discrimination such as colonialism and globalization to simultaneously determine
inequalities among individuals and groups.
Disentangling
the Web of Women’s Poverty and Exclusion!
This information tool reveals that the issues affecting women’s poverty and
exclusion are deeply interconnected in creating a web of economic insecurity and
marginalization. The lens of Intersectional feminist frameworks (IFFs) is crucial
in disentangling this web and in bringing about social change. Disentangling the
web is not enough. Solutions and strategies to achieve social and economic justice
must be explored and implemented if we are to build stronger movements to strengthen
civil society’s capacity to influence policy. This information tool is about
making the voices of activists and advocates being at the forefront of the work
for social change and women’s substantive equality.
Free copies: Phone:
613-563-0681 ext 221, Email: info@criaw-icref.ca (There is a charge
for posting and handling if you order 10 copies or more) May
14, 2006
Bill
208, the Protection of Fundamental Freedoms (Marriage) Statues Amendment Act FOTF / IMFC Watch:
Focus
on the Family (FOTF) Canada / Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC) (Hold
your nose ... as you read and get ready to mobilize around the issues facing us
as a nation vis a vis the fundamentalist desire for political supremacy)
Women’s
Health Institute Project - Consultation Update Bulletin 2, Spring 2006 The
Women’s Health Institute Project Team has been busy meeting with individuals
and groups from throughout the province. The feedback gathered from these sessions
has been very useful and will inform the ongoing recommendations and reports made
to the Minister of Health and Long Term Care over the coming year.
Read
More May
13, 2006
Special
Diet Allowance Update The
Ministry has issued two new bulletins and an instruction sheet for physicians
and health professionals clarifying that in situations where recipients have been
granted a special diet allowance to help them reach a healthy body weight, the
allowance should be continued to help them maintain their weight.Read More May
13, 2006
Expose
and Oppose P3s and Private Hospital The
OFL’s campaign to expose and oppose privatization and Public-Private Partnerships
(P3c) has been traveling across the province in April and May conducting workshops
for union members and engaging local media in the debate around the issue of building
and rebuilding public services. Read
more in the latest issue of FOCUS! May
12, 2006
Senate
Debates of May 11, 2006 - Autism! Hon. Jim Munson rose pursuant
to notice of April 27, 2006: That he will call the attention of the Senate
to the issue of funding for the treatment of autism. He said: Honourable
senators, there is an urgent health issue in this country and that issue is autism.
The Autism Society of Canada estimates that the number of children with autism
has grown by more than 150 per cent in the last six years and now affects one
in 200 children. Autism affects people in different ways, isolating its sufferers
with compulsive behaviours and speech disorders that close people off from their
family, friends, teachers, neighbours and society as a whole. Read
More May
12, 2006
Senator
Munson Launches an Inquiry into the Treatment of Autism - Senate Wakes Up! OTTAWA, May
11, 2006 – The Honourable Jim Munson, Senator (Ottawa – Rideau
Canal) rose in the Senate today to launch an inquiry on the plight faced by parents
of children with autism. “It is heartbreaking to see what families with autistic
children have to deal with,” said Senator Munson. “Where is the universality
in health care that Canadians are so proud of? It’s not to be found if you
have autism,” continued the senator from Ontario. “The Canada Health
Act does not specify autism treatment as an Insured Health Service.”
“Autism knows no borders. It is time for the Government of Canada to
show leadership – in the same way that we have shown leadership with Canada’s
Drug Strategy or our Diabetes Strategy. We need a National Autism Spectrum Disorder
Strategy.” Senator Munson hopes that with the support of his colleagues that
this inquiry may become the focus of a study of a Standing Senate Committee. Read
More & en français May 11, 2006
New
Human Rights Bill Hurts Those Who Need It Most On
April 26, the McGuinty Liberals introduced Bill 107, An Act to Amend the Human
Rights Code. Unions, community groups and the NDP all condemned the Bill as a
disaster for Human Rights in Ontario, and called on the government to hold public
hearings to give a say to those who will be affected.
OFL
Executive Vice-President Terry Downey said the legislation “will only
make matters worse for the very people the Commission was set up to help. Under
the guise of ‘direct access’ to a Human Rights Tribunal this legislation
only allows access to a court – not justice,” said Downey. “It’s
privatization of a publicly-funded human rights system. The amendments serve to
Americanize the system.” .... Read More May 11, 2006
Task
Force for Income Security Launches Report & Recommendations Media Advisory: Toronto
City Summit Alliance - May 11, 2006
The Task
Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults
(MISWAA) will release its report addressing the urgent need
to reform Canada's income security policies. The report will detail specific recommendations
that will transform the country's income security system into a more effective
one for working age adults. The proposals constitute a multi-faceted set of solutions
aimed at the federal government, the provincial government, municipal governments,
and other parts of civil society than can ultimately contribute to the solutions.
Read More May 11, 2006
Satire:
Canadian Politics: What's The U.N. Know Anyway? by
Richard Marcus - a must read! Excerpt: ... The government spokesperson at these hearings, Allan Kessel a
legal advisor to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, pointed out to those do-gooders
on this committee that most Canadians "have access to housing of acceptable
size and quality at affordable prices." I mean goodness; it's only $800.00
a month for a one-room apartment in Toronto. Only a malcontent would make
a fuss over the fact that a single person only receives $540.00 a month on
welfare.
Look
at all the geared-to-income housing units we have in the province of Ontario alone
for these people on welfare and disability support payments. It's only on average
a five-year wait for one of those apartments and after that you're set for
life. A couple gets a 750 square foot one bedroom apartment in a low rise complex
filled with other couples and families just like them. It's a regular community.
Mr.
Kessel said Canada was "proud of its record of achievement in the promotion
of economic, social and cultural rights." and has been at the forefront of
promoting human rights both internationally and domestically. Just look at our
new policy for day care as an example of economic and social rights. A couple
with only one person working and whose income is over $175,000 a year can claim
a $1200.00 tax credit at the end of the year. Of course the less money you
make the less of a credit you get because you don't need to deduct as much
from your taxable income now do you?
Of
course we are proud of our record regarding human rights domestically. Just look
at the wonderful work we are doing with our native populations.Twice
in the last two months we have successfully airlifted whole communities off their
reserves when the water systems have failed and they were threatened with e-coli
infestations. They all got to have a nice trip out of town at government expense
and nobody got sick.
Oh
sure there has been some belly aching because the new government hasn't honoured
the Kelowna Accord's commitments for funding housing, education, and employment,
but they still got $1.5 million dollars this year. They didn't really think they
would get the $8 million that all the provinces and the previous government agreed
to, now did they? ...
Read More May 11, 2006
Call
for a National Autism Strategy To
date no province has offered autism treatment under the Medicare umbrella. Those
provinces that offer autism treatment programs under the Social Services departments
are often plagued with unconscionable waiting lists or discriminatory age-based
cut-offs.
It
is time for the federal government to demonstrate leadership and develop a
National Autism Strategy that would see fedeal budget surplus dollars
transferred to the provinces specifically for autism treatment along with corresponding
standards so that no child with autism will be left behind.
We
are calling on all parents, family and friends of children with autism to write
their MPs, Senators, and the Health Minister, to:
*
Ask them for the corresponding study results in Canada and what are they doing
about it.
* Ask them what they're doing about the lack of Federal funding for the treatment
of autism.
* Call for the new Conservative government to develop a National Autism Strategy.
End
the clawback
of the National Child Benefit Supplement
Reinstate
the Special Diet supplement
Time:
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Toronto: Picket
outside Minister Meilleur's office at the Ministry of Community & Social Services,
Hepburn Block, 80 Grosvenor St.
Toronto
Ottawa: Picket outside Minister Meilleur's constituency office at
237 Montreal Rd., Vanier
End
Violence Against Women & Children
With the increased cost of living, women can not afford to pay
rent & feed their children
Most of those receiving social assistance are single mothers
Basic necessities can ensure women & children's health & safety
It
is not a surprise that many women decide to return
to abusive relationships in order
to survive economically! May 10, 2006
Mr.
Harper, on Mothers Day, women want more that just flowers: we want real equality
now! The
National Association of Women and the Law released a Mother's Day Statement
that has been endorsed by over 100 local, provincial and national organizations
across the country. While more fathers have been getting involved, women still
do the lion's share of the work of caring for children and the home. Most mothers
do a double day's work and pay a steep economic price for raising young children.
Motherhood often leads to impoverishment for women, to overwork, exhaustion and
guilt. The Mothers Day Statement calls on the Harper government to take concrete
measures toward the social and economic equality of mothers. Read
More May 10, 2006
Globally,
the media shows little interest in women's issues by Kamala
Sarup, May 10, 2006, LA Chronicle reprinted with permission
of the author Excerpt:
The International Federation of Journalists, the world's largest journalists'
group, says that stereotyping of women in media and the restricted entry of women
into the charmed circle and largely male world of management in journalism are
key obstacles to gender equality in the media industry. "Around
the world the struggle for equality in media is a constant battle for recognition
of women's rights. The issue is always there whether it is in discrimination over
jobs and pay or in the diet of sexist and titillating journalism that still contributes
to the difficulties faced by women in all sections of society," the IFJ said.
Read the full article
May 10, 2006
Where
Are the Women? Kirby Report is hit and miss, advocates for women's mental health
say Working Group Releases Background
Overview of Women, Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction in Canada Women’s
mental health, mental illness and addictions experts and advocates from across
Canada applauded the call for a Mental Health Transition Fund by the Standing
Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, but expressed deep
concern over the absence of any gender analysis in the Committee’s final
report on mental health, mental illness and addiction in Canada, released yesterday.
Read More May 10,
2006
FAFIA
- Update & Invitation: May 17 - CEDAW 25th Anniversary Event ...
FAFIA is hosting
an event onParliament Hill on Wednesday, May 17th between 5:15 and 6:30
p.m. entitled “25 Years: Ready or Not?”.
This gathering is intended to give Parliamentarians more information regarding
Canada’s obligations under CEDAW. It also offers FAFIA members an opportunity
to talk with Parliamentarians regarding our efforts to ensure Canada’s full
accountability for its human rights commitments to women.
Our primary
objective for the event is to convey our confidence that with the right approach,
the current session of Parliament can potentially be a positive and productive
one for the advancement of women’s rights in Canada. We also intend to demonstrate
FAFIA’s commitment to working with all Parliamentarians and parties willing
to go the distance on the UN recommendations. Read More May 10, 2006
Announcing
National Elizabeth Fry Week / Annoncé
la semain e nationale elizabeth fry National
Elizabeth Fry Week: May 8 - 14, 2006 Theme:
Women in Community Purpose
of National Elizabeth Fry Week: The
Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) celebrates National
Elizabeth Fry Week annually. Elizabeth Fry societies across the country organize
public events in their communities throughout the week.
Our
goal is to enhance public awareness and education regarding the circumstances
of women involved in the criminal justice system, especially those who are criminalized.
We hope to challenge and gradually break down the negative stereotypes that exist
about women who are victimized and criminalized.
National
Elizabeth Fry Week is always the week preceding Mother's Day. The majority of
women in prison are mothers. Most of them were the sole supporters of their families
at the time they were incarcerated. When mothers are sentenced to prison, they
and their children are also sentenced to separation. Many women find this the
most severe punishment. We try to draw attention to this reality by ending Elizabeth
Fry Week on Mother's Day each year. Read More en français May
8, 2006
AODA
Alliance Releases Preliminary Response to the McGuinty Government's Human Rights
Bill Accessibility
For Ontarians With Disabilities Act (AODA) Alliance Update
dd May 8, 2006 Summary: On
Wed., April 26, 2006, the McGuinty Government introduced into the Legislature
for First Reading Bill 107, the proposed "Human Rights Code Amendment Act,
2006." That bill is aimed at reforming the process for enforcing human rights
in Ontario. By
introducing this bill at that time, the Government rejected the widespread claims
from the AODA Alliance and many others, that it should not introduce a bill on
this topic until it held a proper, open accessible public consultation on how
to reform the Human Rights Code. The
bill itself is a substantial rejection of major concerns about the Government's
plans that have been raised by so many voices in the disability community such
as the AODA Alliance, racialized communities and by other sectors of our community.
Shortly we will
make available the important documents from the Government concerning this bill.
However, today as quickly as it can, the AODA Alliance is releasing its preliminary
response to Bill 107. We
have to act as quickly as we can, because unfortunately the McGuinty Government
is rushing to proceed with this bill in the Ontario Legislature. We learned late
last week, though not from the Government itself, that the Government is bringing
Bill 107 forward for the first day of Second Reading Debates in the Legislature
this evening from around 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. By rushing this bill forward to Second
Reading debates just 12 days after the bill got First Reading on April 26, 2006,
the Government is giving the public far too little time to digest all the bill's
complicated provisions. It also is eliminating the possibility of sending the
bill out for public hearings before the bill reaches Second Reading. Had this
Government sent the bill out for hearings over the summer before Second Reading,
we would have had a broader opportunity to have input into the bill before the
Legislature voted on it at Second Reading. At Second Reading the Legislature votes
whether to give the bill "approval in principle." Read
More May 8, 2006
UN
Experts question Canada’s inaction on poverty, housing, aboriginal rights GENEVA - “Many
of the issues our committee raised in 1993 and 1998 are unfortunately still live
issues today,” said Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay, a member of the UN Committee
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights during the committee’s review of
Canada’s performance. “Years later, the situation appears to be unchanged,
and in some respects worse. There is continuing homelessness and reliance on food
banks, security of tenure is not still not enjoyed by tenants, child tax benefits
are still clawed back, (...) the situation of aboriginal peoples, migrants and
people with disabilities doesn’t seem to be improving.” ... Several
committee members were disturbed by the lack of investment in social programs
and by continuing high poverty rates of the most marginalized (women, aboriginal
peoples, people of colour and immigrants) [editor's
comment: What about people with disability???] and wondered why this
has happened when the government is enjoying budget surpluses year after year.
Read More May 8, 2006
Interview
with Circle of Women with Disabilities (CIMUDIS) in the Dominican Republic The Association
for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) kindly provided this transcript (Rochelle
Jones) of the recent interview they conducted with Cristina Francisco from
Circle of Women with Disabilities (CIMUDIS)
in the Dominican Republic about the intersection of feminism, discrimination and
disability. Read More May
8, 2006
Take
Back Mother's Day March & Protest May
14, 2006 at 2:00 pm - 15 Huntley Street (Sherbourne & Bloor)
- Toronto For most
Canadians, Mother’s Day is a time when families honour their mother’s
hard work. But for many of low income families find that on Mother’s Day,
peace and joy is in very short supply, especially now that more than 30,000 of
their youngsters languish in foster homes. We did not lose our children because
of abuse, rather we lost our children because of poverty, lack of affordable adequate
housing, being single, being young, having a child with special needs, being in
recovery from substance abuse issues, having survived an abusive partner, or having
worked in the Adult Entertainment Industry. Silenced for decades by shame
and guilt, we suffered alone with our grief, believing that we were the only ones.
Now we find that we are not alone. Mother’s Day began as a day to honor the
public activism of mothers. It began in 1870 because mother’s declared that
they would not lose their children as casualties of war. On
Sunday May 14th 2006, let's “Take
Back Mother’s Day" by joining with Mothers across Toronto as
we rally in front of the Children’s Aid Society at
15 Huntley Street at 2:00pm to demand... Read
More May 7, 2006
Express
Line to Injustice Ontarians
want a strong and effective Commission, one that is both comprehensive and flexible;
not one that merely achieves a case management efficiency by the slashing and
burning of human rights.by
Lorne Foster, May 5, 2006 -
from rabble
news The
Ontario Liberals recently announced in the Legislative Assembly a proposal to
create a new human rights system. Bill 107 effectively guts the Ontario Human
Rights Commission, eliminating the entire enforcement provision. By voiding the
investigation and compliance functions of the Commission, complainants will be
expected to navigate the process on their own or hire a lawyer. Read
the full article on rabble news May 6, 2006
AUTISM:
Latest Prevalence Rates in USA - Now 1 in 175 Below
is the latest bombshell in the USA about the prevalence rates for autism. Clearly,
this is getting media attention in the USA. We need to capitalize on this and
send this information to all MPs
and Senators,
especially Tony Clement, the Minister
of Health, and ask them for the corresponding study results in Canada and what
are they doing about it?
Clearly,
this would support our case that the government needs to mandate the Public
Health Agency with monitoring what the heck is going on and using this data to
feed into policy development.
Native Women's Association of
Canada (NWAC) Native
Women's Association of Canada President Beverley Jacobs disappointed with the
lack of clear financial commitment the Conservative Gov't has committed to Aboriginal
people in its 2006 Budget
Canadian
Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Harper's
first budget: tax cuts trump child care, public services - Conservatives hoodwinking
Canadians in quest for majority
Ontario
Ministry of Finance Ontario
Still Seeking Fairness From Federal Government - Harper's
First Budget "Leaves More Questions Than Answers," Bountrogianni Says
Certified
Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada) First Conservative
Budget Falls Short in Boosting Canadian Productivity - Measures ignore growing
information and communications technology where greatest gains can be achieved
Federal
Budget short-changes Canadian Children Reaction
to the Federal Budget by the Presidents of: Ontario Public School
Boards' Association (OPSBA); Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO);
Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF); Canadian Teachers Federation
(CTF); Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations (OFHSA)
CCD
- Council of Canadians with Disabilities Online Consultation The
International Development Committee of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities
(CCD) invites disability rights advocates and human rights advocates to join
us for an on-line discussion about the proposed UN Convention
to Protect and Promote the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Last year, Mary Ennis,
CCD Vice-Chair, and International Development Committee Member, conducted an on-line
consultation for women with disabilities about how the proposed Convention should
address gender. During this consultation, participants expressed a preference
for the Convention to address the issues of women with disabilities in both a
separate article and throughout the various articles of the convention, where
appropriate. This approach has been supported by the Canadian delegation at the
Ad Hoc Meetings, and at present, all indications are that it will prevail.
This
year, Steven Estey, Chairperson of our International Development Committee
will conduct another on-line consultation about the Convention. This year, we
will be using Dis-IT’s “ACollab,” an accessible web-based
collaboration tool (see below for more details).
The
consultation will provide an opportunity to dialogue more generally with others
who are interested in the development of the United Nations’ first international
convention specifically addressing human rights and people with disabilities.
... Read
More
Agenda
for the online forum: added
May 6, 2006 May
8: Receive documents on 1st item (definition of disability) May 9-12: Discussion
on definition of disability May 13: Receive documents on last discussion (monitoring)
May 14-17: Discussion on monitoring May 18: Close process and provide summaries. Read More May
4, 2006
Apostle
of transparency: Harper developing into most secretive PM in history
by Geoffrey Stevens, StraightGoods.com, May 2,
2006 Prime Minister Stephen Harper campaigned
for election on the twin principles of transparency and accountability. A Conservative
government would be an Open Government yes, sir. No more sweeping of corruption
under the Privy Council carpet no, sir. Open Government that's the ticket.
If there is any lingering doubt about the hollowness, the emptiness, the cynicism
the sheer hypocrisy of the Harper campaign promises, it is swept away by the devastating
report released on Friday by Information Commissioner Reid. Reid is a servant
of Parliament, not of the government. It is his duty to defend the publics access
to information about what government is doing and how it is doing it, so that
the people may judge whether their representatives are competent or incompetent,
honest or dishonest, well-motivated or mean-spirited.
Read the full article on StraightGoods May
4, 2006
FAFIA
Budget Wrap Up(updated
document dd May 5, 2006) There
is little evidence that this federal budget was subjected to a gender analysis
during its development. Many of the issues that preoccupy millions of women, including
access to childcare, language training and mentorship programs for employment
(for new Canadians in particular), skills development and training, as well as
income support programs (eg. social assistance, employment insurance) are not
meaningfully addressed in this budget. For the third consecutive year, FAFIA has
commissioned Armine Yalnizyan to provide a gender based analysis of the federal
budget which will be available in the coming weeks. In advance of this, to help
our members, partners and friends understand what the implications of this budget
are, we have compiled the following responses from a range of sources. Read
More updated
May 5, 2006
No
Child-Care Clawback for Manitoba Families: Melnick News
Release: Manitoba Family Services and Housing Families with children
under age six in Manitoba receiving employment and income assistance (EIA) will
receive the full federal Universal Child Care Benefit and their income assistance
levels will not be affected, Family Services and Housing Minister Christine Melnick
announced today. "The
incomes and the quality of life for low-income Manitobans who are participating
in the EIA program will not be affected," said Melnick. "We are committed
to helping people achieve their full potential and providing children with the
right start in life." Read More
May 3,
2006
The
15 cent per hour increase to Quebec's minimum wage
This article appeared in The Gazette yesterday about the 15 cent/hr increase to
Quebec's minimum wage ... Note the figures quoted from Stats Canada ... "According
to Statistics Canada data for last September, almost
two-thirds of minimum wage workers in Canada are women. One in three
teenagers age 15 to 19 work for minimum wage - accounting for nearly half of the
minimum wage earners in the country, StatsCan says. ... Another 17 per cent of
minimum wage workers are age 20 to 24, and nearly half
of them are students."
Minimum
wage hike is peanuts critics: Hourly pay jumps
today by dime, nickel; 'Please. Fifteen cents? Where can I go with that? Multiply
that by eight hours a day' by Natalie Goldenberg-Fife, Freelance,
The Gazette, Monday, May 01, 2006 Excerpt: "Quebec's
minimum wage increases by 15 cents an hour today, but many workers who will benefit
are not exactly jumping for joy. The rate goes to $7.75, up from $7.60 an hour.
For those receiving tips, it will be $7 - up from $6.85. ... Jean-Pascal Bernier,
a spokesperson for Labour Minister Laurent Lessard, said as many as 118,000 Quebecers
will benefit from the increase. "We are talking about those in the service
industry, single mothers and young people," he said. The increase is part
of a provincial plan - adopted in 2004 - to reduce poverty, Bernier said.
"Increasing the minimum wage on a regular basis
will help to make poverty disappear." ??? Read
the Full Article May 2, 2006
Ken
Dryden, Liberals - "Thinking big" just won’t cut it by
Arthur Weinreb, Associate Editor, Canada Free Press Excerpt:
A day after he formally announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Liberal
Party of Canada, a column penned by Ken Dryden appeared in the National Post.
Titled "Canada needs to think big",
Dryden outlined what he would like to see happen in the next ten years. He wrote,
"Within ten years, let
us: * Cut child poverty in half. * Become one of the top five most productive
countries on earth. * Lead the world in alternative energies and energy efficiency.
* Finally and forever make Aboriginal peoples full participants in the success
of Canada. * Build a truly inclusive, accessible country for Canadians with disabilities."
<sniped> ...
These grand visions of reducing child poverty (where have we heard
that before?) and making Aboriginals full participants in the success of Canada,
whatever that means are nothing more than wishes and dreams. We need a leader
who can set realistic and achievable goals and then carry them out. Or in the
words of Nike; someone who can "just do it".Read
the full article May 2, 2005
A
Call to End Women's Poverty May
1st, 1pm-3pm at the 519 Church Street Community Centre
Join us on
May 1st from 1 to 3pm to organize a mass delegation of women (to take place
in the later part of May) to demand that the government:
implement a 40%
increase in the social assistance rates,
end
the clawback of the National Child Tax Credit, and
reinstate
the Special Diet supplement.
The
meeting will take place at The 519 Church Street Community Centre (Wellesley Subway)
Child Care will be provided upon request. ASL interpretation will be provided
upon request. Contact: Ginny Santos at 416-392-3138 (TTY: 416-392-3031) or justice@metrac.org Read More May
1, 2006
Canada
Must Re-Invest in Women, Groups tell United Nations in Geneva Ottawa
- Today in Geneva, women’s organizations and other social justice groups
from Canada will report on Canada’s disappointing performance under the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The United Nations Committee
is due to review Canada’s compliance under this Convention in the coming
week. FAFIA,
a broad alliance of women’s organizations and human rights groups, and the
National Association of Women and
the Law (NAWL) are submitting a joint report to the UN
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights that demonstrates
how past federal budgets have starved many crucial social programs between 1995
and 1998. As a result, welfare rates are at levels that the National Council
on Welfare calls “punitive and cruel”, civil legal aid for family
law and poverty law matters is in a state of crisis, and deep cuts have been made
to front line services for women fleeing violence. Despite eight years of federal
budget surpluses since then, monies for these programs have never been restored.en
français --
Read More May 1,
2006
Canada
fails to meet economic and social rights obligations, United Nations told Canada is going
backwards on its commitments to implement the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, a network of Canadian non-governmental organizations
say in presentations they will make to a UN Committee on May 1. Though
Canada is one of the wealthiest nations in the world with low unemployment and
record Federal budget surpluses, too many people are being denied the human rights
guaranteed by the Covenant, such as the rights to an adequate standard of living,
to social security, to housing, to food, to health, and fair working conditions
including fair wages. Disproportionate numbers of Aboriginal people, women, people
with disabilities, people of colour, refugees and youth experience poverty and
other rights violations in Canada today. Read More May 1, 2006
Blue
Social Policy and the Speech from the Throne: Evaluating the Four Top Social Policy
Priorities of the Conservative Government In keeping
with its focus on the pursuit of social justice, the Canadian Association of
Social Workers (CASW) announces the publication of
Blue Social Policy and the Speech from the Throne: Evaluating
the Four Top Social Policy Priorities of the Conservative Government.
The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the four social priorities of
the Conservative government and concludes that, while it is good news that four
of the five priorities of the Conservative government are related to social policy,
the bad news is that some of the policies are likely to lead to a widening gap
between high and low-income families. For example, reductions in the GST will
benefit the poor but disproportionately benefit high-income families, and the
real value of the proposed children s allowance to most families will be less
than $1,200 because of tax-backs and possible cutbacks in other children s benefits.en
français -- Read More May
1, 2006
Statement
by Canada and Quebec's Child Care Coalitions Unprecedented joint
effort to win Parliamentary support for child care funding in budget La Coalition des services
de garde et des services aux familles and the Child Care Advocacy Association
of Canada are joining forces to pressure federal politicians of all parties to
deliver multi-year funding for child care in the federal budget. We are doing
so in an effort to ensure that Canada's Parliament acts to fulfill its responsibilities
to young children and their parents. Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision
to cancel promised funding to the provinces and territories will strike a blow
to families in Quebec and the rest of Canada. The decision ignores the reality
of Canadian families who need flexible quality child care whether they are in
the workforce, at home or in school. It also flies in the face of extensive research
and experience here and internationally that demonstrates the benefits of quality
early learning and child care for children, families and society at large. Read
More May 1, 2006
39th
PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION - EDITED HANSARD . NUMBER 012 - Friday, April 28, 2006 As a follow up to our Call for Letters in support
of increased funding for women's equality-seeking groups Please see excerpt
below from the April 28th Hansard containing the question posed by Maria Minna,
Liberal critic for Status of Women and the response from Bev Oda, the Minister
Responsible for Status of Women. Status
of Women Hon.
Maria Minna (Beaches-East York, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, conservative-minded groups
are actively campaigning to have the Status of Women Canada program disbanded.
Can the minister reassure the House that the government will take no such action
and that no cuts will be made to the budget of this very important department? Hon. Bev Oda (Minister
of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the member's
question gives me the opportunity to indicate that this government recognizes
the importance of women. They represent 50% of all Canadians. We will support
them in their endeavours. The resources they require so they can fully participate
in Canadian life will be assured. Read More April 30, 2006
'All
governments aren't doing enough' by Bill Dunphy, The
Hamilton Spectator dd Apr 29, 2006 Excerpt: The
politics of poverty makes for strange bedfellows. A surreal air suffused Hamilton's
council chambers yesterday morning as politicians from all three levels of government
gathered to praise and applaud a man about to step onto an international stage
and excoriate two of those same governments for failing to protect the rights
of the poor. Poverty lawyer Craig Foye is bound for Geneva, Switzerland,
where on Monday he will address a United Nations committee and accuse the provincial
and federal governments of violating international human rights covenants by failing
to ensure an adequate standard of living for Hamilton's -- and all of Canada's
-- poor. Read the Full
Article April 29, 2006
Human
Rights Now Only Available In Ontario If You Can Afford It Ontario
Federation of Labour Press Release Excerpt:"... The fundamental role of any Human Rights system is to make it as
completely accessible as possible to all people who have a complaint. The Legislation
before the House will do no such thing. It takes away previously guaranteed rights
to free resources that include investigation, mediation and legal support. This
Legislation even allows the Tribunal to charge user fees," Downey said.
"If you're wealthy enough to afford a lawyer, your case will probably get
to the Tribunal - otherwise - forget it." ... "Under this model the
Tribunal becomes the investigator, the Judge, the Jury and the ultimate decision-maker
in deciding if a case should move forward. The Tribunal has the final say - there
is no appeal." Read More April
27, 2006
Call
for Letters in support of increased funding for women's equality- seeking groups
Now is
the time to ACT and stand in solidarity with women's equality-seeking groups
who on a daily basis, struggle to advance women's equality with very little resources.
I encourage every member
of DAWN Ontario and our allies to share this far and wide. Please ask the same
of women in your respective networks. Write
to the Prime Minister and send copies to the Minister Responsible for Status of
Women and to the Liberal, NDP and Bloc Québecois Critics for Status of
Women, in support of increased funding for women's equality-seeking
groups! (see sample letter)
As previously posted, the R.E.A.L. Women group has been
lobbying for the last 7 yrs to disband Status of Women. With Harper and the Conservatives
in power, the time to act is NOW! Read More &
Take Action April 25, 2006
Protecting
Canada's image Toronto
Star aricle dd Apr. 25, 2006 Excerpt: "Many
Canadians have long prided themselves on being recognized internationally as a
tolerant and peaceful voice in domestic and international affairs. ... However,
in light of recent negative, stereotyped discourses by military leaders (Gen.
Rick Hillier: "Our enemies are "scumbags" who "detest our
freedoms ... our societies") and jingoistic rhetoric by our new government
— all echoed and perpetuated by journalists — I wonder whether we are
losing this image.Read
the full Article April 25, 2006
Heads
up: "Mother Moon" on world tour Cult
leader Sun Myung Moon
calls himself the "enemy
of feminism," which he calls
"Satanic". Nevertheless, he understands that women are a force
to be reckoned with, so he has established several bogus women's organizations,
as well as bogus Jewish, Moslem, African-American and Native Indian ones. He also
provided money to form the anti-environmental "Share" groups two decades
ago. Though Moon is calling for a Christian theocracy, he has himself in
mind as the Messiah! Though we don't hear much about him here, Moon is a billionaire
with many thousands of followers and hundreds of front groups around the world.
(South America, Africa and Oceania are now receiving special attention.) His fishing
fleets provide a huge amount of supermarket fish sold in North America, and almost
all sushi. Read More April
24, 2006
Where
is the Money for Women's Rights? It seems that there
are too few interested funders, with too little money, to support existing women's
rights organizations and initiatives. Is it that women's rights groups are not
bold enough in their fundraising strategies? Is it that donors simply don't understand
the urgency and importance of this work? What has really been happening in terms
of funding for women's rights organizations in the last ten years and what have
been the driving forces behind those trends? This report is the result of an action
research initiative launched by AWID to explore precisely those questions
and to give insights into possible strategies for changing the existing funding
landscape so that more resources are made available to women's rights organizations.
Read More April
24, 2006
New
Website: Women's Learning Partnership Women's Learning
Partnership (WLP) is pleased to announce the launch of a new website at http://learningpartnership.org.
The website provides innovative resources to support empowerment and advocacy
programs for women in the Global South, particularly in Muslim-majority societies
April
24, 2006
International
Consultation on Women Human Rights Defenders Proceedings Victoria Collis, River Path Associates. (December 22, 2005)
This is a full report of the International Consultation on Women Human Rights
Defenders held on 29 November - 2 December 2005 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This
report documents the discussions and analyses of violations and abuses committed
against women human rights defenders through a framework of four key sources of
violations: state actors, non-state actors, family and community, sex and sexuality-based
attacks. It also contains strategies and recommendations made by the participants
to better protect women human rights defenders. To view the report please see:
http://www.defendingwomen-defendingrights.org/pdf/WHRD-Proceedings.pdf April
24, 2006
New
Policy Paper: Sexuality and Development Jolly, S. April 2006 Development has generally treated sexuality
as a problem - considering it only in relation to population control, family planning,
disease and violence. However, sexuality has far broader impacts on people's well-being
and ill-being. Using Robert Chambers' framework of the multiple dimensions of
poverty, this IDS Policy Briefing highlights the many links between sexuality
and poverty and suggests constructive ways to engage with sexuality as a development
issue. It looks at how we can take a broader and more positive approach to sexuality,
and how we can foster an environment that enables people to live out healthier,
happier sexualities free from violence and fear. It gives examples of actions
which shift the focus from negative to positive, from violence to pleasure, and
shows how development can approach sexuality through health, human rights and
sexual rights, gender, and religion. For more information see:
http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/bookshop/briefs/PB29.pdf April
24, 2006
Emergency
Contraception Campaign Underway The
Canadian Federation for Sexual Health has
launched its Emergency Contraception public awareness
campaign. The poster and postcard campaign are part of a nation-wide
awareness campaign supported by the Ontario Women’s Health Council - highlighting
the fact that emergency contraception (EC) is now available at the pharmacy counter,
without a doctor’s prescription. ... In addition to the postcards and posters,
Canadians can also find updated information on emergency contraception, including
what it is, how it works, and where to get it, by calling the new national toll-free
line at 1-888-270-7444 or by visiting the Canadian Federation for Sexual
Health website at: http://www.cfsh.ca/ppfc/content.asp?articleid=503.
April 24, 2006
Supreme
Court rules addiction considered disability by
Keith Lacey, Northernlife.ca Excerpt: "Even
though alcoholism and drug addiction are clearly defined as disabilities under
Ontario’s Human Rights Code, thousands of Ontarians have been denied disability
benefits for substance abuse addictions. That’s about to change following
a Supreme Court of Canada ruling Friday. A seven-year legal battle ended
in victory for two Sudbury men and the Sudbury Legal Clinic that represented them
following a majority 4-3 decision by the country’s top court. The court
ruled legislation under provincial human rights codes must now be considered by
all government tribunals when handling appeal cases by Canadian citizens applying
for benefits, specifically, disability benefits." Read
the Full Article April
22, 2006
South
Korea's First Woman Prime Minister Wins Assembly Approval
South Korean lawmakers approved
the nomination of Han Myeong Sook, 62, to
the post of prime minister, making her the country's first woman premier.
...Imprisoned as a social activist for two years from 1979 for reading socialism-related
books when the country was under a military dictatorship, the Pyongyang-born Han
is a leader of Korea's women's movement. She was the country's first minister
of gender equality and family in 2001 and later also served as an environment
minister. Read
More April
21, 2006
CUPE
challenges Nova Scotia MP to come clean on family allowance/child care scheme "A couple with one child & a family income
of $30,000 who receives the $1,200, will lose $362 in income
tax. That
brings it to $838, but then they have to subtract
the Child Tax Benefit clawback of $390, which leaves them
with $448. "Next
they have to subtract the Young Child Supplement of $249, which leaves them with a grand total of $199."
Read More April
21, 2006
Sara
Anderson ends hunger strike, the struggle to raise social assistance rates continues! Sara
Anderson started her hunger strike two and a half weeks ago. She was
demanding a significant raise in social assistance rates; the reinstatement of
the previous Special Diet Policy; making it easier for people with disabilities
to get onto the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP); and making sure that
everyone on social assistance who moves is offered a Community Start-Up Fund.
Read More April
20, 2006
Resource
for Feminist Blogs & Websites Matt Leslie has developed a fabulous website entitled, A
Space of One's Own, for a Master's seminar on Feminism at UNB. It is designed
to be a resource for feminist blogs and websites on the Internet. Over the last
two years, there has been a multiplicity of feminist weblogs starting up. Matt
Leslie attempts to reveal that this isn't just something happening in the US and
the UK, but throughout the entire world. The site showcases a variety of feminist
voices. April 19, 2006
Welfare
Fraud: The Constitution of Social Assistance as Crime by: Professor Janet
Mosher, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University and Professor Joe Hermer, Division
of Social Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, 2005 Excerpt:
"The
impression that there is widespread defrauding of benefits by recipients has been
so successfully installed in public discourse and government policy that social
assistance is now primarily viewed not as a necessary form of support for those
in need, but rather negatively, as a burdensome problem of regulation, policing
and crime control. Those on social assistance, the far majority of them women
and children, are widely viewed as morally suspect persons, criminals in waiting
poised to abuse a public expenditure and trust." Read
More April 14,
2006
Barbara
Hall contradicts Attorney General's Claim that She Supports his Human Rights Reform
Proposal In
a public statement posted on the Ontario
Human rights Commission's website, Chief Human Rights Commissioner
Barbara Hall has made it clear that she has not expressed
support for the Ontario Government's proposal to provide "direct access"
to the Human Rights Tribunal. She plans to await all details regarding any
reform proposal before expressing a view on it. See her statement below, obtained
from the OHRC website. This
public statement directly contradicts Attorney General Michael Bryant's
earlier claimthat Chief Commissioner Hall supported his proposal. Read
More April 13, 2006
Sara
Anderson is a Sudbury woman on Ontario Works who has resorted to a hunger
strike in a desperate attempt to get the attention of the provincial government.
No one should feel they have to put their life at risk to get the Liberal government
to take the issue of poverty seriously in this province. And anti-poverty groups
and community agencies shouldn't be put in the position of grappling with how
to support someone who says she is willing to die if she can't live with dignity.
Read More & Take Action April
13, 2006
Federal
Government's Online Pre-Budget Consultations for Budget 2006 and Beyond Started April 6, 2006
- Closing Date: April 19, 2006 Key
Consultations Issues Between
now & April 19th, the Stephen Harper government is requesting input on what
to put in the upcoming 2006 budget and future budgets of the Federal government.
Without
restricting other comments you make, the Federal Gov't would appreciate your views
on the following questions: 1. What would you like to see in Budget 2006
and future budgets? 2. If you propose further tax cuts - or spending increases
- where should the government spend less? 3. How can the government deliver
programs more efficiently and effectively? To place these questions in
context, see the Minister’s
Consultation Invitation. April 13, 2006
Daily
Bread Food Bank announces education savings program to help break poverty cycle
- Canadian
Scholarship Trust Foundation facilitates starting an RESP for Daily Bread clients The
Daily Bread Food Bank announced today a new partnership designed to help break
the poverty cycle through an accessible education savings program. Recognizing
the importance of saving for post-secondary education in reducing the barriers
to higher education and encouraging self-sustainability, Daily Bread and Canadian
Scholarship Trust Foundation have partnered to help low-income families take advantage
of the Canada Learning Bond program by setting up a Registered Education Savings
Plan (RESP). Read More April
12, 2006
Users,
lawyers want input to planned human rights system changes Kirsten McMahon, Law TimesNews It's been just over a month since the provincial government announced
its plans to reform Ontario's human rights system, but stakeholders say they want
input on the "rushed" legislation before it's tabled this spring.
Read
More April
12, 2006
Tax
credits available to people with diabetes Canadian Diabetes
Association issues guide to federal tax credits and benefits The
Canadian Diabetes Association has issued a guide to federal
and provincial tax credits and benefits available to people with diabetes,
and strongly encouraged parents of young children with diabetes to apply for the
Disability Tax Credit worth $6,596. ...
The Association's User-Friendly 2005 Guide to Tax Benefits for Canadians Living
with Diabetes is available online at http://www.diabetes.ca/section_advocacy/tax_guide_2005.asp.
The User-Friendly Guide highlights four federal or provincial tax credits for
which Canadians with diabetes may be eligible. Read
More April
12, 2006
Are
women human? In
her new book, leading feminist Catharine MacKinnon argues that women are
still treated more like "things" than people. She talks to Stuart Jeffries
about her war on pornography - and whether men and women can ever really connect.
Read More April 12,
2006
I
am writing asking for your support in defending the sexual assault center at
McGill University. The McGill University Administration has sent an eviction
notice to the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students' Society (SACOMSS).
This eviction will leave SACOMSS without its confidential, secure night office
where it currently runs its help line. Read
More & Take Action Sign
the online petition:http://www.petitiononline.com/sacomss/
April 11, 2006
To
Improve Federal/Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Federal Social Transfer Must be
Strengthened, say Women’s Groups While
Premiers meet in Montreal today to discuss the “fiscal imbalance”, FAFIA,
a broad alliance of women’s and human rights groups, is calling on governments
to strengthen social programs and services for Canadians in all jurisdictions.
Specifically, FAFIA
is calling on the federal government to significantly
increase the funds transferred to provinces and territories under the Canada Social
Transfer (CST). They also urge the federal government and the premiers
to agree to common standards for programs and services that the CST supports....Over
the past decade, the federal government has withdrawn funding and the provincial
governments have eroded and diminished many programs and services that are vital
to women. Read More
renforçons le Transfert canadien en matière de programmes sociaux,
disent les groupes de femmes Alors que les premiers ministres
se rencontrent aujourd’hui à Montréal pour discuter du «
déséquilibre fiscal », l’AFAI, une alliance étendue
d’organisations de femmes et de groupes de défense des droits de la
personne, appelle les gouvernements à renforcer les programmes et services
sociaux dans toutes les régions. Plus
spécifiquement, l’AFAI exige du gouvernement fédéral
une augmentation significative des sommes transférées aux provinces
et aux territoires dans le cadre du Transfert canadien en matière de programmes
sociaux (TCPS). Ces groupes pressent également l’administration fédérale
et les premiers ministres de convenir de normes communes pour les programmes et
services financés par le TCPS. ...
« Au cours de la dernière décennie, le gouvernement fédéral
a coupé des budgets et les gouvernements provinciaux ont sapé et
réduit plusieurs programmes et services d’une importance essentielle
pour les femmes. » Read
More April
11, 2006
Calling
for letters to the Toronto Star to let them know what you think of the Government's
proposals to Weaken the Human Rights Commission The
Saturday, April 8, 2006 the Toronto Star included a good
article by columnist Helen Henderson on the continually-growing opposition
to the Ontario Government's proposals to weaken the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Even from some among the small group, mainly lawyers, who support the Government's
direction, there have come calls for the Government to heed the call for public
consultations. From that group, there have also been calls for the Government
to announce more specifics about its hitherto-vague plans. Read
More April 8, 2006
Discussion
Paper on Strengthening Ontario's Human Rights Commission and Tribunal Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA Alliance)
The AODA Alliance's new Discussion Paper on Options for Reforming Ontario's Human
Rights Commission. Please read this, send the AODA Alliance your feedback, and
circulate this Discussion Paper widely. Read More
April 3, 2006
Call
for Responses to Helen Henderson's article: Rights debate marred by Chicken Littles,
Toronto Star April 1, 2006 Toronto
Star’s disability columnist Helen Henderson’scolumn
in the April 1, 2006 Toronto Star is quite insulting to the Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Alliance. The AODA Alliance was among
the first to lead off the growing tide of opposition to the Government’s
plan to weaken the Human Rights Commission. Its position has received wide support
from organizations in the disability community. Helen Henderson’s article
is available online at this pinpoint URL: http://tinyurl.com/oa3no.
This column’s headline refers to the AODA Alliance speakers at its March
16, 2006 Queens Park news conference as “chicken littles”. The
more letters that are sent in to the Toronto Star by different people, the more
likely that some will get printed. Keep your letter to around 100 words. Read
More April 1, 2006
A quickbackground summary of the current issue
surrounding the Government's plans to privatize the enforcement of human rights
in Ontario by weakening the Ontario Human Rights Commission, for those who want
more or who haven't been following the issue.
A letter
to the editor in today's London Free Press from unstoppable disability
rights advocate Cathy Vincent Linderoos, urging Premier McGuinty not to
introduce his plans to weaken the Human Rights Commission. Please write letters
to your local newspaper with this same message.
Council
of Canadians denounces unprecedented power handed to big business at Summit Prime Minister
Stephen Harper has taken Canada further down the road of continental integration
- a move that will further erode Canada's ability to make decisions independent
of the United States and in the interests of citizens, says the Council of Canadians,
Canada's largest citizens' advocacy group. The so-called "Three Amigos Summit,"
which wrapped up in Cancun this morning, dramatically advanced the agenda of deep
integration by making the three governments directly answerable to a new North
American Competitiveness Council & mandating ministers to meet with business
leaders - an unprecedented development. Read More March 31, 2006
The
Politics of the Disability Rights Movements by
Ravi Malhotra, [from New Politics, vol.
8, no. 3, whole no. 31, Summer 2001] OVER
THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW DECADES,
the socialist left throughout the industrialized West has been challenged to become
more inclusive by an array of activist social movements including the women's
movement, the Civil Rights and anti-racist movement, and the gay and lesbian liberation
movement. In each case, fundamental questions have been posited as to how the
left conceives itself and its commitment to fighting for the equality and liberation
of oppressed groups. While the formulations of the left may be seen by some to
be seriously wanting, it can be said that at the very least the issues were openly
debated and all sides were richer for having had the discussion. In the case of
the disability rights movements, however, one is faced with the sad reality that
few on the left have even seriously begun to consider the issues at stake, let
alone develop a preliminary praxis for disability liberation politics from a socialist
perspective. Yet when neo-liberal attacks to roll back the welfare state throughout
the West have reached fever pitch, a counter-hegemonic politics of disability
liberation is more essential than ever for the more than fifty million disabled
Americans. What follows below is a modest first step towards that goal. Read
More March
31, 2006
Disability
rights and immigration by
Ravi Malhotra In
recent years, activist organizations such as “No One is Illegal”
and “Justicia for Migrant Workers” have played an important role
in raising publicity and solidarity about the serious and systemic problems that
many undocumented immigrants and refugees experience in the Canadian immigration
system as well as their exploitation in informal labour markets. In light of the
nationalist politics that still dominate much of the English Canadian Left and
its marked tendency to regard the Canadian state as a bastion of progress and
enlightenment untouched by the blemishes of racism or vicious class exploitation,
this solidarity work has been extraordinarily important in exposing an uglier
and strategically crucial side of how capitalism really operates. However, one
issue that has been almost entirely ignored by left organizations and activists,
time and again, is the virtual exclusion of people with disabilities as potential
immigrants under the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Also ignored are the efforts by disability rights activists to challenge these
exclusions. Read
More March 31,
2006
The
“Michael Moore of India” to screen “War and Peace” in Toronto One
of India’s most acclaimed documentary filmmakers, Anand Patwardhan, will
be in Toronto at the screening of his film “War
and Peace” onMonday, April
10th at 7 pm.
Filmed over three tumultuous years in India, Pakistan, Japan and the USA, “War
and Peace”, is an epic documentary which takes us on a tour of nuclear
testing sites in India, schools in Pakistan, and pro-nuclear rallies in both countries.
The film has won many awards including Gold Award at the Indian Documentary Producer’s
Association 2002, Best Documentary at the International Video Festival Kerala
2003, Best Documentary at the Karachi International Film Festival 2003 and Best
Non-Fiction at the National Film Awards, India 2004. EVENT:
Film: War and Peace [2002, 130 minutes; colour; Hindi, Urdu, Marathi and Japanese
with English subtitles] plus Q&A with filmmaker Anand Patwardhan TIME:Monday, April 10th at 7 – 10 pm LOCATION:Royal Cinema, 608 College St. (4
blocks west of Bathurst, between Clinton & Grace) ADMISSION:$10 adults, $5 students & seniors, or pay what you
can PRESENTED BY: Ontario
Voice of Women for Peace Read
More March
30, 2006
Ontario
post-secondary students will be at Queen's Park today to express their disappointment
with the new provincial tuition framework. According to the Ontario
Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), students will present educated solutions
through the tuition framework analysis entitled Failing
to Make the Grade, and will also grade the provincial government in
key areas related to higher education. The analysis demonstrates how the new tuition
framework will impact Ontario post-secondary students, outlining which components
of the framework do not adequately meet the needs of students and what steps are
still needed to ensure the province's universities are of high quality and accessible
to all. Read More March
30, 2006
McGuinty
under fire for benefits clawback "Most
serious of broken promises" Voters at polls for three by-elections Robert Benzie, Queen's Park Bureau Chief, Toronto Star dd Mar. 30, 2006
Excerpt: As voters go to the polls in three by-elections today, Premier Dalton
McGuinty is weathering a storm over his government clawing back federal benefits
for Ontario's poorest children. NDP Leader Howard Hampton, whose party expects
to regain the Toronto-Danforth riding, said the by-elections are a referendum
on McGuinty's leadership. "The failure to end the clawback of the national
child benefit is the most recent — and I think the most serious — of
a series of broken promises," Hampton said yesterday. Read
the Full Article March
30, 2006
You
Are Invited to A Community
Forum on the Need to Rescue the Ontario Human Rights Commission Hosted
By: The Ontario Federation of Labour & Sam Gindin Chair In Social
Justice and Democracy, Ryerson University -- Terry Downey &
Judy Rebick (Co-Moderators) When: Wednesday,
April 5, 2006 At 5:30 pm. Where: United
Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil Street (Spadina & College Area) Light Refreshments
Provided ASL Interpreted Guest
Speaker:Mary-Woo Sims, Former Chief Commissioner B.C. Human Rights Commission Panel
Response: Margaret
Parsons, African Canadian Legal Clinic; David Lepofsky, Disability
Rights Activist; Avvy Go, Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal
Clinic Read More - RSVP March
30, 2006
Flora
MacDonald on Rabble
Hon.
Flora MacDonald's recent talk at the Canadian Club of Toronto is available online
on Needs No Introduction, a rabble.ca podcast series featuring speeches and lectures
from noted intellectuals, politicians and writers. Download or stream
the speech at: http://www.rabble.ca/rpn/nni The rabble podcast network is a collection of independent Canadian podcasts
created in partnership with rabble.ca, a popular website for independent
and progressive journalism founded in 2001 by writer and activist Judy Rebick.
March
30, 2006
Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update - March 29, 2006
On
Wednesday, March 29, 2006, during Question Period in the Ontario Legislature,
NDP Leader Howard Hampton called on the Ontario Government to undertake a
public consultation on how to reform the Human Rights Commission, rather than
going ahead with its plans to weaken the Human Rights Commission. (See
full text) Responding
for the Government, the Attorney General rejected the call for further consultations.
He said: "On the contrary, we've been working with those very groups
that the member just referred to for well over a year, and consulting with them.”
Contrary to what the
Attorney General said, prominent community organizations have not been consulted
- organizations that wrote the Government to oppose the plan to weaken the
Human Rights Commission and who call for a consultation. Read
More March
30, 2006
Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update - March 28, 2006 Ontario Government finally writes AODA Alliance
about Human Rights Reform issue but with little information - AODA Alliance Writes
Back Quickly Late
in the day on March 28, 2006, the Attorney General of Ontario wrote us, responding
to our letters regarding proposed changes to the Human Rights Commission. The
AODA Alliance Chair Catherine Dunphy immediately responded. See the text
of each of these letters below. There are rumors that the Government plans to
introduce a bill to weaken the Human Rights commission soon. We will keep you
posted of any developments. Stay tuned. Please call your nearest MPP to tell them
not to support the weakening of the Human Rights Commission. Read
More March 29, 2006
Parliament
must Act to Solve Child Care Crisis: National Strategy Meeting Federal
MPs must make it a parliamentary priority to ensure that children have access
to high quality regulated child care spaces, say delegates emerging from a weekend
strategy session on child care. About 80 delegates from across Canada gathered
in Ottawa last week for a policy research forum and on the weekend met to discuss
ways to move forward on building a long-awaited national child care program. They
came away determined to mobilize in every province and nationally around the need
for significant and sustained funding to create and maintain quality community-based
child care. Read More March
28, 2006
Editorial:
Poor children still wait for fair deal Toronto Star - Mar. 27, 2006 When
anti-poverty advocates accuse Queen's Park of stealing food right out of the mouths
of hungry children, most Ontarians tend to dismiss their claims as hyperbolic
"lefty" rhetoric. Surely no government is that callous. Yet that is,
in effect, what happens because of the province's clawback of the National
Child Benefit Supplement, a federal cash benefit that was intended to improve
the lot of poor children throughout Canada. Read
the full Editorial March
28, 2006
Study
finds BC's welfare system denying assistance to people in need, 'diverting' many
to homelessness and hardship A
major study released today finds that BC's welfare system is systematically
discouraging, delaying and denying assistance to many of the people most in
need of help, with harmful consequences for some of the province's most vulnerable
residents. "Denied Assistance: Closing the Front Door on Welfare in BC"
examines why the number of people receiving welfare has plummeted in the wake
of changes to eligibility rules and the application system, and looks at what
is happening to people who seek and are denied welfare. It is the first in-depth
assessment of the new application system, drawing on data obtained through Freedom
of Information requests and extensive interviews with people who have applied
for welfare, front-line community advocates and Ministry workers. Read
More March 27, 2006
Parents
Rally to Mark a Year of Government Stalling Ottawa & Toronto
Rally - April 1, 2006 At
11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 1, 2006, the
families and friends of children with autism will gather in front of Premier
Dalton McGuinty’s constituency office at 1795 Kilborn Ave., Ottawa and at
Queen’s Park in Toronto to protest the McGuinty government’s failure
to keep its written promise from the last election to end the discriminatory age
six cut-off for autism treatment under the Ontario Preschool Autism Program. April
1 also marks the first anniversary of the Ontario Superior Court’s
decision in the Deskin/Wynberg case in which it found that the age six
cut-off from treatment services was discriminatory and a violation of the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Read More March
27, 2006
Remembering
Women Murdered by Men Memorials
Across Canada The Cultural Memory Group
A compelling tribute to the lives of women murdered
across Canada and to the memorial-makers whose conviction ensure that these
women are not forgotten; a powerful contribution to the movement to
end violence against women.Read
More March 27, 2006
Incredibly,
McGuinty has done relatively less for poor than reviled Mike Harris, says Linda
McQuaig Op-Ed,
Linda McQuaig, Toronto Star, Mar. 26, 2006 Excerpt:
"... The thing about Mike Harris was that he always seemed mean. As he happily
trampled the powerless under foot and delivered the goods to his right-wing base,
the former Ontario premier came across as a kind of Canadian Dick Cheney. ...
So when Harris slashed Ontario's welfare rates by almost 22 per cent as one of
his first orders of business, you knew what you were dealing with. Dalton McGuinty,
on the other hand, seems like a ridiculously nice guy — the kind of neighbour
who would clip your side of the hedge. It's impossible to imagine him shooting
a quail, let alone an old friend who was shooting quail." Read
the full Op-Ed March 26, 2006
Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update Major
Tide of Opposition Rises in Opposition to McGuinty Government's Plans to Weaken
the Ontario Human Rights Commission -- but McGuinty Gov't Has Not Answered Our
Important Questions, and Signals it is Not Listening to Us.
In short the news is this:
As a result of the AODA Alliance's successful news conference on March 16, 2006,
we got good news coverage despite a flood of other big news stories. Our call
for the Government to stop its plans to introduce legislation to weaken the Ontario
Human rights Commission has now been echoed by many organizations. Despite
all this, the Ontario Gov't still hasn't answered any of the questions in our
Feb. 27, 2006 letter to Premier
McGuinty. To the contrary, the Ontario Government issued a news
release on March 21, 2006 saying that it plans to go ahead with its intended
legislation. That news release doesn't respond to the sweeping call for public
consultations that so many have demanded be held before any new legislation is
introduced. As
a result, the AODA Alliance has written to the
Premier again. We ask him to answer our previous letter. We also ask the Gov't
to commit that any proceedings in the Legislature on any bill to change the
Human Rights Code be fully open, accessible and barrier-free. This means,
among other things, that persons with disabilities and the entire public be given
ample prior notice of any proceedings in the Legislature so they can arrange accessible
transportation. We also ask that there be province-wide public hearings on any
bill. We
need your help now more than ever to press this issue.
This is especially important since the Government clearly has not listened to
the incredible mounting tide in opposition to the Government's plans that has
emerged in a mere three weeks. We fear the Government plans to try to slip a bill
into the Legislature and quickly ram it through when the public is distracted
by other big news items. Read More March
25, 2006
"I
urge you to fulfill the request of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities
Act Alliance's request that all proceedings on any bill to amend the Ontario Human
Rights Code be fully open, accessible and barrier-free. For example, your Government
should give sufficient prior notice of all proceedings in the Legislature on any
bill to amend the Code. There should be province-wide public hearings on any bill."
Premier's
email address:
Dalton.McGuinty@premier.gov.on.ca Read More March
23, 2006
March
21: International Day for the Elimination of Racism March 21 marks the 40th International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
around the world. Once again this year, the National Union [NUPGE] is urging its
340,000 members across Canada to pause and reflect on how tolerance and racial
harmony enrich our lives. Read
More March
21, 2006
FIGHTING
EVERYDAY RACISM March 21st, International Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination The
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
is marked every year on March 21st. The global theme this year is Fighting
Everyday Racism. Forty-six years have passed since the Sharpeville
massacre in South Africa, where 69 demonstrators were shot and killed during a
non-violent protest against apartheid on the 21st of March. The United Nations
chose this date to draw attention to the continuing fight against all forms of
racial discrimination. Despite many efforts, racism still exists. People
from all over the world suffer from systemic, direct or indirect discrimination,
from acts of violence and hate crimes, from harassment and religious persecution.
New forms of discrimination seem to defy any gains we have made. The Internet
is used for the propagation of racism, the number of victims of human trafficking
is rising and xenophobic arguments in the political arena are on the rise. Read
More March 21, 2006
Study
shows national child care plan can meet diverse needs Building
a Community Architecture for Early Childhood Learning and Care Child
Care Advocates, Federal/Provincial Politicians Meet To Save Child Care Agreements
Child care advocates from across
Canada will meet at Toronto City Hall today with Ontario's children's minister
and the child care critics from the three federal opposition parties to save Canada's
national child care program.The strategy session takes place against the release
of significant findings from a Canada-wide study. It was sponsored by YWCA
Canada and examines the potential of developing a national child care plan that
could meet the varied and unique needs of modern Canadian families. The results
give evidence that Canadian communities want a national child care program. They
are willing to invest resources and are committed to its full development. The
findings and the accompanying community development tools will be discussed in
a day-long strategy session beginning with a media briefing and political commentary.
Read More March
20, 2006
DAWN Ontario's Open Letter to Premier McGuinty Re: Proposed Reforms to the
Ontario Human Rights Code Excerpt: "Women
with disabilities are often doubly-disadvantaged. They need a strong, effective
and properly funded Ontario Human Rights Commission, not a weakened one, to investigate
and prosecute organizations that discriminate against them. Women with disabilities
will rarely be able to afford to hire their own lawyer, conduct their own investigation,
and prosecute their own human rights cases. They shouldn't have to depend on over-worked,
understaffed Legal Aid clinics. Nor should they have to hope for lawyers to take
their cases pro bono. Pro bono, in the end, is charity. We heartily commend lawyers
for doing pro bono work. However, charity is no substitute for a public investigation
and prosecution of human rights complaints." Read
More March 19, 2006
Hands
Off Our Ovaries!
Campaign
against Exploitation of Women in Biotechnology March
14, 2006
CLEONet
an online clearinghouse for community legal education in Ontario ...
For organizations that produce, use, or need community legal education materials,
CLEONet is a tool to find resources, share information, and work together online.
March 14, 2006
Online
Safety Toolkit and the Web Effect As the Internet
becomes more heavily relied upon for access to basic government information, and
more generally to communicate and share information, it is essential that users
be given the tools on how to navigate safely. The Online Safety Toolkit, and scheduled
Train-the-Trainer workshops during March 2006 aim to share these important tools. March
14, 2006
Why
Women Would Gain from a Guaranteed Livable Income by C. L'Hirondelle,
First
published for the Status
of Women Action Group (SWAG) in 2003 Revised in Dec. 2004 for the Canadian
Woman Studies Journal With increasing
numbers of women around the world being pushed into ever deeper poverty -- 70
percent of people living in abject poverty in the world are women (United Nations
Development Programme 1999) -- it is clear that women would have the most to gain
from a universal Guaranteed Livable Income. Read
More March
14, 2006
Human
rights body needs fixing, not dismantling by
Avvy Yao-Yao Go, Margaret Parsons & Uzma Shakir -- Toronto
Star Op/Ed dd Mar. 13, 2006 Last
month, Attorney General Michael Bryant announced his plan to revamp the Ontario
Human Rights Commission. One central feature of the reform is that it will
get rid of the commission's "gatekeeper" function, that is, the power
of the commission to dismiss cases. Those
who favour the new model say the reform is a step in the right direction because
it will allow complainants to take their cases straight to the Human Rights Tribunal.
In exchange for the "direct
access," however, the commission will no longer help individuals with the
investigation and prosecution of their complaints. Instead, the commission will
dedicate its resources to public education, research and monitoring systemic discrimination. Is this the kind
of reform our communities really need?We think not. Read
More March
13, 2006
Equality
For Health - International Women's Day From
the Centres of Excellence for Women's Health (CEWH) the Canadian Women's Health
Network (CWHN) and the three National Working Groups on Women's Health Canada's
leading women's health researchers and community advocates call for improved living
conditions and greater attention to women's equality in health research in order
to improve the health of women living in Canada, and reaffirm their commitment
to achieving this goal. Across the country, the four Centres of Excellence
for Women's Health (CEWH), the Canadian
Women's Health Network (CWHN) and three National Working Groups continue
their comprehensive effort to bring women's health issues to the centre stage.
Read More March
9, 2006
CWHN
Launches National Publicity Campaign, Last Chance To Participate In
Women's Health Strategy Survey In
honour of International Women's Day 2006, the Canadian Women's Health Network
(CWHN) is launching a national publicity campaign to deliver fast facts on
how timely health issues and debates affect women in Canada. The first set of
the "Don't Swallow Everything You Hear about Women's Health"
series includes bilingual posters on women and pharmaceuticals and a fact sheet
on what women should know about for-profit health care. They can be downloaded
from the CWHN website or
ordered from the CWHN. This week also marks the final opportunity for individuals
who are interested in the future of Canada's Women's Health Strategy to add their
voices to CWHN's online survey. Read More March
9, 2006
Happy
International Women's Day
To all of our sisters who work for women's equality, & who continue to support
the work of DAWN Ontario to advance the inclusion, citizenship, human rights and
equality of women & girls with disabilities, Happy International Women's
Day!!! Read More
Support
College Faculty Take Action As
you know, yesterday, Ontario college faculty, members of the Ontario Public
Service Employees Union(OPSEU) withdrew their services in defence
of high quality, public education. It is urgent that we support OPSEU's call
for more full-time faculty, for high quality funding, and for the right to organise
for part-time workers. CFS
Ontario Media Release Please
take a moment to
send an email to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty: http://www.cfsontario.ca/english/campaigns.php
March
8, 2006
Women
in Canada Report Stats Canada Daily Women are
playing stronger roles in the workplace and their profile is rising in many professional
fields, according to a new assessment on the evolving status of women in Canadian
society. However, there are still substantial gaps between the sexes in many key
area. Read
More March 8, 2006
Women
Facts Chart Here is is
a good depiction of women's economic reality compared to men's.It's an analysis done using 2004 Revenue Canada data by the Women's
Economic Justice Project. They paid for this data (with funding from Status
of Women Canada BC/Yukon Region) and created a bar graph showing the income breakdown
according to men and women. Their findings showed that there are 8.3 million women
versus 5.6 million men in the lowest income categories ($0-30,000) but also in
each higher income group, there are more men that women. Read
More March 8, 2006
In yesterday’s
Globe and Mail, there was an article by Margaret Wente entitled “How
the feminists betrayed feminism”. It was an unfortunate &
misleading portrayal of feminism. It also made the claim that equality in Canada
has been achieved and that women are mobilizing for no reason at all. FAFIA has
responded with the following article on why we think
feminism still matters. Read
More March
8, 2006
Human
Rights Reform Action Kit Help
Prevent the Gov't from Weakening Enforcement of the Ontario Human Rights Code On Feb. 20, 2006,
the Ontario Gov't said it will introduce a law (likely late March or April) to
change enforcement of the Ontario Human Rights Code. That system needs reform.
It's too slow, frustrating, and hard for many to use. Yet, the Government's
proposal will make things worse, not better. It will create new barriers that
make it harder for people to get their human rights respected. We ask
everyone to support our call for the Ontario Gov't to stop its announced changes.
We want the Gov't to properly consult the public before introducing any new law
and to make the human rights system better, not worse. We don't say the current
system is acceptable. However it needs a fix that doesn't set victims of discrimination
back. The Gov't
must get your message right now, before it soon introduces its planned law. The
Gov't is testing the waters to see if there will be opposition to its announcement.
Don't worry if you don't know much about the Human Rights Code. This Action Kit
gives you all you need to know to help stop the Ontario Gov't from taking away
important enforcement rights from victims of discrimination. In this Action Kit,
we:
Help us preserve the gains
we made when the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was
passed. Add your voice to ours. Endorse
our position. March 7, 2006
Code
Blue for Child Care Code
Blue for Child Care is a national campaign that is being led by the Child Care
Advocacy Association of Canada and a coalition of our partners. Code
Blue means "medical emergency". Canadian politicians need to know that
saving child care is an urgent need. Make
your voice heard before Parliament resumes on April 3.
Do your part by signing this open letter online: www.buildchildcare.ca/BE_petition.php/honourthem Circulate this to as many people as you can - friends, co-workers, family,
daycare parents - so that they can add their voices to those telling Stephen Harper
that he can't take away our child care! March 7,
2006
Ontario
college faculty members fighting for quality education Management
hardens demands as strike deadline arrives, driving two sides further apart Toronto (7 March
2006) – Education quality is the central issue in a dispute between Ontario's
24 community colleges and 9,100 faculty members represented by the Ontario Public
Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE). The instructors, who have been working
without a contract since Aug. 31, 2005, reached a legal walkout deadline at 12:01
a.m. Tuesday. Read
More March 7, 2006
One
Minute Action to Stop
Tuition Fee Hikes The
announcement of the details of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's "tuition
fee [increase] framework" is just days away & it is important for us
to clearly communicate the consequences of the choice the Premier is about to
make. Our message is clear: KEEP
THE TUITION FEE FREEZE OR LOSE MY VOTE ... And
now, from www.ReduceTuitionFees.ca,
students, parents and supporters can quickly and easily fax that message to all
103 members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Please send your fax right
now and encourage everyone you know who supports affordable, high-quality, public
education to send a fax to Queen's Park today. It only takes a minute to have
your say! Click here
to send your message:http://www.ReduceTuitionFees.ca/
March 7, 2006
Addressing
the Primary Care Needs of People with Disabilities The
Canadian Health Services Access survey estimates that 12-14% of Canadians
do not have access to a family doctor, and a recent national poll suggests that
access is declining. Where problems like this exist in the general population,
they are sure to be more acute and more serious in disadvantaged populations.
Access problems in the general population (such as wait times and geographical
distribution) result in delays and inconvenience in obtaining primary care. Access
problems associated with disability actually prevent
people with disabilities from receiving service. Read
More
The
term 'Welfare Wall' is used by politicians and policy makers to refer to
barriers they argue discourage people from leaving social assistance. Usually
they are most concerned with the income differential between people receiving
social assistance and those earning minimum wage. Put simply, the argument is
that unless people earning minimum wage are financially better off than those
on social assistance, a 'welfare wall' is created that acts as a disincentive
to those on social assistance to find paid employment. Read
More March
6, 2006
Despite
Major Gains, Women Bear Disproportionate Share of Poverty Burden Despite
major gains, women bear disproportionate share of poverty burden, Remain politically
underrepresented, UN commission told. More
than 50 Speakers Take Floor to Describe National Efforts Aimed at Achieving Targets
Set at 1995 Beijing Conference. While
women had posted major gains in terms of educational achievement, political representation
and economic viability, the goal of gender equality was elusive, as women continued
to bear a disproportionate share of the burden of poverty and underrepresentation
in political life, the Commission on the Status of Women was told today, as it
continued its general discussion. Focusing on the priority themes of the Commission's
fiftieth session - enhanced participation of women in development and the equal
participation of women in decision-making - some 55 participants, including numerous
ministers, took the floor in two meetings today to share their national experiences
in meeting the targets set out in the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action. Read
More March 4, 2006
CCD's
Open Letter Re:
Disability Community response to CBC Interview with Robert Latimer
(COUNCIL OF CANADIANS WITH DISABILITIES) Once
again, we are made to suffer Robert Latimer's claims of righteousness in murdering
his vulnerable 12 year old daughter. He has had his day in court. The Saskatchewan
Court of Appeal upheld his life sentence without parole for 10 years. Finally
almost 8 years after the crime, he lost his last appeal to the Supreme Court of
Canada and began to serve his sentence. Since he was first arrested he has had
ample and repeated access to the courts and, through a sympathetic media, to the
court of public opinion. How often do Canadians with disabilities have to be subjected
to the fact that some part of the public assert and believe our lives are not
worth living! Read More March
3, 2006
Autism
Petition to the Ontario Government
DAWN Ontario invites you to sign a petition that will be circulating
in Ontario. The petition asks the Ontario Legislature to invest in special
education resources for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Many of
these children are not able to access the special education programs and services
that they desperately need to help them develop their full potential. Read
the Petition Download the Petition as a PDF
97 kb (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) Download
the Petition in Rich Text Format(RTF)- 32 kb (accessible
to MS Word and/or WordPerfect users) March 3, 2006
Women's
Health Institute Project Bulletin 1 Winter 2006 : In
August 2005 the Honourable George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long
Term Care announced the creation of a provincial Women's Health Institute (WHI).
Working closely with partners, the mandate of this new institute will be to promote
women's health throughout Ontario and grow to become a national leader on women's
health issues. It is anticipated that the new WHI will be in place for April 2007
and, as part of its mandate, integrate the Ontario Women's Health Council
and its important work into its operations. With respect to patient care, the
Minister also announced the re-emergence of Women's College Hospital as
a separate organization from Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences
Centre. As an academic health sciences centre, Women's College Hospital will
provide state of the art ambulatory care services to women and their families
in Toronto. In order
to achieve the goal set out by the Minister, the Women's Health Institute Project
has been established to provide a vehicle for broad consultation and input
on the vision, strategic role and governance model, for the new provincial WHI.
Read More February
21, 2006
Changes
to ODSP Earnings & Employment Supports On
February 8th, the Province of Ontario announced changes to the earnings and employment
support rules for ODSP recipients. To read a preliminary summary from the Income
Security Advocacy Centre, please
click here. To
read a chart (created by Rick Ludkin of the of the ODSP Action Coalition's Employment
and Earnings Working Group) that compares the additional income recipients get
right now from working with the income you will get under the rules that come
into effect on November 1, 2006, please
click hereRead More February
21, 2006
Keep
the child care promise by J. Clancy, President of National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
Stephen Harper has
a magnificent political opportunity in front of him. In one stroke, Harper can
underline the progressive side of his Conservative party, demonstrate a keen grasp
of the nature of the mandate Canadians have given him, and embody responsiveness,
accountability and honour. Read
More & Take Action February
20, 2006
Seeking endorsements re: Increased Access to ECP A
coalition of national organizations, spearheaded by Women
and Health Protection & theCanadian
Women's Health Network, has been working for some time to increase access
to Emergency Contraception (ECP) for women and girls
in Canada. You may recall that non-prescription status was granted to Plan
B in 2005, making it no longer a drug requiring a prescription from a physician.
It became a "Schedule II" drug, available behind the counter in a pharmacy
with access controlled by pharmacists. You may also recall that In Ontario and
Manitoba in the past 3 months, there has been attention to the fact that some
pharmacists are requiring that women seeking Plan B provide private and confidential
information to the pharmacist before they can receive the product. This has been
duly challenged by privacy authorities in both provinces. While we strongly support
a role for pharmacists in consumer education, we do not support this as a mandatory
activity. Read More February
17, 2006
CCD
Seeks Research Participants - Public Notice The
Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), a national advocacy association
of persons with disabilities working in support of disability rights, is conducting
qualitative research on the experiences of people with disabilities who have sought
assistance within the last three years from the Canadian Human Rights Commission
to resolve a complaint of discrimination. The researchers, Yvonne Peters,
disability rights lawyer, and April D'Aubin, Research Analyst, are looking
for people with disabilities who would be willing to be interviewed about their
experiences. Interviews will be used solely as a means of collecting information
and will not be reproduced as part of the research. Read
More February
9, 2006
New
Initiative Will Empower Women on the Web Womenspace announces the virtual
launch of Womyn’s Voice Womenspace
announces the virtual launch of Womyn’s
Voices, an innovative initiative centered around women and ICTs (Information
and Communications Technologies). “Given the dramatic under-representation
of women on the internet, we want to provide a virtual space for active engagement
and consultation on issues like violence and exploitation of women,”
says Kathy Marshall, project coordinator for Womyn’s Voices and Executive
Director of Womenspace. A leader in the promotion of women’s participation
in information and communication technology, Womenspace launches Womyn’s
Voices as a portal to an interactive set of web-based resources, offering cutting
edge feminist analysis and information on women’s equality and ICT issues.
Read More
Focus
on the Family (FOTF) Canada - Watch FOTF
Canada Press Release - Grand opening: Think-tank to launch next week!
Institute of Marriage and Family Canada (IMFC) dd February 7, 2006 Hold your
nose ... as you read and get ready to mobilize around the issues facing us as
a nation vis a vis the fundamentalist desire for political supremacy. Read
More February
8, 2006
Community
Living Ontario welcomes the court decision issued today (Tues. Jan. 26) that allows
the Ministry of Community and Social Services to proceed with closing institutions
by 2009 as planned. "We're pleased that the decision to close these institutions
has been upheld. Our society is moving on from segregated care to a model of natural,
inclusive supports that considers and respects the individual as a citizen of
the community," said Keith Powell, executive director of Community Living
Ontario. Read More January
29, 2006
Conservative
Party Links to Right Wing American Groups Over
20 candidates and members of Parliament for the Conservative Party of Canada,
including leader Stephen Harper, Justice Critic Vic Toews, Foreign Affairs Critic
Stockwell Day and Firearms Critic Garry Breitkreuz, have links to organizations
established under the umbrella of the Council for National Policy (CNP), an American
group that the New York Times calls a “club of a few hundred of the most
powerful conservatives in the country,” [1]
and which Rolling Stone reports has “funnelled billions of dollars to right-wing
Christian activists.”[2]
Read More January
13, 2006
CODE BLUE for CHILD CARE A Canada wide campaign to protect
child care
Click on the image for more information To sign on to the open letter,
click
here Pour signer la lettre ouverte, cliquez
ici
CLEONet
is an online clearinghouse for community legal education in Ontario
... For organizations that produce, use, or need community legal education
materials, CLEONet is a tool to find resources, share information,
and work together online.
You
can helpput an end toglobal poverty.
The time to act is now. Add yourvoice to MakePoverty
History.
Yes I want to Make Poverty History.
Make
Poverty History Platform
(PDF file) 
(PDF, 4 pgs, 20 kb) 
(6:00) 
In
recent years, activist organizations such as “No One is Illegal”
and “Justicia for Migrant Workers” have played an important role
in raising publicity and solidarity about the serious and systemic problems that
many undocumented immigrants and refugees experience in the Canadian immigration
system as well as their exploitation in informal labour markets. In light of the
nationalist politics that still dominate much of the English Canadian Left and
its marked tendency to regard the Canadian state as a bastion of progress and
enlightenment untouched by the blemishes of racism or vicious class exploitation,
this solidarity work has been extraordinarily important in exposing an uglier
and strategically crucial side of how capitalism really operates. However, one
issue that has been almost entirely ignored by left organizations and activists,
time and again, is the virtual exclusion of people with disabilities as potential
immigrants under the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Also ignored are the efforts by disability rights activists to challenge these
exclusions. 
97 kb (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) 
