Scott Brison’s Motion on Income Inequality

by Errol Black

On April 25, 2012, members of parliament passed a motion introduced by Scott Brison: “That the Standing Committee on Finance be instructed to undertake a study on income inequality in Canada…” and “bring forward to the House within one year of the adoption of the motion… recommendations on how best to improve the equality of opportunity and prosperity for all Canadians.”

Speaking in support of his motion, Brison noted that: “When it comes to the growing gap between rich and poor, no political party has a monopoly on answers or the blame, but in recent public opinion surveys, Canadians have identified growing income inequality as the most important issue they want their members of parliament to be working on.” He goes on to note that the level of income inequality in Canada “is in fact above the OECD average, and while it is true that the U.S. still has higher income inequality than Canada, income inequality is now growing at a faster rate in Canada than in the U.S.”

Income Inequalities and Health

by Errol Black

Every once in a while, Jeffrey Simpson writes a column on growing income inequalities in Canada. I have criticized some of his previous comments on the grounds that he has dodged the relevant issues. However, a recent column in The Globe and Mail gets him a little closer to where the bone is buried.

In this column, Simpson responds to a report on childhood obesity presented to Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty.  Simpson reviews much of the work done on obesity and related issues since 1974, ranging from a report from federal health minister Marc Lalonde titled, “A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians”, to recent work by the OECD, which concludes that most interventions aimed at reversing the trend in obesity “were shown to have only a limited impact on the overall scale of the obesity problem.”

Celebration and Special Announcement!

Event invitationPlease join us this Friday, June 22, at 11a.m. for an important announcement and celebration at Thunderbird House.

Speakers will include the Honourable Kevin Chief, Minister of Children and Youth Opportunities, Dr. John Loxley from the University of Manitoba, Shauna MacKinnon from CCPA Mb., community partners and representatives from the Universities of Manitoba and Winnipeg.

Lunch is provided. Please RSVP to 927-3200 or ccpamb@policyalternatives.ca.

We hope to see you there!

FAST FACTS: Federal cuts put refugee health care in danger

PDF version

By the Immigration Matters in Canada Coalition, Winnipeg Manitoba

On April 25th, 2012 the Federal government announced cuts to most healthcare benefits for refugees that are currently provided by Canada’s Interim Federal Health (IFH) program, effective on June 30, 2012. Across Canada, healthcare providers, people who work with refugees and ordinary citizens are rallying against this decision, concerned that it flies in the face of an important Canadian value – providing a safe haven for vulnerable people around the world. Ironically, the cuts come into effect just in time for Canada Day.

The IFH program provides access to refugees and refugee claimants who need healthcare for a temporary period of time, and who generally have no other means of obtaining necessary health benefits. Refugees are a particularly vulnerable population, often with extreme healthcare needs. Many have untreated health conditions and severe trauma resulting from prolonged periods in refugee camps and human rights violations such as torture. Having fled their homeland to escape persecution, many are destitute when they arrive in Canada and lack the resources to pay for healthcare expenses.

The announced changes to the IFH program include cutting access to essential medication, cuts to basic primary health care, cuts to dental care, vision care, ambulance services and cuts to mobility devices like wheelchairs, for many classes of refugees. Healthcare services to be cut include prenatal care, child health check-ups and access to mental health care. Some refugees will receive basic emergency care only if their condition is deemed to pose a threat to public health.

Canadian Doctors for Medicare warn that these cuts could result in diabetics not getting their insulin, children not receiving immunizations, and people not receiving needed heart medication, potentially contributing to heart attacks.

Federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney, said: “With this reform, we are also taking away an incentive from people who may be considering filing an unfounded refugee claim in Canada. These reforms allow us to protect public health and safety, ensure that tax dollars are spent wisely and defend the integrity of our immigration system all at the same time.”

Minister Kenney fails to understand that providing health supports to refugees when they arrive is both cost effective and an investment in the future. A recent Globe and Mail story highlighted a refugee who received care under the IFH: “Majid Boozary came to Canada in 1980, fleeing post-revolutionary Iran, where he had been persecuted and tortured. He needed care and got it. But Dr. Boozary has given back in spades, as a family physician (who has paid taxes for 30 years) and a volunteer with the Canadian Centre for the Victims of Torture.”

Furthermore, health professionals question the validity of the IFH cuts as a cost-saving measure. They point out that costs will be shifted to other public programs and organizations that provide the uninsured with health benefits, such as community health centres and provincial social support services. Refugees with chronic diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease, will seek care in hospitals and through emergency departments – one of the most costly forms of care.

Opposition to the proposed changes is led by physicians and other healthcare providers. “It is unprecedented in Canada for physicians to gather at once from coast to coast voicing their concerns over a single patient care issue such as this one. Doctors and other healthcare workers are being moved to action in an effort to prevent the devastating impact of these health cuts to some of the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society” says Dr. Michael Dillon, a family physician practicing in downtown Winnipeg who has worked with newcomer refugees for nearly 20 years.

Minister Kenney has defended these cuts by arguing that refugees should not be receiving health coverage that is not available to other Canadians. Louise Simbandumwe, a refugee from Burundi, counters, “This is simply not the case. Many Canadians have extended health coverage through their workplaces while Canadians who are living at the same low levels of income as government–assisted refugees receive needed health coverage through provincial social assistance programs.“

“Canada is known around the world as a champion of human rights and we pride ourselves in our system of health care for all. We are concerned about the erosion of Canadian standards. This move is definitely un-Canadian. We are calling on the Federal government to reverse the decision to cut back the Interim Federal Health Program” states Carlos Vialard, Settlement Services Manager at the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc. (Welcome Place).

Immigration Matters in Canada Coalition is a group of professionals, community workers and community members based in Winnipeg who care about the well being and fair treatment of refugees and immigrants in Canada.

Change takes time

By Lynne Fernandez

Did you happen to read the editorial in June 12’s Winnipeg Free Press – the one about plastic bags? It explains that Glen Laubenstein – the City’s past chief administrative officer – had been tasked with providing a strategy to eliminate plastic bags in Winnipeg. Laubenstein’s report, if it ever existed, has never seen the light of day. Pity, because a properly-designed strategy could raise much-needed funds while helping us get rid of an environmental scourge.

The left-wing policy group referred to in the piece was no other than the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Mb. Not only did it, as mentioned, propose charging a fee for plastic bags (in our 2010 Alternative Municipal Budget), but the same policy suggestion appeared earlier in our 2008 Alternative City Budget. In fact, Councillor Russ Wyatt was so taken with our 2008 suggestion that he arranged a meeting with a CCPA staff member and Mr. Laubenstein to discuss it.

It’s hard to know for sure, but it’s probably fair to say that this policy was introduced to the council of the day through CCPA. On one hand it’s gratifying to think that one of our suggestions was seriously considered by the City; on the other hand it is disappointing that it never came to fruition. Nonetheless, as the Free Press editorial demonstrates, our ideas are still being debated even if they sometimes seem removed from our office.

The editorial also reminds us that change takes time and that what is important is getting our ideas out there . . . eventually some take root.

Film Screening: We Will Be Free

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Manitoba presents a special screening of

We Will Be Free

by Max Fabian Meis and Ferdinand Carrière of Downsideup Film Productions

June 20th, 2012, 7pm
Millennium Library
Free Admission
Q&A to follow
Opening and closing songs by Keewating Otchichak (Northern Crane Drum Group)

There is a long journey ahead… but a start is made.

Featuring the experiences of Aboriginal people in the North End, with Larry Morrissette from OPK.

Their culture and language were once questioned by the new owners of their world. Many generations of Indigenous people have this cultural genocide enforced by the Canadian government.

What we see today is the aftermath of this history of colonization and the first steps to pick up the pieces and heal.

Watch the trailer: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_kuDU04_DA]

Community Economies and Jobs to Suffer with Federal Cuts to Co-operative Development

PDF version

by Brendan Reimer

On April 13, 2012, the Canadian Co-operative Association was informed by the Government of Canada about the termination of the Co-op Development Initiatives along with significant cuts to the Rural and Co-operatives Secretariat. This came as a surprise to the Canadian Community Economic Development Network and our member organizations including the Canadian Cooperative Association, the Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation, the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, the Manitoba Co-operative Association, and co-operatives throughout the country. Cuts will have a significant impact on the development of new co-operative businesses, jobs, and services for communities throughout Canada.

In a year that the United Nations has declared the “International Year of Co-operatives” — which the federal government endorsed at the United Nations and has been a partner in supporting — the elimination of the only federal government program dedicated to co-op development is not only hard to understand, it is misguided and will result in a negative economic impact much greater than the short-term spending that is “saved.”

With over $330 billion in assets, about 9,000 co-operatives in Canada provide services to 18 million members. They are a significant part of our economy and our communities. At a time when job creation is needed for economic recovery and growth, why cut support to a sector that employs over 150,000 Canadians and continues to grow? In an era when economic decisions are increasingly made outside of the communities most impacted by them, and wealth accumulates in ever fewer pockets, what we precisely need is stronger leadership and investment in a business model that roots ownership locally and distributes wealth equitably. In 2007, co-operatives in Manitoba distributed $138 million to members in patronage dividends, providing a direct economic impact for many Manitobans and for the economies in the communities that they live in.

Co-operatives usually start with a group of people looking to collectively address a need in their community, or capture an opportunity, in a way that puts their needs and their local economy first. Co-operatives build democracy through seven core principles:

  • Voluntary and open membership: Co-ops are open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership.
  • Democratic member control: Co-ops are controlled by their members.
  • Members’ economic participation: Members contribute equitably to the capital of their co-operative.
  • Autonomy and independence: Co-ops are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members.
  • Education, training, and information: Co-ops provide education and training for members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives.
  • Cooperation among co-operatives: Collaboration between co-ops benefits individual members and the co-operative movement overall by combining and sharing resources across the sector.
  • Concern for community: While focusing on member needs, co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities.

Members participate in the election of their boards of directors, providing the opportunity for more than 100,000 Canadians to participate as volunteer directors and committee members in the governance of co-operative businesses in their communities.

Unlike traditional business models, co-operatives are businesses oriented to member service rather than the maximization of profit. This means that they will operate in circumstances that meet members’ and communities’ needs as long as economically viable. Because they are highly invested in their communities, co-ops are more likely to consider profit in terms of the local job retention, and service to community. For example, banks have closed their doors in communities across Canada because they were not earning the profits they desired. Fortunately more than 1,000 of these communities have financial co-operatives committed to serving their communities. In Manitoba, this is the case in 61 communities.

The co-operative movement’s commitment to more than the ‘bottom line’ has not compromised the viability of their business model. A 2008 study in Quebec found that 62 per cent of new co-ops are still operating after five years, compared with 35 per cent for other new businesses. After 10 years, the figures are 44 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. Similar research in BC and Alberta recently found parallel results in their provinces.

Investment in the development, start-up, and growth phases of co-operatives is beneficial because of the significant impact and returns that they generate over time. The Co-op Development Initiative (CDI) provided precisely this type of strategic investment. Since the program’s inception in 2003, more than 300 new co-ops were created with support from the CDI program, and more than 1,600 groups received advice and assistance, which might yet lead to the creation of even more co-ops. In Manitoba, since 2009, a few hundred thousand dollars invested in over 25 cooperative businesses, through technical support and small grants, has allowed businesses to start up and provide much needed services. For example, Peg City Car Co-op’s return on investment from the Co-op Development Initiative has already been significant.

The government estimates it will save some $4 million by eliminating CDI and other government supports for co-operatives. This is a drop in the bucket when compared with the significant negative impact it will have on the Canadian economy and small communities in particular.

Brendan Reimer is the Regional Coordinator for the The Canadian CED Network.

Business Interests Trump Democratic and Union Rights, Fairness and Social Justice

by Errol Black

On March 9, my blog post described actions by the federal government that show contempt for Canadian workers. I stated concern that ordering Canada Post and Air Canada workers back-to-work sent a message to employers that they need not worry about negotiating in good faith with workers, because the federal government has signaled that it will not tolerate long strikes in the federal public sector.

This trend continues. On May 23, 4,800 members of the Teamster Union (workers in the running trades and yards) shut down freight service on the C.P.R. The C.P.R. was demanding major concessions, including a 40 per cent reduction in earned pension benefits, and reduced post-retirement health benefits. As well, the company was seeking to increase the working day on some runs to 12 hours, a change that would adversely affect the health and safety of workers. The workers were very upset with these demands, coming as they were from a company that generated a profit of $570 million in 2011 (a profit that will increase much more in upcoming months as a result of major increases in the price charged for moving grain) and guarantees its CEO an annual pension at age 65 of $1.12 million.

The freight cars had barely come to a halt, when Labour Minister Lisa Raitt announced that the parties should negotiate an agreement by May 28 or face back-to-work legislation. Her announcement might be characterized as a “hold (for the company) or fold (for union) caution.” True to her word, Raitt introduced legislation on May 28. The bill passed and operations resumed at 6:00 a.m. June 1. The dispute now goes to a government appointed arbitrator who has 90 days to bring forward an award.

This action was cheered by oil, mining and manufacturing companies, and even many farmers (a result, as one agricultural analyst pointed out, that is a bit paradoxical given that when the government moved to eliminate the Wheat Board farmers called on labour to support them in their opposition).

As has already been documented in media accounts and on other blog sites, this government has yet again demonstrated that it is anti-worker and anti-union.

Nevertheless, there are, as the example of my home city demonstrates, some lessons that we can learn from it. Local workers from other unions and delegates to the Brandon and District Labour Council joined some 120 Teamster members in the Brandon area on the picket line. Union members provided the local media with accurate information regarding the issues, and also poignant anecdotes on how it feels to be disenfranchised by a government that is supposed to protect collective bargaining rights.

This demonstration of solidarity was likely replicated in many other cities across the country. It surely won’t be the last as the attack on labour ramps up.

A Rising Tide of Housing: St. John’s, NL

PDF version

by Sarah Cooper

Although the City of St. John’s, NL, has experienced a recent economic upswing, it has found that a rising tide does not lift all boats. More and more, vulnerable people in St. John’s are finding it difficult to access housing.

St. John’s is very similar to Winnipeg in some ways. Both have had high levels of poverty, and both were for a long time in a period of economic decline. Like Winnipeg, in the 1990s St. John’s lost many of its residents when they moved to other parts of Canada seeking work or opportunity. And, like Winnipeg, St. John’s fortunes have turned around in the last few years, its population is growing, and – the downside of its success – housing its residents has become a challenge.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to St. John’s for the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association’s annual conference. One of the sessions was entitled A Rising Tide to Lift All Boats: Unprecedented prosperity, an affordable housing crunch and the making of a collaborative response in St. John’s.

It discussed the work that St. John’s has undertaken to address its housing concerns. The speakers were Shannie Duff (Deputy Mayor, City of St. John’s); Marie Ryan (Co-Chair, St. John’s Community Advisory Committee on Homelessness and former city councillor); and Victoria Belbin (CEO, Canadian Homebuilders Association Newfoundland and Labrador). These three women all identified affordable housing as an important concern for the economic and social well-being of St. John’s.

As a result of oil and mineral extraction, St. John’s economy is growing rapidly. Many Newfoundlanders have returned home from working away, and many other people have moved to St. John’s. Newfoundland and Labrador is now one of the ‘have’ provinces, but is finding that this prosperity brings its own challenges. Over the last decade, the affordability gap in St. John’s has widened, and there is a shortage of affordable housing, especially for those on the lower end of the income spectrum.

Currently in St. John’s, the vacancy rate is very low, at 1.3 per cent. Many people live in substandard housing – particularly in what Marie Ryan called “slum boarding houses” – and homelessness is a growing concern. Homeownership is increasingly outside the reach of many households, and rents are increasing as the pressure on the rental market grows.

To address its housing challenges, St. John’s has long taken advantage of the housing programs offered by the federal government. There are shelters that provide emergency housing for women and children, youth, and single adults. The City provides rental housing for lower-income households, including 168 rent geared to income units and 268 lower-end of market units (for working people who cannot afford median rents). There is a Community Advisory Board that brings together community organizations to address housing issues, and the City is in the process of transitioning to a community entity model to manage housing and homelessness funds.

The key difference between St. John’s and Winnipeg’s approaches to addressing housing and homelessness lies in the cities’ respective willingness to acknowledge and discuss the issue.

In St. John’s, there are strong networks of advocates for affordable housing who push the City and the Province to do more to address housing and homelessness. Two of these outspoken advocates are Shannie Duff, the deputy mayor, and Marie Ryan, a former city councillor.

In fact, since 2004, the City has been actively working on housing issues. It has hosted two housing forums, and established the Affordable Housing Action Committee (now renamed the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Affordable Housing). This committee includes representatives from all levels of government as well as the non-profit and private sectors, has created a housing action plan, and has partnered with government and non-profit organizations to develop 45 new units of affordable housing in St. John’s.

St. John’s leadership extends beyond the city boundaries. At the 2010 Annual General Meeting of the Municipalities of Newfoundland and Labrador, the City of St. John’s put forward a motion to:

  • Affirm that housing stability is a foundation for a prosperous and vibrant municipality. Promoting housing stability contributes significantly and tangibly to local economic and social outcomes such as employment, education, health, social integration and community safety.
  • Commit to develop a municipal policy and action plan to promote affordable housing in collaboration with the federal and provincial governments, and the community based and private sectors.
  • To demonstrate leadership by taking concrete, collaborative local action – and collective action through Municipalities NL, in partnership with the NL Housing & Homelessness Network – to ensure adequate affordable housing for all.

This motion recognizes the challenges that municipalities across Newfoundland and Labrador are facing, and proposes some concrete steps that municipalities can take to address these challenges.

Here in Winnipeg, it is more difficult to be optimistic about our City’s approach to housing.

Winnipeg’s vacancy rate is low at 1.1 per cent and, as in St. John’s, Winnipeg housing costs continue to rise. However, unlike in St. John’s, our City Council continues to ignore our housing crisis, choosing to defer responsibility instead of showing leadership and working collaboratively with the provincial and federal governments. The Winnipeg Housing Steering Committee has only met once a year over the last four years. Most councillors choose to ignore core needs such a housing, preferring to focus on ‘sexier’ projects like waterparks and highways to developments that haven’t yet been built.

Shannie Duff acknowledges the reality that municipalities don’t have the money required to resolve the housing problem. However, she also recognizes that in Canada, the municipal level of government is closest to the people and therefore is well-placed to address their housing needs. St. John’s is showing leadership by actively engaging in dialogue with its partners to seek solutions to the housing challenges that are ultimately a problem for all levels of government.

If only Winnipeg would do the same.

Sarah Cooper researches housing issues for the CCPA-MB office.

Errol Black to receive Joe Zuken Award


The Joseph Zuken Memorial Association will present Errol Black with the Joe Zuken City Activist Award in recognition of his decades of activism.

Over the years, Errol has made an enormous contribution to the struggle for social justice and union rights in Canada. Errol is one of the founders of the Manitoba office of the CCPA, and has continued to be a strong supporter of the CCPA-MB for the last 15 years. Whether as a labour economist at Brandon University, sitting on the Brandon Labour Council, working as a Brandon city councilor, or thinking, talking and writing about labour issues, Errol has been steadfast in his commitment to social justice.

Everyone at the CCPA-MB congratulates Errol. His decades of activism make him well-deserving of this recognition.

The Award will be presented to Errol at the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg AGMat 7pm on June 5, 2012.