Canadian Social Research Newsletter

Canadian Social Research Newsletter
February 25, 2007

Welcome to the weekly Canadian Social Research Newsletter,
a listing of the new links added to the Canadian Social Research Links website in the past week.

The e-mail version of this week's issue of the newsletter is going out to 1760 subscribers.
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see some notes and a disclaimer.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Canadian Content

1. Complaint filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission regarding lack of funding for First Nations child welfare
(Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada) - February 23
2. What's new from the Department of Finance Canada:
--- Release of The Fiscal Monitor for December 2006 - February 23
--- Canada’s New Government Reduces Taxes for Canadian Fishers - February 23
--- Canada’s New Government Provides Real Tax Relief for Canadians - February 22
3. What's new from Statistics Canada:
--- Study: Gender differences in quits and absenteeism, 1983 to 2003 - February 23
--- Young pensioners
--- Defining retirement - February 21
--- Consumer Price Index, January 2007 - February 20
--- Leading indicators, January 2007 - February 20
4. British Columbia Budget 2007 - February 20
5. BC Budget 2007-2008 Commentary by David Schreck (StrategicThoughts.com)
--- A Lot for Those over $100,000 Income, Little for Welfare - February 23
--- Welfare Rates Paid with Caseload Cuts - February 22
--- Welfare Rate Increase - February 20
--- Budget 2007-08: Those that Got Get! - February 20
6. Québec Budget 2007-2008 - February 20
7. Federal Government : $223 Million for Agreements to Assist People With Disabilities - February 16
8. No Excuse - The poverty blog (Bill Dunphy, Hamilton Spectator poverty reporter)
9. A Constitutional Defence of the BC Welfare Time Limit (Chris Schafer in the Canadian Student Law Review) - January 2007
10. What's New from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (University of Toronto) - February 23

International Content

11. Poverty Dispatch: U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs
12. President's budget would cut deeply into important public services and adversely affect states (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) - February 8

Have a great week!

Gilles Séguin
Canadian Social Research Links
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net

E-mail:
gilseg@rogers.com

1. Complaint filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission regarding lack of funding for First Nations child welfare. - February 23
(Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada)

Canadian Human Rights complaint on First Nations child welfare filed today by
Assembly of First Nations and First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada
February 23, 2007
Today, the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada formally filed a complaint today with the Canadian Human Rights Commission regarding lack of funding for First Nations child welfare. “There are more than 27,000 First Nations children in state care. This is a national disgrace that requires the immediate and serious attention of all governments to resolve,” said National Chief Phil Fontaine. “Rational appeals to successive federal governments have been ignored. After years of research that confirm the growing numbers of our children in care, as well as the potential solutions to this crisis, we have no choice but to appeal to the Canadian Human Rights Commission.”
Source:
Assembly of First Nations (AFN)

Also from AFN:

First Nations Child and Family Services - Questions and Answers
February 2007

Leadership Action Plan On First Nations Child Welfare (PDF File - 1.5MB, 16 pages)
November 2006

Related document:

The Fiscal Monitor - December 2006
HTML version
PDF version (141K, 8 pages)

Canada’s New Government Reduces Taxes for Canadian Fishers
February 23, 2007

Canada’s New Government Provides Real Tax Relief for Canadians
February 22, 2007
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, is pleased to announce that the entire $26-billion tax relief package included in Budget 2006 is now law, thereby guaranteeing its benefits for Canadian families, students, workers and seniors. The final budget bill, Bill C-28, has received Royal Assent.

- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Agriculture to Finance) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk.htm

3. What's new from Statistics Canada:
--- Study: Gender differences in quits and absenteeism, 1983 to 2003 - February 23
--- Young pensioners - February 21
--- Defining retirement - February 21
--- Consumer Price Index, January 2007 - February 20
--- Leading indicators, January 2007 - February 20

What's New from The Daily [Statistics Canada]:

February 23, 2007
Study: Gender differences in quits and absenteeism, 1983 to 2003
Female workers are traditionally considered more likely than men to quit their jobs, to be absent or to take more days off for family reasons. In the past, this gender difference has been offered as an explanation for the wage gap between men and women. This new study documents gender differences in quitting and absenteeism. It shows that differences in quits and absenteeism between men and women are now fairly small. The study found that since the early 1990s, women have been no more likely to quit their jobs than men. Quit rates among women had been higher than those of men before 1994. But since then, the gap has virtually disappeared.

Gender Differences in Quits and Absenteeism in Canada
February 2007
by Xuelin Zhang
Executive summary (HTML)
Complete report (PDF file - 189K, 36 pages)
Source:
Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series

----------------------

From the February 2007 issue of
Perspectives on Labour and Income:
(Released February 21)

Young pensioners
By Ted Wannell
Since they entered the scene, baby boomers have been shaping social and economic structures. Now on the cusp of retirement, they may once again force change on the labour market. Many aspire and can afford to retire relatively young, raising concerns about labour supply and public pension programs. But increasing longevity in good health may persuade some to extend their working life. Trends in pension uptake between ages 50 and 60 and post-pension employment during the 1990s and the first part of this decade offer some clues as to the direction baby boomers may take.

Defining retirement
By Geoff Bowlby
Even though the retirement wave will have significant labour market consequences over the next 20 years, no regular statistics are produced on retirement or the retired. Part of the problem stems from lack of clear definitions. For some, retirement means complete withdrawal from the labour force while for others it entails part- or even full-time work. The article examines the challenges faced by statistical organizations in measuring retirement and offers several recommendations to inform a discussion for arriving at international standards.

Back Issues of Perspectives on labour and income - back to October 2000
Subject index

----------------------

February 20, 2007
Consumer Price Index, January 2007
Consumers paid 1.2% more for the goods and services they purchased between January 2006 and January 2007, a somewhat slower pace than the one of 1.6% in December. A reduction in gasoline prices helped offset the impact of rising housing costs.

February 20, 2007
Leading indicators, January 2007

- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Fisheries and Oceans to Veterans Affairs) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk2.htm
- Go to the Canadian Government Sites about Women's Social Issues page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/women.htm

4. British Columbia Budget 2007-2008 - February 20

Balanced Budget 2007
February 20, 2007
"Balanced Budget 2005 focused on seniors. Balanced Budget 2006 concentrated on the needs of our children. And this budget — the third of five the government will table in its current mandate — is dedicated to housing, which affects us all." (Excerpt from budget highlights)
- incl. links to all budget papers

Budget 2007 Builds a Housing Legacy
News Release
VICTORIA — A comprehensive range of new supports for British Columbians, including a $250 million Housing Endowment Fund, will help address the housing challenges created by a growing economy, Finance Minister Carole Taylor announced today with the release of Balanced Budget 2007.

Budget Highlights
HTML
PDF (2MB, 4 pages)
TIP: unless youre really into pretty graphics, the HTML version is much quicker to download and read than the PDF version. Same content, less gloss..

Ministry Service Plans, 2007/08 to 2009/10
- recommended reading if you want to know what each of the ministries is planning for the next three years.
Here (below) are service plans for the ministries responsible for welfare and children's services in British Columbia (follow the service plans link to access other ministries' service plans).

Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance
Service Plan, 2007/08 to 2009/10
HTML
PDF (578K, 52 pages)
NOTE: if you're interested in the "welfare wall" effect (i.e., the potential loss of non-cash benefits such as supplementary health and dental benefits when someone leaves welfare for a job), I highly recommend:
Appendix 3: What Benefits Do Clients Retain
When They Leave Income Assistance For Work?

February 20, 2007
Increases to Income Assistance Rates
HTML version
PDF version (61K, 5 pages)
- incl. rates before and after April/07

Ministry of Children and Family Development
Service Plan, 2007/08 to 2009/10
HTML
PDF (332K, 38 pages)

Previous Years' Budgets - back to 1995

Related Web/News/Blog links:

Google Search Results Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms (without the quote marks):
"British Columbia Budget 2007 "
Web search results page
News search results page
Blog Search Results page
Source:
Google.ca

- Go to the BC Government Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm

5. BC Budget 2007-2008 Commentary by David Schreck (StrategicThoughts.com)
--- A Lot for Those over $100,000 Income, Little for Welfare - February 23
--- Welfare Rates Paid with Caseload Cuts - February 22
--- Welfare Rate Increase - February 20
--- Budget 2007-08: Those that Got Get! - February 20

StrategicThoughts.com
David Schreck is a former NDP MLA for North Vancouver Lonsdale (1991-96) who describes himself as a political pundit and an Economic/Management Consultant.

A Lot for Those over $100,000 Income, Little for Welfare
February 23
"The 2007 Budget did not increase the support portion of the income assistance rates for most clients. Based on the Ministry's caseload statistics for December 2006, over 55,000 cases classified as disabled will receive no increase in their support allowance; they are part of the 62,638 cases who will receive no increase in support payments. The Campbell government deserves a little credit for increasing the support allowance for single employable clients, and for adjusting rates for children, but no one should think that all clients are receiving an increase - 40% receive no increase in shelter allowances and 64% receive no increase in support allowances."

Welfare Rates Paid with Caseload Cuts
February 22

Welfare Rate Increase
February 20

Budget 2007-08: Those that Got Get!
February 20, 2007
"BC Budget 2007 flaunts the statutory requirement for reporting major capital costs, and it repeats the pattern of the Campbell government for looking after those who least need it."

- Go to the Non-Governmental Sites in British Columbia (C-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bcbkmrk3.htm

6. Québec Budget 2007-2008 - February 20

Québec Budget 2007-2008
February 20, 2007
- incl. links to all budget papers

Budget in brief
- incl. * Quebecers' priorities * Better quality of life * Regions and major cities * Sustainable development and the environment * Other sectors targeted by the budget * Québec-Ottawa relations and the fiscal imbalance

The 2007-2008 Budget at a Glance (PDF file - 932K, 8 pages)

Related Web/News/Blog links:

Google Search Results Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms (without the quote marks):
"Québec budget 2007-2008"
Web search results page
News search results page
Blog Search Results page
Source:
Google.ca

-------------------------------------------------

Budget 2007-2008
Le 20 février 2007
- liens vers tous les documents connexes

Budget en bref
* Priorités des Québécois * Meilleure qualité de vie * Régions et grandes villes * Développement durable et environnement * Autres secteurs visés par le budget * Relations Québec-Ottawa et déséquilibre fiscal

Renseignements additionnels sur les mesures du budget (fichier PDF - 118 pages, 970 Ko)

- Go to the Canadian Government Budgets Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/budgets.htm
- Go to the Québec Links (English) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qce.htm
- Rendez-vous à la page de liens de recherche sociale au Québec: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qcbkmrk.htm

7. Federal Government : $223 Million for Agreements to Assist People With Disabilities - February 16

Canada's New Government Announces
$223 Million for Agreements to Assist People With Disabilities
News Release
BURNABY, BC
Feb. 16, 2007 - The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, today announced an investment of $223 million to help Canadians with disabilities develop skills and secure meaningful, long-term employment. (...) Through the Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities, the federal government works with provinces to put in place programs to assist people with disabilities to overcome barriers and become active in the labour force. Today's announcement extends those agreements to March 31, 2008.
Source:
CCNMatthews ("News Distribution Experts")

The Multilateral Framework for
Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities
The Multilateral Framework came into effect on April 1, 2004.
- incl. links to : Background - Principles - Goal and Objectives - Priority Areas - Annual Plan - Funding Arrangements - Base Funding - Accountability - Evaluation - Bilateral Agreements - Future Commitments

- Go to the Disability Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/disbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Human Resources and Social Development Canada Links page - http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/hrsdc.htm

8. No Excuse - The poverty blog
(Bill Dunphy, Hamilton Spectator poverty beat reporter)

No Excuse - The poverty blog
"No Excuse is a blog managed and mostly written by Hamilton Spectator poverty beat reporter, Bill Dunphy, and is part of the paper's larger Poverty Project. Look here daily for news items, events, resources, and a chance to engage in discussions with the paper, Dunphy and each other."
Related Link:
Hamilton Spectator

- Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (D-W) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk3.htm

9. A Constitutional Defence of the BC Welfare Time Limit - January 2007
(Chris Schafer in the Canadian Student Law Review)

A Constitutional Defence of the Benefit Time Limit on Eligibility for
Income Assistance Under the British Columbia Employment and Assistance Act
2006
By Chris Schafer
Abstract—Pressing back against the juggernaut of Canadian constitutional academic scholarship wedded to the “progressive” vision of an ever-expanding state, this paper presents a constitutional defence of the benefit time limit on eligibility for social assistance under the British Columbia Employment and Assistance Act. The constitutional defence set out shows that BC’s benefit time limit does not render social assistance recipients incapable of exercising their right to security of the person without government intervention under section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, nor does it violate their equality rights under section 15 of the Charter.
Introduction
I. Income Assistance in British Columbia
II. The Impact of the BCEA Program
III. The Impact of U.S. Welfare Reform
IV. The Constitutionality of the BC Benefit Time Limit
A. Opposition to the Time Limit
B. Section 7 of the Charter
C. Section 15 of the Charter
D. Section 1 of the Charter
Conclusion

Source:
Canadian Student Law Review - Volume 1, 2006
A Journal of Legal Papers by Law Students
January 2007

< Note to social conservatives: feel free to skip this next bit and go right to the end of this commentary >

Context and commentary

Here are two sources for contextual information on this issue:
- http://www.povnet.org/twoyearlimit.html
- http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bc_welfare_time_limits.htm

In recent years, Chris Schafer has written and co-authored a number of reports for the right-of-centre Fraser Institute. When he asked me by e-mail last week to post a link to this recent article of his from the Canadian Student Law Review, I was curious as to why he would want to flog a dead horse, i.e., BC's welfare time limits. After all, anyone who has followed the saga of welfare time limits in BC has pretty much deduced that it was an ill-timed political move by the Campbell government to curry favour with the social conservatives in the province. The policy was loosely based on welfare time limits in the U.S., and it would make BC the first Canadian jurisdiction with such a welfare time limit.

In his article, Chris argues that if BC were to impose time limits on welfare eligibility, this would not violate sections 7 or 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I'll leave the Charter arguments to the Charter experts, but I was under the impression, like Shelagh Day, that "the government retreated in the face of mounting pressure from community organizations, churches, unions, city councils, social policy experts and individuals who let Victoria know that the 24-month rule is both impractical and morally repugnant." [Excerpt from a Vancouver Sun article by Shelagh Day "Time limits for welfare disregard the humanity of poor people (Feb. 16/04).

I'm posting this article because I felt that his points concerning sections 7 and 15 of the Charter might interest the legal eagles in the social advocacy and academic communities who visit Canadian Social Research Links from time to time. You'll find footnotes and references to related online resources in that article as well...

I find it mildly amusing that the abstract of Chris Schafer's article speaks of "[p]ressing back against the juggernaut of Canadian constitutional academic scholarship wedded to the 'progressive' vision of an ever-expanding state..." In fact, I thought it was a conservative juggernaut that was prevailing these days in Canadian social programs. As for the progressive vision of Canadian constitutional academic scholarship, I don't think it focuses on an ever-expanding state, but rather one that respects social justice and dignity of the person and that helps the most disadvantaged among us.

Yet another opportunity to stand on my soapbox and remind folks that the Canadian and American welfare systems are very different from one another:
Please see footnote 17 of this article : "...the composition of Canadian provincial welfare rolls and US state welfare rolls varies on a number of levels. For example, while single-parent families comprise the bulk of US welfare caseloads, in Canada that figure is approximately 29 percent." Unlike the Canadian welfare system, state welfare programs under the federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) initiative exclude single people and childless couples, who must apply to the national Food Stamp program and to residual aid programs where they live (if there are any such programs, which is not always the case), as well as people with disabilities (who must apply under the separate American Social Security program). In Canada, singles and childless couples make up close to 60% of the total welfare caseload and households headed people with disabilities account for about a third of the total caseload. These are just a few of the more significant reasons why Canadian welfare shouldn't be compared so simplistically with American programs under TANF.

I finally understand why the advocacy community has been pushing for the BC government to repeal section 27 of the Employment and Assistance regulation ("Time limits for income assistance") even though it's been rendered toothless by the addition of so many exemptions (25) that only a few hundred cases were affected (rather than thousands). It's because as long as there is a section 27 in the regulations, social conservatives will be pressing back against the juggernaut of BC common sense and decency by demanding that those time limits be implemented and enforced, and they will continue to present arguments like those in this article to support their case.

Welfare time limits may not be a contravention of the Charter - but that still doesn't make them good social policy.

< end of this commentary >
(Ha-ha --- like any social conservatives would subscribe to a newsletter like this eh?)

- Go to the BC Welfare Time Limits Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/bc_welfare_time_limits.htm

10. What's New from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit - February 23
(University of Toronto)

What's New - from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) - University of Toronto

The Childcare Resource and Research Unit offers a free weekly "e-mail news notifier" service.
The content below is a selection of the collection of items included each Friday.
(I've omitted a few CRRU links to avoid duplication with links that I've already included elsewhere on my site.)

For information on the CRRU e-mail notifier, including instructions for (un)subscribing, see http://www.childcarecanada.org

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
RECENT POSTINGS AVAILABLE ON THE
CHILDCARE RESOURCE AND RESEARCH UNIT'S WEBSITE
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

23-Feb-07

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND INVESTS IN EARLY LEARNING FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Press release from the Government of Prince Edward Island “announces details of a multi-year strategic investment by the province to support early learning.”
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=97089

CHILD CARE IN B.C.: FOR THE RECORD
Press release from the Government of British Columbia reviews recent provincial funding decisions.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=97088

ONLY IN B.C.
Press release from the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada & Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC addresses the child care situation in British Columbia.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=97087

SCOTTISH CHILDCARE COSTS SOAR ABOVE INFLATION
Press release from Children in Scotland announces the results of a recent survey of child care costs across England, Scotland, and Wales.
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=97086

A comeback mom cries foul [CA]
Globe and Mail, 23 Feb 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=97091

Getting day care isn't child's play [CA-NS]
Halifax Daily News, 19 Feb 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=97083

Bold steps needed on child poverty [CA-ON]
Toronto Star, 19 Feb 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=97085

Why the delay in announcing good news? [CA-PE]
Charlottetown Guardian, 17 Feb 07
http://action.web.ca/home/crru/rsrcs_crru_full.shtml?x=97084