Canadian Social Research Newsletter
January 26, 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 1745 subscribers.
Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to see some notes and a disclaimer.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Canadian Content

1. Solving Poverty: Four cornerstones of a workable national strategy for Canada (National Council of Welfare) - January 25
2. Solving Poverty: First it has to be defined (The Globe and Mail) - January 5
3. What's New from the Montreal Economic Institute:
- Quebeckers' opinion on social assistance payments - January 2007
- Social assistance: What North American reforms can teach us - January 25 + editorial comment
4.. What's New from Statistics Canada:
--- Unemployment in Canada's metropolitan areas, 2000 to 2006 - January 25
--- The Aboriginal labour force in Western Canada, 2001 to 2005 - January 25
--- Personal Debt (Canada-US comparison) - January 25
--- Postsecondary attendance among local youth following the opening of a new university, 1981 to 2001 - January 25
--- Consumer Price Index, December 2006 - January 23
--- Leading indicators, December 2006 - January 23
--- Employment Insurance, November 2006 - January 23
--- Consumer Price Index: A preview of the upcoming basket update - January 23
5. Happy Birthday, Conservatives! Let's review your election promises now... (Canadian Union of Public Employees) - January 24
6. Embassy - Canada's online weekly international affairs newspaper
7. The Fiscal Monitor - November 2006 (Department of Finance Canada) - January 23
8 Aboriginal People in Manitoba (Service Canada) - April 2006
9. Québec : Social Assistance Program and Social Solidarity Program new benefit levels effective January 2007 (Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale)
10. Changes to Child Assistance in 2007 (Régie des rentes du Québec)
11. Getting social assistance when you're under 18 in Ontario (Ministry of Community and Social Services) - June 2006
12. Residential Tenancies Act replaces Tenant Protection Act - Ontario (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing ) - January 2007
13. Miscellaneous readings (Human Resources and Social Development Canada and more...)

International Content

14. Poverty Dispatch: U.S. media coverage of social issues and programs
15. World Economic Forum / World Social Forum - January 2007

Solving Poverty - It Can Be Done!(PDF file - 146K, 2 pages)
Press release
January 25, 2007
"In a report to the federal government made public today, the National Council of Welfare (NCW) advises Canadian governments that a workable solution to poverty is within their reach and that Canada can have the kind of success that other countries are achieving."

Complete report:

Solving Poverty:
Four cornerstones of a workable national strategy for Canada (PDF file - 336K, 27 pages)
Winter 2007
"(...) When the National Council of Welfare started looking into anti-poverty strategies, it became quickly apparent to us that if there is no long-term vision, no plan, no one accountable for carrying out the plan, no resources assigned and no accepted measure of results, we will continue to be mired in poverty for generations.

The four cornerstones:
1) creating a national anti-poverty strategy with targets and timelines;
2) developing a coordinated plan of action;
3) ensuring accountability; and
4) establishing official poverty indicators.

Related Link:

Report on responses to the
Poverty and Income Security Questionnaire (PDF file - 1.1MB, 36 pages)
Prepared by MiroMetrica Inc.
January 2007

Source:
National Council of Welfare

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RECHERCHISTES FRANCOPHONES:
Vous pouvez accéder à la version française de ces textes en vous rendant sur le site Web du
Conseil national du bien-être social : http://www.ncwcnbes.net/index_f.htm

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Google Search Results Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms (without the quote marks):
"National Council of Welfare, Solving poverty report"
Web search results page <===links to 1.1 million results (as at Jan. 26)
News search results page<===links to 10 results (as at Jan. 26)
Blog Search Results page <===links to 408 blog entries (as at Jan. 26)
Source:
Google.ca

- Go to the Social Research Organizations (I) in Canada page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/research.htm

Solving poverty:
First it has to be defined
January 5, 2007
By Neil Reynolds
"OTTAWA -- How do poor families spend so much more money than they earn? By one measure -- the National Council of Welfare -- the average poor Canadian family spends $4,855 a year more than the $14,366 it receives as income, a difference of 33 per cent. By another measure -- the Fraser Institute -- the average poor Canadian family spends $9,370 more than the $9,114 it receives as income, a difference of more than 100 per cent. (...) The solution to this mystery will help determine the number of poor households in Canada..."
Source:
The Globe and Mail

<begin rant.>

Argh.

I found this article among the Google web search results for "National Council of Welfare, Solving poverty report" (see above), and I couldn't help but thrown in my two cents' worth.
There's no "mystery" at all here for anyone who works with these types of statistics --- you can't just compare the numbers obtained in one study of household spending with those from another study of declared income. Methodologies vary, as do sample sizes and a number of other factors.

So why do it?
Perhaps to try and discredit an organization like the National Council of Welfare that uses these numbers to support of initiatives like its Solving Poverty report?

I generally try to stay out of the debate about the merits of absolute and relative poverty measurement. In this case, however, it wasn't the spurious juxtaposition of StatCan studies on household spending and income that moved me to comment, nor the absolutist views of Christopher Sarlo (click the link in the previous line for related info). Rather, it was a short reference in the article to the Council that simply pissed me of enough that I wanted to set the record straight. The reference in question? "The Ottawa-based National Council of Welfare is a conventional lobby organization that seeks to increase federal funding to fight poverty."

Whoa there, me bucko.
There isn't even a hint of "conventional lobby organization" here --- the Council is a citizen's advisory body whose mandate is enshrined in federal legislation since 1969.
Department of Social Development Act - (see the link under Part I to "National Council of Welfare")
The Council's role is not to advance the cause (read "profit margin") of the big drug companies or the car or tobacco industry - as "conventional lobby organizations" do - but rather to advise the federal government about "the needs and problems of low-income Canadians and on social and related programs and policies which affect their welfare". All Council members are private citizens drawn from across Canada and appointed by the Governor-in-Council, and they serve in their personal capacities rather than as representatives of organizations or agencies. There is no personal gain for Council members.

The above Globe and Mail article is dated January 5.
Here's an article on the same topic that appeared in the Toronto Star from the next day:

Editorial: Defining poverty crucial first step
January 6, 2007
How many Canadians are really living in poverty today? How much money would it take to lift them over the poverty line? Regrettably, no one can say for certain because Canada lacks an official measure of poverty. And without such a measure, governments and advocates for the poor can only guess at how widespread poverty is, whether it is getting better or worse, and what must be done to eliminate it or even cut it in half.
Source:
The Toronto Star

<end rant.>

- Go to the Poverty Measures - Canadian Resources page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/poverty.htm

Four out of five people in Quebec say social assistance should be fully conditional
- Success elsewhere shows the way to social assistance reform
Media Release
[ version française ]
January 25, 2007 - With Quebec reigning as North American social assistance champion, behind only Newfoundland and the District of Columbia, economist Norma Kozhaya of the Montreal Economic Institute says social assistance could be reformed in a way that would reduce dependency and poverty among persons fit for work. This change could draw insight from measures applied successfully in parts of Canada and in many U.S. states.

Quebeckers’ opinion on social assistance payments (PDF file - 89K, 4 pages)
January 2007
[ version française (fichier PDF - 88Ko, 4 pages)]
According to a Léger Marketing poll released today, 80% of people in Quebec would agree to having social assistance taken away from recipients who are fit for work and who refuse to take part in job preparation programs such as studies, training or community work.

Social assistance: What North American reforms can teach us (PDF file - 250K, 4 pages)
January 2007
Economic Note on the social assistance reforms instituted in the United States and in some Canadian provinces
[ version française : Aide sociale: les leçons des réformes nord-américaines (fichier PDF - 258Ko, 4 pages)]

Source:
Montreal Economic Institute
The Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan research and educational institute. It endeavours to promote an economic approach to the study of public policy issues. The MEI's mission is to propose original and innovative solutions for the crafting of efficient public policies, using successful reforms applied elsewhere as models.The MEI studies how markets function with the aim of identifying the mechanisms and institutions which foster the prosperity and long-term welfare of all the individuals which make up our society. The MEI is the product of a collaborative effort between Montreal-area entrepreneurs, academics and economists. The Institute does not accept any public funding. [ Excerpt from Who Are We ]

Editorial Comment
Canadian and American welfare systems are different from one another, a fact that the Montreal Economic Institute and its ideological soulmate on the Canadian West Coast, the Fraser Institute, willfully and consistently ignore in their welfare reform reports. After reading this short report on how *swell* the American state governments (along with Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia) have been doing in reducing their welfare caseloads, I note that the most important bit of text is actually in a text box on page 2, i.e., "In the United States, financial assistance for adults without children and without work constraints does not exist at the federal level and is very limited at the state level."

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 with American programs under TANF.

What North American reforms can teach us informs us that in 2002, British Columbia became the only jurisdiction in Canada to set time limits (24 mo. in any 60-month period) on social assistance eligibility for recipients who were fit for work. I guess the author of WNARCTU didn't get a chance to read more recent reports of her Fraser Institute pals --- in a February 2004 commentary, the Fraser Institute bemoaned BC's "backtracking" on its welfare reforms, effectively nullifying the time limit rule by exempting any client who was complying with his/her recovery/action/work plan. The absence of that bit of info in WNARCTU taints the analysis, no?

Bottom Line:
Canadian and American welfare systems are like apples and oranges.
They shouldn't be compared without situating each system in its appropriate context.

- Go to the Québec Links (English) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/qce.htm
- Go to the Social Research Organizations (II) in Canada page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/research2.htm

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

January 25, 2007
Study: Unemployment in Canada's metropolitan areas, 2000 to 2006
Canada's 28 metropolitan areas have accounted for nearly three-quarters of the growth in employment in the country during the past seven years, according to a study published today in Perspectives on Labour and Income.
Complete study:
Canada's unemployment mosaic, 2000 to 2006
By Ernest B. Akyeampong
The unemployment rate is a well-known barometer of labour-market health. The rise in the national unemployment rate in the years immediately following the high-tech meltdown has been replaced by sustained annual declines. Of course not all parts of the country have shared equally in the improvement. The article tracks the range of unemployment rates for local labour markets (the 28 census metropolitan areas [CMAs] and the 10 provincial non-CMA areas). It also looks at the relative durations of unemployment.

January 25, 2007
Study: The Aboriginal labour force in Western Canada, 2001 to 2005
Aboriginal people in Western Canada are starting to benefit from increasingly tighter labour market conditions, particularly in Alberta and British Columbia, according to a new study. The study, published today in Perspectives on Labour and Income, uses the Labour Force Survey to compare employment characteristics of the off-reserve Aboriginal and the non-Aboriginal populations in Western Canada's labour force.
Complete study:
The Aboriginal labour force in Western Canada
By Jacqueline Luffman and Deborah Sussman
By 2017, Aboriginal persons of working age (15 and older) are projected to number close to a million—about 3.4% of the working-age population overall. With anticipated labour shortages in many areas, this growing population may constitute an important pool of workers. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations in Western Canada are compared in terms of employment, occupational distribution, and skill level.

January 25, 2007
Personal debt
HTML version
PDF version (100K, 7 pages)
- includes charts to support the following observations:
* Personal consumption expenditure constitutes a larger share of GDP in the U.S.
* Canadians pay more income taxes and transfers to government
* Canadians and Americans spend a similar proportion of their income
* Both Canadians and Americans have increased their debt-to-income ratios
* Canadians use more consumer credit for their personal spending
* Consumer credit is still a relatively small share of total household debt in both countries
* The conventional mortgage rate is usually higher in Canada than in the U.S.
* The personal savings rate has fallen since 1982
* On a per-capita basis, consumption expenditure outpaced disposable income in both Canada and the U.S.
* Per capita, Americans have more debt than Canadians
* In both countries, total household debt outgrew consumer spending as well as disposable income
* Growth in household debt, consumer spending and disposable income varied with economic activity in both Canada and the U.S.

NOTE : The three items above (all dated January 25) appear in the January 2007 issue of Perspectives on Labour and Income.
[ Earlier issues of Perspectives on Labour and Income ]

January 25, 2007
Study: Postsecondary attendance among local youth following the opening of a new university, 1981 to 2001
University participation rates rose substantially among young people in several Canadian cities after new universities opened up in the localities during the 1980s and 1990s, according to a new study.

January 23, 2007
Consumer Price Index, December 2006
Consumer prices accelerated for the fourth consecutive month in December. Consumers paid 1.6% more for the goods and services in the Consumer Price Index basket in December 2006 than they did a year earlier. This increase remains below the 2.0% average posted for 2006.
Related Link:
Consumer Price Index, December 2006
- incl. Highlights - Tables - Charts - Data quality, concepts and methodology - User information - Products and services

January 23, 2007
Leading indicators, December 2006
Related Link:
Canadian Economic Observer, January 2007
- incl. Current economic conditions - Economic events - Feature article - Tables - Charts - User information

January 23, 2007
Employment Insurance, November 2006
An estimated 483,980 Canadians (seasonally adjusted) received regular Employment Insurance benefits in November, down 0.9% from October. This was the third consecutive monthly decrease, continuing a downward trend that began in mid-2003. The November decline was widespread across most provinces and territories. The largest decline was in Alberta (-3.6%). Regular benefit payments in November totalled $716.8 million, while 226,090 people made initial and renewal claims.

January 23, 2007
Consumer Price Index: A preview of the upcoming basket update
Statistics Canada has announced a major update of the Consumer Price Index to reflect changes in the spending patterns of Canadian households. The update, which occurs periodically, is designed to ensure the CPI's reliability for three key purposes, a measure of inflation, a statistical series deflator, and a tool for indexing various payments and transfers. The update will take effect on June 19, 2007, when data for the reference period of May 2007 are released in The Daily.

- Go to the Asset-Based Social Policies Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/assets.htm
- Go to the First Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/1stbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Canadian Universities and Colleges Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/univbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Federal Government Department Links (Fisheries and Oceans to Veterans Affairs) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/fedbkmrk2.htm

Happy Anniversary, Conservatives!
January 24, 2007
Well, happy anniversary, Conservative Government. With all of the effort it's taken us this year to get used to saying "Prime Minister Stephen Harper", we might have actually forgotten the promises that got him that title in the first place. Well, we might have. But we didn't. On this election anniversary, we'd like to make sure you don't forget, either. So let's revisit the promises Harper made a year ago today, and evaluate how well each has been kept."

Tory child care plans fail families
Codeblue for Childcare
January 12, 2007
The Conservative government has shuffled its cabinet and shifted priorities, but it has some major unfinished business when it comes to child care. “The Tories haven’t created the child care spaces Canadians need. Businesses aren’t welcoming their plans for the private sector to create child care spots and parents have received a taxable $100 towards covering their child care fees. It’s shameful that this government could call that a success,” said Paul Moist, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

Source:
Canadian Union of Public Employees

- Go to the Unions Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/unionbkmrk.htm

Embassy - International News, Opinions. Features, Culture and Lifestyle
"Embassy is an unbiased and authoritative newsweekly focused on international affairs from a distinctively Canadian point of view and on the diplomatic community in Ottawa. Embassy gives its influential and prestigious readers breaking and informed news, society and cultural coverage and policy briefings to help make their work in Canada better informed and more effective."

- Go to the Media Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/mediabkmrk.htm

Release of The Fiscal Monitor
News Release
January 23, 2007
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today released The Fiscal Monitor for November 2006.

Highlights:
November 2006: budgetary surplus of $0.3 billion
April to November 2006: budgetary surplus of $6.1 billion

Complete document:

The Fiscal Monitor - November 2006

Source:
The Fiscal Monitor 2006
- incl. links to all months in 2006
[ The Fiscal Monitor - earlier years back to 1996 ]
The Fiscal Monitor is a monthly document that provides highlights of the federal government’s fiscal performance, including monthly revenues, expenses, the budgetary balance and the financial source/requirement.

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

Aboriginal People in Manitoba (872K, 101 pages)
April 2006
The information contained in this publication is intended to:
* Serve as a resource for policy makers
* Provide general information for those who want to learn about Aboriginal Manitobans
* Provide factual information to aid in eliminating misinformation and stereotypes
* Provide baseline information for measuring program results.
Aboriginal People in Manitoba was produced by Service Canada in co-operation with the Province of Manitoba.
Source:
Service Canada

- Go to the First Nations Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/1stbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Manitoba Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/mbkmrk.htm

Québec:

Benefit Amounts under the Social Assistance Program
and the Social Solidarity Program Starting January 1, 2007 (PDF file - 133K, 5 pages)
On January 1, 2007, with two new last-resort financial assistance programs in effect under the Individual and Family Assistance Act, the benefits granted to persons who qualify for the Social Solidarity Program are to be indexed by 2.03%, that is, by the rate used for indexing the Québec personal income tax system. The benefits granted to independent adults who are admitted to a shelter or required to live in an establishment with a view to their social reintegration and the benefits of minor adults who are sheltered with their dependent child in a rehabilitation centre or a hospital centre are also to be indexed by 2.03%. The benefits granted to persons qualifying for the Social
Assistance Program who do not have a limited capacity for employment or who have a temporarily limited capacity for employment are to be adjusted by 1.01%.

For more information on the new programs, see
The Individual and Family Assistance Act,
Social Assistance Program and Social Solidarity Program come into effect
Dec. 8, 2006

And:

Main changes under the Individual and Family Assistance Act
New programs as of January 1, 2007 (PDF, 145K, 2 pages)

Source:
Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale<===this is the English home page of the Ministry
(Ministry of employment and social solidarity, responsible for welfare in Québec)

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Quoi de neuf du Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale:

Montants des prestations du Programme d’aide sociale et du
Programme de solidarité sociale – en vigueur le 1er janvier 2007 (PDF, 136 Ko, 5 pages)
1er janvier 2007
Indexation des prestations d’aide financière de dernier recours
À compter du 1er janvier 2007, les prestations d'aide financière de dernier recours seront indexées de 2,03 %.

Une augmentation des prestations de 2,03% sera accordée aux :
* Adultes seuls hébergés;
* Adultes tenus de loger dans un établissement en vue de leur réinsertion sociale;
* Adultes mineures hébergées avec leur enfant à charge dans un centre de réadaptation ou un centre hospitalier.

Une augmentation de 1,01% des prestations sera accordée aux :
* Personnes admises au Programme d’aide sociale sans contraintes;
* Personnes qui ont des contraintes temporaires.

Source:
Bulletin électronique du Ministère
janvier 2007

Numéros précédents du Bulletin (14 numéros, format PDF)

Pour plus de renseignements au sujet
des nouveaux programmes, Aide sociale et Solidarité sociale, voir:

L’entrée en vigueur de la Loi sur l’aide aux personnes et aux familles,
du Programme d’aide sociale et du Programme de solidarité sociale
8 décembre 2006

et:

Principales modifications apportées par la loi sur l’aide aux personnes et aux familles
Nouveaux programmes en vigueur le 1er janvier 2007 (PDF, 146 Ko)

- 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

From the Régie des rentes du Québec (English home page):

Children
If you have any dependent children under age 18, you may be entitled to child assistance, that is, the child assistance payment or if applicable, the supplement for handicapped children. If you or your spouse were to die, your children could be eligible for an orphan's pension. If you or your spouse become disabled, your children could be eligible for a pension for a disabled person's child.

Child Assistance
[Since January 2005, the new child assistance measure has replaced family allowances, the non-refundable tax credit for dependent children and the tax reduction for families.]

Changes to Child Assistance in 2007
In order to better adapt child assistance to the realities of Québec families, several changes came into effect as of January 2007.

-----

Quoi de neuf de la Régie des rentes:

Les enfants
Si vous avez des enfants de moins de 18 ans à votre charge, vous pourriez avoir droit au Soutien aux enfants, c'est-à-dire au paiement de Soutien aux enfants et, s'il y a lieu, au supplément pour enfant handicapé.De plus, vos enfants pourraient être admissibles à la rente d'orphelin, si vous ou votre conjoint décédez, ou à la rente d'enfant de personne invalide, si vous ou votre conjoint devenez invalide.

Soutien aux enfants
Depuis janvier 2005, la nouvelle mesure de Soutien aux enfants remplace les prestations familiales, le crédit d'impôt non remboursable pour enfant à charge et la réduction d'impôt à l'égard des familles.

Modifications au Soutien aux enfants en vigueur depuis janvier 2007
Dans le but de mieux adapter le Soutien aux enfants aux nouvelles réalités des familles québécoises, diverses modifications sont en vigueur depuis janvier 2007.

Ontario

Under 18 and on your own: Getting social assistance (PDF file - 238K, 18 pages)
June 2006
This booklet is for 16- and 17-year-olds who need financial assistance and are not living at home. It explains how to apply to Ontario Works for assistance, the special rules for 16- and 17-year-olds, and how to appeal a decision to refuse or cut off benefits.
Source:
[ Social Assistance booklets ]
[ Online publications ]
Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO)
CLEO is a community legal clinic that produces clear language material for people with low incomes. Main topics include social assistance, landlord and tenant law, refugee and immigration law, workers' compensation, women's issues, family law, employment insurance and human rights.

CLEO links to public legal education sites across Canada and many Ontario links to websites of legal clinics, community information centres and social justice groups.

CLEONet
- online clearinghouse for community legal education in Ontario

- Go to the Ontario Municipal and Non-Governmental Sites (A-C) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk2.htm

Residential Tenancies Act
The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) takes effect January 31, 2007. On June 22, 2006, the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) received Royal Assent. This act, once it is proclaimed by the government, on January 31, 2007, will replace the Tenant Protection Act, 1997 (TPA). The new legislation will give tenants more protection while keeping Ontario’s rental housing market strong. Our aim is to create a rental housing system that protects tenants, helps landlords and promotes investment in Ontario’s rental housing market.

Highlights of the new legislation

Source:
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

- Go to the Ontario Government Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onbkmrk.htm
- Go to the Homelessness and Housing Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm

I just spent some time looking at sites by and about Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC).
Here's a selection of content that I considered relevant enough to recommend to you:

Federal Government Publications Related to Popular Services of
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
* Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
* Employment Insurance (EI)
* Old Age Security (OAS)
* Social Insurance Number (SIN)
Source:
Service Canada

* Government On-Line 2005 Public Report: The Government On-Line 2005 Public Report offers an overview of the Government of Canada's approach to government on the web and summarizes our current Internet presence. This report also describes currently available gateways, clusters and on-line services.
- recommended reading - includes links to HRSDC program information!

* Main estimates (2006): The Main Estimates report provides a detailed listing of the resources required by Human Resources and Social Development and Service Canada for the upcoming fiscal year in order to deliver the programs for which we are responsible. This document identifies the spending authorities and the amounts to be included in subsequent Appropriation Bills that Parliament will be asked to approve to enable the government to proceed with its spending plans.

* The Report on Plans and Priorities (2006): The Report on Plans and Priorities (RPPs) is an expenditure plan for Human Resources and Social Development Canada and Service Canada. This report provides details on our organization's main priorities over the next three years by strategic outcome(s), program activity(ies) and expected results, including links to related resource requirements.

* Departmental Performance Report (2005): The 2005 Departmental Performance Report (DPR) examines the performance of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada in its first complete year of operation. It reports on the department's achievements related to commitments set out in the 2004-2005 Report on Plans and Priorities

Source:
Service Canada's Publications page

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Government of Canada Publications
Provides a reference to over 100,000 Government of Canada publications.

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

When You Retire
* Introduction * What types of income will you have? * Reducing and deferring tax * Are you leaving Canada?
Source:
Canada Revenue Agency

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

Tax Fairness Plan:
Information for Seniors
- incl. links to : Senior's Tax Savings Calculator * Pension-Splitting Assumptions * Caveats * Questions and Answers on the Tax Fairness Plan * Tax Relief for Canadian Seniors
Source:
Department of Finance Canada

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

Canadian Blog Directory - 10880 Blogs in 26 Categories (in 01/07)
Source:
BlogsCanada
"(...)The purpose of BlogsCanada is to provide helpful information for bloggers and those interested in blogs and blogging. BlogsCanada includes Officially Unofficial, Jim Elve's blog. Officially Unofficial covers topics related to blogging, in general, and BlogsCanada, in particular..."

- Go to the Human Resources and Social Development Canada Links page - http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/hrsdc.htm
- Go to the Seniors (Social Research) Links page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/seniors.htm

Poverty Dispatch - U.S.
- links to news items from the American press about poverty, welfare reform, child welfare, education, health, hunger, Medicare and Medicaid, etc.
NOTE: this is a link to the current issue --- its content changes twice a week.

Past Poverty Dispatches
- links to two dispatches a week back to June 1 (2006) when the Dispatch acquired its own web page and archive.

Poverty Dispatch Digest Archive - weekly digest of dispatches from August 2005 to May 2006
For a few years prior to the creation of this new web page for the Dispatch, I was compiling a weekly digest of the e-mails and redistributing the digest to my mailing list with IRP's permission.
This is my own archive of weekly issues of the digest back to August 2005, and most of them have 50+ links per issue. I'll be deleting this archive from my site gradually, as the links to older articles expire.

Source:
Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP)
[ University of Wisconsin-Madison ]

- Go to the Links to American Government Social Research page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (A-J) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us2.htm
- Go to the Links to American Non-Governmental Social Research (M-Z) page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/us3.htm

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2007
The Shifting Power Equation
24-28 January, Davos, Switzerland
- incl. links to : Programme * Selected Participants * Partners * Issues in Depth * Webcasts & Podcasts * WorkSpace * Open Forum * FAQs

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2007 – Enlarging the Davos Conversation
9 January 2007
News Release
Geneva, Switzerland
The World Economic Forum will be using new Web applications to extend the discussions at the Annual Meeting 2007 to a much wider audience. Held under the theme The Shifting Power Equation, the debates and discussions at the Meeting will be open to the general public via traditional broadcast channels, but also via webcasts, podcasts and for the first time, vodcasts. Internet users can field questions to participants via blogs and videoblogs and selected participants will be interviewed live in the virtual world of Second Life. As in previous years, all participants are encouraged to take part in the Forum’s blog to participate in the Davos Conversation – and this year a range of bloggers will contribute their thoughts to the discussions.

Programme
Session summaries
World Economic WebLog

Google Web Search Results:
"World Economic Forum"
Google News Search Results:
"World Economic Forum"
Source:
Google.ca

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World Social Forum Nairobi 2007
20-25 January, 2007
Nairobi, Kenya
The 7th edition of the World Social Forum brings the world to Africa as activists, social movements, networks, coalitions and other progressive forces from Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean, North America, Europe and all corners of the African continent converge in Nairobi, Kenya for five days of cultural resistance and celebration.Panels, workshops, symposia, processions, film nights and much much more; beginning on the 20th of January and wrapping up on the 25th of January 2007.
- incl. links to : * about * venue * transportation * services * accommodation * visa * faq * invitation

Final program for WSF2007

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