Two URGENT Actions for Racial Justice in Ontario !!

[Colour of Poverty]

Colour of Change Network members -

ACT NOW !!

TWO Actions for Racial Justice in Ontario

1) FAIR AND EQUITABLE LABOUR MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

2) ACCESS TO CANADA CHILD BENEFITS ( CCB )

1) FAIR AND EQUITABLE LABOUR MARKET OPPORTUNITIES - One of the most powerful tools for equity and racial justice change-making is strong Employment Equity legislation - federally, as well as provincially, territorially, municipally - frameworks that are - restored ( federally ); comprehensive; expanded - Indigenous Peoples, peoples of colour, women, persons living with (dis)abilities AND 2SLGBTQ+ individuals; appropriately and consistently disaggregated in their application and implementation; adequately resourced; monitored, audited AND enforced.

So as we "build back better" ( see COP-COC Build Back Better Principles attached ) help realise this critical policy objective through -

- legislated employment equity regimes - as above;

- adding "employment equity" consistent obligations and conditionality to all economic recovery, social and physical infrastructure investments and financial transfers;

- adding impact and community benefit agreements (ICBA's) which include employment equity obligations and requirements; AND

- fair and equitable public procurement contractor provisions;

See the COP-COC Employment Equity backgrounder ( attached and at the following links -

English - https://colourofpoverty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EN_Employment-Equity-1-Pager.pdf

Francais - https://colourofpoverty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/FR_Employment-Equity-1-Pager.pdf

2) ACCESS TO CANADA CHILD BENEFITS ( CCB ) -

The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the various challenges facing people with precarious immigration status in Canada.  What is less commonly known, however, is that many of these individuals who are helping to keep the Canadian economy going, are being denied one of the basic yet fundamental benefits that our Government provides to families in need, namely Canada Child Benefits (CCB). 

Under the Income Tax Act, you must be a citizen, permanent resident, convention refugee, or a “temporary resident” who has stayed in Canada for at least 18 months to receive CCB. Excluded from the benefits are refugee claimants and others with precarious immigration status, many of whom are working and paying tax in Canada. Even if their children are born in Canada, they are still being denied CCB because of the parent’s immigration status. It is unfair, and unconstitutional, to give CCB to visitors who may not have deep ties with Canada, while denying the benefits to refugee claimants and others in need.

See our OpEd - https://csalc.ca/op-ed-on-the-star-federal-government-must-allow-for-immigrants-and-refugees-to-receive-canada-child-benefits/

The Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic (CSALC) has launched a Constitutional Challenge to this unjust law. In addition, CSALC has joined hands with Campaign 2000, Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change, the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, and the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario, to call on the Canadian Government to immediately repeal the discriminatory provision under the Income Tax Act excluding access to CCB based on immigration status. We ask you for your support by signing the House of Commons petition - open for signature !

A template letter is attached - and at the following link - https://csalc.ca/campaign-to-extend-canada-child-benefits-to-all-children-living-in-canada/

For more information about the constitutional challenge go to - https://csalc.ca/press-release-re-constitutional-challenge-to-ccb/ and https://www-thestar-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.thestar.com/amp/news/canada/2021/02/09/she-was-a-refugee-mother-living-in-a-shelter-with-two-kids-then-ottawa-told-her-she-had-to-repay-18000.html

To join the CCB public education campaign sign up here - https://bit.ly/2Nj44gY

Please share the CCB campaign on social media - #ccbjustice

For both the Employment Equity and the CCB Campaigns please write/email your local MP as well as -

The Right Honourable Prime Minister Justice Trudeau at justin....@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland at Chrystia...@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development at Ahmed....@parl.gc.ca

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue at Diane.Leb...@parl.gc.ca

And to help us achieve both and to best address long existing and ongoing inequities and disparities across all other areas of lived experience we need the consistent, inclusive and comprehensive collection of disaggregated data across all relevant municipal, provincial, territorial and federal departments, ministries, and other governmental and community-based service areas and environments - as in the attached and at the following -

English -

Disaggregated Data - https://colourofpoverty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EN_Disaggregated-Data-1-Pager.pdf

French -

Données Ventilées - https://colourofpoverty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/FR_Disaggregated-Data-1-Pager.pdf

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michael kerr
Coordinator
Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change
# 505 - 123 Edward St.
Toronto, Ontario  M5G 1E2  Canada
Phone - 416-966-3882
Fax - 416-971-6780
E-mail - kerr.m...@gmail.com

Web-site - www.colourofpoverty.ca
Colour of Change Network - https://groups.google.ca/group/ColourofChangeNetwork
YouTube Channel - www.youtube.com/colourofpoverty
Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/colourofpoverty.colourofchange
Twitter - @colourofpoverty    #racesEDJ