The News Rundown

Heart breaks': Advocates say new disability benefit still leaves people in poverty

One of the less talked about stories relating to the Trudeau Liberals' budget for 2024 that has picked up steam recently is the severe underfunding of the Canada disability benefit, something that people were hoping would increase because of inflation. Instead, people are left wondering why they are getting left behind.
The Canada Disability Benefit Act became law on June 22, 2023, with the stated intent of creating a benefit to “reduce poverty and support the financial security of working-age people with disabilities,” according to the Government of Canada website. About 600,000 people between the ages of 18 and 64 are expected to receive the money, which is “intended to supplement, not replace, existing provincial and territorial income support measures,” the budget says.
And yet, the The Canada Disability Benefit, announced in Tuesday’s budget, will provide a maximum of just $2,400 a year — or $200 a month — for low-income people with disabilities starting in July 2025. This means that for the more than 1.5 million people with disabilities living well below the poverty line, the equivalent of about $6 a day falls far short of what they need.
This has disappointed advocates who thought that the announcement of the benefit would fill in the gaps of those on disability, many of whom cannot work normal jobs and earn a paycheck like anyone else. Instead, it's a slap in the face.
Rabia Khedr, national director of Disability Without Poverty said: “This was hope. This was the light at the end of the tunnel. People were hanging on saying, ‘OK, I don’t have to access medical assistance in dying if this benefit comes through.‘ We were very excited. It was a tremendous milestone. We thought we were on the brink of making history, creating systems change. Although it was framework legislation, we had faith in the system that we would establish a robust benefit that would end disability poverty in this country.”
Instead, the benefit falls far short, and only meets the spirit of the legislation “very nominally,” and will meet the needs of “very few,” Khedr said.
A November report by the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimating the costs of the benefit said that, based on what people with disabilities receive from provincial and territorial income assistance programs, it would take up to $14,356 a year per person to bring them up to the poverty line. It also noted that the national benefit amount could go up to $22,701 a year to take into account the “additional costs associated with living with a disability.”
Therefore, it is easy to see that a benefit of $2,400 a year is “wholly inadequate” to help people who need disability income support to get out of poverty, said Neil Hetherington, CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank. He said that “What the government has signalled here is that they are content with charities like the Daily Bread Food Bank feeding individuals whose right to food is not being realized. They’re content with charity making up the difference.”
Still, the Liberals are championing this legislation as if they have made a huge difference, not a drop in the bucket. A press secretary for Kamal Khera, minister of diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities said: “For the very first time in Canada, there is a benefit designed to support the needs of low-income persons with disabilities and fill the gap between existing supports for persons with disabilities between the Canada Child Benefit and the Old Age Security.” The statement went on to say that the Canada Disability Benefit is a “major milestone” that happened “thanks to the relentless advocacy of the disability community.”
Canada’s Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland responded to criticism that the new benefit does little to lift some out of poverty. She said: “I agree with your question that it would be great to be able to do more and we aspire to that. This is a big step, and better is always possible in Canada. We need to keep working hard.”
But those words provided little comfort to those living on disability, when most of the provincial benefits are eaten up by rising housing costs.
So why was the disability benefit so underfunded? The Trudeau government in its nearly 9 years in power has spent so much money and put the country into debt so far that there quite literally isn't enough money to fund social programs that desperately need it without putting us into further debt. This is the same Prime Minister that once said that veterans are asking for more than we can give, and it appears that the same is the case for those on disability. Our government should be making sure that Canadians are taken care of, not just spending trillions and not getting results.
The Canada Disability Benefit wasn't even a partisan fight. All parties supported its creation in June 2023, when it unanimously passed in the House of Commons. And yet, here we are, with yet another broken system designed to fail by the Trudeau Liberals.
Supplementals:

Edmonton and Calgary are getting municipal political parties for next year’s municipal elections.
The province this week tabled Bill 20 that would enable the option for political parties in both cities, ban the use of electronic tabulators, and provide a mechanism for the provincial cabinet to remove councillors if deemed in the public interest.
There is also the option to request a referendum be called to determine if an elected official could be removed.
Right now officials can only be removed through a municipal inspection process which oddly enough, the opposition requested the UCP government do to Sean Chu in Calgary after controversy around him emerged after he was elected. More on why this is important in a little bit.
The new updates would also allow the cabinet to order a municipality to amend or repeal a bylaw.
The tin doesn’t say what this statute is for but it’s likely to prevent municipalities from introducing masking mandates if the province doesn’t think it’s a good idea.
Local officials from councillors to the mayors of Edmonton and Calgary spoke and have called this move undemocratic.
Gondek said, “we [are] now in a world where elections can be bought by big money and they can then be overturned by a cabinet that doesn’t like the results”
Both her and Sohi also called the Bill overreach.
Section 92 of the Constitution outlines the “Exclusive Powers of the Provincial Legislatures” and that “In each Province the Legislature may exclusively make Laws in relation to Matters coming within the Classes of Subjects next hereinafter enumerated”
Subsection 8 says municipal institutions in the Province right in between the statute that governs hospitals, asylums, charities, and Eleemosynary Institutions in section 7 and in section which governs shops, saloons, taverns, auction houses, and other licenses in order to the raising of Revenue for Provincial, Local, or Municipal purposes.
Mayor Gondek of Calgary this week was asking “I’m left asking why they’ve inserted themselves into municipal government in a manner that actually strips the voting public’s right to elect the council that they believe is best to serve them.”
This shows that the mayor doesn’t know her place and the cities place that the province does have the right to manage municipalities.
In the past NDP leader Rachel Notley has called for the province to remove councillors, in particular Calgary councillor Sean Chu as I mentioned previously.
Chu faced controversy because of allegations relating to a sexual assault while has a police officer. The incident took place in 1997 resulting in widespread calls not only from the NDP but UCP as well to remove Sean Chu after this while winning by only 52 votes. At the end of the day Chu remains as a councillor despite the controversy.
Would Chu have been removed under Bill 20, maybe?
Would Chu have been removed had we had recall with proper thresholds? Definitely.
Would Gondek have been removed this past winter if we had proper thresholds? Definitely.
This highlights what municipal officials are afraid of, an uprising of an anti-tax right leaning or even centrist party in the next election.
Incumbency normally plays a role in election outcomes but it is very prevalent at the municipal level.
We also see this in voter turnout where elections that have no incumbent mayor running or high profile councillors retiring see a higher voter turnout.
Political scientists have said that this could be one of the biggest ways to increase turnout at the municipal level and it would lower the burden on voters.
Right now voters have to do research on candidates for mayor, council, and school boards. Parties would make this easier since it shows what people will generally stand for.
All of this comes to the scene in an era with increasing tax increases that were higher than planned and city officials seemingly blind to their options.
Municipal Affairs Minister Ric MicIver said that “This is not a takeover by the UCP of municipal elections and it’s not a takeover by the NDP of municipal elections. It won’t be allowed to be. It will be an overt prohibition. Nobody is taking over anything.”
There will also be no UCP, no NDP, or no Liberals at the municipal level. The parties will have to be unique.
This is going to be the state of play in 2025 and it has completely changed the game for large municipalities in Alberta.
Supplementals:

Citizens stop alleged Victoria carjacker 2 days in a row

A repeat criminal is finally in custody after a string of catch and release events happened over the last week in Victoria BC. It's a story that has left many people baffled as to the state of crime in Canada, and how we got to this point.
The criminal, Seth Packer was arrested after an alleged carjacking in Victoria faces several charges stemming from a string of incidents on Monday April 22nd that ended with bystanders stepping in to subdue the suspect.
The issue was that Packer was already arrested and released on Sunday April 21st after he allegedly tried to steal an occupied vehicle on Shelbourne Street. VicPD said the owner physically removed Packer from the vehicle in that incident. From the April 21st event, he faces a charge of failing to comply with conditions, which were attached to a charge of attempted theft of a motor vehicle. And yet the police let him go on the promise to appear in court.
The very next day on Monday he was already at it again, carjacking and causing mayhem After police arrested the suspect on Monday, he was again released pending a court appearance!
On Tuesday, he was arrested for a third time after allegedly entering an occupied home and stealing a wallet. He then attempted to steal yet another car but was blocked by the driver. This time, police have him held in custody until his May court date.
Victoria Police Chief Del Manak released a bizarre statement on the three day crime spree that does little to explain why this repeat offender was allowed to be released a second time after committing crimes after being arrested the first time.
Manak said: “After the same individual caused two motor vehicle collisions, attempted to steal several vehicles and was successful on one of the attempts, and is now entering into peoples’ homes without consent, all in a matter of days, it is a miracle that no one has been seriously hurt or injured.”
He went on to say: “Repeat offenders like this put a significant strain on our resources and pose a risk to community safety. We will continue to work within our means to prevent further harm to the public, which includes advocating for Mr. Packer to remain in custody. Ultimately, that decision is up to the courts.”
The carjacking victim from Monday, Asha Mackwana said of her ordeal: “The whole time I keep thinking I can’t believe this is happening in Victoria.” Mackwana said she’s been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, but that she no longer believes her city is safe.
Makwana says she was shocked to learn that Packer was released the day after her car was stolen. She said: “A cop looked at me dead in the eye and said, ‘Don’t worry, he’s going to be in jail for a long time.’ I really believed that, I had no idea that he’d be getting released again.”
Packer now faces a total of nine charges from all three incidents: Two counts of Attempted Theft of Motor Vehicle, Three counts of Attempted Robbery, One count of Theft of Motor Vehicle, One count of Break-and-Enter, One count of Failing to Stop at the Scene, and One count of Failing to Comply with Conditions (in relation to the April 21 and April 22 incidents).
In a heated question period at the B.C. legislature Wednesday afternoon, Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond questioned the premier’s so-called catch-and-release policy.
Bond shouted: “If that doesn’t describe catch-and-release, I have no idea what does. When will this premier do the right thing and admit that his soft-on-crime policies are causing chaos across British Columbia?”
B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth responded to Bond, saying his party is working with the federal government.
“This side of the House is going to continue to make sure that we get changes made to the Criminal Code of Canada, that expands the ability to stop bail from individuals who engage in violent acts,” said Farnworth.
While continuing to address Bond’s remarks, Farnworth was interrupted, causing the Speaker of the House to call on members to allow the minister to finish his remarks.
“We will ensure the police have the tools and resources they need to do their job every single day, which they do with remarkable effectiveness,” said Farnworth.
And yet, violent criminals and repeat offenders like Seth Packer are still allowed to be caught and released on a daily basis by police, because the courts are hamstrung by the Trudeau Liberal's legislation that loosened restrictions on holding criminals in custody. To stop the rampant crime that's just getting worse, a change is needed now. Otherwise we'll have even worse cases than Packer's happening, where people get hurt or even killed.
Supplementals:

Firing Line

Poilievre visits convoy camp, claims Trudeau is lying about 'everything'

On Wednesday this past week Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre stopped at an anti-carbon tax protest being described as a convoy near the border between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The line that the media leads with is that Pierre Poilievre has accused the Prime Minister of “lying about everything” and this opened the line of attack that Pierre has welcomed “the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists.”
The media highlights the “Axe the Tax” and the “F*** Trudeau signs and flags” seen at the encampment.
They also take issue with Pierre Poilievre saying, “People believed his lies. Everything he said was bullshit, from top to bottom.”
Poilievre for himself called the group “a good, old-fashioned Canadian tax revolt.”
The reality is that anyone who is not part of the Laurentian elite, media establishment, or a member of the Liberal or NDP likely feels this way. It’s what 9 years of Trudeau has bought for our country.
But the insidious part of this story is that these people are being called far-right extremists because of a flag seen highlighting Dacey Media and the online community Diagolon.
But the media reach around continued with this story highlighting the purported evil deeds done by the organizers of the carbon tax protests around the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick border.
They also highlight a supposedly wretched idea of people organizing around anti-public health border blockades out east.
As far as we can tell, these people haven’t done anything illegal, they just represent views that go against the media reporting on them.
That’s the story and what the media hopes you’ll believe but the chain on this story of where it started and how its worked its way into the wider discussion this week is by far the more troubling matter.
The story got its legs online from the outlet Press Progress which is associated with the leftist advocacy group The Broadbent Institute.
The story was then picked up by the CBC which ran its insidious headline and solidified the hit job.
We know it was a hit job because the pictures posted in the story make Poilievre look truly unhinged due to the lighting and distortion present in the video.
After this the story was picked up by the Toronto Star and its opinion columnists including Althia Raj who has a history of providing convenient wedge topic shifts to Justin Trudeau. Her most famous example of this is making the last week and the half of the 2019 election about abortion.
After this Justin Trudeau posted a video on social media which completed the circle attacking Poilievre for consorting with “extremists” as he put it but an argument could be made that Trudeau himself looks more unhinged than Poilievre in the original video.
The reality is though that the media has no space to talk.
How far would be too far? Klansmen? Skinheads? Blackface? Support from Hamas?
This exact point was made by Carson Jerema in the National Post.
Justin Trudeau himself has been photographed multiple times in black face, 3 or more to be exact, or a hat trick at least.
And the government received thanks from Hamas for backing a full ceasefire in Gaza.
The government up until very recently has turned a blind eye to the rampant increase in antisemitism in our country.
That’s why the F Trudeau flags and small Diagolon symbol were the main attention of the media despite the symbol being drawn so tinily into a trailer door.
What the media didn’t say though as shown in Poilievre’s accounting of the event is that he actually declined to take a photo in front of the F Trudeau flags.
For anyone who steps out of their media bubble they will know that F Trudeau flags are common outside that bubble even in the cities of the west like Edmonton and Calgary.
At the end of the day this story mirrors so many others that we’ve seen out of Alberta, specifically in our elections where Press Progress has been involved.
The media is all too giddy to look for an opportunity to lambaste the conservatives at any cost given the atmosphere in this country.
The sad fact is that if the media applied this level of rigour in framing to Trudeau and the recent spate of antisemitism we’d be having an entirely different conversation on the state of our country.
Supplementals:

Quote of the Week

“People believed his lies. Everything he said was bullshit, from top to bottom.” - Pierre Poilievre on Justin Trudeau’s administration 9 years later.

Word of the Week

Theft - the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent

How to Find Us
Westerncontext.ca

westerncontext.ca/subscribe

westerncontext.ca/support

twitter.com/westerncontext

facebook.com/westerncontext

Show Data

Episode Title: Third Time’s the Charm

Teaser: Canada’s new disability benefit gets massively underfunded, Alberta will be getting municipal political parties, and a carjacker in Victoria gets caught and released several times. Also, Poilievre visits an anti-carbon tax protest.

Recorded Date: April 27, 2024

Release Date: April 28, 2024

Duration: 50:06

Edit Notes: None

Podcast Summary Notes

Duration: XX:XX