Wage Hike: Aid and Funding Shortfall

wage hike: A community worker raised concern over how other service providers would have to pick up the slack, according to Toronto Star. A legal clinic executive wondered if the financial cuts disproportionally fell on refugees rather than family and criminal services. CARLOS OSORIO / TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Tues., May 30, 2017 Legal Aid Ontario got an earful from attendees at public consultation this week focused on its 40 per cent cut to refugee legal services.A private lawyer questioned how legal aid justifies the cut when 300 of its staff made the province's Sunshine List with a wage hike last year. But one thing was clear no one liked any of the three options offered by legal aid to address its 13.1-million funding shortfall in 2017. The whole situation is a disgrace, said Marjorie Hiley, executive director of the Flemingdon Community Legal Services, who called in during the consultation at legal aid's Toronto headquarters, one of 11 sessions over three weeks before the service cuts kick in July 1. The service reduction for refugees is part of the Legal Aid Ontario's effort to save costs and balance a 26-million budget deficit. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.