FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2, 2019 HAMILTON – With Bill 66 passing third reading in the Ontario legislature, municipalities in the province stand to gain hundreds of millions of dollars by opening public construction contracts to all qualified bidders.  The bill updated Ontario’s outdated labour laws, which had blocked almost $2.5 billion worth of publicly funded municipal infrastructure work from fair and open competition. Until now, Toronto, Hamilton, Waterloo Region, and Sault Ste. Marie – along with the Toronto District School Board – limited bids on public construction projects only to firms affiliated with a handful of favoured unions.  Research has established that governments without fair and open bidding are paying inflated and uncompetitive prices for construction projects. Fair and open bidding on these construction contracts would save taxpayers a conservatively estimated $370 million. “This change has been a long time in coming,” said Brian Dijkema, Work & Economics Program Director at think tank Cardus. “Finally, municipal governments, school boards, and other entities no longer have to be captive to a small group of trade union interests. Better yet, all qualified contractors will be able to have the opportunity to contribute to the construction of the communities where they live and play.” The move to update Ontario’s labour laws is also in line with advice recently heard at the Economic Club of Canada. To book an interview with Brian Dijkema, please, contact Daniel Proussalidis. MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613-241-4500 x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 21, 2019 OTTAWA – Ontario’s Special Education Grants deny up to 34,500 of the province’s most vulnerable students the learning support they need. In its new report, Funding Fairness for Students in Ontario with Special Education Needs, think tank Cardus finds provincial education funding to accommodate children with special needs is unfairly allocated based on the type of school the student attends rather than on the need of the child. This means Ontario’s $3 billion in Special Education Grants are available only to students in government-run schools. Students who attend independent schools receive zero support. “Under the current arrangements, if a student with special needs transfers from a public school to an independent school, they are not permitted to transfer any equipment and services which had been provided, regardless of individualized custom fitting or design,” according to Funding Fairness. “Without even discussing the waste involved in this, this is discrimination based on school choice which disregards the needs of the child.” Ray Pennings, report co-author and Cardus executive vice-president, says the system must change. “It is indefensible that in this modern era, we still discriminate against students living with a disability,” says Ray Pennings, Cardus executive vice-president and report co-author. “Services for students living with a disability should be based on need and not on the school the child attends.” Funding Fairness recommends Ontario provide equitable funding for students with special needs in independent schools by supplying their schools with up to 75 percent of the level of support  government-run schools get in this area. With an estimated maximum of 34,500 students receiving help, this would cost the provincial treasury about $195 million. “Providing equitable access to equipment and services to all students living with a disability is a matter of basic fairness that will enable all Ontario children to learn, thrive, and succeed,” says report co-author and Cardus senior fellow Dr. Deani Van Pelt. “Adjusting Ontario’s outdated policy will help the province achieve greater inclusion and equity.” Funding Fairness for Students in Ontario with Special Education Needs is available online. MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613-241-4500 x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 19, 2019 OTTAWA – A newly released survey of clergy in the United States points to the need for new conversations and partnerships among churches, parents, and schools to address spiritual formation in Generation Z. The Barna Group, in partnership with think tank Cardus, conducted the survey of 650 clergy in Mainline Protestant, Non-mainline Protestant, and Catholic churches.  The survey captured church leaders’ perceptions of education and spiritual formation. Key findings include: 65% of Protestant pastors and 50% of Catholic priests perceive schooling generally to be a negative influence on a child’s spiritual formation.  More than half of non-mainline Protestant (56%) and four in 10 Catholic clergy say they haven’t addressed the topic of school choice even once in the last year. In both cases, fewer than half of church leaders say parents even asked about it. Only 20% of Protestant clergy and 17% of Catholic clergy reported prioritizing training for parents for the spiritual formation of their children.  An analysis of Cardus Education Survey U.S. data finds a measurable and positive influence that Christian schooling has on spiritual formation. The data clearly demonstrate that graduates of Christian schools are more likely to pray, read the Bible and attend church regularly, and tithe than their public school counterparts are. This school effect is distinct from the influence of family, socio-economic background, or church life. “Church and family life are important in the spiritual formation of young adults, but our research reinforces that schools play an important role too,” says Ray Pennings, Cardus executive vice-president. “Church leaders, parents, and educators must understand the positive influence of Christian schooling on spiritual formation and work together to ensure that these schooling options are genuinely available for as many families as possible.” The Barna findings and a commentary on the numbers by Ray Pennings are both available online. MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613-241-4500 x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2019 OTTAWA – Canadian parents living together, but not married, report the lowest family life satisfaction in a new 11-country study. The Global Family and Gender Survey (GFGS) has found just 48 percent of Canadian cohabiting couples with kids under age 18 at home say they’re very satisfied with family life. That’s lower than such couples in France or Australia, and far lower than in the United Kingdom or United States. By contrast, 62 percent of Canadian married parents with kids at home say they’re very satisfied with family life. The GFGS also found that more than one-third of Canadian cohabiting parents admit they’ve had serious doubts in the last 12 months that their relationship with their partner will last. Those doubts drop to just 22 percent among married parents. The study places Canadians in the middle of the pack in terms of relationship doubts. British, Mexican, American, and Australian cohabiting parents all had more doubts about the future, while counterparts in France, Peru, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina had fewer doubts. “I’m glad the scholars at the Institute for Family Studies did this important research,” says Peter Jon Mitchell from think tank Cardus.  “Stability has a lot do with family life satisfaction. Marriage requires a declaration of commitment, and despite what we hear about divorce, common-law relationships are more prone to break up than marriages are.” Meanwhile, according to newly released Statistics Canada data, of couples in a relationship lasting 30 years or more, almost eight in 10 are married. Just 22 percent are living common-law. While this points to the predominance of married partnerships, it also speaks to the stability of marriage. “Great kids grow up in many types of families and family structure is not destiny,” says Mitchell. “However, there have been decades of research that indicate adults’ romantic partnership decisions affect the lives of their kids. There’s a well-established correlation between stable, married parent families and their kids doing better in school, as well as less likelihood of getting in trouble with the law or being involved in a teen pregnancy.” The Institute for Family Studies produced the GFGS for its new report, Less Stable, Less Important. MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613-241-4500 x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 26, 2019 TORONTO – Ontario’s construction business climate is ripe for change, argued Ray Pennings, executive vice-president of think tank Cardus, at a lunchtime Economic Club of Canada gathering in Toronto today. “Ontario is not an island,” said Pennings during his keynote address. “And in an era that is driven by global capital decisions for investment, even a perception that Ontario has become a relatively expensive place to build things can be detrimental to the investment climate.” Pennings told executives, union leaders, and others gathered for a luncheon and panel discussion that passage of Bill 66 in Ontario would eliminate outdated labour laws that restrict bidding on public construction projects. Those restrictions add an estimated $370 million to construction costs. “Freeing municipalities, school boards, and quasi-public entities like Ontario Power Generation to engage with the entire marketplace is a long-overdue first step towards Ontario construction competitiveness,” said Pennings. He also noted that in Ontario: Apprenticeship and training programs need to allow creative arrangements for hiring workers An updated construction industry safety regime would allow more flexibility and innovation Modern labour relations rules would allow workers to meaningfully choose to join, leave, or change unions, and let new contractors into the market Construction industry data collection needs to reflect the true diversity of the workforce by not focusing solely on a binary union/non-union environment “Ontario has not made the adaptations that the rest of the country has,” said Pennings. “The infrastructure governing construction labour in Ontario remains centralized, organized to control rather than respond to market drivers or new modes of worker organizing. Add to that the fact that our skilled construction labour force faces demographic pressures and the outlook for Ontario construction industry is not as rosy as we’d wish.” MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613-241-4500 x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 29, 2019 OTTAWA, ON – Thirty-one signatories have put their names on a letter to two federal ministers asking Statistics Canada to resume the federal collection of marriage and divorce rate statistics – something the agency stopped doing in 2008. In the letter to Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains and Justice Minister David Lametti, the signatories note that July 2011 is the last time Statistics Canada published marriage and divorce rates, despite having collected critical data on marriage rates since 1921 and divorce rates since 1972. “The collection of marriage and divorce rates is critical to ensuring the accurate study and understanding of domestic social policy, from education to elder care, in our nation,” the signatories say in the letter sent out by think tank Cardus. “By tracking marriage and divorce statistics, we better understand our culture and communities with regard to issues of public concern and academic research, such as social isolation, poverty reduction, demographics, and the presence or lack of support networks, among others.” The 31 signatories to the letter bear no affiliation with one another, but share an interest in seeing “policy in Canada continuously undergirded by good data.” “The federal finance minister said it himself in 2016 - good policy is impossible without good data,” says Andrea Mrozek, the Cardus program director leading the effort to reinstate federal collection of marriage and divorce statistics. “So, I’m hopeful that the ministers responsible will see the wisdom of a request that comes from academics, researchers, the media, religious leaders, and the political realm.” The letter to Ministers Bains and Lametti is available online. - 30 - MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613-241-4500 x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

POUR DIFFUSION IMMÉDIATE  Le 29 janvier 2019 OTTAWA, ON – Trente-et-une personnes ont apposé leur signature à une lettre adressée à deux ministres fédéraux invitant Statistique Canada à rétablir la collecte fédérale de statistiques sur les taux de mariage et de divorce, collecte qui a été interrompue en 2008. Dans la lettre au ministre de l’Innovation, Navdeep Bains, et au ministre de la Justice, David Lametti, les signataires mentionnent que la dernière publication de Statistique Canada sur les taux de mariage et de divorce remonte à juillet 2011. Les données relatives aux mariages étaient recueillies depuis 1921, celles relatives aux divorces depuis 1972. « La collecte de données sur les taux de mariage et de divorce est indispensable à une étude approfondie et à une juste compréhension de la politique sociale intérieure, depuis l’éducation jusqu’aux soins aux aînés », affirment les signataires dans la lettre adressée par le centre d’études Cardus. « En établissant des statistiques sur les mariages et les divorces, nous comprenons mieux notre culture et nos collectivités, notamment en regard des questions d’intérêt public qu’étudient les chercheurs universitaires, par exemple l’isolement social, la réduction de la pauvreté, la structure démographique et la présence ou l’absence de réseaux de soutien. »  Les 31 signataires ne sont pas liés entre eux et n’ont qu’un intérêt commun, qui est de s’assurer que « les politiques canadiennes soient fondées sur des données fiables ».   « Le ministre des Finances l’a lui-même déclaré en 2016 : il est impossible d’élaborer de bonnes politiques si l’on ne dispose pas de solides données », a rappelé Andrea Mrozek, directrice du programme de Cardus chargé d’orchestrer les efforts en vue de rétablir la collecte de statistiques sur le mariage et le divorce. « J’espère donc que les ministres responsables seront sensibles au bien-fondé de cette requête, qui provient d’universitaires, de chercheurs, du monde des médias, de chefs de file religieux et de cercles politiques. » La lettre adressée aux ministres Bains et Lametti est accessible en ligne. - 30 - DEMANDES DE RENSEIGNEMENTS DE LA PART DES MÉDIAS Daniel Proussalidis Cardus – Directeur des communications 613-241-4500 x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca Au sujet de CardusCardus est un centre de recherche confessionnel et non partisan. Organisme de bienfaisance enregistré, il a pour mission de promouvoir une société florissante grâce à la recherche indépendante, à un dialogue public vigoureux et à des commentaires aptes à susciter la réflexion. Pour en savoir davantage, prière de consulter notre site Web et lire nos messages sur Twitter et Facebook.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 22, 2019 OTTAWA, ON – A diverse coalition of 13 unaffiliated academics, policy researchers, and child care practitioners has jointly signed A Positive Vision for Child Care Policy across Canada, a brand new policy paper by think tank Cardus. In it, the signatories note they “share agreement in rejecting so-called universal systems put forward by government” and welcome “robust discussion and exploration of a diversity of public policy options” for child care. “Support for universal daycare systems is anything but universal,” says Andrea Mrozek, a Cardus program director and A Positive Vision for Child Care signatory. “A growing number of folks recognize the social and economic pitfalls of universal systems like Quebec’s, which B.C. and Alberta are seeking to imitate. Governments need to re-examine their assumptions about so-called universal child care given the clear evidence that these systems fail to provide high-quality or sustainable child care.” Other signatories include Brenda Burns, President – Child Care Providers Resource Network of Ottawa-Carleton; Samuel Hammond, Director of Poverty and Welfare Policy – Niskanen Center; Heidi Higgins, Co-Founder – Coalition of Independent Child Care Providers of Ontario; Dr. Lydia Miljan, Professor – University of Windsor; and Helen Ward, President – Kids First Parents Association. Drawing on international and domestic research on child care policy, A Positive Vision for Child Care provides an evidence-based case against universal daycare systems as a high-quality, sustainable policy option. Instead, the paper lays out six principles for great child care policy: CHOICE: Accommodation of diverse types of care, not a top-down, one-size-fits-all system. FUNDING NEUTRALITY: Governments shouldn’t favour one type of care over another parents may choose. QUALITY: Care settings should be subject to simple, consistent, and easily understood and enforced standards. DIVERSITY: Working together, we can allow for a diversity of child care options to flourish. PARENT ACCOUNTABILITY: Funding parents instead of care providers restores power to families. BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD: The best child care policy prioritizes children’s well-being. “Our positive vision recognizes that child care is the care of a child, no matter who provides the care,” says Mrozek. “All levels of government should simply prioritize children’s well-being in their child care policies, while staying neutral on the type of child care parents choose.” Access A Positive Vision for Child Care Policy across Canada by clicking here. - 30 - MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613-241-4500 x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 15, 2019 HAMILTON, ON – After four years leading the Education Program at Cardus, Dr. Beth Green is moving on to take a special appointment by the Dean and President of Tyndale University College & Seminary to a senior role in Research, Integration, and Christian Formation. "It comes as no surprise that someone with Beth Green’s credentials and abilities would be in high demand from any number of organizations,” said Ray Pennings, executive vice president and co-founder of Cardus. “We are tremendously grateful to have had the benefit of her gifts for the last four years." This change takes place at a strategic time for Cardus. Under Dr. Green’s leadership, Cardus Education saw tremendous growth in funding and the range of projects undertaken. Significant data collection is now done and there are at least 14 releases, events, and reports scheduled for 2019. She leaves the Education Program in good hands, thanks to the relationships she built with outside partners and to growing internal capacity at Cardus. "I am confident that Cardus Education will deliver its projects in 2019," said Pennings. "Our in-house team of researchers, our outside partners, and our well-established ties to excellent consultants put us in a strong and stable position to continue our work." Dr. Green will continue to play a significant role at Cardus as a Senior Fellow, working on several ongoing initiatives in education research through 2020. "While we will miss seeing Beth daily at Cardus, we are glad that she will continue to contribute as a Senior Fellow," said Pennings. "And we are proud to see her moving into a critical leadership position at Tyndale. On behalf of all the Cardus team, I thank her for serving so capably over the last four years and I wish her all success in her new posting – one in which I’m sure she will excel." For further information on Dr. Green’s new posting, please, click here. - 30 - MEDIA INQUIRIES Daniel Proussalidis Cardus - Director of Communications 613-241-4500 x508 dproussalidis@cardus.ca About CardusCardus is a non-partisan, faith-based think tank, and registered charity dedicated to promoting a flourishing society through independent research, robust public dialogue, and thought-provoking commentary. To learn more, visit our website, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.