Federal public service strike drags on but no suggestion back-to-work law is coming

The Canadian Press
Thu, April 27, 2023 



OTTAWA — The Liberal government is showing no hints it will legislate public servants back to work as experts warn choosing that path to ending the dispute could come with political repercussions.

Federal workers with the Public Service Alliance of Canada walked off the job nine days ago after contract negotiations with the government couldn't find agreement on issues such as wage increases and remote work.

On Thursday, Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan refused to weigh in on the negotiations and the possibility of back-to-work legislation and said "we want and need an agreement soon."

"Sorry for being so evasive, but I have to be," O'Regan said. "I want a deal."

The government has avoided any questions about back to work legislation since the strike began April 19 and continues to even as the strike drags on and ministers are admitting the impact it is having on government services.

Michael Wernick, who headed the federal public service for three year as the clerk of the Privy Council, said while negotiations continue the government can't discuss a hypothetical like back-to-work legislation.

He said introducing such legislation prematurely could lead to accusations of bad-faith bargaining.

The minority Liberal government would also risk having to find friends among the Conservatives to get the law passed, while alienating the labour movement it has tried to build bridges with over the years.

The NDP says they will not support any back-to-work bill, while the Conservatives have not weighed in on the matter.

Larry Savage, a labour studies professor at Brock University says the Conservatives normally would be in favour of back-to-work legislation. But they might also want to see how much "damage" the strike can do to the Liberals, he said.

"I think if push came to shove, the Conservatives would be hard pressed to not support back-to-work legislation," Savage said.

The federal government has also positioned itself as pro-labour, working with unions and organizations to bolster worker protections, including anti-scab legislation.

Julia Smith, an assistant professor of labour studies at the University of Manitoba, says the "optimist" in her wants to believe that back-to-work legislation isn't being discussed because the government respects the collective bargaining process.

"(But) the cynic in me wants to say that it's probably because the Liberals don't have a majority," Smith said.

In November 2018, when the Liberal government held a majority in the House of Commons, it legislated federal postal workers back to work. It rushed to pass the legislation due to the economic impact of continued mail disruptions during the busy holiday season.

Union leadership declared a stalemate in talks Wednesday but Wernick said it still seems like there has been movement since the strike began and both sides seem motivated to come to a resolution.

"To me, it doesn't look like a standstill," he said.

In an open letter published by Treasury Board President Mona Fortier on April 24, there are four key issues that remain unresolved, including wages and telework.

The outcome of the negotiations will affect 155,000 workers, or about a third of the entire federal public service, including 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency workers whose contract is being negotiated separately.

The federal government is offering a nine per cent wage increase over three years, backdated to 2021. The union says it has adjusted its initial ask for a 13.5 per cent increase over the same period of time — but is not revealing the new number.

The other two sticking points relate to outsourcing contracts and seniority rules in the event of layoffs.

The strike is affecting the delivery of federal services including the processing of immigration files and passport applications.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said that in the past week, about 70,000 immigration files that should have been processed were instead put on hold.

"That is a very serious level in the reduction of service," he said in an interview Thursday in Halifax. "The impact has already been serious."

The minister said his department had planned to announce last week that it had returned to the certain service standards achieved before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in 2020, but the standards dropped as the strike started.

Massive Canada Revenue Agency slowdowns remain at the height of tax season as the filing deadline looms next Monday.

The CRA has said it does not plan to extend the deadline.

While Canadians will be affected differently by the disruption of services depending on their needs, Smith said media coverage of the disruptions could affect the morale of workers and public support for them.

"It's true strikes are disruptive. That's the whole point," Smith said.

"The goal is then it should be pressure on the employer to negotiate a fair deal."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2023.

— With files from Michael MacDonald in Halifax and Jessica Smith in Toronto.

Nojoud Al Mallees, The Canadian Press

PSAC STRIKE

Vast majority of non-essential workers took part in strike action, government figures say


CBC
Thu, April 27, 2023 at 7:43 p.m. 

Striking members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada protest on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, on Wednesday. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press - image credit)

More than 90 per cent of non-essential workers in the largest group of striking Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) workers took strike action during the first week of the labour stoppage, according to new government figures.

An average of 71,000 employees from the core public administration group of 120,000 workers were off the job, according to figures released by the Treasury Board.

When the 46,000 employees who are deemed essential and obligated to work are accounted for, the vast majority of public servants (about 96 per cent) eligible to strike did so.

In a statement, the Treasury Board warns that data collection may vary by organization and is continuing to be refined. It said that staff on vacation or leave are not counted among the workers who withdrew their labour.

The rest of the staff are workers who have been deemed essential, have chosen to work, or are on leave for other reasons.

The federal government released the number of employees reported to have withdrawn their services broken down by day:

Wednesday, April 19: 55,272.


Thursday, April 20: 75,767.


Friday, April 21: 67,467.


Monday, April 24: 77,720.


Tuesday, April 25: 74,715.


Wednesday, April 26: 77,483.

Those figures represent members of the core public administration group, a combined group of four bargaining units representing 120,000 administrative, technical, library and operational staff. They exclude the 39,000 striking workers at the Canada Revenue Agency.

PSAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Effect on economy unclear, minister says

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier said there's no clear figure for how much the nine-day strike — one of the largest in Canadian history — is affecting the country's economy.

She said the government's priority is reaching a deal.

"I know Canadians and public servants are feeling the impact of the strike. We respect the strike, but we have to find a way to find resolution," she said.

Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

The union, which pledged to increase pressure tactics at the beginning of the strike's second week, took credit for more than 25 "escalation points" across the country where workers slowed traffic, limited access to critical infrastructure such as ports and blocked access to federal buildings.

On Wednesday, PSAC said that negotiations stalled after an impasse on the subject of wages.

PSAC was initially demanding a 13.5 per cent wage increase over three years for the members of the core public administration group, arguing that such an increase was necessary to keep pace with inflation.

PSAC national president Chris Aylward said on CBC's Power & Politics on Wednesday that the union has lowered its demand twice, but would not say by how much.

The Treasury Board countered with a nine per cent offer over three years last week, citing an independent recommendation from the Public Interest Commission.

Aylward said the union would not accept that offer.

Negotiations are set to continue into Friday.

Sudan: questions about Wagner Group involvement as another African country falls prey to Russian mercenaries

THE CONVERSATION
Thu, April 27, 2023 

After more than a week of intense fighting between Sudanese government troops and paramilitary forces in Khartoum, many western countries – including the US and UK – are evacuating their nationals from the strife-torn city.

While the conflict has been billed as a clash between rival warlords, there are questions about the role played by the private Russian mercenary company, the Wagner Group. This group, allegedly associated with Russian president Vladimir Putin’s ally Yevgeny Prigozhin – although he has denied any involvement – is heavily engaged in several African countries, exacerbating regional instability.

Read more: Sudan: violence between army and militia is a symptom of an old disease that is destroying Africa

Aid organisations have warned of a humanitarian crisis as, in recent days, tens of thousands of people have fled Sudan to neighbouring countries that already face their own internal issues.

The potential involvement of Russia and the shadowy Wagner Group in the region complicates things further. While the group has denied involvement in the current conflict in Sudan, these denials appear increasingly questionable.

There is growing evidence of Wagner’s role in arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces which are engaged in a violent power struggle against the Sudanese military. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, this week confirmed Washington’s belief that the group of mercenaries is involved in the conflict, stating:

We do have deep concern about the engagement of the Prigozhin group (the Wagner Group) in Sudan … Its engagement simply brings more death and destruction with it.
Wagner Group in Africa

Students taking the Master’s degree in intelligence and security studies at Brunel University London were tasked with assessing the capabilities and intentions of the Wagner Group (and Russia) in Africa. They collected publicly available material (sometimes referred to as “open source intelligence”) to assess the group’s influence. This information was then subjected to structured analytic techniques used by the UK intelligence community and elsewhere, as part of a Brunel Analytical Simulation Exercise to prepare the students for roles as professional intelligence analysts.

They found numerous examples of how the Wagner Group has expanded its operations in recent years – often at the request of national governments. In January, the UK Ministry of Defence estimated there were as many as 5,000 Wagner operatives across Africa in 2022.

Despite the war in Ukraine, leaked US intelligence documents suggest the group is developing a “confederation” of anti-western states. These include Chad, to the west of Sudan, where US intelligence reports allege that Wagner mercenaries are involved in destabilising the government. Chad is a key ally of the US in this region of Africa.

Sitting directly beneath Chad is the Central African Republic (CAR), where the Russian ambassador Alexander Bikantov said in February there are 1,890 “instructors” involved in fighting between the government and rebel troops.

The Wagner Group has reportedly had a presence in CAR for several years, initially providing training and back-up services and latterly involved in combat operations against rebel insurgencies. According to the International Crisis Group, although the CAR’s president, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, has denied signing a contract with the Wagner Group, “its presence … is barely a secret”.

The Crisis Group’s report continued:
Rather than eradicating armed groups, the contractors are perpetrating abuses that increasingly drive violence in the provinces and fuel guerrilla warfare against government troops by rebels scattered in the bush.

Wagner mercenaries are also reportedly active in Sudan’s north-western neighbour, Libya, which has been in a state of armed chaos since the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi in 2012. In 2020, the BBC reported a leaked UN document saying there were 1,200 Wagner personnel in Libya. They have reportedly been supporting rebel warlord Khalifa Hafter’s forces against the Tripoli-based government, alongside other mercenaries from Belarus, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine.
Shifting influence

In Mali, the Wagner Group has supported the military junta to enforce its rule, with a large base at Bamako International Airport. The group’s increasing influence in that part of Africa has coincided with a dilution of western involvement. In February 2022, the French government announced the withdrawal of its forces after nine years of trying, and failing, to counter Islamist insurgency.

In March 2022, Malian state forces – reportedly supported by “suspected Russian mercenaries” (although no group was identified) – massacred civilians and militant fighters. Calls by the UN Security Council for an independent investigation into the massacre were blocked by Russia, and the UN was not granted access to the site.

There is also growing evidence of the Wagner Group’s presence in Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Burkina Faso has experienced two coups in the last 12 months, and is facing escalating threats from Islamic State-linked groups.

Russia is courting Burkina Faso through military and political endeavours, and has stated its intent to aid nations in the Sahelian region in combating the jihadist threat in their countries. DRC, Mali, CAR and Sudan have all abstained or voted against requiring Russia to remove troops from Ukraine.

Read more: Burkina Faso coup raises questions about growing Russian involvement in west Africa

It’s unclear to what extent the Wagner Group does the Kremlin’s bidding as Prigozhin himself has repeatedly denied any involvement. But as a private enterprise, the profits for them in Africa are spectacular. And, as with so many of the biggest Russian businesses, Wagner’s successes are owed to the Russian state and the kleptocratic elites who are likely to share in its revenue.

The Kremlin provides direct support where profit interests align with Russia’s political interests. At the moment, the troubled countries in which the Wagner Group is alleged to be involved in conflict and destabilisation provide resources and political support at the UN, which are important for Russia’s war on Ukraine. Further regional instability is to be expected.


Dan Lomas, Lecturer in Intelligence and Security Studies, Brunel University London,

Kristian Gustafson, Brunel University London, 

Neveen S Abdalla, Lecturer, International Relations, Defence, and Security, Brunel University London, 

Steven Wagner, Senior Lecturer in International Security, Brunel University London

Brunel MA students Laura Collins, Freya De Santis and Bobby Payne assisted with the research for this article

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Sudan conflict threatens supply of key soft drink ingredient

Richa Naidu and Jessica DiNapoli
Fri, April 28, 2023 



A farmer carries collected gum arabic from an Acacia tree in the western Sudanese town of El-Nahud

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sudan's eruption into conflict has left international consumer goods makers racing to shore up supplies of gum arabic, one of the country's most sought-after products and a key ingredient in everything from fizzy drinks to candy and cosmetics.

About 70% of the world's supply of gum arabic, for which there are few substitutes, comes from the acacia trees in the Sahel region that runs through Africa's third-largest country, which is being torn apart by fighting between the army and a paramilitary force.

Wary of Sudan's persistent insecurity, companies dependent on the product, such as Coca Cola and Pepsico, have long stockpiled supplies, some keeping between three-to-six-months worth to avoid being caught short, exporters and industry sources told Reuters.

However, prior conflicts have tended to be focused in far-flung regions such as Darfur. This time, the capital Khartoum has been brought to a standstill in the fighting that broke out on April 15, paralysing the economy and disrupting basic communications.

"Depending on how long the conflict continues there may well be ramifications for finished goods on the shelf - branded goods made by household names," said Richard Finnegan, a procurement manager at Kerry Group, a supplier of gum arabic to most major food and beverage firms.

Finnegan estimated that current stockpiles will run out in five-to-six months, a view echoed by Martijn Bergkamp, a partner at Dutch supplier FOGA Gum who estimated between three-to-six months.

Cloetta AB, a Swedish confectioner which makes Lakerol lozenges that use gum arabic, has "ample" stock of the ingredient, a spokesperson said in an email.

Global production of gum arabic is about 120,000 tonnes a year, worth $1.1 billion, according to estimates cited by Kerry Group. Most is found in the "gum belt" that stretches 500 miles from the East to the West of Africa where the arable land meets the desert, including in Ethiopia, Chad, Somalia and Eritrea.

Twelve exporters, suppliers and distributors contacted by Reuters said trade in the gum, which helps bind together food and drink ingredients, has ground to a halt.

Right now it’s "impossible” to source additional gum arabic from rural parts of Sudan because of the turmoil and road blockages, said Mohamad Alnoor, who runs Gum Arabic USA, which sells the product to consumers as a health supplement.

'CAN'T EXIST WITHOUT GUM ARABIC'

Kerry Group and other suppliers, including Sweden's Gum Sudan, said communicating with contacts on the ground has been difficult and Port Sudan - from where product is shipped - has been prioritising civilian evacuations.

“Our suppliers are struggling to secure necessities because of the conflict," Jinesh Doshi, managing director of Vijay Bros, an importer based in Mumbai, said. "Both buyers and sellers are clueless on when things will normalise.”

Alwaleed Ali, who owns AGP Innovations Co Ltd, a gum arabic exporting business, said his customers are looking for alternative countries to source gum arabic.

He said he sells the gum to Nexira SAS, based in Rouen, France, and Westchester, Illinois-based Ingredion Inc, two major ingredients suppliers to makers of products such as pet food, fizzy drinks and nutrition bars.

A spokesperson for Ingredion said in an email, "We have proactive measures in place across our business to ensure the continuity of supply for our customers."

PepsiCo declined to comment on supply chain and commodity issues, while Coca-Cola did not return a request for comment.

"For companies like Pepsi and Coke, they can't exist without having gum arabic in their formulations," Dani Haddad, marketing and development director of Agrigum, a global top-ten supplier, said.

In their manufacturing process, food and drink companies use a spray-dried version of the gum that is powder-like, industry sources said. While cosmetics and printing manufacturers may be able to use substitutes, there is no alternative to gum arabic in fizzy drinks, where it prevents ingredients from separating.

In a sign of its importance to the consumer goods industry, gum arabic has been exempt from U.S. sanctions against Sudan since the 1990s, both because it's a critical commodity and for fear of creating a black market.

Sudanese nomads tap the pebbly, amber-colored gum from acacia trees, which is then refined and packaged throughout the country. It accounts for the livelihoods of thousands of people and the more expensive variety can cost about $3,000 a tonne, according to Gum Sudan.

There is a poorer quality, cheaper gum from outside of Sudan, but the preferred ingredient is only found in acacia trees in Sudan, South Sudan and Chad, Alnoor said.

Fawaz Abbaro, the general manager of Savannah Life Company in Khartoum, said he had purchase orders and plans to export 60 to 70 tonnes of gum arabic but doubts he'll be able to due to the conflict.

"It's not stable even to get food or drink. It's not going to be stable for business," Abbaro said. "All trading will be jammed for the time being."

(Reporting by Richa Naidu in London, Jessica DiNapoli in New York AND Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

Thu, April 27, 2023 

Canada has completed its first two evacuation flights from Sudan

British Nationals board an RAF aircraft for evacuation of civilians to Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus, at Wadi Seidna military airport north of Khartoum, Sudan, on April 27, 2023. Canada has conducted two evacuation flights out of Sudan so far, officials say. 

(UK Ministry of Defence via AP - image credit)

CBC

Canada has conducted its first two evacuation flights to get Canadians and other foreign nationals out of Sudan. And the federal government is promising more airlifts — depending on conditions on the ground — as its critics accuse it of moving too slowly.

At an event in Nova Scotia on Thursday, Defence Minister Anita Anand announced the first flight but offered few details. Senior officials at the Department of National Defence and Global Affairs Canada, speaking at a technical briefing later in the day in Ottawa, confirmed the second flight had left Khartoum.

The first evacuation flight had 45 people aboard; the second took 73 out of the war-torn country. Officials could not say how many of the evacuees on both flights were Canadian. But a confidential source told CBC News that seven Canadian citizens were on the first flight out of Sudan and 37 were on the second.

Both flights included people from Sudan, the U.S., Japan, the U.K. and Djibouti.

More flights are planned but federal officials have refused to discuss the timing.

Global Affairs Canada said Wednesday that up to 1,800 Canadians are stranded in Sudan and roughly 700 have asked the federal government for help to get out.

Officials said Thursday that after contacting virtually everyone on that list, they have narrowed down the potential number of evacuees because some have elected to stay. Approximately 108 people have said they definitely want to leave the country and another 130 are considering it.

Roughly 200 people on the federal government's evacuation list have made it out of the country so far, either on their own initiative or on allied military flights.

Rajanish Kakade/Associated Press

Anand said a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-130 Hercules aircraft conducted the operation. Federal officials said it's the only transport aircraft suited for the mission because the runway at the military airport 30 kilometres from Khartoum is getting "pretty chewed up" by the flights coming and going.

The evacuation flights are going to Djibouti. Global Affairs Canada is arranging to take people from there to Kenya, where they'll be responsible for their onward travel, officials said.

The federal government does make exceptions to that rule and offers loans to people who can't cover the cost of travel. Officials said Thursday that, so far, 30 such loans have been extended to 70 evacuees at a total cost of $170,000.

"This is very good news, and I thank our Canadian Armed Forces personnel for their hard work to make this happen," Anand said.

The government announced Wednesday that it will deploy up to 200 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) troops to assist with the evacuation. That number does not include the air force and naval personnel who have been assigned to the evacuation effort, a senior defence official said Thursday.

Canadians and other foreign nationals have been caught in the crossfire of Sudan's civil conflict after violence broke out last week between the east African country's army and a paramilitary force.

The Reuters news agency reported late Thursday that Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to support a further 72-hour ceasefire. The ceasefire was due to expire at midnight. The Sudanese army agreed earlier to the extension of the shaky truce.

There were reports in U.K. media on Thursday that suggested Britain was prepared to keep up its evacuation effort regardless of whether a ceasefire is in place. Canadian officials were not prepared to make a similar commitment.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said much of her time on this file over the past day has been spent talking with her counterparts about convincing both sides in the Sudanese conflict to extend the ceasefire.

A growing chorus of critics is asking why it took the federal government until the end of the week to kick the evacuation into gear. Joly pushed back against that criticism, saying Canadian officials have been seized with the issue at a time of multiple international crises.

"There are many hot spots in the world, and there are many hot spots particularly in Africa." she said. "We've been at this since day one, working with other countries to find a place to do an airlift, to secure that place, to make sure that we would be working together ...

"At the end of the day, I'm not into Monday morning quarterbacking. My job is to get Canadians outside of Sudan and we will make sure that that's the case."

A senior defence official, speaking on background at a technical briefing Thursday, said military and Global Affairs officials began meeting on Sudan 12 days ago. The military transport aircraft, a contingent of special forces soldiers and other troops have been on the ground in Djibouti supporting diplomats for a week.

WATCH | Millions of Sudanese have nowhere to flee:

Twitter users slam Government of Canada for not helping people in Sudan amid fighting

One person noted that Black people, especially Black Muslims, don't get the same "grace and respect."


Chris Stoodley
·Lifestyle and News Editor
Sun, April 23, 2023 

Some people on social media are calling out the Government of Canada for "swiftly" helping Ukrainians escape war while not showing the same level of support for people stuck in Sudan.

Last week, a Twitter user by the handle of @amanirenas40 shared that there's a stark difference in how Canada has responded to helping people impacted by international crises.

"Canada swiftly helped non-Canadian Ukrainians escape war. It was beautiful how many lives were saved," the Twitter used penned. "But when my Canadian parents in Sudan reached out for help, they basically said, 'Sorry you're in this situation but we don't have any plans of helping/evacuating you. Be safe xo.'

"Black folks, let alone black Muslim folks, don't get extended the same grace and respect."

On Satuday, the Government of Canada tweeted that Canadians in Sudan should "continue to shelter in place" since "evacuations are not possible at this time" amid shuttered airports in the country.

"We are coordinating with other countries to respond to the crisis," the tweet added, along with a link to the government's travel advice for Sudan, which notes tourists should "avoid all travel" to the country.

The tweet came before United States President Joe Biden announced that all staff at the American embassy in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, were evacuated, along with their families.

Fighting erupted in the northeastern part of Sudan on April 15 between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Since then, hundreds of people have been killed and thousands have been left injured.

The Government of Canada tweeted on Sunday afternoon that the Embassy of Canada in Sudan has "temporarily suspended its operations," noting its ability to offer services is "extremely limited."

On Saturday, Twitter user @amanirenas40 continued to make pleas towards Canadian political figures like Justin Trudeau and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly.

Fellow Twitters users resonated with the message, with the original tweet now having hundreds of likes and retweets, as well as several sympathetic replies.

 

ICYMI

Canadian transport minister called out by J.K. Rowling for 'mocking' high heels video

The "Harry Potter" writer asked Omar Alghabra how many femicides his video would help prevent.

Chris Stoodley
·Lifestyle and News Editor
Sun, April 23, 2023 

J.K. Rowling (right) confronted Omar Alghabra about a video he posted to Twitter, which some are calling a "mockery" of women. 

(Photos via Canadian Press and Getty Images)

Canada's transport minister is facing some heat from Twitter users, including author J.K. Rowling, after posting a video to raise awareness on violence against women.

On Thursday afternoon, Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra took to social media to share a video of several Canadian politicians walking around a meeting room wearing hot pink high heels.

"Violence against women is still prevalent in our society. 'Hope in Heels' is an event that spreads awareness on violence against women while encouraging men and boys to be part of the solution," Alghabra tweeted alongside his video, which has racked up more than two million views. "We wore their signature pink heels in support to this important cause."

However, Twitter was not too pleased to see the clip, with many calling it "insulting" and a "mockery" of women.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling had a witty response for Alghabra, gaining more than 30,000 likes and 2.5 million views in her response.

"Keep us posted on how many femicides this prevented," the controversial writer commented in a quote retweet.

A report released at the end of March indicated that femicides are drastically increasing in Canada. The Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability (CFOJA) report indicated that at least 850 women and girls have been killed since 2018.

"That means, at least, one woman or girl is killed by violence every two days," the CFOJA noted in its report. "One woman or girl is killed every 48 hours. Where information is known, men are the majority of those accused."

A day after posting the video, Alghabra added in a reply to his original tweet that he wanted people to listen to what he had to say.

"Now that I have your attention, violence against women comes in all forms, not just physical," he wrote. "Men, starting with me, need to be aware of the consequences of our actions and words and do better to create space for women around us."

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2023/04/keep-us-posted-on-how-many-femicides.html

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2023/04/femicides-rising-in-canada-as-woman-or.html

Still, that did follow-up did not keep many Twitter users from calling out the Syrian-Canadian politician.

 

Why are kids in government care running away? New report from B.C.'s children, youth rep sheds some light


CBC
Thu, April 27, 2023 

A child leans their forehead and arm against the wall in this stock photo. About 0.7 per cent of kids in the general population will go missing or run away, but within the care system, it's about 2.3 per cent, according a report from B.C.'s children and youth representative. (Costea Andrea M/Shutterstock - image credit)

B.C.'s representative for children and youth says too many children in government care are running away from their living situations, and a hard look is needed at what is pushing them to do so.

A new report from Jennifer Charlesworth highlights the scope of the problem and reasons for it, especially what she terms a feeling of "unbelonging" in places like foster homes or group homes.

"Every child needs to have a sense of belonging and connection and what we found was that in many situations, children were fleeing situations that weren't healthy or safe for them," Charlesworth said.

"And they were being pushed out and pulled into other places where they might feel a greater sense of belonging, like a street family, and in that situation, becoming at greater risk of harm."

The children lost from care, she adds, are at higher risk of substance use, mental health crises, violence or sexual exploitation.

Missing kids gone for average of 13 days

Charlesworth's report looked at reports of kids missing between April and December of last year.

Her office received over 500 reports of missing kids who were critically injured or were at-risk of serious harm, involving 198 individual children. Four of those kids died.

"They were all experiencing harms while they were missing," she said.

During those same months, her report continues, the Ministry of Children and Family Development received 12,000 reports of kids missing from their placements but had no identified safety concerns.

A sampling of 55 cases involving missing kids found the majority are 14-18 years old and 65 per cent are Indigenous.

The average time kids were missing was 13 days.

About 0.7 per cent of kids in the general population will go missing or run away, but within the care system, it's about 2.3 per cent, according to the report.

But all those numbers may be inaccurate: the report notes unreliable and inconsistent reporting of data — problems the ministry is aware of.

Recommendations

Charlesworth's report made short-term recommendations to help solve the issue: better data collection, faster reporting of missing kids and for caregivers to find ways to talk to kids about why they're going missing in a less judgmental way.

"A lot of the language we saw was very stigmatizing and blaming the young person for their situation rather than seeing the system's responsibility," she said.

Office of the Representative for Children and Youth

Families minister Mitzi Dean, in a statement, said the ministry was committed to implementing those recommendations by November.

"When a child or youth in care is missing, we want them to receive the same response that a caring parent would give," Dean said.

"We've already made important progress transforming the child welfare system in B.C. but I know we still have a long way to go, and we are committed to taking the steps that are needed to support youth in care."

Charlesworth says a number of agencies are convening in the coming months to further look into the problem.

'We are at a breaking point:' Canadian food banks struggling to meet rising demand

Canadian food banks sounding alarm amid record number of visitors struggling to put food on their tables

Corné van Hoepen
·Contributor, Yahoo News Canada
Wed, April 26, 2023 

A record number of Canadians are turning to food banks as a source of putting food on the table while rising housing and inflation rates leave many choosing between essentials such as food, clothing or shelter.

Toronto-based Daily Bread Food Bank reported close to 270,000 visits in the month of March alone — the highest in their 40-year history.

"We are absolutely in a crisis, and now we are at a breaking point," said CEO Neil Hetherington at a time when food banks across the country are struggling to keep up with rising demand.

A survey of nearly 3,000 Canadian charities finds more than half couldn’t meet demand for help, while nearly a third reported a significant drop in revenue. A worker fills the shelves at a food bank in Montreal.

 THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

"Over the past twelve months, there have been 1.99 million visits to food banks, and demand is projected to push that number to over two million for the 2022 calendar year," a report released by Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest Food Bank states.

Food insecurity concerns are placing food banks in precarious position as the volume of Canadians utilizing their services is "not sustainable," Hetherington says.

Pre-pandemic, the Daily Bread Food Bank, which runs a network of 128 food banks across the Greater Toronto Area, reported an average of 65,000 client visits per month. Last month, that number has exploded to 270,000, with an additional 12,000 new people seeking emergency food services per month.

As Canadians experience sticker-shock in grocery store aisles, public food donations, one of the key means food banks employ in meeting the needs of the communities they serve, is no longer sufficient in meeting the demand.

Heatherington says pre-pandemic, 80 per cent of the charity's needs were met through public food donations and the other 20 per cent through food they purchased themselves, at a cost of $1.5 million a year. This year however, Heatherington says the growth of new clients has outpaced public generosity, resulting in the charity spending $1.8 million a month just to meet demands.

The increasing severity of food insecurity among Canadians is also changing the demographic of people who rely on food banks to put food on their tables.

Typically, food banks across the country are utilized by individuals who rely on some form of provincial social assistance. Recently however, this number includes children, who make up one third of food bank visitors, senior citizens, and individuals who report employment as their main source of income.

“Month after month, we keep seeing the impact of insufficient incomes, combined with inflation and rising costs of living, lead to record-breaking numbers,” Heatherington said.

Main reasons Canadians access a food bank

A survey conducted by Food Banks Canada during March 2022 revealed that one in five respondents had gone hungry at least once during the previous two years due to lack of money.

"The housing crisis has become unmanageable; it is now normal for an adult to rent a home in a house without roommates for $1,200+. People are unable to spare any wages for food due to housing costs and rising food costs.

"I'm looking for a glimmer of hope, and I'm an optimistic guy, but there hasn't been any, said Heatherington.

Heatherington is calling on the Ontario Government to take immediate action to help address the growing food insecurity crisis.

“It is the government’s duty to ensure that every person in this city, in this country, can realize their right to food. This is not something that can be outsourced to charities. We are at a breaking point and need action now,” Heatherington said. “We simply cannot go on this way. Today we are raising the alarm and will continue to do so. We will not stand silently while our neighbours go hungry."

While food banks are desperate for food and monetary donations, Heatherington says what is needed more than anything else is for Canadians to write their elected officials as a call to action aimed at addressing the affordability crisis.

Daily Bread Food Bank has even created a template to make it easier for people to reach officials and are asking Canadians to add their voice calling for an immediate emergency top-up to address food affordability for low-income Ontarians.