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Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Feds couldn't keep up with Indigenous communities' demand for nurses, paramedics: AG
OTTAWA — The federal government was unable to meet more than half of the demands for nurses and paramedics from Indigenous communities and organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, says the auditor general in a report released Wednesday
OTTAWA — The federal government was unable to meet more than half of the demands for nurses and paramedics from Indigenous communities and organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, says the auditor general in a report released Wednesday
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© Provided by The Canadian Press
Karen Hogan told a news conference following the report release that Indigenous Services Canada had not addressed the ongoing shortage of health care workers in Indigenous communities.
"When you already start with a shortage of health care workers, the pandemic makes that gap even worse," she said.
"This long-standing issue, though, is one that does need to be addressed."
Hogan noted the department expanded access to contract nurses and paramedics to all Indigenous communities and streamlined its hiring processes.
"They were able to hire more nurses in the audit period than they had hired the year before," she said.
But with increasing demand, the department was unable to meet more than half of the 963 of the requests for such personnel to be made available.
Hogan said the department employs primary health care workers to deliver direct health care services in 51 remote or isolated First Nations communities.
The report said nurses in these communities work out of nursing stations or health centres and are often the only health care providers working on site.
They work in pairs or small groups, often with little or no on-site support from other health care professionals, according to the report.
The department also provides funding to First Nations communities and First Nations health authorities so they can employ health care workers to offer services.
Hogan also found that Indigenous Services Canada didn't have fulsome data on how much personal protective equipment it had available when the pandemic began.
"The lack of complete and accurate data on the contents of the PPE stockpile made it difficult for the department to monitor its inventory levels and determine its needs," Hogan said in her audit.
The department also didn't have enough of some items, including gloves and hand sanitizer, but it was able adjust its approach to respond to the needs of the Indigenous communities.
"We found weaknesses in the way that Indigenous Services Canada managed its stockpile of PPE," she said.
Hogan said the department was able to step up with these supplies and ship them to Indigenous communities and groups when provinces and territories were unable to do so.
"The demand didn't really hit Indigenous Services Canada in a significant way until the bulk procurement had started federally," she said.
"Indigenous Services Canada was receiving two per cent of all bulk procurements. We found throughout the audit that they were able to meet all of their requests that they received from Indigenous communities throughout the pandemic."
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday that more than 75 per cent of Indigenous adults have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Miller said Indigenous people living in Manitoba, which has the highest rate of new coronavirus infections in the country, can now book their second vaccine shot.
He said there are about 741 active cases in First Nations communities.
Dr. Tom Wong, chief medical officer of public health at Indigenous Services, said active case counts have dropped drastically over the past couple months.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on May 26, 2021.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press
Karen Hogan told a news conference following the report release that Indigenous Services Canada had not addressed the ongoing shortage of health care workers in Indigenous communities.
"When you already start with a shortage of health care workers, the pandemic makes that gap even worse," she said.
"This long-standing issue, though, is one that does need to be addressed."
Hogan noted the department expanded access to contract nurses and paramedics to all Indigenous communities and streamlined its hiring processes.
"They were able to hire more nurses in the audit period than they had hired the year before," she said.
But with increasing demand, the department was unable to meet more than half of the 963 of the requests for such personnel to be made available.
Hogan said the department employs primary health care workers to deliver direct health care services in 51 remote or isolated First Nations communities.
The report said nurses in these communities work out of nursing stations or health centres and are often the only health care providers working on site.
They work in pairs or small groups, often with little or no on-site support from other health care professionals, according to the report.
The department also provides funding to First Nations communities and First Nations health authorities so they can employ health care workers to offer services.
Hogan also found that Indigenous Services Canada didn't have fulsome data on how much personal protective equipment it had available when the pandemic began.
"The lack of complete and accurate data on the contents of the PPE stockpile made it difficult for the department to monitor its inventory levels and determine its needs," Hogan said in her audit.
The department also didn't have enough of some items, including gloves and hand sanitizer, but it was able adjust its approach to respond to the needs of the Indigenous communities.
"We found weaknesses in the way that Indigenous Services Canada managed its stockpile of PPE," she said.
Hogan said the department was able to step up with these supplies and ship them to Indigenous communities and groups when provinces and territories were unable to do so.
"The demand didn't really hit Indigenous Services Canada in a significant way until the bulk procurement had started federally," she said.
"Indigenous Services Canada was receiving two per cent of all bulk procurements. We found throughout the audit that they were able to meet all of their requests that they received from Indigenous communities throughout the pandemic."
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said Wednesday that more than 75 per cent of Indigenous adults have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Miller said Indigenous people living in Manitoba, which has the highest rate of new coronavirus infections in the country, can now book their second vaccine shot.
He said there are about 741 active cases in First Nations communities.
Dr. Tom Wong, chief medical officer of public health at Indigenous Services, said active case counts have dropped drastically over the past couple months.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on May 26, 2021.
---
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press
cbc.ca
Auditor general's report says Indigenous Services must work to fix nursing shortage
Duration: 01:31
Auditor General Karen Hogan tells Power & Politics that Indigenous Services Canada must work with remote and isolated First Nations to address nursing shortages.
Olivia Stefanovich
CBC NEWS
© Ivanoh Demers/CBC A medical worker wears a surgical mask, face shield and gloves while conducting a COVID-19 test on an unidentified man in Montreal.
Indigenous Services Canada should work with remote and isolated First Nations to address a nursing shortage and review the management of its personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile, says Canada's auditor general.
In an audit tabled in Parliament today, Auditor General Karen Hogan looked at whether the federal department did enough to help First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities and organizations respond to the pandemic by supplying enough PPE and sufficient numbers of health care workers in a timely and coordinated matter.
Although the department expanded access to its contract nurses to all Indigenous communities, created new contracts for nurses and paramedics and streamlined its hiring processes, Hogan said it was unable to meet more than half of the 963 requests for extra nurses and paramedics that it received.
Hogan said the department lacked complete and accurate data on its PPE stock. It also didn't have enough of certain items, such as gloves and hand sanitizer, to meet demand at the beginning of the pandemic.
Still, the audit found the department secured additional PPE starting in April 2020 and quickly delivered it to communities and organizations when provinces and territories were unable to do so.
Hogan noted the department expanded access to its stockpile to include police officers, community members who tested positive for COVID-19 and those caring for ill family members.
From March 2020 to January 2021, the department responded to 1,622 requests for PPE in what the auditor found to be a timely manner — within an average of 10 calendar days, the audit said. Most of the time, the department also met its two-business-day service standard for approving and sending requests to the warehouse for shipping.
Vaccinate rate 75 per cent among Indigenous adults
Hogan said several factors contributed to an ongoing nursing shortages in many communities, including the challenging nature of the work, the diverse skill set required to work in remote and isolated communities, and inadequate housing.
Hogan said Indigenous Services Canada should work with the 51 remote and isolated First Nations it supplies nurses to so it can address shortages.
The department said it agreed with Hogan's findings. It promised to work with its Nursing Leadership Council to find new approaches.
It also said it is reviewing its PPE inventory and will maintain its stockpile.
"They've done a decent job in terms of providing supports for our member nations as well as ensuring that there are adequate supplies of PPE, and also making us a priority when it comes to the vaccines," said Vice-Chief David Pratt of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.
The vaccination effort in Indigenous communities reached a milestone this week: 75 per cent of Indigenous adults have received their first dose, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller told a press conference in Ottawa.
Since January, case counts have dropped by over 85 per cent on reserves and the number of Indigenous communities with significant outbreaks has seen a similar reduction, said Dr. Tom Wong, chief medical officer of public health at Indigenous Services.
As of Tuesday, there were 741 cases and 333 deaths on reserves. The Indigenous COVID-19 mortality rate is less than two thirds that of the non-Indigenous population, Miller said.
"I'm encouraged to see the overall number of cases dropping as the vaccination rates increase," Miller said.
"However, the pandemic is not yet behind us."
Indigenous Services Canada should work with remote and isolated First Nations to address a nursing shortage and review the management of its personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile, says Canada's auditor general.
In an audit tabled in Parliament today, Auditor General Karen Hogan looked at whether the federal department did enough to help First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities and organizations respond to the pandemic by supplying enough PPE and sufficient numbers of health care workers in a timely and coordinated matter.
Although the department expanded access to its contract nurses to all Indigenous communities, created new contracts for nurses and paramedics and streamlined its hiring processes, Hogan said it was unable to meet more than half of the 963 requests for extra nurses and paramedics that it received.
Hogan said the department lacked complete and accurate data on its PPE stock. It also didn't have enough of certain items, such as gloves and hand sanitizer, to meet demand at the beginning of the pandemic.
Still, the audit found the department secured additional PPE starting in April 2020 and quickly delivered it to communities and organizations when provinces and territories were unable to do so.
Hogan noted the department expanded access to its stockpile to include police officers, community members who tested positive for COVID-19 and those caring for ill family members.
From March 2020 to January 2021, the department responded to 1,622 requests for PPE in what the auditor found to be a timely manner — within an average of 10 calendar days, the audit said. Most of the time, the department also met its two-business-day service standard for approving and sending requests to the warehouse for shipping.
Vaccinate rate 75 per cent among Indigenous adults
Hogan said several factors contributed to an ongoing nursing shortages in many communities, including the challenging nature of the work, the diverse skill set required to work in remote and isolated communities, and inadequate housing.
Hogan said Indigenous Services Canada should work with the 51 remote and isolated First Nations it supplies nurses to so it can address shortages.
The department said it agreed with Hogan's findings. It promised to work with its Nursing Leadership Council to find new approaches.
It also said it is reviewing its PPE inventory and will maintain its stockpile.
"They've done a decent job in terms of providing supports for our member nations as well as ensuring that there are adequate supplies of PPE, and also making us a priority when it comes to the vaccines," said Vice-Chief David Pratt of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.
The vaccination effort in Indigenous communities reached a milestone this week: 75 per cent of Indigenous adults have received their first dose, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller told a press conference in Ottawa.
Since January, case counts have dropped by over 85 per cent on reserves and the number of Indigenous communities with significant outbreaks has seen a similar reduction, said Dr. Tom Wong, chief medical officer of public health at Indigenous Services.
As of Tuesday, there were 741 cases and 333 deaths on reserves. The Indigenous COVID-19 mortality rate is less than two thirds that of the non-Indigenous population, Miller said.
"I'm encouraged to see the overall number of cases dropping as the vaccination rates increase," Miller said.
"However, the pandemic is not yet behind us."
Some Indigenous communities say the government came through for them on PPE supplies — while others turned to alternative sources.
VIO Volunteers, a not-for-profit corporation, was created in the spring of 2020 to respond to the needs of Canada's northern, remote Indigenous communities.
Since then, it's delivered just over 1.7 million surgical masks, 9,450 face shields and 7,662 litres of hand sanitizer to 206 Indigenous communities and organizations that support the urban Indigenous population in seven provinces.
In a written question tabled in the House of Commons last fall, Conservative Indigenous Services critic Gary Vidal asked for details on the amount of PPE delivered by the department.
When VIO Volunteers president Claudine Santos compared the list to her records, she said, she realized her volunteer organization was outpacing the government in providing masks to communities — in some cases doubling the federal contribution.
VIO Volunteers, a not-for-profit corporation, was created in the spring of 2020 to respond to the needs of Canada's northern, remote Indigenous communities.
Since then, it's delivered just over 1.7 million surgical masks, 9,450 face shields and 7,662 litres of hand sanitizer to 206 Indigenous communities and organizations that support the urban Indigenous population in seven provinces.
In a written question tabled in the House of Commons last fall, Conservative Indigenous Services critic Gary Vidal asked for details on the amount of PPE delivered by the department.
When VIO Volunteers president Claudine Santos compared the list to her records, she said, she realized her volunteer organization was outpacing the government in providing masks to communities — in some cases doubling the federal contribution.
'We didn't ask to see the math'
Santos, who works as director of parliamentary affairs in Conservative Sen. Dennis Patterson's office in Nunavut, said she believes it's because VIO Volunteers took an approach to requests from Indigenous communities that differed from the one used by the bureaucracy.
"We didn't ask to see the math," Santos said. "They came to us and they said, 'This is what we need.' We said, 'If it is within our power to give it to you, we will give it to you.'"
In some instances, Santos said, the organization stockpiled enough masks to supply communities for six months to a year.
"It isn't fair that we impose our own algorithms and our own standards onto these communities," Santos said.
"We need to really embrace the fact that they are led by strong, capable people who really know and understand intimately the kind of needs that their communities have."
Santos said there needs to be a shift in the relationship between Indigenous communities and the federal government to empower them to make their own decisions.
She said VIO Volunteers is winding down operations and making space for Indigenous-led initiatives, such as those funded by the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund, to take over.
Santos also said the government needs to take responsibility to ensure communities are protected from predatory practices employed by some companies seeking to take advantage.
"This is what happens when there isn't enough conversation and there isn't enough support," Santos said.
© Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller's department is the subject of the auditor general's performance review.
Valerie Gideon, senior assistant deputy minister at the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch at Health Canada, defended the government's efforts to secure PPE.
Gideon said the department had to navigate global shortages to respond to urgent requests. She said the department responded to requests without worrying about whether they fell under another government's jurisdiction.
Gideon said the department used what she called a hybrid model to supply PPE from its own stockpile, from the Public Health Agency of Canada's national emergency stockpile and through funding for Indigenous partners and organizations.
"That hybrid model was very successful in ensuring that there were multiple strategies for acquiring and maintaining an ongoing supply of PPE," Gideon said.
Gideon said the department has put in place an online system to manage PPE requests.
In a statement to CBC News, Miller's office said its top priority has been the health, safety and well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people since the onset of the pandemic.
Federal procurement minister accepts the auditor general's findings
It's set aside more than $4.2 billion to help Indigenous communities prevent and fight COVID-19, and promised an additional $1.2 billion in the spring federal budget.
The government also pledged $354 million over five years in the budget to increase the number of nurses and other medical professionals in remote and isolated First Nations.
The department acknowledged that it has "learned lessons that will inform the Department's continued response efforts and better prepare in case of a future pandemic.
"Indigenous Services Canada is committed to continuing and improving on our work, in full partnership with our Indigenous partners."
Later Wednesday, Miller told reporters that he only became minister of Indigenous Services in November — a few months before the pandemic kicked off — and that his department "adapted and overcame" when confronted by challenges that existed across government in procurement.
"This isn't about being perfect. It's about realizing ... the cards that have been dealt to us and working with providers in record time, trying to outpace a virus that moves faster than government. And that's what we did," Miller said.
Miller also addressed one of the report's findings — that people living on-reserve were less likely to be hospitalized (4.5 per cent compared to 7.5 per cent) or die (1.2 per cent compared to 2.2 per cent) because of COVID‑19 compared to the general Canadian population.
He said that statistics coming in from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control suggested Indigenous populations faced a greater risk of hospitalization than the general U.S. population, so his department and Indigenous communities took steps to ensure Canada's First Nations were better prepared.
"Communities reacted well with the resources they had and implemented their pandemic plans with some success," Miller said.
"The on-reserve portrait is positive but its a testament to the work that's been done and the extra precautions that Indigenous leadership took and the seriousness with which they approached both the first, second and now the third wave."
Valerie Gideon, senior assistant deputy minister at the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch at Health Canada, defended the government's efforts to secure PPE.
Gideon said the department had to navigate global shortages to respond to urgent requests. She said the department responded to requests without worrying about whether they fell under another government's jurisdiction.
Gideon said the department used what she called a hybrid model to supply PPE from its own stockpile, from the Public Health Agency of Canada's national emergency stockpile and through funding for Indigenous partners and organizations.
"That hybrid model was very successful in ensuring that there were multiple strategies for acquiring and maintaining an ongoing supply of PPE," Gideon said.
Gideon said the department has put in place an online system to manage PPE requests.
In a statement to CBC News, Miller's office said its top priority has been the health, safety and well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people since the onset of the pandemic.
Federal procurement minister accepts the auditor general's findings
It's set aside more than $4.2 billion to help Indigenous communities prevent and fight COVID-19, and promised an additional $1.2 billion in the spring federal budget.
The government also pledged $354 million over five years in the budget to increase the number of nurses and other medical professionals in remote and isolated First Nations.
The department acknowledged that it has "learned lessons that will inform the Department's continued response efforts and better prepare in case of a future pandemic.
"Indigenous Services Canada is committed to continuing and improving on our work, in full partnership with our Indigenous partners."
Later Wednesday, Miller told reporters that he only became minister of Indigenous Services in November — a few months before the pandemic kicked off — and that his department "adapted and overcame" when confronted by challenges that existed across government in procurement.
"This isn't about being perfect. It's about realizing ... the cards that have been dealt to us and working with providers in record time, trying to outpace a virus that moves faster than government. And that's what we did," Miller said.
Miller also addressed one of the report's findings — that people living on-reserve were less likely to be hospitalized (4.5 per cent compared to 7.5 per cent) or die (1.2 per cent compared to 2.2 per cent) because of COVID‑19 compared to the general Canadian population.
He said that statistics coming in from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control suggested Indigenous populations faced a greater risk of hospitalization than the general U.S. population, so his department and Indigenous communities took steps to ensure Canada's First Nations were better prepared.
"Communities reacted well with the resources they had and implemented their pandemic plans with some success," Miller said.
"The on-reserve portrait is positive but its a testament to the work that's been done and the extra precautions that Indigenous leadership took and the seriousness with which they approached both the first, second and now the third wave."
Canada knew of PPE supply issues ‘over a decade’ before COVID-19 but was still unprepared: AG
Amanda Connolly
GLOBAL NEWS
For more than 10 years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Canadian public health officials knew there were problems with how the country managed its emergency medical stockpile – but failed to act.
Amanda Connolly
GLOBAL NEWS
26/5/2021
For more than 10 years before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Canadian public health officials knew there were problems with how the country managed its emergency medical stockpile – but failed to act.
© Provided by Global News A person wears PPE (personal protective equipment) while screening people for the COVID-19 virus in Kingston, Ontario on Wednesday, February 17, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Lars Hagberg
In a new report issued Wednesday, Auditor General Karen Hogan said that failure to fix the problems ahead of time meant Canada was not as prepared as it could have been for the surge in demand for precious personal protective equipment last year.
“The audit found that at the onset of the pandemic, PHAC lacked some of the systems and practices it needed to properly manage and operate the country’s stockpile of emergency equipment,” Hogan wrote in her report.
“The Agency had known for over a decade that these issues existed. As a result, it was not as prepared as it could have been to respond to the increased demand for personal protective equipment and medical devices that came from the provinces and territories.”
READ MORE: Canada’s efforts to buy pandemic PPE to be assessed by auditor general
But she said despite those challenges, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) was able to act quickly once the pandemic hit and procure critical gear, such as N95 respirators, medical gowns, testing swabs and ventilators for the provinces and territories.
Hogan said what was key to the agency’s adaptation was quickly pivoting to a bulk-buy strategy and speeding up quality assurances while Health Canada streamlined its licensing application process. Crucial to that was the support from Public Services and Procurement Canada, which Hogan noted moved quickly to shift to bulk buying amid the global uncertainty.
“The department accepted some risks in order to procure large quantities of equipment in a market where the supply could not always meet demand,” she wrote of the procurement strategy.
“Otherwise, fewer pieces of equipment would have been available to provinces and territories.”
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland compared the global market for personal protective equipment to the “Wild West” in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hogan said the frenzy of that market made it hard to assess whether the government got value for money in its purchasing, adding the audit focused more on whether the government took the right steps to secure personal protective equipment within that situation.
She added that just because the government did manage to secure that critical gear does not mean that officials solved the underlying problems -- they simply worked around them.
“If you’re asking me today if they have addressed those longstanding issues, the answer is no," she said.
"There is the need now to deal with those issues post-pandemic.”
In a new report issued Wednesday, Auditor General Karen Hogan said that failure to fix the problems ahead of time meant Canada was not as prepared as it could have been for the surge in demand for precious personal protective equipment last year.
“The audit found that at the onset of the pandemic, PHAC lacked some of the systems and practices it needed to properly manage and operate the country’s stockpile of emergency equipment,” Hogan wrote in her report.
“The Agency had known for over a decade that these issues existed. As a result, it was not as prepared as it could have been to respond to the increased demand for personal protective equipment and medical devices that came from the provinces and territories.”
READ MORE: Canada’s efforts to buy pandemic PPE to be assessed by auditor general
But she said despite those challenges, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) was able to act quickly once the pandemic hit and procure critical gear, such as N95 respirators, medical gowns, testing swabs and ventilators for the provinces and territories.
Hogan said what was key to the agency’s adaptation was quickly pivoting to a bulk-buy strategy and speeding up quality assurances while Health Canada streamlined its licensing application process. Crucial to that was the support from Public Services and Procurement Canada, which Hogan noted moved quickly to shift to bulk buying amid the global uncertainty.
“The department accepted some risks in order to procure large quantities of equipment in a market where the supply could not always meet demand,” she wrote of the procurement strategy.
“Otherwise, fewer pieces of equipment would have been available to provinces and territories.”
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland compared the global market for personal protective equipment to the “Wild West” in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hogan said the frenzy of that market made it hard to assess whether the government got value for money in its purchasing, adding the audit focused more on whether the government took the right steps to secure personal protective equipment within that situation.
She added that just because the government did manage to secure that critical gear does not mean that officials solved the underlying problems -- they simply worked around them.
“If you’re asking me today if they have addressed those longstanding issues, the answer is no," she said.
"There is the need now to deal with those issues post-pandemic.”
Hajdu reacts to auditor general report on government's PPE preparedness before and during the pandemic
Duration: 01:33
Auditor finds national PPE stockpile unprepared for pandemic, despite warnings
Ryan Tumilty
Canada may find it challenging to reach herd immunity from COVID-19, experts say
Hogan found the stockpile had weak or non-existent systems for tracking inventory and expiry dates and made decisions on what to buy based on its budget, not on what might be needed. She said when doing the audit they couldn’t determine what was actually available when COVID hit, because the inventory was so weak.
“What we found is that the quality of the data was such that we couldn’t rely on what the agency estimated was the stock on hand.”
She said the government pivoted quickly to respond to the problem, but the whole point of a stockpile is to be prepared.
“You don’t wait for a rainy day to rush out and buy an umbrella. You take the time, you invest in the umbrella in your closet and that’s exactly what the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile should be.”
Health Minister Patty Hajdu said she welcomed the input from the auditor. Asked directly when she realized Canada didn’t have sufficient reserve supplies of PPE Hajdu didn’t answer, but said the problem went beyond just the supplies.
“It really wasn’t just about the stock that was contained in the stockpile but it was about the processes that the national stockpile was using to support provinces and territories.”
Hajdu said the government has done a lot to address problems already, but work is underway to ensure the stockpile is rebuilt and ready for future emergencies.
“The planning work is really about how to ensure that we have a national stockpile, that will be responsive and flexible enough to be able to expand quickly, but also to have the right equipment.”
The audit also looked at the government’s purchase of PPE after the pandemic hit and found that it generally did well. Hogan found some areas where the government took on more risk than usual, but found that understandable in the pandemic.
“The department accepted some risks in order to procure large quantities of equipment in a market where the supply could not always meet demand. Otherwise, fewer pieces of equipment would have been available to provinces and territories.”
Ryan Tumilty
© Provided by National Post Auditor General Karen Hogan is seen during a news conference following the tabling of reports in Ottawa, Thursday March 25, 2021.
Canada’s National Emergency Strategic Stockpile was unprepared to deal with the pandemic due to “long-standing unaddressed problems” that had been known for more than a decade when COVID-19 hit, according to the auditor general.
In a report released Wednesday, Auditor General Karen Hogan reviewed the national stockpile and efforts to purchase personal protective equipment and found Canada was ill-prepared to respond to the pandemic.
“As a result of long-standing unaddressed problems with the systems and practices in place to manage the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile, the Public Health Agency of Canada was not as prepared as it could have been,” she wrote.
News reports have already documented how millions of masks were tossed in the trash before the pandemic and how the stockpile was unable to meet early demands from provinces and territories when COVID first emerged in spring of 2020.
Hogan’s report said the government rebounded well from the early part of the pandemic, but the stockpile issues were well known and had been left unaddressed for more than a decade.
“We found that the unaddressed federal stockpile issues had been brought to the agency’s attention through a series of internal audits dating back to at least 2010,” she said in her report.
Canada’s National Emergency Strategic Stockpile was unprepared to deal with the pandemic due to “long-standing unaddressed problems” that had been known for more than a decade when COVID-19 hit, according to the auditor general.
In a report released Wednesday, Auditor General Karen Hogan reviewed the national stockpile and efforts to purchase personal protective equipment and found Canada was ill-prepared to respond to the pandemic.
“As a result of long-standing unaddressed problems with the systems and practices in place to manage the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile, the Public Health Agency of Canada was not as prepared as it could have been,” she wrote.
News reports have already documented how millions of masks were tossed in the trash before the pandemic and how the stockpile was unable to meet early demands from provinces and territories when COVID first emerged in spring of 2020.
Hogan’s report said the government rebounded well from the early part of the pandemic, but the stockpile issues were well known and had been left unaddressed for more than a decade.
“We found that the unaddressed federal stockpile issues had been brought to the agency’s attention through a series of internal audits dating back to at least 2010,” she said in her report.
Canada may find it challenging to reach herd immunity from COVID-19, experts say
Hogan found the stockpile had weak or non-existent systems for tracking inventory and expiry dates and made decisions on what to buy based on its budget, not on what might be needed. She said when doing the audit they couldn’t determine what was actually available when COVID hit, because the inventory was so weak.
“What we found is that the quality of the data was such that we couldn’t rely on what the agency estimated was the stock on hand.”
She said the government pivoted quickly to respond to the problem, but the whole point of a stockpile is to be prepared.
“You don’t wait for a rainy day to rush out and buy an umbrella. You take the time, you invest in the umbrella in your closet and that’s exactly what the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile should be.”
Health Minister Patty Hajdu said she welcomed the input from the auditor. Asked directly when she realized Canada didn’t have sufficient reserve supplies of PPE Hajdu didn’t answer, but said the problem went beyond just the supplies.
“It really wasn’t just about the stock that was contained in the stockpile but it was about the processes that the national stockpile was using to support provinces and territories.”
Hajdu said the government has done a lot to address problems already, but work is underway to ensure the stockpile is rebuilt and ready for future emergencies.
“The planning work is really about how to ensure that we have a national stockpile, that will be responsive and flexible enough to be able to expand quickly, but also to have the right equipment.”
The audit also looked at the government’s purchase of PPE after the pandemic hit and found that it generally did well. Hogan found some areas where the government took on more risk than usual, but found that understandable in the pandemic.
“The department accepted some risks in order to procure large quantities of equipment in a market where the supply could not always meet demand. Otherwise, fewer pieces of equipment would have been available to provinces and territories.”
© Provided by National Post Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu.
Hogan said the department didn’t do enough to mitigate the risks it took on with advanced payments and speeding up procurement processes and should have done more, but she also acknowledged the difficult environment of buying PPE in a pandemic.
“We found that these risks were not offset by any planned mitigation strategy. As a result, while the department was able to speed up the procurement process, it could not always demonstrate that it exercised the needed oversight.”
The government launched a $81 million lawsuit recently against a Montreal firm, alleging it failed to deliver masks that met the government’s quality control standards.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner suggested the auditor’s report demonstrates the government moved too slowly purchasing PPE.
“The Trudeau Liberals waited 10 days after the WHO declared COVID-19 a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ before it announced that it would be bulk purchasing PPE,” she said in a statement.
The auditor however found no issue with the time it took for the government to begin bulk purchases for provinces and territories.
“The agency quickly moved to bulk purchasing to meet the unprecedented demand for PPE and medical devices, and it outsourced much of the warehousing and logistical support it needed.”
• Email: rtumilty@postmedia.com | Twitter: ryantumilty
Hogan said the department didn’t do enough to mitigate the risks it took on with advanced payments and speeding up procurement processes and should have done more, but she also acknowledged the difficult environment of buying PPE in a pandemic.
“We found that these risks were not offset by any planned mitigation strategy. As a result, while the department was able to speed up the procurement process, it could not always demonstrate that it exercised the needed oversight.”
The government launched a $81 million lawsuit recently against a Montreal firm, alleging it failed to deliver masks that met the government’s quality control standards.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner suggested the auditor’s report demonstrates the government moved too slowly purchasing PPE.
“The Trudeau Liberals waited 10 days after the WHO declared COVID-19 a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ before it announced that it would be bulk purchasing PPE,” she said in a statement.
The auditor however found no issue with the time it took for the government to begin bulk purchases for provinces and territories.
“The agency quickly moved to bulk purchasing to meet the unprecedented demand for PPE and medical devices, and it outsourced much of the warehousing and logistical support it needed.”
• Email: rtumilty@postmedia.com | Twitter: ryantumilty
EPA officially nixes Trump 'secret science' rule
BY RACHEL FRAZIN -THE HILL- 05/26/21
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a rule to undo the Trump administration's "secret science" regulation, which restricted the agency's ability to consider certain studies.
The agency’s action formally implements a court decision from February that threw out the rule on the grounds that a prior ruling had eliminated its legal basis.
“This action ensures that EPA can utilize the best available science and data to support our work to protect the public from pollution,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement Wednesday.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has an unwavering commitment to scientific integrity, and to listening to experts and scientists so we can move forward with urgency to deliver on EPA’s mission,” he added.
The Trump-era rule limited the agency’s use of studies that don’t make their underlying data publicly available.
The Trump administration billed it as a transparency measure, but critics argued that it would undermine the use of important public health studies that keep their data private for reasons like privacy.
The Trump rule didn’t eliminate the use of all studies with private data but gave preference to those with public data.
The new rule implementing the court decision will become effective once it is published in the Federal Register.
The "secret science" rule was vacated through a pair of court rulings earlier this year.
In a January ruling, federal judge Brian Morris ruled against the EPA's classification of the rule as procedural, rather than substantive, which allowed it to become effective immediately rather than having to wait 30 days under the agency's "housekeeping authority."
In the subsequent decision, the judge said he would have to vacate the rule in light of his prior decision because the housekeeping authority was the legal justification underpinning the rule, so without it, there was not a legal basis for the regulation.
The agency’s action formally implements a court decision from February that threw out the rule on the grounds that a prior ruling had eliminated its legal basis.
“This action ensures that EPA can utilize the best available science and data to support our work to protect the public from pollution,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement Wednesday.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has an unwavering commitment to scientific integrity, and to listening to experts and scientists so we can move forward with urgency to deliver on EPA’s mission,” he added.
The Trump-era rule limited the agency’s use of studies that don’t make their underlying data publicly available.
The Trump administration billed it as a transparency measure, but critics argued that it would undermine the use of important public health studies that keep their data private for reasons like privacy.
The Trump rule didn’t eliminate the use of all studies with private data but gave preference to those with public data.
The new rule implementing the court decision will become effective once it is published in the Federal Register.
The "secret science" rule was vacated through a pair of court rulings earlier this year.
In a January ruling, federal judge Brian Morris ruled against the EPA's classification of the rule as procedural, rather than substantive, which allowed it to become effective immediately rather than having to wait 30 days under the agency's "housekeeping authority."
In the subsequent decision, the judge said he would have to vacate the rule in light of his prior decision because the housekeeping authority was the legal justification underpinning the rule, so without it, there was not a legal basis for the regulation.
MEANWHILE IN CANADA
Canada's top pension funds boost investments in high-carbon oil sands
By Maiya Keidan and Nia Williams
Governments, companies and investors around the world have stepped up pledges to drastically reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Some large pension managers, including the New York State Pension Fund and Norway's largest pension fund KLP, have exited oil sands companies.
Canadian pensions face pressure to balance a mandate to be environmentally responsible with their fiduciary duty to maximise returns. Canada's oil sands are a high-carbon industry, yet their rising shares prices are tempting for investors.
Some Canadian pension funds say they favour continuing to invest in fossil fuel producers to help those firms transition toward producing cleaner energy.
"We have a big problem with pension funds saying we believe in engagement, not divestment, but there's no sign of this engagement," said Adam Scott, director of pension activist group Shift. "The very act of owning them (oil sands companies) implies the funds do not support transition."
While first-quarter exposures to oil sands firms have risen, annual reports show three of the five pension funds decreased their overall energy exposure in 2020 from 2019. But the 13-F filings present a more up-to-date picture.
For details on Canadian pensions exposure to top oil sands producers:
Compared with same period in 2018, the funds' investments in the four oil sands firms were down 0.9%.
While the Reuters analysis is restricted to four companies - Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, Suncor Energy, Cenovus Energy and Imperial Oil - it provides a glimpse into the funds' investments in northern Alberta's oil sands, the source of the highest emissions-per-barrel oil on the planet, according to a 2020 report from consultancy Rystad Energy.
CDPQ, OTPP and PSP decreased their cumulative exposure to energy to C$22.2 billion in 2020, from C$28.2 billion in 2019, according to annual reports.
But CPPIB, which manages C$497.2 billion in assets, saw exposure to fossil fuel producers rise 51.5% to C$17.6 billion at the end of March 2021, after falling for at least five years. The fund's investments in renewable energy producers rose 16% to C$7.7 billion over the last year by comparison.
CPPIB declined to comment on the 13-F holdings data.
BCI's annual reports do not break out energy investments as a percentage of overall holdings. Spokesman Ben O'Hara-Byrne said numerous factors affect changes in holdings, so percentages should not be used to derive assumptions about BCI's response to environmental, social and governance (ESG) "integration efforts."
A spokeswoman for PSP Investments said many of the investments were held in so-called "passive" portfolios containing a mix of assets based on a stock index designed to match overall market moves.
CDPQ did not comment specifically on its oil sands holdings, but a spokesman said fossil fuels represent a very small share of total assets owned by fund, which is targeting a carbon neutral portfolio by 2050.
OTPP has also committed to a net-zero portfolio by 2050 and will focus on climate-friendly investments that help shift away from fossil fuels, a spokesman said.
Randy Bauslaugh, co-Chair of McCarthy Tétrault's Pension Funds Group, on Wednesday said in a new paper that pensions have a legal responsibility to take into account the risks of climate change.
"Pension fund fiduciaries who fail to consider or manage climate-related financial risks and opportunities, may find themselves personally liable for economic, reputational or organizational loss resulting from that failure," he wrote.
($1 = 1.2049 Canadian dollars)
(Reporting by Maiya Keidan and Nia WilliamsEditing by Denny Thomas and David Gregorio)
Canada's top pension funds boost investments in high-carbon oil sands
By Maiya Keidan and Nia Williams
© Reuters/Carlos Osorio FILE PHOTO: Border city's industry under threat with looming pipeline closure
TORONTO (Reuters) -Canada's biggest pension managers boosted their investments in the country's major oil sands companies in the first quarter of 2021, raising questions about the funds' recent commitments to greening their portfolios.
TORONTO (Reuters) -Canada's biggest pension managers boosted their investments in the country's major oil sands companies in the first quarter of 2021, raising questions about the funds' recent commitments to greening their portfolios.
The cumulative investment by the country's top five pension funds into the U.S.-listed shares of Canada's top four oil sands producers jumped to $2.4 billion in the first quarter of 2021, up 147% from a year ago, a Reuters analysis of U.S. 13-F filings show. Much of that increase, which bucked a declining trend since 2018, came from rising prices of shares already owned, but the funds also purchased more shares.
The five funds, in order of size, are Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP), British Columbia Investment Management Corp (BCI) and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP), which together manage more than C$1.4 trillion ($1.2 trillion) in assets.
Governments, companies and investors around the world have stepped up pledges to drastically reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Some large pension managers, including the New York State Pension Fund and Norway's largest pension fund KLP, have exited oil sands companies.
Canadian pensions face pressure to balance a mandate to be environmentally responsible with their fiduciary duty to maximise returns. Canada's oil sands are a high-carbon industry, yet their rising shares prices are tempting for investors.
Some Canadian pension funds say they favour continuing to invest in fossil fuel producers to help those firms transition toward producing cleaner energy.
"We have a big problem with pension funds saying we believe in engagement, not divestment, but there's no sign of this engagement," said Adam Scott, director of pension activist group Shift. "The very act of owning them (oil sands companies) implies the funds do not support transition."
While first-quarter exposures to oil sands firms have risen, annual reports show three of the five pension funds decreased their overall energy exposure in 2020 from 2019. But the 13-F filings present a more up-to-date picture.
For details on Canadian pensions exposure to top oil sands producers:
Compared with same period in 2018, the funds' investments in the four oil sands firms were down 0.9%.
While the Reuters analysis is restricted to four companies - Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, Suncor Energy, Cenovus Energy and Imperial Oil - it provides a glimpse into the funds' investments in northern Alberta's oil sands, the source of the highest emissions-per-barrel oil on the planet, according to a 2020 report from consultancy Rystad Energy.
CDPQ, OTPP and PSP decreased their cumulative exposure to energy to C$22.2 billion in 2020, from C$28.2 billion in 2019, according to annual reports.
But CPPIB, which manages C$497.2 billion in assets, saw exposure to fossil fuel producers rise 51.5% to C$17.6 billion at the end of March 2021, after falling for at least five years. The fund's investments in renewable energy producers rose 16% to C$7.7 billion over the last year by comparison.
CPPIB declined to comment on the 13-F holdings data.
BCI's annual reports do not break out energy investments as a percentage of overall holdings. Spokesman Ben O'Hara-Byrne said numerous factors affect changes in holdings, so percentages should not be used to derive assumptions about BCI's response to environmental, social and governance (ESG) "integration efforts."
A spokeswoman for PSP Investments said many of the investments were held in so-called "passive" portfolios containing a mix of assets based on a stock index designed to match overall market moves.
CDPQ did not comment specifically on its oil sands holdings, but a spokesman said fossil fuels represent a very small share of total assets owned by fund, which is targeting a carbon neutral portfolio by 2050.
OTPP has also committed to a net-zero portfolio by 2050 and will focus on climate-friendly investments that help shift away from fossil fuels, a spokesman said.
Randy Bauslaugh, co-Chair of McCarthy Tétrault's Pension Funds Group, on Wednesday said in a new paper that pensions have a legal responsibility to take into account the risks of climate change.
"Pension fund fiduciaries who fail to consider or manage climate-related financial risks and opportunities, may find themselves personally liable for economic, reputational or organizational loss resulting from that failure," he wrote.
($1 = 1.2049 Canadian dollars)
(Reporting by Maiya Keidan and Nia WilliamsEditing by Denny Thomas and David Gregorio)
Investors, court deliver 'stark warning for Big Oil' on climate
By Gary McWilliams
By Gary McWilliams
© Reuters/Toby Melville FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: The Royal Dutch Shell logo is seen at a Shell petrol station in London
(Reuters) - Shareholders rebuked the top two U.S. oil companies on Wednesday for dragging their feet on fighting climate change, while a Dutch court ruled that Royal Dutch Shell needs to accelerate cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.
"Today was a stark warning for Big Oil," said Bess Joffe, of the Church Commissioners for England, which manages the Church of England's investment fund, with executives "being held to account by investors and lawmakers."
Exxon Mobil lost at least two board seats to an activist hedge fund, shareholders at Chevron endorsed a call to further reduce its emissions and a court deemed Royal Dutch Shell's emissions targets insufficient.
Investor support for climate concerns could force oil and gas companies to rethink how fast they pivot to other forms of energy. BP Plc, which recently pledged to consult with shareholders on its climate targets, could see the next test of the groundswell.
A Dutch court ordered Shell to slash its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.
DISSIDENTS GET A WIN AT EXXON
Shell said it would appeal, and analysts called the decision not the last word in the case.
"This ruling has negligible chance to survive appeals," said Per Magnus Nysveen, of energy consultancy Rystad Energy.
In a stunning blow to top management at Exxon, shareholders elected two change candidates for its board and approved measures calling for annual reports on climate and grassroots lobbying effort. Activists could yet win a third seat with some votes still to be counted and the full board not yet known.
After the meeting, CEO Darren Woods said Exxon heard shareholders' desire to advance lower-carbon and cost-cutting efforts.
"We are well positioned to respond,” he said.
Chevron shareholders backed a call for the company to cut emissions from the end-use of its fuels with 61% supporting the petition. Another resolution calling for a report on the business impact of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 was backed by 48% of votes cast.
PROTEST VOTES
"The question for oil companies is when and how much" do they reduce oil and gas production in response to investor and social concerns, said Charles Elson, a professor of corporate governance at the University of Delaware.
Investors have registered protests over the slow pace of change, but corporate executives will have to evaluate how to implement what are non-binding resolutions, he said.
The votes signal a new sense of urgency, said Mark Van Baal, who leads a climate advocacy group that placed resolutions calling for emissions cuts at Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Phillips66. All got at least 58% support.
Investors are saying: "we want you to act by decreasing emissions now, not in the distant future," he said.
Graphic: Big Oil's energy transition
(Reuters) - Shareholders rebuked the top two U.S. oil companies on Wednesday for dragging their feet on fighting climate change, while a Dutch court ruled that Royal Dutch Shell needs to accelerate cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.
"Today was a stark warning for Big Oil," said Bess Joffe, of the Church Commissioners for England, which manages the Church of England's investment fund, with executives "being held to account by investors and lawmakers."
Exxon Mobil lost at least two board seats to an activist hedge fund, shareholders at Chevron endorsed a call to further reduce its emissions and a court deemed Royal Dutch Shell's emissions targets insufficient.
Investor support for climate concerns could force oil and gas companies to rethink how fast they pivot to other forms of energy. BP Plc, which recently pledged to consult with shareholders on its climate targets, could see the next test of the groundswell.
A Dutch court ordered Shell to slash its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.
DISSIDENTS GET A WIN AT EXXON
Shell said it would appeal, and analysts called the decision not the last word in the case.
"This ruling has negligible chance to survive appeals," said Per Magnus Nysveen, of energy consultancy Rystad Energy.
In a stunning blow to top management at Exxon, shareholders elected two change candidates for its board and approved measures calling for annual reports on climate and grassroots lobbying effort. Activists could yet win a third seat with some votes still to be counted and the full board not yet known.
After the meeting, CEO Darren Woods said Exxon heard shareholders' desire to advance lower-carbon and cost-cutting efforts.
"We are well positioned to respond,” he said.
Chevron shareholders backed a call for the company to cut emissions from the end-use of its fuels with 61% supporting the petition. Another resolution calling for a report on the business impact of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 was backed by 48% of votes cast.
PROTEST VOTES
"The question for oil companies is when and how much" do they reduce oil and gas production in response to investor and social concerns, said Charles Elson, a professor of corporate governance at the University of Delaware.
Investors have registered protests over the slow pace of change, but corporate executives will have to evaluate how to implement what are non-binding resolutions, he said.
The votes signal a new sense of urgency, said Mark Van Baal, who leads a climate advocacy group that placed resolutions calling for emissions cuts at Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Phillips66. All got at least 58% support.
Investors are saying: "we want you to act by decreasing emissions now, not in the distant future," he said.
Graphic: Big Oil's energy transition
https://graphics.reuters.com/OILMAJORS-SPENDING/azgpodanqvd/chart.png
(Reporting by Gary McWilliams and Jennifer Hiller in Houston; Editing by David Gregorio)
(Reporting by Gary McWilliams and Jennifer Hiller in Houston; Editing by David Gregorio)
GOLD MINERS ATTACK INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY IN THE AMAZON
© Reuters/NACHO DOCE FILE PHOTO: Aerial view shows a wildcat gold miner, or garimpeiro, as he uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material at a wildcat mine, also known as garimpo, at a deforested area of Amazon rainforest near Crepurizao
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Wildcat gold miners illegally prospecting on protected indigenous lands in the Amazon fired on a Munduruku village and burned down the house of one of its leaders on Wednesday, Brazil's main indigenous organization said.
Federal Police said the gold miners then tried to invade the local police post and wreck vehicles and helicopters that are being used in an ongoing operation against the miners, police said in a statement.
Plumes of black smoke could be seen across the Tapajos river rising from the house of Munduruku women's leader Maria Leusa that was set on fire with gasoline and burned to the ground, the indigenous umbrella organization APIB said.
APIB said it suspected the attack on the village was a reprisal for the police operation to protect indigenous lands.
The miners fired shots at the village in the latest of a mounting wave of attacks on indigenous communities in gold prospecting areas in the Amazon. The wildcat miners have been emboldened by Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and his support for legalizing wild mining and commercial activities on indigenous lands
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Wildcat gold miners illegally prospecting on protected indigenous lands in the Amazon fired on a Munduruku village and burned down the house of one of its leaders on Wednesday, Brazil's main indigenous organization said.
Federal Police said the gold miners then tried to invade the local police post and wreck vehicles and helicopters that are being used in an ongoing operation against the miners, police said in a statement.
Plumes of black smoke could be seen across the Tapajos river rising from the house of Munduruku women's leader Maria Leusa that was set on fire with gasoline and burned to the ground, the indigenous umbrella organization APIB said.
APIB said it suspected the attack on the village was a reprisal for the police operation to protect indigenous lands.
The miners fired shots at the village in the latest of a mounting wave of attacks on indigenous communities in gold prospecting areas in the Amazon. The wildcat miners have been emboldened by Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and his support for legalizing wild mining and commercial activities on indigenous lands
.
© Reuters/NACHO DOCE FILE PHOTO: An aerial view show a wildcat gold mine, also known as a garimpo, at a deforested area of the Amazon rainforest near Crepurizao
There were no reports on anyone injured in the incident.
"Once again, indigenous lives are threatened by the illegal miners in the Amazon," APIB said in a statement.
"This routine of terror is happening also in the Yanomami reservation that has been under intense attack since the beginning of the month in Roraima state," APIB said, referring to Brazil's largest indigenous reservation.
The Yanomami reservation on the border with Venezuela has been invaded by more than 20,000 wildcat miners in a gold rush that has accelerated since Bolsonaro became president in 2019.
Federal police said it deployed 130 officers, environmental and indigenous affairs inspectors on Wednesday following orders from Brazil's Supreme Court to protect indigenous communities and stop the illegal mining.
The police said they were forced to disperse the miners when they protested in the town of Jacareacanga, deep in the Amazon jungle in Pará state, and tried to occupy the police base.
(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
There were no reports on anyone injured in the incident.
"Once again, indigenous lives are threatened by the illegal miners in the Amazon," APIB said in a statement.
"This routine of terror is happening also in the Yanomami reservation that has been under intense attack since the beginning of the month in Roraima state," APIB said, referring to Brazil's largest indigenous reservation.
The Yanomami reservation on the border with Venezuela has been invaded by more than 20,000 wildcat miners in a gold rush that has accelerated since Bolsonaro became president in 2019.
Federal police said it deployed 130 officers, environmental and indigenous affairs inspectors on Wednesday following orders from Brazil's Supreme Court to protect indigenous communities and stop the illegal mining.
The police said they were forced to disperse the miners when they protested in the town of Jacareacanga, deep in the Amazon jungle in Pará state, and tried to occupy the police base.
(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
WAGE THEFT
Kim Kardashian sued by former workers who say they weren’t properly paid or given breaks
National Post Staff
Kim Kardashian is being sued by seven former workers who say they weren’t paid on time or given meal breaks, and that she refused to pay them overtime
The former staffers worked at the Kardashian’s mansion in the gated community of Hidden Hills, which is estimated to be worth $72.7 million (US $60 million).
Andrew Ramirez; his brother, Christopher Ramirez, and son Andrew Ramirez Jr.; Aron Cabrea; Rene Ernesto Flores; Jesse Fernandez and Robert Araiza, say that Kardashian withheld 10 per cent of their wages for taxes, but never handed the amount over to the tax authorities.
“Plaintiffs never received any pay stubs, were not paid on regular periods, were not given their required meal and rest breaks, were not provided a means to record all their hours, were not paid all their hours, were not reimbursed for employment expenses, were not paid all their overtime wages, and were not paid their wages upon termination of employment,” states the lawsuit.
It’s also alleged that one of the employees, who was 16-years-old at the time, had worked longer than the maximum amount of hours allowed for minors under the state’s labour code , which is 48 hours per week.
One of the men also claims that when he approached Kardashian, to inquire “about his rights as an employee,” he was fired.
In April, Forbes reported that Kardashian was “ officially a billionaire ,” saying that her lucrative beauty and shapewear companies, KKW beauty and SKIMS; reality TV and endorsement deals were responsible for the rise in her net worth — which was up from $944 million (US $780 million) in October. That same month, the New York Times reported that SKIMS “defies the pandemic,” after its value rose to $1.93 billion (US $1.6 billion).
A spokesperson for Kardashian told Page Six that the workers had been employed by and paid through a third-party vendor, which the 40-year-old businesswoman had hired to provide services.
“Kim is not party to the agreement made between the vendor and their workers, therefore she is not responsible for how the vendor manages their business,” they said. “Kim has never not paid a vendor for their services and hopes that the issue between these workers and the vendor who hired them can be amicably resolved soon.”
The seven plaintiffs are being represented by Frank Kim of Los-Angeles-based Kim Legal, who is also representing over 500 performers in a lawsuit against Kardashian’s estranged husband Kanye West.
Filed last summer, the lawsuit alleges performers in West’s Sunday Service shows had been mistreated, with one saying he was not permitted meal or restroom breaks, according to Page Six
In a statement to the Daily Mail on Monday, Kim said that “wage theft and other workplace violations” are a widespread problem in Los Angeles, adding: “My firm is currently investigating other potential violations against these defendants, as well as other powerful families and businesses on behalf of everyday workers.”
A 2014 report from the Los Angeles Coalition Against Wage Theft said that low-wage workers in the city lost more than $31.7 million (US $26.2 million) per week as a result of wage theft violations, and that Los Angeles had the “distinction of wage theft capital” of the United States.
National Post Staff
Kim Kardashian is being sued by seven former workers who say they weren’t paid on time or given meal breaks, and that she refused to pay them overtime
.
© Provided by National Post Kim Kardashian attends the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the 92nd Oscars at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills on February 9, 2020.
In the lawsuit, which was filed on Monday and obtained by the Daily Mail , seven members of Kardashian’s gardening and maintenance staff accuse the reality TV star and businesswoman of violations of California labour law.
The former staffers worked at the Kardashian’s mansion in the gated community of Hidden Hills, which is estimated to be worth $72.7 million (US $60 million).
Andrew Ramirez; his brother, Christopher Ramirez, and son Andrew Ramirez Jr.; Aron Cabrea; Rene Ernesto Flores; Jesse Fernandez and Robert Araiza, say that Kardashian withheld 10 per cent of their wages for taxes, but never handed the amount over to the tax authorities.
“Plaintiffs never received any pay stubs, were not paid on regular periods, were not given their required meal and rest breaks, were not provided a means to record all their hours, were not paid all their hours, were not reimbursed for employment expenses, were not paid all their overtime wages, and were not paid their wages upon termination of employment,” states the lawsuit.
It’s also alleged that one of the employees, who was 16-years-old at the time, had worked longer than the maximum amount of hours allowed for minors under the state’s labour code , which is 48 hours per week.
One of the men also claims that when he approached Kardashian, to inquire “about his rights as an employee,” he was fired.
In April, Forbes reported that Kardashian was “ officially a billionaire ,” saying that her lucrative beauty and shapewear companies, KKW beauty and SKIMS; reality TV and endorsement deals were responsible for the rise in her net worth — which was up from $944 million (US $780 million) in October. That same month, the New York Times reported that SKIMS “defies the pandemic,” after its value rose to $1.93 billion (US $1.6 billion).
A spokesperson for Kardashian told Page Six that the workers had been employed by and paid through a third-party vendor, which the 40-year-old businesswoman had hired to provide services.
“Kim is not party to the agreement made between the vendor and their workers, therefore she is not responsible for how the vendor manages their business,” they said. “Kim has never not paid a vendor for their services and hopes that the issue between these workers and the vendor who hired them can be amicably resolved soon.”
The seven plaintiffs are being represented by Frank Kim of Los-Angeles-based Kim Legal, who is also representing over 500 performers in a lawsuit against Kardashian’s estranged husband Kanye West.
Filed last summer, the lawsuit alleges performers in West’s Sunday Service shows had been mistreated, with one saying he was not permitted meal or restroom breaks, according to Page Six
In a statement to the Daily Mail on Monday, Kim said that “wage theft and other workplace violations” are a widespread problem in Los Angeles, adding: “My firm is currently investigating other potential violations against these defendants, as well as other powerful families and businesses on behalf of everyday workers.”
A 2014 report from the Los Angeles Coalition Against Wage Theft said that low-wage workers in the city lost more than $31.7 million (US $26.2 million) per week as a result of wage theft violations, and that Los Angeles had the “distinction of wage theft capital” of the United States.
More than 600 Amazon workers sign petition demanding the company reduce its warehouse pollution in communities of color
amayo@businessinsider.com (Aleeya Mayo) 4 hrs ago
Hundreds of Amazon workers signed a petition calling on the company to reduce emissions to zero by 2023.
They say that emissions from Amazon warehouses disproportionately affect communities of color.
Amazon has previously pledged to go completely carbon neutral by 2040.
More than 600 Amazon workers have signed a petition calling for the company to eliminate its carbon emissions by 2023, saying pollution from the e-commerce giant's warehouses is "disproportionately concentrated in communities of color."
The workers, who are not named publicly, say Amazon must first deploy zero-emissions technologies in communities most affected by pollution from the trucks and other vehicles going in and out of distribution hubs. The group also cites a 2014 study that found people of color are exposed to an average of 38% more toxic air pollution than their white counterparts.
"We want to be proud of where we work," the petition says. "A company that lives up to its statements about racial equity and closes the racial equity gaps in its operations is a critical part of that."
The petition comes as Amazon's annual shareholder meeting takes place Wednesday, including investor proposals regarding reports from the company on packaging waste and on "environmental racism."
This isn't the first time Amazon employees have pushed the company to make changes to better serve the environment. Insider reported that 7,700 employees signed a petition in 2020 calling for the company "to develop a plan to stop using fossil fuels. They also wanted it to stop going after customers in the oil and gas industries," adding that, "Amazon Web Services has an entire unit dedicated to serving this market."
Amazon in 2019 pledged to go completely carbon neutral by 2040 as one of the founding companies of the "climate pledge." Founder Jeff Bezos has also pledged $10 million to fight climate change globally through his Bezos Earth Fund initiative.
But some critics pushed back on this initiative, saying that the company should be combating climate change on a more intimate level, taking aim at Amazon's excessive packaging.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who will step down in July. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Hundreds of Amazon workers signed a petition calling on the company to reduce emissions to zero by 2023.
They say that emissions from Amazon warehouses disproportionately affect communities of color.
Amazon has previously pledged to go completely carbon neutral by 2040.
More than 600 Amazon workers have signed a petition calling for the company to eliminate its carbon emissions by 2023, saying pollution from the e-commerce giant's warehouses is "disproportionately concentrated in communities of color."
The workers, who are not named publicly, say Amazon must first deploy zero-emissions technologies in communities most affected by pollution from the trucks and other vehicles going in and out of distribution hubs. The group also cites a 2014 study that found people of color are exposed to an average of 38% more toxic air pollution than their white counterparts.
"We want to be proud of where we work," the petition says. "A company that lives up to its statements about racial equity and closes the racial equity gaps in its operations is a critical part of that."
The petition comes as Amazon's annual shareholder meeting takes place Wednesday, including investor proposals regarding reports from the company on packaging waste and on "environmental racism."
This isn't the first time Amazon employees have pushed the company to make changes to better serve the environment. Insider reported that 7,700 employees signed a petition in 2020 calling for the company "to develop a plan to stop using fossil fuels. They also wanted it to stop going after customers in the oil and gas industries," adding that, "Amazon Web Services has an entire unit dedicated to serving this market."
Amazon in 2019 pledged to go completely carbon neutral by 2040 as one of the founding companies of the "climate pledge." Founder Jeff Bezos has also pledged $10 million to fight climate change globally through his Bezos Earth Fund initiative.
But some critics pushed back on this initiative, saying that the company should be combating climate change on a more intimate level, taking aim at Amazon's excessive packaging.
Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Statistics Canada report says pandemic job losses hit women harder than men
OTTAWA — A new report by Statistics Canada says job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been consistently more severe for women than for men.
OTTAWA — A new report by Statistics Canada says job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been consistently more severe for women than for men.
Provided by The Canadian Press
The report says that from March 2020 to February 2021, women accounted for 53.7 per cent of year-over-year employment losses.
The analysis points to a high proportion of women working at small firms in service industries, which it says have been hurt particularly hard during the pandemic.
The report says those differences are the main reasons for the disparity.
The economy lost 207,100 jobs in April as a spike in COVID-19 variant cases led to renewed public health restrictions. The services sector lost 195,400 jobs, while the goods producing sector lost 11,800.
With the April losses, the country was short about 503,100 jobs, or 2.6 per cent below levels in February 2020 before the pandemic.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2021.
The Canadian Press
The report says that from March 2020 to February 2021, women accounted for 53.7 per cent of year-over-year employment losses.
The analysis points to a high proportion of women working at small firms in service industries, which it says have been hurt particularly hard during the pandemic.
The report says those differences are the main reasons for the disparity.
The economy lost 207,100 jobs in April as a spike in COVID-19 variant cases led to renewed public health restrictions. The services sector lost 195,400 jobs, while the goods producing sector lost 11,800.
With the April losses, the country was short about 503,100 jobs, or 2.6 per cent below levels in February 2020 before the pandemic.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2021.
The Canadian Press
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