Friday, March 06, 2020
HERSTORY
'Despicable' - Women seethe over Mexican leader's wobbly response to violence
'Despicable' - Women seethe over Mexican leader's wobbly response to violence
AMLO IS A NEO LIBERAL NOT A LIBERAL
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico’s president sells himself as lifelong champion of the rights of women, who he calls “more honest” than men. To stress the point, he made history upon taking office in December 2018 by putting women in half his cabinet posts.
FILE PHOTO: Women protest against gender violence and femicides at Angel de la Independencia monument in Mexico City, Mexico, February 22, 2020. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf/File Photo
But Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s prickly reaction to criticism of the government over brutal murders of women in recent weeks has riled feminists and undermined support for him among female voters, helping to fuel protests and calls for a massive walkout next week.
Support for an unprecedented women’s “strike” on Monday has swelled, even as Lopez Obrador has tried to paint the event as a cynical attempt by political opponents to discredit him and capitalize on problems he says they created.
Such comments strike many as tone-deaf and lacking empathy, exposing a weak spot for a government already battling to tackle gang violence, impunity and a stagnant economy.
“As a woman and a citizen, I feel outraged,” said Claudia Calvin, a consultant on gender and technology. “It’s despicable that the head of this country has been unable to understand the importance of women and the impact of violence.”
Allies of the president reject such criticism.
Irma Sandoval, head of the Public Administration Ministry, which monitors federal employees, described Lopez Obrador as “the most feminist president in modern history.”
Polls suggest women are increasingly skeptical.
Lopez Obrador remains popular. But support for him has never been lower ahead of the strike, in which women will withdraw from work, school and public spaces.
A survey by pollster Consulta Mitofsky showed his approval rating among women fell some 3 percentage points from January to February to 52.7%. Among men, it dipped 0.6 points to 59.2%.
UNCOMFORTABLE
The president’s tendency to dismiss criticism and the women’s protests has caused unease inside the government.
Saying he would put “the poor first”, Lopez Obrador took power pledging to tackle chronic inequality and violence.
The row over women has been uncomfortable for him, because Mexico still has more basic problems to address than in advanced economies, where debates over gender equality are more prominent, said an official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Lopez Obrador described himself as a “humanist” on Friday when asked at a daily news conference if he was a feminist, and pointed to deeper-rooted problems in Mexico.
“Because of corruption, we’ve given rise to monstrous economic and social inequality,” the 66-year-old said.
Interior Minister Olga Sanchez has tempered assertions that the popular ferment, including a massive march planned on International Women’s Day this Sunday, has ulterior motives.
“As far as it being a movement by women, for women, with women and against violence, it is,” she said last week.
An intervention by Mexico’s first lady on the issue also caused embarrassment to the government. First, she came out in support of the strike - then quickly changed her mind.
“What would they do without us?” Beatriz Gutierrez wrote on Instagram on Feb. 20 next to an image promoting the strike.
Later that day, she backed a counter-demonstration in support of her husband that urged women to be visible on the streets. Lopez Obrador said he did not know why she had reversed course.
Mexico holds mid-term legislative elections next year, and if the president cannot stem the slide in support among women, it could cost him control of Congress.
Murders of women for reasons of gender known as femicides surged to 976 cases last year, more than double the total five years earlier. At a time of increased scrutiny, critics feel Lopez Obrador has often downplayed their concerns.
They bristled at his announcement that tickets for a raffle to recoup money spent by his predecessor on a presidential jet would go on sale on Monday. He later reversed that decision, saying he did not realize it was the day of the women’s strike.
Others say Lopez Obrador is waking up to the discontent.
On Thursday, six of his female ministers held a news conference to express support for women and their rights.
“It’s still not quite on his radar,” said Vivir Quintana, a musician who wrote a song against femicides. “But I think he can help us a lot, that he’s a sensitive person.”
FILE PHOTO: Women protest against gender violence and femicides at Angel de la Independencia monument in Mexico City, Mexico, February 22, 2020. REUTERS/Gustavo Graf/File Photo
But Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s prickly reaction to criticism of the government over brutal murders of women in recent weeks has riled feminists and undermined support for him among female voters, helping to fuel protests and calls for a massive walkout next week.
Support for an unprecedented women’s “strike” on Monday has swelled, even as Lopez Obrador has tried to paint the event as a cynical attempt by political opponents to discredit him and capitalize on problems he says they created.
Such comments strike many as tone-deaf and lacking empathy, exposing a weak spot for a government already battling to tackle gang violence, impunity and a stagnant economy.
“As a woman and a citizen, I feel outraged,” said Claudia Calvin, a consultant on gender and technology. “It’s despicable that the head of this country has been unable to understand the importance of women and the impact of violence.”
Allies of the president reject such criticism.
Irma Sandoval, head of the Public Administration Ministry, which monitors federal employees, described Lopez Obrador as “the most feminist president in modern history.”
Polls suggest women are increasingly skeptical.
Lopez Obrador remains popular. But support for him has never been lower ahead of the strike, in which women will withdraw from work, school and public spaces.
A survey by pollster Consulta Mitofsky showed his approval rating among women fell some 3 percentage points from January to February to 52.7%. Among men, it dipped 0.6 points to 59.2%.
UNCOMFORTABLE
The president’s tendency to dismiss criticism and the women’s protests has caused unease inside the government.
Saying he would put “the poor first”, Lopez Obrador took power pledging to tackle chronic inequality and violence.
The row over women has been uncomfortable for him, because Mexico still has more basic problems to address than in advanced economies, where debates over gender equality are more prominent, said an official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Lopez Obrador described himself as a “humanist” on Friday when asked at a daily news conference if he was a feminist, and pointed to deeper-rooted problems in Mexico.
“Because of corruption, we’ve given rise to monstrous economic and social inequality,” the 66-year-old said.
Interior Minister Olga Sanchez has tempered assertions that the popular ferment, including a massive march planned on International Women’s Day this Sunday, has ulterior motives.
“As far as it being a movement by women, for women, with women and against violence, it is,” she said last week.
An intervention by Mexico’s first lady on the issue also caused embarrassment to the government. First, she came out in support of the strike - then quickly changed her mind.
“What would they do without us?” Beatriz Gutierrez wrote on Instagram on Feb. 20 next to an image promoting the strike.
Later that day, she backed a counter-demonstration in support of her husband that urged women to be visible on the streets. Lopez Obrador said he did not know why she had reversed course.
Mexico holds mid-term legislative elections next year, and if the president cannot stem the slide in support among women, it could cost him control of Congress.
Murders of women for reasons of gender known as femicides surged to 976 cases last year, more than double the total five years earlier. At a time of increased scrutiny, critics feel Lopez Obrador has often downplayed their concerns.
They bristled at his announcement that tickets for a raffle to recoup money spent by his predecessor on a presidential jet would go on sale on Monday. He later reversed that decision, saying he did not realize it was the day of the women’s strike.
Others say Lopez Obrador is waking up to the discontent.
On Thursday, six of his female ministers held a news conference to express support for women and their rights.
“It’s still not quite on his radar,” said Vivir Quintana, a musician who wrote a song against femicides. “But I think he can help us a lot, that he’s a sensitive person.”
---30---
Canada's Syncrude oil sands facility declares force majeure after fire: sources
By Devika Krishna Kumar and Rod Nickel Reuters March 6, 2020
A tailings pond near the Syncrude tar sands operations near Fort McMurray
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canada's Syncrude oil sands facility has declared force majeure after a fire on Sunday at the plant and told customers it will reduce production by about 20%, sources familiar with the matter said.
Syncrude is a joint venture majority-owned by Suncor Energy Inc, with minority stakes held by Imperial Oil Ltd and others. The facility upgrades thick bitumen to light oil.
Canada is the world's fourth-largest oil producer and Syncrude's nameplate capacity of up to 360,000 barrels per day (bpd) represents about 10 percent of the country’s supply.
The fire happened on Sunday in one of Syncrude's hydroprocessing units at its Mildred Lake, Alberta, upgrading facility, spokesman Will Gibson said. He said the building was empty at the time of the fire, and its cause is unknown.
No one was injured, he said.
Gibson declined to comment on the production impact.
Force majeure is a declaration that unforeseeable circumstances prevented a party from fulfilling a contract.
"We're working with the operator, Syncrude, to better understand the situation," Suncor spokeswoman Sneh Seetal said.
Canadian oil prices strengthened due to the production cuts, with light synthetic crude for March delivery flipping from a discount to trade at a premium of $3.50 per barrel over West Texas Intermediate (WTI) on Thursday, market sources said.
Prices for April strengthened to settle at $3.10 over WTI on Thursday, wider than Wednesday's settle of $2.10 over, according to NE2 Canada Inc. The contract traded at $2.90 on Friday.
Syncrude, one of the largest producers of crude oil from Canada's oil sands, has had several operational issues in recent months. In January, the company declared force majeure due to extreme cold weather in western Canada while in December, the company reduced production by 1.6 million barrels due to disruptions.
Earlier last year, Syncrude cut October synthetic crude sales by 1.4 million barrels because planned maintenance at the plant was extended.
Asked about ongoing operational issues at Syncrude, which started operations in 1978, Gibson said the company was focused on being "reliable and responsible."
By Devika Krishna Kumar and Rod Nickel Reuters March 6, 2020
A tailings pond near the Syncrude tar sands operations near Fort McMurray
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canada's Syncrude oil sands facility has declared force majeure after a fire on Sunday at the plant and told customers it will reduce production by about 20%, sources familiar with the matter said.
Syncrude is a joint venture majority-owned by Suncor Energy Inc, with minority stakes held by Imperial Oil Ltd and others. The facility upgrades thick bitumen to light oil.
Canada is the world's fourth-largest oil producer and Syncrude's nameplate capacity of up to 360,000 barrels per day (bpd) represents about 10 percent of the country’s supply.
The fire happened on Sunday in one of Syncrude's hydroprocessing units at its Mildred Lake, Alberta, upgrading facility, spokesman Will Gibson said. He said the building was empty at the time of the fire, and its cause is unknown.
No one was injured, he said.
Gibson declined to comment on the production impact.
Force majeure is a declaration that unforeseeable circumstances prevented a party from fulfilling a contract.
"We're working with the operator, Syncrude, to better understand the situation," Suncor spokeswoman Sneh Seetal said.
Canadian oil prices strengthened due to the production cuts, with light synthetic crude for March delivery flipping from a discount to trade at a premium of $3.50 per barrel over West Texas Intermediate (WTI) on Thursday, market sources said.
Prices for April strengthened to settle at $3.10 over WTI on Thursday, wider than Wednesday's settle of $2.10 over, according to NE2 Canada Inc. The contract traded at $2.90 on Friday.
Syncrude, one of the largest producers of crude oil from Canada's oil sands, has had several operational issues in recent months. In January, the company declared force majeure due to extreme cold weather in western Canada while in December, the company reduced production by 1.6 million barrels due to disruptions.
Earlier last year, Syncrude cut October synthetic crude sales by 1.4 million barrels because planned maintenance at the plant was extended.
Asked about ongoing operational issues at Syncrude, which started operations in 1978, Gibson said the company was focused on being "reliable and responsible."
'A big no-no,' says N.W.T. hunter after finding wasted caribou on the land
CBC March 6, 2020
A hunter in the N.W.T. is calling on others to be mindful about how much they harvest when they head out on the land.
Nathan Kogiak was hunting for wolves near the ice road to the Gahcho Kué mine site, where he goes every weekend to hunt. On Sunday, Kogiak said he saw a pile of caribou remnants near Reid Lake that he showed to N.W.T.'s Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
He then saw another pile of remnants near Lake of the Enemy the next day and reported that, too. Kogiak estimated seeing remnants of more than 30 caribou in each pile — gut piles which hunters typically leave behind — but within that he saw two carcasses full of good meat.
"[On one caribou] they just ... took the front legs hindquarters and then left the rest," he said.
"Growing up that was a big no-no that we're taught we don't do because we highly respect the caribou ...They sacrificed their life for us."
Kogiak said he thinks people are hunting more animals than they have time to process in the cold weather, so they start rushing.
If you need it, you take it. - Nathan Kogiak, hunter
"You can see all the meat there they left on the rump," he said. "They're cutting through good meat just to rip it off quick and get out of there."
"It was a huge harvest," he said. "When you have 30-plus caribou in one pile ... that's not a frequent number that goes through there."
Supplied by Nathan Kogiak
Kogiak wants to see more restrictions on hunting, including for Indigenous hunters, because he doesn't think people are respectful enough of the animals.
"If you need it, you take it," he said.
Harvested caribou not endangered kind: government
Environment spokesperson Joslyn Oosenbrug says there are three cases of meat wastage in the region — two at Reid Lake and one at Lake of the Enemy — under investigation, and that wastage is taken seriously.
Oosenbrug added that the caribou being harvested are not the endangered Bathurst caribou.
Over the past two winters, the 100,000-strong Beverly herd has been wintering near the Bathurst Caribou Management Zone. That means when the herd is outside the zone, hunters can harvest the caribou without impacting the struggling Bathurst herd.
"The harvest of Beverly caribou is not restricted, although wasting caribou is always illegal under the Wildlife Act, no matter which herd is harvested," Oosenbrug wrote in an email.
"Most caribou harvested at these lakes have been harvested legally and respectfully, using best practices."
Oosenbrug added that the number of meat wastage or illegal cases of harvesting has been relatively low in recent years compared to the total number of caribou available.
Illegal harvesting or meat wastage can be reported on the toll-free emergency line from anywhere in the N.W.T. at 1-866-762-2437.
CBC March 6, 2020
A hunter in the N.W.T. is calling on others to be mindful about how much they harvest when they head out on the land.
Nathan Kogiak was hunting for wolves near the ice road to the Gahcho Kué mine site, where he goes every weekend to hunt. On Sunday, Kogiak said he saw a pile of caribou remnants near Reid Lake that he showed to N.W.T.'s Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
He then saw another pile of remnants near Lake of the Enemy the next day and reported that, too. Kogiak estimated seeing remnants of more than 30 caribou in each pile — gut piles which hunters typically leave behind — but within that he saw two carcasses full of good meat.
"[On one caribou] they just ... took the front legs hindquarters and then left the rest," he said.
"Growing up that was a big no-no that we're taught we don't do because we highly respect the caribou ...They sacrificed their life for us."
Kogiak said he thinks people are hunting more animals than they have time to process in the cold weather, so they start rushing.
If you need it, you take it. - Nathan Kogiak, hunter
"You can see all the meat there they left on the rump," he said. "They're cutting through good meat just to rip it off quick and get out of there."
"It was a huge harvest," he said. "When you have 30-plus caribou in one pile ... that's not a frequent number that goes through there."
Supplied by Nathan Kogiak
Kogiak wants to see more restrictions on hunting, including for Indigenous hunters, because he doesn't think people are respectful enough of the animals.
"If you need it, you take it," he said.
Harvested caribou not endangered kind: government
Environment spokesperson Joslyn Oosenbrug says there are three cases of meat wastage in the region — two at Reid Lake and one at Lake of the Enemy — under investigation, and that wastage is taken seriously.
Oosenbrug added that the caribou being harvested are not the endangered Bathurst caribou.
Over the past two winters, the 100,000-strong Beverly herd has been wintering near the Bathurst Caribou Management Zone. That means when the herd is outside the zone, hunters can harvest the caribou without impacting the struggling Bathurst herd.
Submitted by Nathan KogiakMore
"The harvest of Beverly caribou is not restricted, although wasting caribou is always illegal under the Wildlife Act, no matter which herd is harvested," Oosenbrug wrote in an email.
"Most caribou harvested at these lakes have been harvested legally and respectfully, using best practices."
Oosenbrug added that the number of meat wastage or illegal cases of harvesting has been relatively low in recent years compared to the total number of caribou available.
Illegal harvesting or meat wastage can be reported on the toll-free emergency line from anywhere in the N.W.T. at 1-866-762-2437.
Alberta Water Polo tells girls who say they were sexually assaulted to wear 'tight suits'
THE ERA OF #METOO IN KENNEY ALBERTA
CBC March 6, 2020
Wear a tighter bathing suit.
That's the advice passed on from the Alberta Water Polo Association to teen and pre-teen girls after receiving complaints of groping during games.
In the last five months, at least three girls around the age of 13 have reported to either the association, police or both that a player in another jurisdiction has been engaging in under-the-suit breast groping during games.
CBC News is not naming any of the players or their teams in order to protect the identities of the underage people involved and because there is an active sexual assault investigation underway.
Police confirm they are investigating sexual assault complaints filed by three girls and their families against the other teenage player.
As of last weekend, the girl accused of groping other players was still playing.
'If I get kicked and punched, I'm OK'
Tess (not her real name) spoke with CBC News about her experiences while playing water polo.
At a game in February, Tess says, her breasts were repeatedly grabbed, under her bathing suit, groped by another player.
It wasn't the first time but it was the worst time.
She says she's used to rough play but this was different.
"If I get kicked and punched, I'm OK," said Tess. "We have to expect physical contact."
But she says players "never go inside the suit."
After the game, Tess had marks, bruises and scratches on her chest and breasts. In a couple places, she was even bleeding. The whole experience has left her feeling confused and frustrated.
Players 'growing into their bodies,' says group
She says that during the game, she repeatedly asked the other player to stop groping her.
Photos taken immediately after the game show Tess, dripping wet, with marks on her chest and tears in her eyes. Down farther, Tess says, bruises on her breasts lasted a couple of weeks.
Before Tess's February incident, complaints were made about the same player with the governing body in November but the families feel the Alberta Water Polo Association is not taking their concerns seriously.
"Clearly Alberta Water Polo absolutely has failed here," said Tess's mother. "This has been going on for months."
CBC News has viewed a complaint filed by another player late last year with the organization that makes almost identical allegations. Following that complaint, the organization sent out a memo in January, asking parents not to "amplify situations" that may arise out of "accidental contact."
It also points out the athletes are "young and growing into their bodies."
"Wearing tight suits helps prevent suit grabbing," reads the memo.
Police involved
The association's suggestion she wear a tighter bathing suit is not an option; Tess has a large chest and says she is normally a medium in clothing and bathing suits.
But for water polo, she wears an extra small, which requires a second set of hands to pull the suit together so it can be zipped up. Tess says it takes effort for someone to get their hands inside her bathing suit.
After that February game, other players told her they had made formal complaints about the same player to Alberta Water Polo months earlier with no results.
So Tess and her father called police.
When an officer arrived to take her statement, a tournament official, who Tess believes to be with the association, burst into the room they were chatting in and demanded to know what was going on.
Association says it is investigating
Tess's family is frustrated on another level, too.
"Not one person in a position of authority has said 'how is she doing," said her mother.
The parents of another teen who was also groped by the same girl aren't sure Alberta Water Polo handled the situation poorly. Rather, they feel the association was ill-equipped to deal with allegations of sexual assault.
"Just as things are evolving in other sports, Alberta Water Polo needs to evolve as well … we think it is absurd to suggest the solution to sexual assault is tighter suits."
Although the organization refused to answer questions, the organization did confirm it is "in the process of investigating these allegations," which it described as "highly sensitive."
"The Alberta Water Polo Association will not be commenting further in order to protect the privacy rights of both the complainants and the respondent," wrote Vern Glaser, president of the provincial organization.
Tess's mother even tried to involve Water Polo Canada, begging its executive director Martin Goulet to step in and make organizational changes.
"Use your voice so never again must a kid use theirs," she wrote.
Goulet responded to CBC News, saying the allegations are outside its jurisdiction and it believes Alberta Water Polo is taking the case seriously.
CBC March 6, 2020
Wear a tighter bathing suit.
That's the advice passed on from the Alberta Water Polo Association to teen and pre-teen girls after receiving complaints of groping during games.
In the last five months, at least three girls around the age of 13 have reported to either the association, police or both that a player in another jurisdiction has been engaging in under-the-suit breast groping during games.
CBC News is not naming any of the players or their teams in order to protect the identities of the underage people involved and because there is an active sexual assault investigation underway.
Police confirm they are investigating sexual assault complaints filed by three girls and their families against the other teenage player.
As of last weekend, the girl accused of groping other players was still playing.
'If I get kicked and punched, I'm OK'
Tess (not her real name) spoke with CBC News about her experiences while playing water polo.
At a game in February, Tess says, her breasts were repeatedly grabbed, under her bathing suit, groped by another player.
It wasn't the first time but it was the worst time.
She says she's used to rough play but this was different.
"If I get kicked and punched, I'm OK," said Tess. "We have to expect physical contact."
But she says players "never go inside the suit."
After the game, Tess had marks, bruises and scratches on her chest and breasts. In a couple places, she was even bleeding. The whole experience has left her feeling confused and frustrated.
Players 'growing into their bodies,' says group
She says that during the game, she repeatedly asked the other player to stop groping her.
Photos taken immediately after the game show Tess, dripping wet, with marks on her chest and tears in her eyes. Down farther, Tess says, bruises on her breasts lasted a couple of weeks.
Before Tess's February incident, complaints were made about the same player with the governing body in November but the families feel the Alberta Water Polo Association is not taking their concerns seriously.
"Clearly Alberta Water Polo absolutely has failed here," said Tess's mother. "This has been going on for months."
CBC News has viewed a complaint filed by another player late last year with the organization that makes almost identical allegations. Following that complaint, the organization sent out a memo in January, asking parents not to "amplify situations" that may arise out of "accidental contact."
It also points out the athletes are "young and growing into their bodies."
"Wearing tight suits helps prevent suit grabbing," reads the memo.
Police involved
The association's suggestion she wear a tighter bathing suit is not an option; Tess has a large chest and says she is normally a medium in clothing and bathing suits.
But for water polo, she wears an extra small, which requires a second set of hands to pull the suit together so it can be zipped up. Tess says it takes effort for someone to get their hands inside her bathing suit.
After that February game, other players told her they had made formal complaints about the same player to Alberta Water Polo months earlier with no results.
So Tess and her father called police.
When an officer arrived to take her statement, a tournament official, who Tess believes to be with the association, burst into the room they were chatting in and demanded to know what was going on.
Association says it is investigating
Tess's family is frustrated on another level, too.
"Not one person in a position of authority has said 'how is she doing," said her mother.
The parents of another teen who was also groped by the same girl aren't sure Alberta Water Polo handled the situation poorly. Rather, they feel the association was ill-equipped to deal with allegations of sexual assault.
"Just as things are evolving in other sports, Alberta Water Polo needs to evolve as well … we think it is absurd to suggest the solution to sexual assault is tighter suits."
Although the organization refused to answer questions, the organization did confirm it is "in the process of investigating these allegations," which it described as "highly sensitive."
"The Alberta Water Polo Association will not be commenting further in order to protect the privacy rights of both the complainants and the respondent," wrote Vern Glaser, president of the provincial organization.
Tess's mother even tried to involve Water Polo Canada, begging its executive director Martin Goulet to step in and make organizational changes.
"Use your voice so never again must a kid use theirs," she wrote.
Goulet responded to CBC News, saying the allegations are outside its jurisdiction and it believes Alberta Water Polo is taking the case seriously.
CITY OF OTTAWA
Discretionary power used to OK SNC-Lavalin's LRT bid rare, experts confirm
CBC March 5, 2020
View photos
Discretionary power used to OK SNC-Lavalin's LRT bid rare, experts confirmMore
The procurement experts involved in the bidding process that saw SNC-Lavalin win a $1.6-billion LRT contract to extend Ottawa's Trillium Line say they don't know of another case where a discretionary power has been used to waive a bidder through the technical scoring evaluation, CBC learned in a background briefing Thursday.
CBC began reporting a year ago that SNC-Lavalin won the contract to extend the Trillium Line into Riverside South, even though the firm twice failed to meet the minimum 70 per cent score in the technical evaluation. Eventually, the city revealed that it had used a discretionary power to allow a proponent to stay in the bidding process — a power that councillors didn't even know existed when they voted to approve the project.
It appears that the use of that discretionary power is highly unusual. The experts who were part of in the Trillium Line Stage 2 bid, and who have been involved of dozens of procurements, said they can't recall another instance where the clause was used in a similar way.
Score deemed close enough
That was one of the revelations from a short background briefing offered by subject experts involved in the bid to members of council and the media.
The experts agreed to answer questions related to the unprecedented release of hundreds of pages of formerly confidential bid documents, on the condition they not be named. The same experts will appear at Monday's finance and economic development committee, where their comments will be on the record.
Despite refusing to speak for attribution, the experts' comments provided glimpses into how the project was awarded to a company that the city's own technical evaluation team recommended be dropped from the competition.
For example, the experts said that because technical evaluation was by its nature more subjective than financial scoring, they felt that the fact SNC-Lavalin only missed the minimum score by three percentage points was a good enough reason to waive the normal requirements.
City of Ottawa
Mention of electric train system akin to typo
Nor did the experts seem overly concerned by the apparent holes in the technical bid, such as a lack of detail about a signalling and train control system, or the fact that an elevator was placed in the middle of a platform at Carling station.
As for references to equipment typical of electric train systems, such as an overhead catenary or traction-power substations — the Trillium Line is diesel, and would therefore have no need for such features — the experts likened the slip-up to a typo that didn't necessarily detract from the overall quality of the bid.
During the briefing, CBC also asked about the issue of apparent conflict of interest.
As previously reported, Norton Rose Fulbright was hired by the city to oversee the legal aspects of the procurement, even though the law firm routinely represents SNC-Lavalin in deals worth billions of dollars. The law firm didn't represent the Montreal-based engineering giant in the city's procurement process, and the city waived any conflict of interest concerns for the firm.
Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press
However, one of the lawyers who authored the legal opinions that ultimately led to the city's use of its discretionary power to waive SNC-Lavalin's poor technical score had personally worked for the giant company — and had not been screened for a conflict of interest.
Norton Rose Fulbright lawyer Stephen Nattrass is cited in SNC-Lavalin criminal proceedings, and was part of legal team that oversaw the company's sale of AltaLink, a deal worth $7.2 billion.
He was also one of the three Norton Rose Fulbright lawyers who wrote the legal opinions in October 2018 about allowing SNC-Lavalin to move ahead in the bidding process
Because Nattrass was part of the team that the city asked to give a legal opinion, and not someone directly involved in the evaluation process, he was not screened by the fairness commissioner.
Discretionary power used to OK SNC-Lavalin's LRT bid rare, experts confirm
CBC March 5, 2020
View photos
Discretionary power used to OK SNC-Lavalin's LRT bid rare, experts confirmMore
The procurement experts involved in the bidding process that saw SNC-Lavalin win a $1.6-billion LRT contract to extend Ottawa's Trillium Line say they don't know of another case where a discretionary power has been used to waive a bidder through the technical scoring evaluation, CBC learned in a background briefing Thursday.
CBC began reporting a year ago that SNC-Lavalin won the contract to extend the Trillium Line into Riverside South, even though the firm twice failed to meet the minimum 70 per cent score in the technical evaluation. Eventually, the city revealed that it had used a discretionary power to allow a proponent to stay in the bidding process — a power that councillors didn't even know existed when they voted to approve the project.
It appears that the use of that discretionary power is highly unusual. The experts who were part of in the Trillium Line Stage 2 bid, and who have been involved of dozens of procurements, said they can't recall another instance where the clause was used in a similar way.
Score deemed close enough
That was one of the revelations from a short background briefing offered by subject experts involved in the bid to members of council and the media.
The experts agreed to answer questions related to the unprecedented release of hundreds of pages of formerly confidential bid documents, on the condition they not be named. The same experts will appear at Monday's finance and economic development committee, where their comments will be on the record.
Despite refusing to speak for attribution, the experts' comments provided glimpses into how the project was awarded to a company that the city's own technical evaluation team recommended be dropped from the competition.
For example, the experts said that because technical evaluation was by its nature more subjective than financial scoring, they felt that the fact SNC-Lavalin only missed the minimum score by three percentage points was a good enough reason to waive the normal requirements.
City of Ottawa
Mention of electric train system akin to typo
Nor did the experts seem overly concerned by the apparent holes in the technical bid, such as a lack of detail about a signalling and train control system, or the fact that an elevator was placed in the middle of a platform at Carling station.
As for references to equipment typical of electric train systems, such as an overhead catenary or traction-power substations — the Trillium Line is diesel, and would therefore have no need for such features — the experts likened the slip-up to a typo that didn't necessarily detract from the overall quality of the bid.
During the briefing, CBC also asked about the issue of apparent conflict of interest.
As previously reported, Norton Rose Fulbright was hired by the city to oversee the legal aspects of the procurement, even though the law firm routinely represents SNC-Lavalin in deals worth billions of dollars. The law firm didn't represent the Montreal-based engineering giant in the city's procurement process, and the city waived any conflict of interest concerns for the firm.
Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press
However, one of the lawyers who authored the legal opinions that ultimately led to the city's use of its discretionary power to waive SNC-Lavalin's poor technical score had personally worked for the giant company — and had not been screened for a conflict of interest.
Norton Rose Fulbright lawyer Stephen Nattrass is cited in SNC-Lavalin criminal proceedings, and was part of legal team that oversaw the company's sale of AltaLink, a deal worth $7.2 billion.
He was also one of the three Norton Rose Fulbright lawyers who wrote the legal opinions in October 2018 about allowing SNC-Lavalin to move ahead in the bidding process
Because Nattrass was part of the team that the city asked to give a legal opinion, and not someone directly involved in the evaluation process, he was not screened by the fairness commissioner.
ONTARIO
Defends Nixing Basic Income After Study Shows Trial's Benefits
Defends Nixing Basic Income After Study Shows Trial's Benefits
FORD NATION IDEOLOGY TRUMPS FACTS
Emma Paling HuffPost Canada March 5, 2020
Ontario Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Todd Smith is seen at Queen's Park in Toronto on May 27, 2019. (Photo: Chris Young/Canadian Press)More
TORONTO — Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government says it has no regrets about cancelling a basic income pilot project even though a recent study found it vastly improved people’s health and helped many find better jobs.
“One of the first campaign promises your government broke was to complete the basic income pilot,” Green party Leader Mike Schreiner told Premier Doug Ford in the legislature Thursday.
“Without citing any evidence, you told us that it wasn’t working because it was preventing people from getting a job. Well, we now have the first in-depth study of the basic income pilot, and lo and behold, the premier was off the mark. Three quarters of those who were working continued to do so. One quarter of low-wage workers moved to higher-paying jobs,” he said.
He asked Ford if he would revive the pilot.
Todd Smith, the minister of children, community and social services, answered on Ford’s behalf.
“No,” he said.
“A research project that only included 4,000 individuals is not an adequate solution to solving the problem in a province where we have far too many people living on social assistance … What we’re doing is actually taking action to ensure that people can get back to work.”
Watch HuffPost Canada’s video series about people on Ontario’s basic income pilot.
Ontario's Basic Income Was 'A Blessing' To These Small Business Owners
Smith’s predecessor, Minister Lisa MacLeod, cancelled the pilot early in 2018. At the time, she said the project was “broken” and was discouraging people from finding work.
The pilot, launched by Ontario’s previous Liberal government, provided income to people living on social assistance or in low-wage jobs. Single participants who lived on less than $34,000 could get up to $16,989 per year. Couples with a combined income under $48,000 could get as much as $24,027.
Participants who were working saw their payments reduced by 50 per cent of their income.
According to a survey of more than 200 participants, published by McMaster University on Wednesday, there was “a slight reduction” in the number of people employed once the basic income was put into place.
About a quarter of employed people left their jobs, while one-fifth of the unemployed people found work. Forty-one per cent of those who left work did so to go to school. And almost all of the people who left their jobs had been precariously employed.
The results show “exactly the opposite” of what the PCs said was happening, Wayne Lewchuk, a professor emeritus in McMaster’s school of labour studies and department of economics, told HuffPost Canada.
“If anything, the basic income pilot could be viewed as an employment policy,” he said.
“Because what it really did was provide people with a foundation and a base to improve their general health, improve their mental health, improve their outlook on life. And all of those things make people more employable, not less.”
Nearly 80 per cent of participants said that basic income made them “somewhat more motivated” or “much more motivated” to look for work, the McMaster study found.
Recipients said their health improved
Participants also reported better physical and mental health, improved relationships and fewer trips to food banks, doctors’ offices and emergency rooms.
“One common pattern was for recipients to report moving from low paying dead-end jobs to jobs with better working conditions and with improved long-term opportunities,” the study said.
“The pilot was nothing short of successful,” researchers concluded. “The results ... dispel some of the fears of the opponents of basic income including that it will lead to a wholesale abandonment of paid employment.”
One young man, who said that he had tried to kill himself three times in a five-year period before the pilot, enrolled in university.
“In a way, you could say basic income saved my life,” he said.
Others reported that they could afford basic necessities — like a bed or a warm winter coat — for the first time.
“The desperate situation that some people were in before basic income was implemented, frankly, is a bit embarrassing in a country like Canada,” Lewchuk said.
“Some of these people were really struggling or just barely holding on … Receiving basic income, it was like the sun was shining again.”
Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.
MORE ON BASIC INCOME...
What Is Ontario’s Basic Income Pilot Project?
Basic Income Participants Sue Ontario Government For $200 Million
Canadian Basic Income Of $22,000 A Year Possible With Tax Hikes: Report
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Emma Paling HuffPost Canada March 5, 2020
Ontario Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Todd Smith is seen at Queen's Park in Toronto on May 27, 2019. (Photo: Chris Young/Canadian Press)More
TORONTO — Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government says it has no regrets about cancelling a basic income pilot project even though a recent study found it vastly improved people’s health and helped many find better jobs.
“One of the first campaign promises your government broke was to complete the basic income pilot,” Green party Leader Mike Schreiner told Premier Doug Ford in the legislature Thursday.
“Without citing any evidence, you told us that it wasn’t working because it was preventing people from getting a job. Well, we now have the first in-depth study of the basic income pilot, and lo and behold, the premier was off the mark. Three quarters of those who were working continued to do so. One quarter of low-wage workers moved to higher-paying jobs,” he said.
He asked Ford if he would revive the pilot.
Todd Smith, the minister of children, community and social services, answered on Ford’s behalf.
“No,” he said.
“A research project that only included 4,000 individuals is not an adequate solution to solving the problem in a province where we have far too many people living on social assistance … What we’re doing is actually taking action to ensure that people can get back to work.”
Watch HuffPost Canada’s video series about people on Ontario’s basic income pilot.
Ontario's Basic Income Was 'A Blessing' To These Small Business Owners
Smith’s predecessor, Minister Lisa MacLeod, cancelled the pilot early in 2018. At the time, she said the project was “broken” and was discouraging people from finding work.
The pilot, launched by Ontario’s previous Liberal government, provided income to people living on social assistance or in low-wage jobs. Single participants who lived on less than $34,000 could get up to $16,989 per year. Couples with a combined income under $48,000 could get as much as $24,027.
Participants who were working saw their payments reduced by 50 per cent of their income.
According to a survey of more than 200 participants, published by McMaster University on Wednesday, there was “a slight reduction” in the number of people employed once the basic income was put into place.
About a quarter of employed people left their jobs, while one-fifth of the unemployed people found work. Forty-one per cent of those who left work did so to go to school. And almost all of the people who left their jobs had been precariously employed.
The results show “exactly the opposite” of what the PCs said was happening, Wayne Lewchuk, a professor emeritus in McMaster’s school of labour studies and department of economics, told HuffPost Canada.
“If anything, the basic income pilot could be viewed as an employment policy,” he said.
“Because what it really did was provide people with a foundation and a base to improve their general health, improve their mental health, improve their outlook on life. And all of those things make people more employable, not less.”
Nearly 80 per cent of participants said that basic income made them “somewhat more motivated” or “much more motivated” to look for work, the McMaster study found.
Recipients said their health improved
Participants also reported better physical and mental health, improved relationships and fewer trips to food banks, doctors’ offices and emergency rooms.
“One common pattern was for recipients to report moving from low paying dead-end jobs to jobs with better working conditions and with improved long-term opportunities,” the study said.
“The pilot was nothing short of successful,” researchers concluded. “The results ... dispel some of the fears of the opponents of basic income including that it will lead to a wholesale abandonment of paid employment.”
One young man, who said that he had tried to kill himself three times in a five-year period before the pilot, enrolled in university.
“In a way, you could say basic income saved my life,” he said.
Others reported that they could afford basic necessities — like a bed or a warm winter coat — for the first time.
“The desperate situation that some people were in before basic income was implemented, frankly, is a bit embarrassing in a country like Canada,” Lewchuk said.
“Some of these people were really struggling or just barely holding on … Receiving basic income, it was like the sun was shining again.”
Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.
MORE ON BASIC INCOME...
What Is Ontario’s Basic Income Pilot Project?
Basic Income Participants Sue Ontario Government For $200 Million
Canadian Basic Income Of $22,000 A Year Possible With Tax Hikes: Report
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Pentagon push to boost cybersecurity could affect Canadian suppliers
CBC March 5, 2020
The Pentagon has been engaged in a quiet, deliberate effort to plug all of the cyber-holes in its high-tech systems and among its defence contractors — an operation that will soon spill across the border into Canada.
Ellen Lord, the U.S. undersecretary of defence for acquisition and sustainment, said today cybersecurity has been one of her biggest concerns since being appointed by the Trump administration two and a half years ago.
Increasingly, major defence contractors have found themselves targeted by hackers from China and Russia who have stolen troves of sensitive data on new and existing weapons systems.
"Bottom line is, I don't think the average American citizen understands that we're at cyberwar every day," Lord told the Conference of Defence Associations Institute's annual meeting in Ottawa today.
The burden of keeping data secure is being placed on the companies themselves, she added.
After consulting with the National Security Agency (NSA), the U.S. electronic spy service and the military's Cyber Command, the Pentagon rolled out a new program in January aimed at forcing defence contractors to deal with points of vulnerability.
"We have written new cyber security standards that we are putting in all of our new contracts," said Lord. "We are looking at the defence industrial base and how they need to address cyber security and how we as a government can hold them accountable."
The initiative includes a cyber security "certification and accreditation" system, similar to the International Organization for Standardization.
Lord said it's not a one-size fits all solution and that companies looking to do business with the Pentagon will have to meet one of five levels of certification, depending upon the contract.
The defence industrial complexes of Canada, Britain and Australia are tightly stitched into the U.S. system. Lord said allies are looking at a similar measures which she hopes to see coordinated with American efforts.
"This is something we're talking with Canada about, with allies and partners, because a lot of us are doing the same thing," she said.
The problems with existing systems — software already in the field — is being dealt with aggressively. Contractors who are responsible for maintaining complex systems on warships and aircraft are being told by the Pentagon to close their potential security gaps.
"We are going to start shutting equipment down if they are not brought up to standard because every day we see [intelligence], we see how much has been compromised," Lord said.
Troy Crosby, head of the Canadian Department of National Defence's materiel branch, said Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has launched a "cyber secure program" and there's a hope that the two countries can find a way to align their efforts.
Some analysts and critics in the U.S. have argued that contractors — even those that make cyber security a priority — will find the cost of meeting uniform standards prohibitive.
Beyond that, many major contractors have complex supply chains with many smaller companies that also would be required to spend substantial sums of money to keep up with evolving threats.
CBC March 5, 2020
The Pentagon has been engaged in a quiet, deliberate effort to plug all of the cyber-holes in its high-tech systems and among its defence contractors — an operation that will soon spill across the border into Canada.
Ellen Lord, the U.S. undersecretary of defence for acquisition and sustainment, said today cybersecurity has been one of her biggest concerns since being appointed by the Trump administration two and a half years ago.
Increasingly, major defence contractors have found themselves targeted by hackers from China and Russia who have stolen troves of sensitive data on new and existing weapons systems.
"Bottom line is, I don't think the average American citizen understands that we're at cyberwar every day," Lord told the Conference of Defence Associations Institute's annual meeting in Ottawa today.
The burden of keeping data secure is being placed on the companies themselves, she added.
After consulting with the National Security Agency (NSA), the U.S. electronic spy service and the military's Cyber Command, the Pentagon rolled out a new program in January aimed at forcing defence contractors to deal with points of vulnerability.
"We have written new cyber security standards that we are putting in all of our new contracts," said Lord. "We are looking at the defence industrial base and how they need to address cyber security and how we as a government can hold them accountable."
The initiative includes a cyber security "certification and accreditation" system, similar to the International Organization for Standardization.
Lord said it's not a one-size fits all solution and that companies looking to do business with the Pentagon will have to meet one of five levels of certification, depending upon the contract.
The defence industrial complexes of Canada, Britain and Australia are tightly stitched into the U.S. system. Lord said allies are looking at a similar measures which she hopes to see coordinated with American efforts.
"This is something we're talking with Canada about, with allies and partners, because a lot of us are doing the same thing," she said.
The problems with existing systems — software already in the field — is being dealt with aggressively. Contractors who are responsible for maintaining complex systems on warships and aircraft are being told by the Pentagon to close their potential security gaps.
"We are going to start shutting equipment down if they are not brought up to standard because every day we see [intelligence], we see how much has been compromised," Lord said.
Troy Crosby, head of the Canadian Department of National Defence's materiel branch, said Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has launched a "cyber secure program" and there's a hope that the two countries can find a way to align their efforts.
Some analysts and critics in the U.S. have argued that contractors — even those that make cyber security a priority — will find the cost of meeting uniform standards prohibitive.
Beyond that, many major contractors have complex supply chains with many smaller companies that also would be required to spend substantial sums of money to keep up with evolving threats.
NEW BRUNSWICK
House of Nazareth backtracks on amount homeless will pay for place at shelter
CBC March 5, 20201 Comment
House of Nazareth officials held a news conference Thursday to backtrack on the fees they intend to charge people staying at the emergency shelter in Moncton and to chastise critics of their plan.
Jean Dubé, House of Nazareth executive director, and Nicolas Parisi, president of the board of directors, faced reporters, a handful of Moncton city staff and some front-line workers to explain how the fee structure will be set up.
Contrary to what Dubé told CBC News last week, anyone receiving income assistance from the province who also has money deducted by Social Development for a "shelter fee" will not be charged to stay at the emergency shelter.
Last Friday, Dubé said the "objective" was that residents would pay $300 a month, and he explained that residents on social assistance would have to pay starting on day one.
Shane Magee/CBC
But on Thursday, Dubé changed that, saying fees will not be charged during the first month of a person's stay, and residents will be given $144 toward a deposit if they move into more permanent housing.
"Once you've stayed more than a month, you will be charged accordingly, and if you have no money, you will not pay," he said.
Dubé also said a resident could be charged up to $300, but the total would be no more than 30 per cent of that person's income.
Some people staying at House of Nazareth receive pension money worth thousands of dollars a month, and they will have to pay the maximum amount, he said.
Dubé said that instead of charging rent to someone on social assistance who receives the basic amount of $537 per month from the government, he will ask the Department of Social Development to give the shelter $144 from that person's monthly cheque.
Jean Bertin, a spokesperson for Social Development, confirmed in an email that once the shelter starts charging residents, the "shelter fee" will no longer be deducted from their social assistance cheques.
He said the amount the province has been deducting for the shelter fee is 25 per cent of the total monthly cheque, which for some recipients means $144 deducted from a $576 cheque.
Shane Magee/CBC
Bertin said the shelter will be responsible for collecting any fees, but if a resident wants to sign over a portion of the social assistance money to go straight to House of Nazareth, that would be possible.
"This practice is already in place for other shelters, landlords and public utilities, for example," said Bertin.
'It's shameful, it's an insult'
Dubé shared his feelings about those who criticized House of Nazareth's plans to charge fees. Critics included residents and Charles Burrell, the Humanity Project founder who operated an emergency shelter last winter, and Trevor Goodwin, the senior director at YMCA ReConnect.
"I find that very unprofessional, and its shameful," Dubé said of the criticism.
He said organizations should be working together to combat homelessness, not fighting among themselves.
Dubé said he wouldn't name names, but added: "You know who you are."
House of Nazareth opened its new shelter, which can accommodate 115 people, earlier this winter.
Dubé has maintained since he first announced charging people to stay there that the fees are in the Albert Street shelter's business plan.
But he said the 15-year business plan would not be made public because it cost "several" thousand dollars and he didn't want another organization to use it.
"It's our plan, we paid for it, it's private and we're going to keep it to the board of directors."
Parisi said the fee plan was shared with the province and the federal government, but not with the City of Moncton because, "the contribution that we received from the city is thin."
The federal and provincial governments helped finance the purchase of the shelter building.
The city declined to comment but said the House of Nazareth asked for and received grants of $25,000 for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
House of Nazareth backtracks on amount homeless will pay for place at shelter
CBC March 5, 20201 Comment
House of Nazareth officials held a news conference Thursday to backtrack on the fees they intend to charge people staying at the emergency shelter in Moncton and to chastise critics of their plan.
Jean Dubé, House of Nazareth executive director, and Nicolas Parisi, president of the board of directors, faced reporters, a handful of Moncton city staff and some front-line workers to explain how the fee structure will be set up.
Contrary to what Dubé told CBC News last week, anyone receiving income assistance from the province who also has money deducted by Social Development for a "shelter fee" will not be charged to stay at the emergency shelter.
Last Friday, Dubé said the "objective" was that residents would pay $300 a month, and he explained that residents on social assistance would have to pay starting on day one.
Shane Magee/CBC
But on Thursday, Dubé changed that, saying fees will not be charged during the first month of a person's stay, and residents will be given $144 toward a deposit if they move into more permanent housing.
"Once you've stayed more than a month, you will be charged accordingly, and if you have no money, you will not pay," he said.
Dubé also said a resident could be charged up to $300, but the total would be no more than 30 per cent of that person's income.
Some people staying at House of Nazareth receive pension money worth thousands of dollars a month, and they will have to pay the maximum amount, he said.
Dubé said that instead of charging rent to someone on social assistance who receives the basic amount of $537 per month from the government, he will ask the Department of Social Development to give the shelter $144 from that person's monthly cheque.
Jean Bertin, a spokesperson for Social Development, confirmed in an email that once the shelter starts charging residents, the "shelter fee" will no longer be deducted from their social assistance cheques.
He said the amount the province has been deducting for the shelter fee is 25 per cent of the total monthly cheque, which for some recipients means $144 deducted from a $576 cheque.
Shane Magee/CBC
Bertin said the shelter will be responsible for collecting any fees, but if a resident wants to sign over a portion of the social assistance money to go straight to House of Nazareth, that would be possible.
"This practice is already in place for other shelters, landlords and public utilities, for example," said Bertin.
'It's shameful, it's an insult'
Dubé shared his feelings about those who criticized House of Nazareth's plans to charge fees. Critics included residents and Charles Burrell, the Humanity Project founder who operated an emergency shelter last winter, and Trevor Goodwin, the senior director at YMCA ReConnect.
"I find that very unprofessional, and its shameful," Dubé said of the criticism.
He said organizations should be working together to combat homelessness, not fighting among themselves.
Dubé said he wouldn't name names, but added: "You know who you are."
House of Nazareth opened its new shelter, which can accommodate 115 people, earlier this winter.
Dubé has maintained since he first announced charging people to stay there that the fees are in the Albert Street shelter's business plan.
But he said the 15-year business plan would not be made public because it cost "several" thousand dollars and he didn't want another organization to use it.
"It's our plan, we paid for it, it's private and we're going to keep it to the board of directors."
Parisi said the fee plan was shared with the province and the federal government, but not with the City of Moncton because, "the contribution that we received from the city is thin."
The federal and provincial governments helped finance the purchase of the shelter building.
The city declined to comment but said the House of Nazareth asked for and received grants of $25,000 for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Morneau says Ottawa will announce support for those quarantined due to COVID-19
The Canadian Press March 6, 2020
The federal government will provide financial help for quarantined Canadians over novel coronavirus concerns, and pad its budget contingency should the economic hit be prolonged and deep, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Friday.
Details about those plans will be coming shortly, Morneau said, who also noted federal officials are mulling measures to insulate the economy from the effects of the outbreak that has now spread to more than 75 countries around the world.
The disease known as COVID-19 has roiled financial markets, spurring the Bank of Canada to take a deeper cut to its trend-setting interest rate this week than it originally envisioned. It has caused sharp declines in trade with China, a drop in oil prices, upended travel plans, and sickened dozens of Canadians and hundreds of thousands more globally.
The full effect COVID-19 will have on the national economy will depend on the depth and geographical spread of the coronavirus outbreak in Canada, Morneau said in a breakfast speech to the Canadian Club of Toronto.
Speaking afterwards, Morneau said the government has the fiscal wiggle room to help businesses through any challenges, as well as workers who may have to be away from work for any period of time.
He said the upcoming budget will have a "greater provision for risk" in the economy, and help with immediate health issues, while trying to decrease the federal debt as a percentage of the national economy, known as the debt-to-GDP ratio.
"In crafting a budget, we're going to need to balance all of those things — as we always do," Morneau told reporters.
"What I can tell you is we will maintain our fiscal firepower to deal with potential challenges down the road while ensuring that we are also dealing with the issues immediately."
In November, the government reduced the cushion for this fiscal year to $1.5 billion because data through two-thirds of the fiscal year suggested risk "as a whole has been reduced." The fall economic update had a $3 billion cushion in its projections for the new fiscal year that starts April 1.
The figure is projected revenues the government sets aside annually as a shock absorber if the money doesn't materialize due to an economic downturn. If untapped, it can go to pay down the federal debt.
The number counts against the deficit, which is projected to be $28.1 billion before accounting for any new spending promises.
CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld, in a note following Morneau's speech, suggested the finance minister shouldn't be tempted to cut spending or raise taxes to hit a deficit target. He added a one-time bump in federal health transfers to provinces may be in order to cover any increased costs from COVID-19, as well as direct fiscal stimulus to prod consumer spending, which the economy relies upon.
Morneau said the fiscal response here would account for domestic conditions and may look different than in other countries.
The federal NDP's health critic said Morneau's comment amounted to "announcing that you will announce something" in the face of immediate needs.
"People who can't afford to take a sick day need help right now," Don Davies said in a statement.
The Opposition Conservatives questioned how much the Liberals could muster in spending. Pat Kelly, the party's associate finance critic, said the Liberals failed to prepare for a downturn by running deep deficits during better economic times.
"Now the cupboard is bare as Canada's economy faces both a domestic economic crisis of capital flight, project cancellations and supply disruptions due to the illegal blockades, and the prospect of a global downturn triggered by the coronavirus," he said in a statement.
The blockades cancelled train service and prompted temporary layoffs as demonstrators across the country showed support for Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who oppose construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their territory in British Columbia.
Morneau said he sees the issues around the blockades as being "largely resolved," but added, "will things happen again? I can't predict."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2020.
Tara Deschamps and Jordan Press, The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press March 6, 2020
The federal government will provide financial help for quarantined Canadians over novel coronavirus concerns, and pad its budget contingency should the economic hit be prolonged and deep, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Friday.
Details about those plans will be coming shortly, Morneau said, who also noted federal officials are mulling measures to insulate the economy from the effects of the outbreak that has now spread to more than 75 countries around the world.
The disease known as COVID-19 has roiled financial markets, spurring the Bank of Canada to take a deeper cut to its trend-setting interest rate this week than it originally envisioned. It has caused sharp declines in trade with China, a drop in oil prices, upended travel plans, and sickened dozens of Canadians and hundreds of thousands more globally.
The full effect COVID-19 will have on the national economy will depend on the depth and geographical spread of the coronavirus outbreak in Canada, Morneau said in a breakfast speech to the Canadian Club of Toronto.
Speaking afterwards, Morneau said the government has the fiscal wiggle room to help businesses through any challenges, as well as workers who may have to be away from work for any period of time.
He said the upcoming budget will have a "greater provision for risk" in the economy, and help with immediate health issues, while trying to decrease the federal debt as a percentage of the national economy, known as the debt-to-GDP ratio.
"In crafting a budget, we're going to need to balance all of those things — as we always do," Morneau told reporters.
"What I can tell you is we will maintain our fiscal firepower to deal with potential challenges down the road while ensuring that we are also dealing with the issues immediately."
In November, the government reduced the cushion for this fiscal year to $1.5 billion because data through two-thirds of the fiscal year suggested risk "as a whole has been reduced." The fall economic update had a $3 billion cushion in its projections for the new fiscal year that starts April 1.
The figure is projected revenues the government sets aside annually as a shock absorber if the money doesn't materialize due to an economic downturn. If untapped, it can go to pay down the federal debt.
The number counts against the deficit, which is projected to be $28.1 billion before accounting for any new spending promises.
CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld, in a note following Morneau's speech, suggested the finance minister shouldn't be tempted to cut spending or raise taxes to hit a deficit target. He added a one-time bump in federal health transfers to provinces may be in order to cover any increased costs from COVID-19, as well as direct fiscal stimulus to prod consumer spending, which the economy relies upon.
Morneau said the fiscal response here would account for domestic conditions and may look different than in other countries.
The federal NDP's health critic said Morneau's comment amounted to "announcing that you will announce something" in the face of immediate needs.
"People who can't afford to take a sick day need help right now," Don Davies said in a statement.
The Opposition Conservatives questioned how much the Liberals could muster in spending. Pat Kelly, the party's associate finance critic, said the Liberals failed to prepare for a downturn by running deep deficits during better economic times.
"Now the cupboard is bare as Canada's economy faces both a domestic economic crisis of capital flight, project cancellations and supply disruptions due to the illegal blockades, and the prospect of a global downturn triggered by the coronavirus," he said in a statement.
The blockades cancelled train service and prompted temporary layoffs as demonstrators across the country showed support for Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who oppose construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through their territory in British Columbia.
Morneau said he sees the issues around the blockades as being "largely resolved," but added, "will things happen again? I can't predict."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 6, 2020.
Tara Deschamps and Jordan Press, The Canadian Press
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