It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Last person born in 1800s dies in Philippines
Queen Victoria was on the throne when Susano was born.
Author of the article:
Postmedia News
Publishing date:
Nov 23, 2021 •
Francisca Susano, believed to be the oldest person in the world, has died.PHOTO BY SCREENGRAB /City Government of Kabankalan
Article content
The last person in the world born in the 1800s has died, according to reports.
Francisca Susano, who was known as Lola, died on Monday in Kabankalan, in the province of Negros Occidental in the Philippines
It’s believed that Susano was 124. Guinness World Records had reportedly been carrying out age verification in September to confirm she was born in the 19th Century, on Sept. 11, 1897.
The cause of death has not yet been determined. Queen Victoria was on the throne when Susano was born.
The oldest person now is Kane Tanaka, a 118-year-old Japanese woman.
It’s been reported there were roughly half a million people over the age of 100 this year.
Gert-Jan Van den Bergh and Maarten Sanders, Dutch lawyers representing Ukraine's interests in Scythian gold case
We believe that Ukraine will also prevail at the Supreme Court level
After seven years of legal war, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal decided to return the exhibits of an exhibition titled "Crimea – the Golden Island in the Black Sea" to Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation applauded the decision of the Amsterdam court. Dutch lawyers representing Ukraine's interests did not hide their joy and congratulated each other and Ukraine on the victory.
However, the battle for the "Scythian gold" is not over. The Court of Appeal has rendered its judgment but this is not the final verdict. Four Crimean museums - the Central Museum of Tavrida, the Kerch Historical and Cultural Reserve, the Bakhchisaray Historical and Cultural Reserve and the Tauric Chersonese National Reserve - now have the right to appeal the judgment issued by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands. Russia has already called the judgment completely politicized, saying that exhibits from Crimea should return to Crimea. Therefore, Russian representatives do not hide their intention to appeal the decision. The so-called "Russian Crimean museums" have three months to appeal. While the litigation continues, the collection will be stored in the Netherlands, at the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam, at least until the court of cassation issues its ruling.
How many years can the process take before a final decision is made in this case? Ukrinform asked Dutch lawyers who, together with their Ukrainian colleagues from the Ministry of Justice and the Kyiv-based law firm Sergii Koziakov & Partners, represent Ukraine's interests in the Scythian gold case, how they are preparing for the new trial and the chances of Ukraine winning the case at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.
THE NETHERLANDS NOT RECOGNIZING THE ANNEXATION OF CRIMEA IS A RELEVANT CIRCUMSTANCE FOR THE COURT
Question: What did the victory at the Amsterdam Court of Appeal mean to you?
Mr. Van den Bergh: The Court of Appeal confirmed that Ukraine has control over its own cultural heritage, based on the Ukrainian Museum Law. We applaud the fact that the court found its way in complex issues of Ukrainian cultural heritage law. The court confirmed what Ukraine has stated from the beginning: that the museum objects belong to the state part of the Museum Fund of Ukraine and should be regarded as an integral part of its cultural identity. As a sovereign nation, Ukraine can reclaim its cultural heritage.
Question: Russia said the judgment by the Court of Appeal was politically motivated. What do you think about this statement by Russia?
Mr. Sanders: The Amsterdam Court of Appeal based its decision on legal positions and grounds.
The fact that the State of the Netherlands does not recognize the annexation of Crimea (as most of the international community) is, of course, a relevant circumstance for the Court's decision. The Court of Appeal held that the treasures originate from Crimea, therefore are also to be considered as Crimean heritage and, therefore, are cultural heritage of Ukraine as it exists since 1991. This is a confirmation that the factual annexation by Russia has not had a legal effect in the Netherlands.
INTERNATIONAL LAW FULLY SUPPORTS UKRAINE'S CLAIM
Question: The District Court of Amsterdam ruled in December 2016 that the exhibits should be returned to Ukraine. Representatives of Crimean museums appealed the court's decision. After that, the proceedings started at the Amsterdam Court of Appeal. How difficult has this case been for you over the past seven years? How are you preparing for the trial at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands?
Mr. Sanders: It was a legal challenge also because the courts had to deal with complex legal issues of Ukrainian law and international law. Moreover, one of the judges in appeal was recused after two requests of the State of Ukraine. We subsequently had to explain the entire case again to the Court of Appeal in its new setting.
The Crimea Museums have indicated that they wish to appeal the matter at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands. At that level, only matters of law (not the facts) are relevant. We expect that the museums will dispute the application of the Ukrainian Museum Law. We, on the other hand, will provide supporting arguments for application of the UNESCO Convention 1970. Both Ukrainian law and international law support the return of the treasures to Ukraine. We will prepare our arguments together with a special counsel to the Supreme Court.
Question: In your opinion, what are the chances of "Russian Crimean museums" at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands? Is it possible that the Supreme Court will rule in their favor? How can this trial proceed in The Hague?
Mr. Van den Bergh: Both the District Court in Amsterdam and the Court of Appeal have confirmed that the treasures concern the national cultural heritage of Ukraine. In this respect, the Museum Law of Ukraine as well as international law fully support Ukraine's claim. We believe that it is difficult for the Crimean Museums to get around this principle and therefore we believe that Ukraine will also prevail at the Supreme Court level.
WHAT CRIMEAN MUSEUMS SAID
Question: What was the position of Crimean museums?
Mr. Van den Bergh: The Crimea Museums claimed that the Autonomous Republic of Crimea partly owned the treasures and that the museums had a right to manage the treasures. They argued that this right of 'operative management' of the museums is stronger than the rights of the State of Ukraine. They also claimed that the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam simply guaranteed to return the treasures to the museums and that this contractual obligation should be performed by the Allard Pierson Museum, regardless of politics.
Question: What was the position of Ukraine?
Mr. Sanders: Ukraine's position was that international law dictates the return of the treasures to the country of origin in the current situation and that the State of Ukraine owns the treasures. Furthermore, it was explained that the Museum law granted the power to the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine to determine how the treasures should be temporarily safeguarded, during the period of the temporary annexation of Crimea.
Question: What was the reaction of Crimean museums to Ukraine's victory?
Mr. Van den Bergh: It was stated that the Crimea Museums are victim of a political situation and that the Crimea Museums may try to attack the judgment before the Supreme Court.
UNIQUE CASE IN MODERN LEGAL HISTORY
Question: Can the "Scythian gold" case be called a precedent? How can this experience affect future inter-museum contacts?
Mr. Sanders: It is definitely important that the Court of Appeal confirmed that a state can reclaim its own cultural heritage if there is a risk of loss of such heritage. It would even be better if the court would have said that this also follows from the UNESCO 1970 Convention. This could support exchange of cultural heritage in inter-museum contacts: if museums know that artefacts can always return to the country of origin, this will help museums and states loaning art.
Question: What was the most difficult thing for you in this case?
Mr. Van den Bergh: The fact is that the case is unique in modern legal history. The UNESCO 1970 treaty that we used to support the claim of Ukraine - next to Ukraine law - was never applied in a case like this. However, we are positive that the treaty is meant to solve cases like this. HOW RUSSIA TRIED TO EXERT INFLUENCE
Question: The Dutch media reported that Russia is trying to intimidate the lawyers of relatives of those killed in the MH17 tragedy. Did you feel any pressure?
Mr. Sanders: We have never felt intimidated and did not have any signals in this regard. But we are aware that this case is also a matter of great interest for the Russian Federation and that they are following the case closely.
Question: How did Russia try to influence this case?
Mr. Sanders: We have not seen any direct influence from Russia at the Court of Appeal. But the Russian government has made various public statements. It has said that handing over the treasures to Kyiv would be a political act and it has threatened to stop any further loans of cultural objects (such as art from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg) to Dutch museums. Obviously, the Court has not been influenced by these statements.
Iryna Drabok, The Hague Photo credit: Iryna Drabok
CANADA
Trudeau vows to go 'further, faster' on climate policy in his third term
Stephen Wicary, Bloomberg News
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sketched out his government’s third-term agenda, emphasizing the need for strong action on climate change as Canada grapples with unprecedented flooding along its Pacific coast.
Building a resilient post-pandemic economy, underpinned by the country’s first national childcare plan, and continuing to address the historic harms done to Indigenous people are also top priorities, the government said Tuesday during a so-called throne speech in Ottawa.
The broad-strokes address, delivered by Governor General Mary Simon but written by the prime minister’s office, comes two months after the government was returned to power. Though the incumbent Liberals won a plurality of seats, they lost the popular vote and failed to secure the parliamentary majority Trudeau had coveted, leaving him reliant on opposition parties to pass legislation.
“The government is taking real action to fight climate change. Now, we must go further, faster,” Simon said, according to the prepared text of the speech. “That means moving to cap and cut oil and gas sector emissions, while accelerating our path to a 100 per cent net-zero electricity future.”
After a first term dominated by Donald Trump’s election in the U.S., and a second sent off course by COVID-19, Trudeau begins his third mandate facing a climate crisis in British Columbia.
B.C. FLOODING
Vancouver, Canada’s third largest city and a key shipping port, was essentially cut off from the country by road and rail last week after torrential rains put large swathes of farmland under water. The westernmost province, which also saw hundreds die amid wildfires and extreme heat this summer, is now rationing fuel as soldiers race to shore up infrastructure with another wave of precipitation rolling through.
On top of reiterating its election pledge to cap oil and gas emissions while sharply increasing its carbon tax, Trudeau’s government vowed to create Canada’s first climate adaptation strategy, invest in public transit and mandate the sale of zero-emissions vehicles. But like much of the speech, it was short on details.
Other highlights include promises to:
Keep COVID-19 under control through vaccine mandates and the procurement of boosters and newly approved doses for children, as well as working with provinces to strengthen the health-care system;
Extend income supports for sectors hardest hit by the pandemic in the short term, while addressing longer-term challenges by completing the roll-out of the national daycare plan and following through with pledges to build more affordable housing units and help first-time buyers get into the market;
Reintroduce legislation to regulate streaming and social-media companies that was stuck in the Senate when the election was triggered;
Keep communities safe with a mandatory buyback of banned assault-style weapons and by working with jurisdictions that want to ban handguns;
Continue working with key allies on global issues, with a focus on deepening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and across the Arctic.
While the Liberal government will likely win support for its environmental and social policies from the left-leaning New Democratic Party, the main opposition Conservatives are railing against the price tag attached.
“The cost of living is driven by the cost of government,” Conservative lawmaker Pierre Poilievre told reporters before the speech, noting that annual inflation -- now running 4.7 per cent, the highest since 2003 -- is more than twice as high as both wage growth and the Bank of Canada’s target. “When you spend more, it costs more.”
But Trudeau’s government appears undaunted. After posting a record-smashing deficit of more than $300 billion (US$236 billion) in the fiscal year that ended March 31 and promising $78 billion in additional spending over five years on top of the $140 billion it unveiled in its April budget, the Liberals aren’t dialing back their ambitions.
“The decade got off to an incredibly difficult start, but this is the time to rebuild,” Simon said. “This is the moment for parliamentarians to work together to get big things done, and shape a better future for our kids.”
The Trudeau Government’s speech from the throne warns that ‘Earth is in danger’
Officials including Governor-General Mary Simon and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrive on the throne on November 23, 2021, in Ottawa.Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press
The federal government issued a stern warning about the coming decades when Governor-General Mary Simon opened the 44th parliament, describing a world “at risk” from climate change and urging lawmakers to translate “talk into action.”
Ms. Simon delivered the minority Liberal government’s roadmap in the Senate on Tuesday, stressing that limiting greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change and adapting to the changes already caused by warming temperatures are among the top priorities.
The speech did not contain any new promises from the Liberal Party, which instead highlighted key priorities from their long list of campaign promises.
“Getting the pandemic under control” and creating a “more resilient economy” were the other two top priorities set by the government. The economy is often mentioned in the speech, but there is only one reference to inflation, which leads to the largest price increase in almost two decades.
The throne speech was quickly rejected by the Conservatives and the NDP. Despite this, the Liberal minority government has no risk of falling because the leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, said his party was willing to “live with this blank piece of paper.”
Nearly a week into BC’s state of emergency, prompted by devastating floods and mudslides, the series of climate disasters the province has suffered since the summer was mentioned at the top of the section on trontale written by the Prime Minister’s Office. In the speech, the government pledged to do more to “prevent and prepare for floods, wildfires, droughts, coastal erosion and other extreme weather exacerbated by climate change.”
The risk of not acting was emphasized in the introductory section written by Mrs Simon’s office.
“Our land is in danger,” said Mrs. Simon. “From a warming Arctic to the increasing devastation of natural disasters, our country and our people need help.”
“We can not afford to wait.”
The Throne speech was the first for Mrs. Simon, who was taken the oath in July, and became the first native to serve as the Queen’s representative in Canada. In a historic first time, she kept the address alternating between Inuktitut, French and English. Rideau Hall said Tuesday’s speech marked for the first time that more than one greeting would be delivered in a native language during a throne speech.
Governor-General Mary Simon reiterated the Prime Minister’s position that the government “must go further, faster” in order to take “real action” against climate change.Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press
The late launch of this autumn’s parliamentary session means that the Liberals have only four weeks to lead key government bills through the House of Commons – a short time frame made more difficult because the opposition has more power to influence the agenda of a minority parliament. The Liberals waited more than two months to recall MEPs to parliament after the September federal election.
On the heels of the campaign’s minority result, Mrs Simon said the direction of the electorate was clear. “Not only do they want parliamentarians to work together to put this pandemic behind us, they also want bold, concrete solutions to meet the other challenges we face.”
However, the official opposition conservatives and the fourth-place NDP both said they would vote against the speech.
“There is nothing in the throne that is about inflation, the cost of living crisis, the national unity crisis, there is no plan to get people to work,” said Conservative leader Erin O’Toole.
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh noted that the Liberals have dropped their promise to introduce a universal drug program, which was promised in the throne last year. “We see a throne speech that does not respond to the urgency of the crises we are facing,” he said.
Nearly two years into the pandemic, the government said the “best way” to bring it under control was through COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots. Ms. Simon looks forward to Ottawa strengthening the public health system and working with the provinces and territories on issues such as delayed surgeries and access to rural care.
To tackle rising inflation, Mr. Trudeau’s government said it would address the rising cost of living by acting on its election promises to ensure access to affordable housing and childcare across the country, Ms said. Simon.
The government also reaffirmed its plan to go for “more targeted support” for sectors still affected by the pandemic, and said it would ensure it “carefully manages spending.”
Ms. Simon reiterated the Prime Minister’s position that the government “must go further, faster” in order to take “real action” against climate change. She said the government would focus its efforts on limiting and then lowering emissions from the oil and gas sector; accelerate efforts to reach a 100 percent net-zero electricity grid; investment in public transport and injunction for the sale of zero-emission vehicles; and steadily rising carbon prices.
Mrs Simon said during the speech that reconciliation is not a “single act, nor does it have an end date.”
“It’s a lifelong journey of healing, respect and understanding,” she said.
Ms. Simon also said that “reconciliation cannot come without truth.”
In this mandate, the government intends to create a national monument in honor of survivors from housing schools, a long-standing call from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It also plans to appoint a special interlocutor to “promote justice” in private schools, which was first announced in August.
Ottawa also plans to move forward with an excellence-based mental health and wellness strategy for First Nations, Inuit and Métis governed by indigenous peoples, survivors and their families.
It also intends to ensure that there is “fair and equitable” compensation for those harmed by the First Nations Child Welfare System. The Liberal government is currently engaged in closed-door discussions with parties, including the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, hoping to reach an out-of-court settlement on the matter by the end of the year.
Gov. Mary Simon is holding the throne while her husband Whit Fraser watches in the Ottawa Senate on November 23, 2021.Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press
Opposition parties feeling left out as federal throne speech outlines Liberal agenda
Immediately after the speech was read, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet signalled his party will support what he called '24 pages of completely empty words
' Author of the article: The Canadian Press Joan Bryden Publishing date: Nov 23, 2021
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau threw few bones to opposition parties Tuesday in a throne speech that recapped the election platform that produced a second consecutive Liberal minority government.
A vote on the throne speech will be the first confidence test for the government, with the Liberals’ survival dependent on the support of at least one opposition party.
Nevertheless, Trudeau made little effort in the throne speech to secure the support of any of the other parties, choosing instead to reiterate in broad strokes Liberal promises to finish the fight against COVID-19 and rebuild a more resilient, fairer, greener economy.
Voter anger over Trudeau’s decision to call an election in the midst of the pandemic dashed his hopes of capturing a majority on Sept. 20. He is now evidently counting on that anger to dissuade opposition parties from triggering another election anytime soon, relieving him of the necessity to modify his agenda to satisfy any of them.
It’s a gamble that appears to have paid off, at least on the throne speech.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, the first Inuk person to serve in the role, centred the theme of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Tuesday’s speech from the throne with an introduction — delivered in English, French and Inuktitut — that she had written herself.
“I encourage you to seek out the truth, and to learn about the lived realities in First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities,” Simon said in the speech delivered in the Senate chamber.
“Although each community is distinct, we all share a desire to chart a way forward together towards reconciliation.”
She also touched upon the finding by First Nations of hundreds of unmarked graves on the sites of former residential schools across Canada earlier this year.
“We cannot hide from these discoveries. They open deep wounds,” she said in French.
At the same time, she said there is hope.
“Reconciliation is not a single act, nor does it have an end date. It is a lifelong journey of healing, respect and understanding,” she said.
Immediately after the speech was read by Simon in the Senate chamber, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet signalled his party will support what he called “24 pages of completely empty words.”
“Supporting might not be the best word. We will live with this empty piece of paper, gently read in three languages,” he said, adding it’s impossible to vote against “apple pie.” Advertisement
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, whose party is considered the most likely dance partner for the Liberals, panned the speech for failing to even mention his party’s priorities, including pharmacare, continuing pandemic supports and boosting annual health transfers to the provinces.
“This is not a speech that looks like they want to work together,” Singh said, warning Trudeau not to take NDP support for granted.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said his party will oppose the throne speech, which he lambasted for failing to lay out a plan for reviving the economy, particularly the skyrocketing cost of living.
Despite winning only a minority of seats, Trudeau asserted in the speech that Canadians gave parliamentarians clear direction in the Sept. 20 election.
“Not only do they want parliamentarians to work together to put this pandemic behind us, they also want bold, concrete solutions to meet the other challenges we face,” the speech said.
“This is the moment for parliamentarians to work together to get big things done and shape a better future for our kids.”
There were no surprises in the speech, which reiterated the promises the Liberals made in their election platform and focused largely on economic recovery from the pandemic.
The pillars of that recovery will be more aggressive action to combat climate change, measures to produce more affordable housing and finishing negotiations with two holdout province and two territories that have yet to sign onto the Liberals’ $10-a-day national child care program.
Reconciliation was also a major theme of the speech, delivered partly in Inuktitut, as well as French and English, by Simon, the first Indigenous person to hold the viceregal post.
She opened the speech with her own reflections on the pain caused by the discovery last spring of what are believed to be hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at the sites of two former residential schools.
“We cannot hide from these discoveries; they open deep wounds,” Simon said, adding that “despite the profound pain, there is hope.”
Among other things, the speech promised to create a national monument to honour residential school survivors.
Simon also issued a personal call for action on climate change.
“Our Earth is in danger. From a warming Arctic to the increasing devastation of natural disasters, our land and our people need help. We must move talk into action and adapt where we must,” she said.
Amid extreme flooding and landslides in British Columbia, the speech reiterated the Liberals’ promise to develop the first-ever national adaptation strategy to help Canadians adjust to the changing climate.
It argued that growing the economy goes hand in hand with protecting the environment and that now is the time to “go further, faster” on combating climate change.
It promised to “strengthen action to prevent and prepare for floods, wildfires, droughts, coastline erosion and other extreme weather worsened by climate change.”
The speech — delivered to a much smaller than usual audience of masked dignitaries, senators and MPs in a bid to maintain physical distance — sketched only the broad outlines of the government’s agenda with few details.
It argued that ending the pandemic “for good” is the best way to revive the economy.
But with employment now back to pre-pandemic levels and almost 90 per cent of Canadians fully vaccinated, the speech reiterated the Liberals’ plan to replace emergency benefits that kept millions of Canadians and business afloat during the pandemic with more targeted aid for those hardest hit by the health crisis.
— Additional reporting by Erika Ibrahim
Whatever else Canadian government vows faster indigenous reconciliation
Tue, November 23, 2021,
Canada's governor general opened parliament Tuesday in a speech partly delivered in her native Inuktitut, highlighting the "deep wounds" reopened by the recent discovery of mass graves at schools for indigenous children.
Governor General Mary Simon, who was sworn in July to serve as the first indigenous representative of Queen Elizabeth II in Canada, said: "This is the moment to move faster on the path of reconciliation."
In the throne speech outlining Prime Minister Justice Trudeau's agenda, she said the discoveries in May of more than 1,300 unmarked graves at schools in British Columbia and Saskatchewan "horrified" Canadians and underscored how a past policy of assimilation caused "deep wounds."
Those finds, she said, "show how much the actions of governments and institutions of old have been devastating for indigenous peoples, who continue to suffer from it today."
Trudeau has made reconciliation with more than 600 tribes a priority for his government, which returned to power following a general election in September.
Highlighting the plans of Trudeau's Liberals in her speech, Simon said the government plans to taper pandemic aid down to a Can$7.4 billion (US$5.8 billion) package targeting hardest-hit sectors through the spring.
The government will also prioritize affordable housing and subsidized day care, increased immigration, tougher gun laws, and deepening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.
The statement follows a two-year row between Ottawa and Beijing over tit-for-tat arrests of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, and two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor.
All three were released and repatriated in September.
- 'Our planet is in danger' -
In her speech Simon also promised the federal government's support for Canadians on the Pacific coast who are recovering from catastrophic flooding and mudslides caused by heavy rains that left at least four dead and one missing.
Ottawa has already deployed the army to help, and vital road and rail links between Vancouver and the rest of Canada have started to be reestablished this week.
The latest flooding to hit British Columbia, following record-high temperatures over the summer that killed more than 500 people, as well as wildfires that destroyed a town, is a stark reminder of "extreme weather worsened by climate change," Simon said.
"Our planet is in danger," she said. "From a warming Arctic to the increasing devastation of natural disasters, our land and our people need help."
To pass their agenda, the Liberals must rely on at least one other party.
With the Tories and Bloc Quebecois saying they won't support the throne speech, the New Democrats could be left to prop up Trudeau's government. Otherwise, the country may face a fourth election in six years.
amc/mdappens, this Parliament looks set to be (mostly) about climate change
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With one big crisis starting to abate, MPs must now turn
Lloyd Allen helps clean up his friend's home after flooding in Princeton, B.C., Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)
As the 44th Parliament since Confederation gets down to business this week, parts of British Columbia are still under water. The province has only just started to recover from what could prove to be the most expensive disaster in Canadian history.
Torrential rains and flooding caused thousands to be evacuated. Major highways were blocked or washed out, farms were swamped and livestock lost, towns were left isolated, supply chains were snarled and motorists were asked to conserve gasoline. Four people are known to have died.
A helicopter battles a wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Wednesday May 4, 2016. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)
The 43rd Parliament — which ran from December 2019 to this past August, when Justin Trudeau triggered a fall election — was consumed by the public health emergency that started a few months after it began. History will record the 43rd edition of the Parliament of Canada as the Pandemic Parliament.
The 44th Parliament could be about a lot of things, as most parliaments are. There are a great many things to do and debate. COVID-19 is still not done with us and the aftershocks will be felt for some time to come.
But this Parliament might be judged by how it met the other crisis unfolding before our eyes — by what it does to deal with the impacts of climate change that are already unavoidable, and to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that would make things even worse in the future.
Gov. Gen. Julie Payette and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau watch as Usher of the Black Rod Greg Peters leaves to summon members of the House of Commons for the throne speech in the Senate chamber on December 5, 2019 in Ottawa. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
It seems like ancient history now, but there was a throne speech in December 2019, a few weeks before reports surfaced of a mysterious illness affecting people in China. Julie Payette was still governor general. It was a slightly simpler time.
Climate change was at the centre of the agenda Payette presented on the government's behalf that day.
"Canada's children and grandchildren will judge this generation by its action — or inaction — on the defining challenge of the time: climate change," she said.
After ending the 2019 election with a minority government, Trudeau seized on climate change as an issue that united voters across parties: 63 per cent of voters had cast ballots for parties that supported putting a price on carbon emissions.
People attend a climate change protest in Montreal on Nov. 6, 2021. (The Canadian Press)
But the case for acting is only more obvious now — to everyone. According to recent polling by Abacus Data, 66 per cent of Canadians say they believe governments should put "more emphasis" on reducing emissions — that's up ten percentage points since the spring of 2016.
And while many people complained that this fall's election was unnecessary or pointless, the Liberals ran on a climate, conservation and adaptation platform that included more than a hundred bullet points promising either to continue pursuing previous actions or to implement new ones.
Guilbeault will soon have to present an updated plan to Parliament on meeting Canada's 2030 target to meet the conditions of the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act (the deadline is December 29, though that could be extended by three months).
The official consultation on "just transition" legislation ended in September and a report is due this fall. A task force on flood insurance and relocation — established to advise the government on two campaign promises from 2019 — is expected to issue its final report in the spring. The promise of a new disaster assistance benefit for those who can't work because of floods or fires also remains unfulfilled.
The Liberals say work with the provinces and territories to update flood mapping will be completed in the next three years and Canada's first national climate change "adaptation strategy" will be finalized by the end of 2022. All federal subsidies for fossil fuels are to be phased out by 2023.
A car is charged at a charge station for electric vehicles on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 1, 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
The Liberals also have promised to implement a Clean Electricity Standard, a zero-emission vehicle mandate, new methane regulations and new climate-related financial disclosure rules for federally regulated institutions.
Inevitably, there will be other things to worry about. The Conservatives seem eager to argue that inflation is the most worrisome storm bearing down on Canada; some voters might be inclined to agree. From provincial capitals, the premiers will continue agitating for a long-term commitment to more federal funding for health care. The Liberals themselves will want or need to move forward on child care, reconciliation and reform of the Canadian Forces.
There will be new controversies and gaffes. Opposition-dominated committees will agitate for new investigations.
Only in the most extreme circumstances can Parliament be expected or even allowed to put aside all other business and focus exclusively on confronting a single threat — as it did for several months through the pandemic spring and summer of 2020.
But Parliament need not put aside any sense of urgency until the next pandemic. The next great challenge of our time is already here. It has been building for decades and it will not get any easier with time. For all the action that has been taken in recent years against it, there is still much more to do.
The damage and disruption wrought by the floodwaters in British Columbia offer both a reminder of the threat and a purpose for this Parliament.
SPACE RACE 2.0
SpaceX rocket business leadership shakes up as two VPs depart
The leadership of SpaceX’s rocket business has been shaken up, CNBC has learned, including the departure of two vice presidents.
SpaceX vice president of propulsion Will Heltsley has left, multiple people familiar with the situation told CNBC, having been with the company since 2009.
Lee Rosen, SpaceX vice president of mission and launch operations, left last week, sources said, having joined the company in 2013.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule on launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on November 09, 2021 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images
The leadership of SpaceX’s rocket business has been shaken up, CNBC has learned, as two vice presidents have parted with the company.
The changes arrive with Elon Musk’s space company now the leading U.S. rocket builder with its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy vehicles. The company is also investing heavily in the development of its next-generation Starship rocket.
SpaceX vice president of propulsion Will Heltsley has left, multiple people familiar with the situation told CNBC, having been with the company since 2009. Those people said Heltsley was taken off Raptor engine development due to a lack of progress. The Raptor engines power SpaceX’s Starship rocket and Super Heavy boosters.
Heltsley’s departure demonstrates the intense pressure on the engine’s development, given the key role it plays in Starship’s success. The company has successfully performed a multitude of test firings and flights with Raptor, steadily improving the engine. Musk recently said that a second generation of the Raptor engine “has significant improvements in every way.”
“But a complete design overhaul is necessary for the engine that can actually make life multiplanetary. It won’t be called Raptor,” Musk said in a Tweet on Nov. 16.
SpaceX’s Jacob McKenzie, who has been with the company for more than six years, is now leading Raptor engine development and production, sources said. A closer look under the base of Super Heavy Booster 4 at the 29 Raptor engines. SpaceX
Lee Rosen, SpaceX vice president of mission and launch operations, left last week, people said, as well as Ricky Lim, senior director of mission and launch operations. Rosen had been with SpaceX since 2013, while Lim joined the company in 2008.
SpaceX did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the leadership changes.
A handful of other long-time employees left after SpaceX closed its purchase offer on Friday, timing which people familiar with the matter indicated was in part tied to employees’ stock vesting schedules. While SpaceX did not raise new capital in the secondary sale, the round was done at $560 a share – increasing the company’s valuation to $100.3 billion.
SpaceX has had a banner year: The company has launched 25 successful Falcon 9 missions, carried 12 astronauts to orbit with its Dragon capsules, grown its Starlink satellite internet service to about 140,000 users, and continued to make progress with Starship.
Canada and Ukraine launch construction of spaceport
20.11.2021
An official ceremony was held in Canada to mark the start of the construction of a joint Ukrainian-Canadian spaceport in the east of the country.
"On November 18, in Halifax, the space agencies of Ukraine and Canada signed a joint statement of partnership, and on November 19, a solemn ceremony of laying a ‘cornerstone’ of the Ukrainian-Canadian space launch complex was held," the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada reported.
It is noted that during the visit of Head of the State Space Agency of Ukraine Volodymyr Taftay to Canada, a model of the launch control center of the joint project will be unveiled.
The joint Ukrainian-Canadian project to create a space launch complex in the province of Nova Scotia is being implemented by the Canadian company Maritime Launch Services. The project involves the use of the Ukrainian carrier rocket Cyclone 4M. During the ceremony, Volodymyr Taftay, Head of the State Space Agency of Ukraine, stressed the importance of the project not only for the development of space cooperation between Ukraine and Canada, but also for further strengthening traditionally friendly and partnership relations between the two countries.
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