CANADA
Online content creators are making money from hate, misinformation, MPs told

Elizabeth Thompson - Yesterday  CBC

Creators of hateful content and misinformation are making millions of dollars through social media, the head of an international non-profit group told MPs studying ideologically motivated violent extremism Thursday.

Imran Ahmed is chief executive officer of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which has been tracking online hate for the past six years. He told members of the House of Commons public safety and national security committee that a profitable online economy has emerged around hate and misinformation.

"There are commercial hate and disinformation actors who are making a lot of money from spreading discord and peddling lies," Ahmed said.

"There is a web of commercial actors, from platforms to payment processors to people who provide advertising technology that is embedded on hateful content, giving the authors of that hateful content money for every eyeball they can attract to it, that benefit from hate and misinformation.

"It's got revenues in the millions, the high millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions of dollars. That has made some entrepreneurs in this space extremely wealthy."

Online platforms and search engines "benefit commercially from this system," Ahmed said.

"Fringe actors, from anti-vaxxers to misogynist Incels to racists such as white supremacists and jihadists, are able to easily exploit the digital platforms who promote their content," he said.

Ahmed said that while a small number of highly motivated, talented spreaders of misinformation are able to do a lot of damage, social media companies are doing little to stop them or to enforce their own platform rules.

'Super-spreaders of harm'

"What we have seen is piecemeal enforcement, even when there are identifiable super-spreaders of harm who, of course, are not just super-spreaders of harm, they are super-violators of their own community standards," he said. "And it just goes to show they're more addicted to the profits that come with attention than they are to doing the right thing."

Ahmed said his group did a study of Instagram and documented how its algorithms were driving people deeper into conspiracy theories.


© Jason Burles/CBC

Imran Ahmed, founder of the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, says creators of online hate and misinformation are making money from it, as are social media companies.

"It showed that if you follow 'wellness', the algorithm was feeding you anti-vaxx content," he said. "If you follow anti-vaxx content, it was feeding you antisemitic content and QAnon content. It knows that some people are vulnerable to misinformation and conspiracy theories," he said.

Ahmed recommended several changes, such as design changes to online platforms, more transparency on algorithms used by social media companies and measures to hold companies and their executives accountable.

He also defended social media companies that kick those promoting hate or misinformation off their platforms.

'Antisemites, anti-vaxxers and general lunatics'

"De-platforming these people and putting them into their own little hole, a little hole of antisemites, anti-vaxxers and general lunatics, is a good thing because actually you limit their ability to infect other people, but also for trends such and convergence and hybridization of ideologies," he said.

But some other witnesses warned that if extremists are kicked off large social media platforms, they will just move to other platforms where there is less moderation.

Garth Davies, associate director of the Institute on Violence, Terrorism and Security at Simon Fraser University, said de-platforming fuels support for far-right groups.

"If we look at it from the perspective of the extreme right, all of these attempts essentially feed their narrative," Davies said, adding the problem calls for more tolerance.

"We are essentially providing them with the fuel that they need," he said. "Every attempt to try to de-platform or to identify content that needs to be shut down actually allows them to say, 'See, look, they're afraid of us. They don't want these ideas out there."

Government lacks tools, expert says

Davies said far-right supporters consider groups like Black Lives Matter to be extremist and have called for those groups to be de-platformed.

Davies said the government isn't doing enough to monitor extremism in Canada, hasn't devoted enough resources to it and lacks tools like a central database to track extremists.

Appearing before the committee, Tony McAleer, a former extremist and co-founder of the group Life after Hate, called for a nuanced approach and more training for people like school counsellors who can help keep young people from gravitating to extremist groups.


© CBC

Marvin Rotrand, national director of Bnai Brith Canada's League for Human Rights says reports of online hate incidents have exploded during the pandemic.

Marvin Rotrand, national director of Bnai Brith Canada's League for Human Rights, said there has been less in-person harassment during the pandemic but a spike in online hate.

"Online hate has exploded," Rotrand told MPs, saying his organization tracked 2,799 online incidents in 2021.

Rotrand called on the Liberal government to fulfil its election promise to hold social media platforms accountable for the content they host and urged the government to update its anti-racism strategy to better define hate.

CANADA

Close loopholes in ban on assault-style firearms, gun-control advocates urge MPs


OTTAWA — Advocates who led the push to ban an array of assault-style firearms are telling federal lawmakers that government regulations prohibiting these guns are being circumvented by Canadian manufacturers.

In a letter sent this week, gun-control group PolySeSouvient urges MPs to support amending the definition of prohibited firearm in the Criminal Code to include all current and future guns that fall into the category.

The Liberal government banned some 1,500 models and variants of firearms, including the AR-15 and Ruger Mini-14, through an order-in-council in May 2020 on the grounds they have no place in hunting or sport shooting.

A planned buyback program would require owners to either sell these firearms to the government or have them rendered inoperable at federal expense.

PolySeSouvient says that without a clear Criminal Code definition of assault-style firearms, Canada will be stuck with the kind of failed approach that led to the proliferation of tens of thousands of such guns in private hands following bans in the 1990s.

The group includes students and graduates of Montreal's Ecole polytechnique, where a gunman killed 14 women in 1989.

The letter is signed by group spokesperson Nathalie Provost, who was shot during the rampage, Suzanne Laplante-Edward, whose daughter was killed, and Heidi Rathjen, a graduate of the school and co-ordinator of PolySeSouvient.

It says that earlier this year the RCMP granted a non-restricted classification to the Lockhart Tactical Raven 9, a semi-automatic carbine manufactured in Canada. Other recently introduced semi-automatics unaffected by the ban include the Sterling Arms R18 Mk.2, the Crusader 9 and the RS-Q2 Osprey.

As non-restricted guns, they are also not registered outside of Quebec, and are subject to less stringent storage requirements, PolySeSouvient notes.

In 2020 the government said the models and variants being banned had semi-automatic action with sustained rapid-fire capability, and were "present in large volumes in the Canadian market."

PolySeSouvient wonders whether the fact newly introduced models aren't present in large numbers, at least initially, explains why they are allowed.

The RCMP had no immediate comment on why the firearms flagged in the letter fall outside the federal ban.

The Liberals have previously floated the idea of legislation that would create an evergreen framework for classification of firearms to ensure federal intentions on banned guns are respected.

"Unfortunately, we have yet to hear of a similar measure being considered by the current government," PolySeSouvient's letter says.

"We are therefore calling on members of Parliament to support amending the definition of 'prohibited firearm' in the Criminal Code to include all current and future assault-style weapons."

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said in March he would soon bring in "very proactive" gun legislation following the expiration of an earlier effort, known as Bill C-21, at last summer's general election call.

A bill is expected this spring, though some key elements have not been finalized.

Asked about apparent circumventions of the assault-style firearms ban, Mendicino said after a cabinet meeting Thursday that consultations were ongoing.

"With regards to how we can further strengthen restrictions around deadly firearms like AR-15s, we continue to engage with communities, we continue to engage with a variety of partners in this space."

In addition to the mandatory buyback of banned guns, the Liberals have promised a crackdown on high-capacity firearm magazines, new efforts to combat gun smuggling, and support to any province or territory that wants to ban handguns.

While PolySeSouvient applauds a Liberal promise to ban modifiable magazines, it says this will not be enough to ensure magazines are limited to five rounds for rifles and shotguns and 10 for handguns.

As a result, the new letter to MPs urges the elimination of all exemptions and loopholes that undercut the these limits. "Ideally, the limit would be five for all firearms. The law should also require a gun licence to purchase magazines, just as it does for ammunition."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2022.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

SEE LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for EMOTIONAL PLAGUE 

Canadian farmers battle avian flu as bird death toll hits 1.7 million

CALGARY — Canadian poultry and egg producers have now lost more than 1.7 million farmed birds to a highly contagious strain of avian influenza.

The latest numbers are provided by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which says the tally includes both birds that have died of the virus and birds that have been humanely euthanized to prevent the disease's spread.

Alberta is the hardest hit province, with 900,000 birds dead and 23 farms affected.

Ontario is the second hardest hit, with 23 affected farms and 425,000 birds dead.

The strain of avian influenza currently affecting chicken and turkey farmers throughout North America can be spread easily by both wild and domestic birds.

Farmers are being encouraged to keep birds indoors, restrict visitors and ramp up biosecurity measures to help halt the spread.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2022.

Related video: New B.C. avian flu cases highlight the risk to backyard flocks (Global News)

British Columbians asked to remove bird feeders due to avian flu outbreak

Amy Judd - Yesterday 10:26 a.m.
Global News

New B.C. avian flu cases highlight the risk to backyard flocks

The BC SPCA is asking the public to temporarily remove backyard bird feeders and to empty bird baths due to the avian flu outbreak spreading across the country.

The organization said although waterfowl, such as ducks, geese and gulls, and raptors including eagles, hawks and owls are at the highest risk of avian influenza, or bird flu, it can infect all birds.

It is considered highly contagious and is spread through infected birds through feces and respiratory secretions. The BC SPCA said the virus is also resilient and can survive in the environment for several months.

On Wednesday, officials said they have detected avian flu in two more B.C. small poultry flocks.

Read more:
Bird flu confirmed in 2 more B.C. small poultry flocks in Richmond, Kelowna

The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food said the H5N1 avian influenza virus was most recently confirmed among small poultry flocks in Richmond and Kelowna.

The infected premises have been placed under quarantine by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and the ministry said producers within a 12-kilometre radius have been informed.

The poultry are believed to have contracted the virus through contact with infected migrating wild birds.

Video: 2 separate cases of avian flu found in wild Manitoba birds, province warns

The virus sweeping across North America was first found in B.C. at a commercial poultry producer in the North Okanagan last month. It has since been detected in two other small poultry flocks in Kelowna and the Kootenays.

“Bird feeders can be sites for disease spread because they encourage unnatural congregations of birds and attract other wildlife,” Dr. Andrea Wallace, manager of wild animal welfare for the BC SPCA, said in a release.

“Fallen seed is also an especially dangerous source of disease - when birds feed from the ground, they are also exposed to droppings that accumulate below a feeder.” She says the presence of bird feeders and baths can also increase the risk of transmitting the virus between nearby animals such as backyard chickens or turkeys.

Read more:

‘Devastating’: 16 cases of Avian flu found in Alberta

“On rare occasions, this virus can also cause disease in humans who have been in close contact with infected birds, or heavily contaminated areas,” Wallace added. “We need to do everything we can to stop H5N1 in its tracks.”

Wallace says that, in addition to removing bird feeders and emptying birdbaths, the BC SPCA is asking the public to monitor their outdoor surroundings for any signs of sick birds. “Birds may appear lethargic, unusually “fluffed up,” have nasal discharge, or have excessively watery eyes or swelling of the head and eyelids," she said.

The public is asked to report sightings of sick or dead wild birds to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) at 1-800-567-2033. If the report is assessed to require further investigation, a biologist may retrieve the carcass for further testing. “Please do not bring deceased birds to a wildlife rehabilitation centre or veterinary clinic as they will not be able to test for the disease,” Wallace added.

The BC SPCA said it is not necessary to remove hummingbird feeders at this time but it is important to regularly change the nectar and clean them to prevent deadly fungal outbreaks. However, if the public sees sick birds at the feeder they should remove it immediately.

BC

Deadly avian flu wipes out Burton poultry flock

Peggy Ife knew something was wrong the moment she walked into the chicken run on her Burton area farm on April 21.

“We saw a [dead] bird here and a bird there, about five or six,” she said. “We thought something had got into the yard. And we found a hole in the fence. So we thought that was it. We cleaned up the birds and put the others back in the coop.”

But the next day the birds were still exhibiting stress signs – some showed no interest in eating, or were huddled in corners of the coop.

“I knew something was wrong,” she says. “I call them ‘my girls’ – I spend enough time with my kids.”

Then more started dying.

“Friday night I found a couple on the floor that didn’t look right, and I thought, OK, this seems to be going past the ‘stress’ phase,” Ife recalls. “Then they started dropping, literally, dead.”

By the time the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspectors arrived the next Monday morning, she had lost nearly 60 of her 70 birds.

It’s not been an easy time, and having to cull her whole flock is “devastating.”

“I’ve had birds since 2006. One that just passed away was born here in 2012. I have a goose that’s 14. My kids usually die of old age,” she says.

The inspectors arrived (“Really nice people, lots of information,” she says) and sampled her birds. A few days later, she received the news: her birds had H5N1, the virulent strain of avian flu.

Ife’s handful of remaining birds had to be put down, as a measure to stop the spread of the virus to more areas.

“My husband keeps looking at me, to see if I’m okay,” Ife told the Valley Voice the day before she received the news. “I’m hanging in there, but the more I think of what is going to happen – I’m sorry, when the time comes, I cannot be the one to put my babies down.”

Ife put her story on several community Facebook pages, and word spread to hundreds of backyard poultry keepers in the Valley Voice readership area to be on the lookout for avian influenza.

Avian influenza or ‘bird flu,’ is a contagious and lethal virus that can make birds sick or die. There are two strains of the disease, one mild and one virulent. Ife’s flock caught the latter, H5N1, thought to be coming north with the spring migration of wild birds.

Ife says she suspects that’s how her birds caught it.

“My wild bird feeders were all empty for a few weeks, so I decided to be nice, and fill them to feed the wild birds. And I have a lot of feeders,” she says.

Agricultural officials are urging owners of small or backyard flocks to continue to be vigilant and have appropriate preventative measures in place.

“Measures include eliminating or reducing opportunities for poultry to encounter wild birds, reducing human access to the flock, and increased cleaning, disinfection, and sanitization of all things (including clothing and footwear) when entering areas where flocks are housed,” the CFIA recommends.

Ife’s flock is not the only case of avian flu in BC. CFIA officials announced a week earlier a confirmed case in a backyard poultry flock in Kelowna. A dead bald eagle was also found in the Lower Mainland.

That’s where the biggest concern lies – the lower Fraser Valley is home to the province’s chicken industry. The last time avian flu swept through there, in 2004, 17 million birds had to be culled to save the industry.

Avian influenza is rare in humans and generally does not spread easily between people.

“During an outbreak of avian influenza in poultry, the risk to the general public is very low,” says the CFIA. “Most avian influenza viruses cannot spread easily from birds to people, or from person to person. However, any new influenza virus in the human population is a concern because of its potential to change and adapt for more easy transmission between people.”

In the meantime, Ife is pleading with her fellow poultry keepers in the region to do the right thing: remove sources of interaction between wild and domestic birds, and report any dead wild birds they may spot.

“If you have wild bird feeders, take them down,” she says. “If you want to free-range, there’s always the chance they will catch something. But if you have a run, make sure you have no bird feeders, and if you feed yours outside, make sure they clean it up before the wild birds come in. Bring your birds’ water source inside.”

While being ordered to cull her birds is hard, Ife says she did the right thing by reporting it.

“I understand why people wouldn’t want to report, because of that,” she says. “But if they don’t know where it’s happening, they can’t stop its spread.”

John Boivin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Valley Voice

Bell: Kenney and his Three Amigos go on offence

Everybody knows what’s going on.

© Provided by Calgary Sun

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney (R) is joined by Ministers Jason Nixon, Doug Schweitzer, and Ric McIver as they join other dignitaries in Calgary on Thursday, May 5, 2022.

Rick Bell - 
Calgary Sun

On this one, Premier Jason Kenney seems to be calling the shots.

Where most political party leaders see a passing grade in a vote on their leadership to be quite a bit higher than a bare majority of party members, Kenney sets the bar much lower.

Easier to jump over.

If 50% plus one UCP member votes Yes to his leadership, he stays . If he gets a lukewarm vote, say under 70% or 75% Yes, he stays.

Kenney is in Calgary making an announcement and members of his inner circle are with him.

Three of them talk. They all back the boss with enthusiasm.

Jason Nixon is Kenney’s legislature quarterback.

“There’s not one candidate anywhere in this province who can break 50% in the first ballot of a leadership race,” says Nixon, supporting his main man.

But … er … a political party’s leadership race, with many candidates and many ballots, is not the same as a leadership review.

The May 18 vote is Yes or No to Kenney’s leadership of the UCP and keeping the premier’s job.

Kenney is not running against anybody.

Surely he needs more support than one vote more than half the party faithful to put the UCP Humpty Dumpty back together again.

No way, says Kenney’s sidekick Nixon.

The legislature QB pulls out his playbook.

The NDP and their leader Rachel Notley are bad.

Everybody needs to unite to beat Notley and the NDP who, by the way, happen to be leading in recent nose counts.

“If the majority say to go one direction, that’s the direction we go. It’s time for all politicians to check their egos and get back to what matters.”

You know what’s coming.

“A socialist government in just under a year is the worst thing to happen to my kids and grandkids, so let’s get the hell to work.”

Nixon is just warming up.

“To continue to have junior high fights about these issues is only helping the other side, which will cause mass devastation for this province.”

But what if some UCP politicians on the Kenney benches still complain after the May 18 vote, especially if Kenney squeaks in by a small margin as more than a few bet.

For Nixon, it is time for UCP MLAs to show some self-discipline and join the premier’s parade.

“If there are members of our caucus after this that will not get disciplined and keep their eye on the goal, then I think caucus will take action.”

We all know what that means. Kenney’s way or the highway.

Nixon won’t get specific. No need to make a direct threat when a veiled threat will do.

“What exactly that looks like, we’ll have to stay tuned but the window for continuing to disrupt the party is closing.”

With a bang!

Ric McIver is another in Kenney’s inner circle.

“A win is a win is a win. You either respect democracy or you don’t.”

But … er … does Kenney have the moral authority to continue if he wins with a crappy number not far above half support from his own people?

“Oh please. Oh please. Oh please. The winner is the winner. Whoever wins, wins,” says McIver.

But what if there is still argy-bargy in the ranks?

“It’s noise. You know what you do with noise? You listen to what’s not noise instead.”

Then there is Doug Schweitzer. He sits around the Kenney cabinet table but some savvy political operators figure Schweitzer isn’t a real amigo of the bossman.

Wouldn’t know it Thursday.

Schweitzer says Kenney’s leadership vote is “unique.”

In the past, where leaders thought a win was much higher than 50% plus one, Schweitzer says the votes were “highly curated events” with delegates from local party associations.

May 18 is different for Schweitzer.

“Members are having a direct say in the whole process. When the premier says 50% plus one, with this amount of engagement, that’s the right number.”

In the UCP tent, not everyone agrees.

“The complaining has to stop. Period. There’s too many things going in the right direction for Alberta,” says Schweitzer.

If some UCP MLAs don’t listen to the advice?

“I think they’re going to definitely be listening after May 18 when the premier wins.”

So there!

Brian Jean, former Wildrose leader and now a UCP MLA, could be a pain.

On Thursday, from his back-row seat in the legislature, Jean calls out Kenney and his crew for not pushing a fair deal for Alberta.

Tyler Shandro, another Kenney compadre, gives a smart-aleck non-answer.

Even Notley gets into the game Thursday.

She figures if Kenney doesn’t win big and stays it will “be permission for the drama to continue a few more seasons and unfortunately Albertans will be the ones who lose out.”

By the way, Kenney says he doesn’t feel the hostility and anger sometimes found in my scribblings.

Is it real?

“People are not happy,” says Notley.

“But, you know what, if Jason Kenney thinks everybody is onside, I wish him the best of luck.”

rbell@postmedia.com

ATA COULD BECOME A UNION LIKE BC TEACHERS FED
Bill splitting discipline from teacher union's functions passes; ATA doubts minister's timeline

The Alberta Teachers’ Association says establishing a new commissioner’s office to oversee teachers’ discipline is too complex a task to complete in seven months.


© Shaughn Butts

Alberta Teachers’ Association president Jason Schilling.

Lisa Johnson - Yesterday

Edmonton Journal

After a bill removing the disciplinary role of the ATA passed through legislative debate Wednesday, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said Thursday she is confident the department can get it done by January 1.

“I have exemplary people in my department that are committed to this process and to ensuring that we set up the Office of the Commissioner in the most appropriate and timely matter,” said LaGrange at an unrelated announcement.

LaGrange introduced Bill 15, the Education Reforming Teacher Profession Discipline Act, in late March in an effort to eliminate any potential conflict of interest for the association that also represents 46,000 teachers as a union.

The ATA has fought against it, arguing the legislation will introduce political interference in the disciplinary process by allowing the government to appoint the commissioner, and deprofessionalize teachers.

Association president Jason Schilling said Thursday LaGrange has miscalculated how complex it will be to move from the old model to the new model, and he doesn’t trust her to handle it — especially after what he called the “bumbled and fumbled” handling of files including the curriculum.

“I’m concerned that the minister will not have this ready in time,” said Schilling. The association will do the work in the meantime, but Schilling said it needs to see more details, and to be consulted with on the regulations so the overhaul of the disciplinary process goes smoothly and serves the interest of public safety.

“We cannot be building this airplane while we’re flying,” said Schilling.

The government has said regulations, which are still being written, will let cases that began before January under the ATA’s process continue with the same rules they started under for the first half of 2023, even as responsibilities shift to the commissioner and new hearing and appeal committees.

Katherine Stavropoulos, LaGrange’s press secretary, said in a statement some critics also said in December that the government would never be able to get the legislation drafted and passed in the legislature quickly, but it did.

NDP MLAs in the house Wednesday voted against the bill, although Opposition education critic Sarah Hoffman said the ATA’s concerns simply highlight the adversarial relationship the government has created with teachers.

“The timeline I think, is details. I think the biggest issue is that we have a government that really doesn’t respect the expertise of teachers who are working in our classrooms,” said Hoffman.

Bank of Canada reaching out to Indigenous groups on economic reconciliation

GATINEAU, Que. — A senior Bank of Canada official says the central bank will reach out to Indigenous groups over the next two years to help it define what economic reconciliation means and what its role should be.

In a speech to the Indigenous Prosperity Forum in Gatineau, Que., deputy governor Lawrence Schembri says the central bank will look to its existing partners — and, hopefully, new ones — for help.

Indigenous peoples face many barriers to accessing financial services including credit and capital that non-Indigenous Canadians do not.

Schembri says the challenges are the direct result of colonial policies that have led to geographic and economic isolation, financial dependence and widespread poverty and suffering.

However, he says work has started to help reduce the barriers to financial inclusion.

Schembri says the central bank hopes it can take a meaningful step toward building trust and strengthening its relationship with Indigenous peoples.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2022

Mandryk: Sask. Party caught in path of abortion debate destruction
Murray Mandryk - 
Leader Post

© Provided by Leader Post

Politicians — especially ones who court support from pro-life groups — need to held accountable for policies that affect abortion rights.

Try as they might, some political storms are just too big for politicians to escape.

The abortion debate is one such tornado.

Or so the Saskatchewan Party government is now finding out in the wake of the Category 5 news that the U.S. Supreme Court is about to overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing Americans abortion access. It’s ripping apart that country’s social fabric.

But why does it matter here?

Because the same pro-life advocates who pushed Republicans to appoint U.S. conservative justices like Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, who are now overturning that country’s half-century-old abortion rights law, are eagerly exercising their influence on conservative federal and provincial parties here.

Like any twister, they know no borders.

They already have been influential here. They are a big reason why Scott Moe is now premier.

The 2018 Saskatchewan Party leadership turned when votes for Ken Cheveldayoff went to Moe instead of early front-runner Alanna Koch — the only candidate who refused to fill out a survey from the anti-abortion group RightNow . Cheveldayoff — who said in his survey results he “supports anything that protects the unborn child” — received the highest marks. Moe was next highest.

Slightly more than a year after that, Yorkton MLA and then-rural and remote health minister Greg Ottenbreit — who then oversaw rural women’s access to abortion procedures that were available only in Regina and Saskatoon — stirred up a dust devil by giving greetings to the Saskatchewan Pro-Life Association annual convention.

That meeting discussed borrowing from American sister organizations to get more pro-life politicians elected. Ottenbreit said in his greeting it would be “gratifying to see the law changed” and he would “work within his professional capacity to do so.”

In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court news Tuesday, the Sask. Party sent out Status of Women Minister Laura Ross to face the storm alone: “I have never, ever wavered from that opinion,” Ross told the Leader-Post’s Jeremy Simes. “I’m pro-choice and so that is my stance that women have the right to choose.”

However, Ross acknowledged “not everyone has the same opinion on issues or concerns” — a significant understatement for her caucus that in 2017 at least contemplated requiring women under 18 years to receive parental consent to get an abortion. That would have been illegal under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Before she could elaborate further for TV cameras in the rotunda, Ross was sucked up by the whirlwind of Moe’s communications staff and swept away to the chamber for Moe’s executive council budget spending estimates — a debate in which she didn’t participate. As for Moe? Also too busy to talk Tuesday, reporters were told.

Alas, after years of playing abortion storm chaser, Moe and the Sask. Party are too close to get out of the path of this most recent twister.

Asked in Wednesday’s question period by NDP justice critic Nicole Sarauer to reaffirm his government’s commitment to women’s rights to an abortion, Moe repeated his position that the government would simply continue to follow the federal law.

Talking to reporters later, Moe insisted his personal pro-life views don’t matter and that Saskatchewan women struggling with access to abortion should talk to their MLA.

Sarauer called Moe’s statement “offensive,” questioning how a woman struggling with such a personal matter would possibly feel comfortable going to an unfamiliar Sask. Party caucus member who may be far more interested in hearing from pro-life groups.

And pro-life groups will eagerly continue to talk to local politicians because they are winning little battles on the ground.

In Alberta, Ontario and B.C., surgical abortion can be performed as late as 24 weeks. It’s only 12 weeks in Saskatoon and just shy of 19 weeks in Regina. Moreover, a referral from another doctor is needed for an abortion in Saskatoon.

So, contrary to Moe’s assertion, politicians’ personal views of politicians do seem to matter here when it comes to abortion policy implementation.

What also matters in this debate is the storm we are seeing down south.

Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

F35 boondoogle

Canada makes US$99M payment as part of deal to foot more of bill for developing F-35

LIBERALS PAY FOR HARPER'S F-35 BOONDOGGLE

Ottawa has made a multimillion-dollar payment as part of a renegotiated deal that is expected to see Canada foot more of the bill for developing the F-35 than in previous years.

The US$99-million payment and renegotiated deal come despite the fact the Liberal government has said Canada may not actually buy the stealth fighter.

The government announced in late March that it was entering into negotiations for the purchase of 88 F-35s, but left the door open to buying a Swedish-made fighter if the talks stalled.

Canada is one of eight partner countries involved in developing the F-35, and its latest contribution means it has so far thrown US$712 million into the pot.

Defence officials say the updated deal reflects Canada's desire to buy 88 new fighters rather than its original plan of 65, as well as Turkey's withdrawal from the F-35 program.

However, the renegotiated agreement also comes as U.S. officials raised fresh concerns last week about escalating costs and development problems with the stealth fighter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2022.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

F35 boondoogle

So the Parliamentary Budget Office declares that the Harpocrites have low balled the costs of their F35 fighter purchase, which they sole sourced. They say prove it...that's hard to do when the DOD fails to provide the PBO with any cost estimates, being under the cone of silence imposed by the PMO.

SEE LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for F35 

UPDATED

National employment numbers for April from Statistics Canada, at a glance

OTTAWA — A quick look at Canada's April employment (numbers from the previous month in brackets):

Unemployment rate: 5.2 per cent (5.3)

Employment rate: 61.9 per cent (61.9)

Participation rate: 65.3 per cent (65.4)

Number unemployed: 1,085,800 (1,100,200)

Canada’s unemployment rate falls to record low as 70,000 jobs added in March 

Number working: 19,600,500 (19,585,200)

Youth (15-24 years) unemployment rate: 10.1 per cent (9.8)

Men (25 plus) unemployment rate: 4.5 per cent (4.4)

Women (25 plus) unemployment rate: 4.5 per cent (4.8)

 

Here's a quick glance at unemployment rates for April, by Canadian city

OTTAWA — The national unemployment rate was 5.2 per cent in April. Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities. It cautions, however, that the figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples. Here are the jobless rates last month by city (numbers from the previous month in brackets):

_ St. John's, N.L. 6.9 per cent (7.4)

_ Halifax 4.9 per cent (5.4)

_ Moncton, N.B. 5.0 per cent (5.7)

_ Saint John, N.B. 7.1 per cent (7.4)

_ Saguenay, Que. 4.0 per cent (4.5)

_ Quebec City 2.5 per cent (2.7)

_ Sherbrooke, Que. 2.9 per cent (2.6)

_ Trois-Rivieres, Que. 3.4 per cent (3.9)

_ Montreal 4.8 per cent (5.1)

_ Gatineau, Que. 2.6 per cent (3.8)

_ Ottawa 5.2 per cent (5.3)

_ Kingston, Ont. 6.2 per cent (5.9)

_ Peterborough, Ont. 3.9 per cent (3.8)

_ Oshawa, Ont. 4.9 per cent (5.4)

_ Toronto 6.3 per cent (7.2)

_ Hamilton, Ont. 5.2 per cent (5.3)

_ St. Catharines-Niagara, Ont. 5.2 per cent (6.2)

_ Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ont. 5.6 per cent (5.4)

_ Brantford, Ont. 4.8 per cent (5.1)

_ Guelph, Ont. 5.1 per cent (4.8)

_ London, Ont. 4.8 per cent (5.3)

_ Windsor, Ont. 6.4 per cent (8.3)

_ Barrie, Ont. 7.1 per cent (7.6)

_ Greater Sudbury, Ont. 3.5 per cent (4.0)

_ Thunder Bay, Ont. 4.0 per cent (4.9)

_ Winnipeg 5.3 per cent (5.1)

_ Regina 6.0 per cent (5.2)

_ Saskatoon 4.4 per cent (4.6)

_ Calgary 7.2 per cent (7.7)

_ Edmonton 6.9 per cent (7.1)

_ Kelowna, B.C. 5.3 per cent (6.7)

_ Abbotsford-Mission, B.C. 4.5 per cent (3.9)

_ Vancouver 5.4 per cent (5.4)

_ Victoria 4.4 per cent (4.1)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2022.

The Canadian Press

RAILWORKERS IN UKRAINE ARE HEROES

Russia intensifies attacks on railways, taking aim at Ukraine's lifeline to the outside world

By Ivana Kottasová, Petro Zadorozhnyy and Lauren Said-Moorhouse

 CNN - Yesterday .


The smell of burnt wire and rubber still lingered in the air around the railway power station on the outskirts of Lviv Wednesday morning, hours after the blaze was extinguished. A group of investigators was collecting debris from the Russian rockets that struck this place the evening before. Now it serves as evidence of Russia's attempts to systematically destroy key infrastructure.

The Lviv power station was among six railway facilities in central and western Ukraine targeted by Russian forces on Tuesday evening, according to the chairman of Ukrainian Railways Olexander Kamyshin.

The coordinated strikes briefly knocked out power in parts of the region and caused long delays to more than 40 trains.

"There were also disruptions on our pumping stations, which are supplying the city with water," Lviv Deputy Mayor Serhiy Kiral told CNN. He said contingency plans were executed to ensure the water supply was not impacted by the strikes.

Tuesday's attack marks the latest in a series of recent attacks on the country's infrastructure, with the railway network now one of Russia's key targets.

On Wednesday, Russia said it believed any weapons -- including NATO equipment -- arriving into and moving within Ukraine were targets, according to Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

Five train stations in western and central Ukraine were hit in the space of an hour on April 25. Two days later, a missile struck a rail and road bridge across the Dniester Estuary that links the southern port city of Odesa with the country's far southwest region. Then on Friday, another important railway bridge was blown up near the town of Sloviansk in the eastern Donetsk region.

Earlier in April, in one of the deadliest attacks so far, at least 50 people -- including five children -- were killed after Russian forces carried out a missile strike on a railway station in Kramatorsk.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that Russian forces were "attempting to hit what we assess to be critical infrastructure targets out towards the West" in Ukraine including "electrical power, transportation hubs, that kind of thing."

Kirby said that despite the most recent attacks, the US is still able to "flow" military assistance into the region, including "weapons systems" and other materials.

The national railway has always played a crucial economic role in Ukraine, transporting agriculture and heavy industry exports across the country's vast territory.

But since the Russian invasion began in late February, the train network has become Ukraine's lifeline to the outside world: It's how weapons, supplies and humanitarian aid get into the country.


© Petro Zadorozhnyy/CNN

Railway workers fix a part of the railway line that connects Lviv to Poland.

Mayor Kiral downplayed Russia's attempts, saying he believed it would not have "any significant effect" on supplies coming from the West.

However, he did concede the attacks could hinder Ukraine's trade with the outside world. "It may affect the exports of the Ukrainian commodities, which is very critical in these times of the year because we need to take out more than five million tons of grain in order to be ready for the new harvest."

The network has also been the backbone of global diplomacy and solidarity. When foreign officials -- including EU leaders, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken -- have visited the country, they too have traveled in and out by train.

It is also a key lifeline to the many that have escaped the fighting. According to Ukrainian Railways, 3.8 million people -- nearly 10% of the country's entire population -- used trains to get to safety in the first two months of the war.

For the more than 230,000 Ukrainians working for the railway network, the recent attacks have been a reminder of how dangerous -- and vital -- their jobs have become.

"We are worried. When we hear the siren, we have to run to the shelter. Just yesterday, two missiles hit nearby," Andriy, a railroad worker on one of the lines leading from Poland to Lviv, told CNN. Andriy declined to give his last name due to concerns for his safety. The railroad is a strategic asset and its employees are not officially authorized to speak to the media.

Andriy, who has been working on the railway for 28 years, said he is incredibly proud to be part of the effort that keeps Ukraine moving.

As he dug out stones and soil underneath the rail, he spoke of his fear. "We just want to work in safety, nobody wants to be hit from the air," he said.

As the railroad plays such an important role in the conflict, Ukrainians have also used it tactfully, striking against key parts of their own network in Russian-occupied areas of the country.

Last Thursday, Ukrainian forces blew up a bridge that connects the Crimean Peninsula to a part of southern Ukraine occupied by the Russians in an attempt to disrupt their flow of weapons.

Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa military administration, said Russian forces were using the bridge to "supply weapons and fuel from Crimea."

Andriy's colleague Maksym is working on the railroad as part of his compulsory military service.

As a religious man, Maksym, who also declined to give his last name, said his faith doesn't allow him to take up arms. "So I am doing this as an alternative," he told CNN, saying that making sure that the trains keep running is his way of fighting.


© Petro Zadorozhnyy/CNN

Local residents stand next to a railway power station that was damaged by Russian strikes on Tuesday.