I will start this thread so I don't have to keep bringing back the Trudeaumania II thread every time there is news from Canada that some might be interested in,

Jian Ghomeshi found not guilty on choking and all sex assault charges

An Ontario Court judge has acquitted former CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi on four counts of sexual assault and one count of choking, saying there were significant issues raised about the credibility of complainants.

Judge William Horkins said the evidence from all three women not only suffered from inconsistencies, but was "tainted by outright deception."

After Horkins delivered his ruling, Ghomeshi, 48, hugged his mother, sister and other supporters who sat behind him in the courtroom.

The trial, which began in Toronto on Feb. 1, 2016, lasted eight days. Ghomeshi had pleaded not guilty to all the charges, all related to assaults alleged to have taken place from 2002 to 2003.

The identities of two of the complainants in the case are protected under a publication ban, but actress Lucy DeCoutere, also an air force captain, went to court to lift the ban on her name.

The first woman to testify told court that Ghomeshi had pulled her hair and punched her in the head at his home after a dinner date. DeCoutere said the former Q host had choked and slapped her at his home. The third woman said Ghomeshi had squeezed her neck and covered her mouth while they were kissing on a park bench.

But it was later revealed in court that each woman had had contact with Ghomeshi following the alleged assaults and that details of this contact had not been provided to police or the Crown in their initial statements.

The first witness had told police and the court she had no subsequent contact with Ghomeshi after two alleged attacks but later acknowledged she sent him two emails and a picture of herself in a bikini more than a year later. The woman said she sent the emails to bait Ghomeshi into calling her to explain his actions.

DeCoutere had told the court that she had no romantic interest in Ghomeshi after her alleged assault and only saw him at industry functions. But it was later revealed in court that hours after the alleged sexual assault, she had sent him an email saying she wanted to have sex with him and sent him a handwritten letter days later saying she was sad they didn't spend the night together.

The third woman, who told police she would only feel safe being out with Ghomeshi in public after her alleged assault, failed to disclose that days later, she had a consensual sexual encounter with him.

In his final argument, Crown attorney Michael Callaghan argued that the witnesses had provided explanations for some of of the inconsistencies, delayed disclosures or omissions in their evidence. He stressed that not withstanding vigorous cross-examination, all three "were unshaken" in their allegations that they were sexually assaulted by Ghomeshi.

But Ghomeshi's lawyer seized on those omissions, saying there testimony was "so riddled with inconsistencies and improbabilities and proven lies under oath that it cannot be said to prove anything."

 

Here is the link to the above article and it also includes links to other related stories.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/jian-ghomeshi-sexual-assault-trial-ruling-1.3505446

The only thing a not guilty verdict does to help Ghomeshi is that it will keep his cute little tight ass out of the reach of prisoners in the jail he should be going to ... if he didn't have such a good and expensive lawyer and the Crown Proscecutor knew what the fuck they were doing.

 

To say that the complaintants were less than credible is an understatement to say the least and each had an axe to grind with him although I do believe that "something" did take place that maybe went a little to far.

I have met him a few times over the years and he seemed likeable enough but something always felt out of place when he would mention certain things on a personal level.

 

The lawyer (Marie Henein) in this case argued a brilliant defense and coincidentally could be Ghomeshi's twin sister (but is not).



https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/jian-ghomeshi-sexual-assault-trial-1.3443556

 

One sad thing that may come out of this verdict is that it may deter women from reporting sexual assault in the future ... but it may also help to prevent unfounded allegations made from those with an axe to grind.

Jian Ghomeshi trial could deter women from reporting sexual assault

Jennifer Leigh O'Neill describes herself as a sexual assault survivor and advocate for others like her.

After following coverage of the sexual assault and choking trial of Jian Ghomeshi, she decided to head down to the Toronto courthouse with about six other people to make a statement with protest placards.

Their concern is that the tough cross-examination by Ghomeshi's lawyer, Marie Henein, has led to public scrutiny of the three complainants and their actions before and after the alleged assaults.

"I came out because, basically, as a survivor of sexual assault who has gone through the court process and seen the accused found guilty, I feel it's important for us to show our faces during this court process," O'Neil said.


The trial has drawn protesters who object to the defence team's grilling of the complainants. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)

"I believe that women deserve better questioning when it comes to whether or not consent was obtained. I don't think we need to use these tactics. I think there's room for a full and fair defence, but I also think that there's room for respecting women's bodies."

Chilling effect noted
Other advocates who work with sexual assault survivors say the Ghomeshi trial has already cast a chill and discouraged some people from reporting sexual assaults to the police.

Lenore Lukasik-Foss heads the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres and is director of the Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton and Area. She has heard reactions to the trial from some of the people the centre helps.

"The things we're hearing so far are, 'Wow, I'm so glad I didn't report,' 'I don't know that I could ever report because of this. I don't want to be treated like this,'" Lukasik-Foss said

She blames the reactions on a combination of the widespread media coverage and the nature of the relationships between Ghomeshi and the complainants.

"Because the kinds of questioning that defence use when the perpetrator is known to the person have to be about your credibility, and it's personal details ... some survivors say it's re-traumatizing."


Jennifer Leigh O'Neill, a survivor of sexual assault, who has been protesting outside the trial of Jian Ghomeshi against the defence tactic of grilling complainants about the details of their sex lives and personal relationships. 'I believe that women deserve better questioning when it comes to whether or not consent was obtained,' she said. (CBC)

The statistics for sexual assault reporting are already dire.

In a 2012 study, University of Ottawa criminology professor Holly Johnson analyzed Statistics Canada data that suggests there are 460,000 sexual assaults annually in Canada, but only fraction, about 15,000, are reported to police. For every 1,000 incidents, 33 are reported, 12 result in charges, six go to trial and three result in convictions.

Reluctance to come forward
There are myriad reasons for the low reporting rate.

Erin Ellis, a lawyer who represents sexual assault plaintiffs in civil court, says the treatment of some complainants in criminal trials is partly to blame. She says the extensive media coverage of the high-profile Ghomeshi case has simply highlighted what victims already know can happen to them in a criminal courtroom.


Personal details of the complainants' relationships with Ghomeshi have been dissected at trial and in the media, including this letter sent by Lucy DeCoutere to Ghomeshi in 2003.

"I do think some survivors at home watching this will look at their behaviour both before and after the assault and believe that they don't stand a chance and that they wouldn't want to go through a criminal trial. And they may not report it to the police," said Ellis.

She says that's why some clients who have been sexually assaulted by someone they know prefer to go the route of civil court. She says civil court gives survivors the power to decide how things go up until the trial date, making it the client's case instead of the Crown's case, as is the case in criminal court.

Ellis also says the burden of proof is lighter in civil court.

"We have to show that it's more probable than not. A criminal case has to show beyond a reasonable doubt. So it [civil court] is a better balance."

Of course, the overall effect of the Ghomeshi trial won't be known until it's over. The judge's decision could become a major factor in whether complainants in other cases come forward.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ghomeshi-trial-sexual-assault-chill-1.3441059

 

2015 a record-breaking year for renewables—everywhere but Canada
Global economies pumped $497 billion into clean energy last year, but in Canada, spending declined by almost half.


The Sun Mine solar plant outside Kimberley B.C. Now the largest solar installation in Western Canada, the project was one of many to be brought online last year. PHOTO: CNW Group/City of Kimberley

OTTAWA—Canada is dropping behind its major trading partners in renewable energy investment, according to a study from a clean energy advocacy group.

Merran Smith of Clean Energy Canada suggests government-set targets and goals for wind and solar power in regional energy grids is the best way to spur that investment and keep Canada in the game.

“Clean energy is taking off around the world and in the countries that we consider our markets,” she said. “This is really a wake-up call for Canada.”

Clean Energy Canada, in a report released Monday, found 2015 was a record-breaking year for investment in clean energy such as solar and wind power.

Using figures from international agencies and business databases—predominantly Bloomberg New Energy Finance data released last week—the group found a total of $497 billion was invested in 2015. That’s a seven per cent increase from the previous year despite competition from low-priced fossil fuels.

The largest chunk of that money—$226 billion—was spent in developing countries, the study found.

About $218 billion went toward solar energy and about $150 billion was spent on wind power, the two largest types of investment.

The list of countries and regions that increased spending on renewable energy is long.

U.S. spending was up seven per cent. In the U.K. and India, it went up 23 per cent. China spent 17 per cent more on renewables and Mexico increased its investments by 114 per cent.

Meanwhile, spending in Canada actually declined by about half, even though the country remains ranked eighth in the world in terms of absolute dollars.

The reason, said Smith, is the lack of new government targets and regulations for the use of renewable energy.

“(Clean energy) doesn’t need subsidies, it needs policies that commit to targets,” Smith said.

Most of the investment that resulted from Ontario’s decision to purchase more renewable energy has already happened, she said. Provinces such as British Columbia haven’t made such promises yet and those that have, such as Alberta and Saskatchewan, have yet to come up with the details.

Alberta has promised to get just under a third of its power from renewables by 2030. Saskatchewan said by that year, half its electricity is expected to come from clean sources.

“We need to see that translated into policy this year,” Smith said. “That will help boost Canada’s investment.

“What we know is that good targets and good policy really help.”

The first ministers’ meeting on climate to be held this week in Vancouver could also help.

“One thing they could commit to is a clean energy plan for Canada that makes real, tangible clean energy commitments,” she said.

Smith said that wind and solar power are becoming cheaper and more competitive with fossil fuels.

They’re already cost-competitive in 30 countries, she said, adding that in a place such as Alberta, with large wind power potential, renewables can already compete with fossil fuels.

 

BREAKING: Canadian Judge Declares Home Medical Cultivation Legal
2/24/2016
A legal decision years in the making finally landed in the Canadian Federal Court of Appeals on Wednesday morning. For the first time since the 2013 passage of the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR), patients in Canada will legally be allowed to grow their own cannabis without fear of seizure or retribution from the government.

The case of Neil Allard v. Her Majesty the Queen began in another time, under another government. Until 2013, the Marihuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) made up the country's medical marijuana program. Under that structure, patients could access cannabis through Health Canada’s government supply, apply for a personal-use production license, or designate someone to cultivate cannabis on their behalf.

In June 2013, however, Health Canada adopted the new rules of the MMPR, which created a system of licensed producers from which patients could access medical cannabis. Under this new program, personal-use production licenses were to be suspended after March 2014, and all patients were expected to register with a licensed producer.



Nanaimo resident Neil Allard was the first to question the constitutionality of the new program. He challenged the law on grounds that removing his cultivation license would constitute a government-sponsored attack on his personal health, as he couldn’t afford to purchase medicine through the MMPR’s licensed producer system.

The court order issued Wednesday by Justice Michael L. Phelan undoes the cancellation of personal-use cultivation licenses. Cannabis activist Marc Emery said it was a crucial development for patients across the country. “Everybody was on edge about this, because 20,000 or 30,000 people are growing large amounts of pot under that that temporary injunction against the government,” he told Leafly. “Lots of things are going to be changing in Vancouver and across Canada over the next few months.”

While the move might help patients, it hasn't been so good for licensed producers. Health Canada-licensed operations such as Canopy Growth, OrganiGram, and Aphria watched their stocks slump after the ruling. (Full disclosure: Tilray, a Health Canada-licensed producer, is owned by Privateer Holdings, which also owns Leafly.)

Although the ruling will have immediate implications for Canada’s medical cannabis industry, Phelan suspended his decision for six months “to permit Canada to enact a new or parallel medical marihuana regime.”

 

Lawrence Hill wins second Canada Reads title with The Illegal
Thursday, March 24, 2016

Lawrence Hill has won Canada Reads 2016 for his novel The Illegal, defended by six-time Olympic medallist Clara Hughes

This is Hill's second time winning Canada Reads, after claiming the title in 2009 for The Book of Negroes.

"The Illegal asks Canadians to imagine the humanity of one refugee, and thus all refugees," said Hughes in her final defence of the novel.

The Canada Reads finale ended with a dramatic vote, which forced panellist Adam "Edge" Copeland to break a 2-2 split with The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami. Copeland reluctantly voted to eliminate The Hero's Walk.

Once the winner was declared, Hill came out to surprise the panellists. The author was full of praise for Canada Reads.

"If you win a literary prize, that prize will be discussed for a day or so, and then fade. With Canada Reads, people are discussing five Canadian books for months," said Hill.

Panellists also praised actor Vinay Virmani for passionately defending The Hero's Walk, which came in second.

"He truly shone a light on corners of this book that I didn't see," said Copeland.

Virmani recently purchased the film rights to the book.

Videos of all of the Canada Reads debates will be available here. Find a recap of the final vote here.

https://www.cbc.ca/books/2016/03/lawrence-hill-wins-second-canada-reads-title-with-the-illegal.html

 

Talk about having a horseshoe up your ass ... unless you were actually trying to kill yourself.

Woman, 20, in serious condition after driving car over Signal Hill cliff in St. John's.

A 20-year-old woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries after driving her car over the edge of a steep cliff on Signal Hill in St. John's Sunday morning, according to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.

The woman remains in hospital in serious condition.

A "third party" reported suspicious activity near Cabot Tower at 7:45. 30min later, RNC arrive, car over cliff pic.twitter.com/fKSMjF39e9

— @KatieBreenNL
Police said they received a call from a "third party" at 7:45 a.m. that a car was driving suspiciously near Cabot Tower.

Const. Geoff Higdon told reporters Sunday afternoon that within 30 minutes, the woman had driven through a gate on the edge of the Signal Hill parking lot and proceeded to an area beyond Cabot Tower.

The woman was in a grey Toyota Echo when it went over the cliff, but she was ejected shortly after. Police said the woman was thrown 20 metres from the car.

Almost on the back of the tow truck. It's dangling in a different way now #cbcnl pic.twitter.com/1x3I4D8jQ9

— @KatieBreenNL
Just passed the tow-truck carrying (what I'm pretty sure) is the car that went over Signal Hill. #nltraffic pic.twitter.com/o2PGNbo0h4

— @zachgoudie
The RNC, Avalon Towing and a high-angle rescue crew with the St. John's Regional Fire Department all worked to remove the car from the side of the rocky cliff Sunday afternoon

"It's a first for us," Platoon Chief Rick Mackey told CBC News.

Despite his 30 years of service, Mackey said he couldn't believe it when he got the call shortly after 8:30 a.m. that a car had gone over the cliff's edge.

Driver broke through this gate, SJRF confirms. She left vehicle after it came to a stop on cliff. #cbcnl pic.twitter.com/cBPw9yird5

— @KatieBreenNL

An airbag deployed and there appeared to be substantial damage to the car's front end. (Jim Fitzgerald/Facebook)

No word on woman's injuries. She was brought to hospital in serious condition shortly after 8:00am #cbcnl pic.twitter.com/3u5OlSHF15

— @KatieBreenNL
Dozens of spectators lined the nearby South Side Road to watch as crews hoisted the vehicle to a parking lot above.

The North Head hiking trail has been closed to all foot traffic, while vehicles were diverted at the visitor's centre.

Thick ruts in grass near this rock. Tow truck likely braced against it while pulling car back over cliff #cbcnl pic.twitter.com/jphy7T8FlM

— @KatieBreenNL
Crews consulting with Parks Canada determined it was best to remove the car as quickly as possible due to its precarious location, Mackey said. Winds on the cliff were extremely high, he added.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/vehicle-dangling-off-cliff-at-battery-1.3518540

 

Blue Jays won their season opener 5-3 against Tampa Bay on Sunday.

 

Are you fucking kidding me ... ???

Sisters stranded at remote B.C. gas station after bus driver ejects pair for expired tickets
'I never, ever want any parent to have to go through this,' mother says
By Betsy Trumpener, CBC News Posted: Apr 07, 2016 5:00 AM PT Last Updated: Apr 07, 2016 5:00 AM PT

A B.C. mother says a Greyhound bus driver forced her two young daughters off an Alberta-bound bus in the middle of the night last weekend, abandoning the girls at a remote truck stop not far from the Highway of Tears.

The sisters, aged 12 and 16, waited alone for almost five hours while a family friend drove through the night to rescue them.

Greyhound has launched an investigation, but a spokesman said it appears the girls' tickets had expired.

"I never, ever want any parent to have to go through this. I don't want any child to have to feel how my children felt," their mother, Vanessa Aubichon, told CBC News as she wept. "I'm furious. I'm sad. I'm upset."

Aubichon's daughters, Chelsie Kazakoff, 12, and Jessie Kazakoff, 16, live with their father in Alberta, but were visiting their mother in Prince George, B.C., over spring break.

Aubichon bought them round-trip Greyhound bus tickets at the Prince George depot. She said she asked the clerk to set the return date for Sunday, so the girls would be back at their father's house in Sylvan Lake, Alta., the night before school started.

Girls left on overnight Greyhound
While Aubichon was at work, family friend Brent Valkowsky saw the girls off at the Greyhound bus station in downtown Prince George. He watched as the driver took their tickets and the girls boarded the overnight bus, which left Prince George at 12:05 a.m. on April 3.

Several hours later, the girls were scheduled to change buses in the dark at a Greyhound stop at a remote gas station and fast food outlet in Valemount, B.C., at 3:35 a.m.

Aubichon said the girls boarded the second bus for the next leg of the trip to Red Deer via Edmonton.

But she says the driver told her daughters their tickets had expired and his bus was fully booked, so they'd have to get off.

Aubichon says the Greyhound driver told the girls that if they waited in Valemount through the night, they might be put on a morning bus that would get them back home to Alberta in 23 hours.

You don't just leave two girls behind. Who does that? - mother Vanessa Aubichon
That's when she fielded a frantic phone call from daughter Jessie.

"She's like, 'Mom, Mom, the bus driver left us!' You could hear it in her voice. She was absolutely scared.

"The fact they could leave them like that, with nowhere to go, knowing they have no one.

"You don't just leave two girls behind. Who does that? Who does that?"

'I don't have a clue where they are'
Aubichon said she was in a panic.

"I burst into tears. I was in hysterics, hyperventilating. I don't have a clue where they are. I don't know what to do because I don't drive."

Aubichon managed to reach Valkowsky, who owns a truck, and a second friend who agreed to drive, and sent them off to Valemount, a three-hour drive, in the middle of the night. The town is about 20 kilometres south of Highway 16, known as the Highway of Tears due to the number of unsolved murders and disappearances of women along the route.


"I just panicked. I cried. I was in hysterics, " said the girls' mother, Vanessa Aubichon, above. (Betsy Trumpener/CBC News )

Aubichon said she spent the next few hours calling her daughters and weeping.

"I cried myself right out. I paced my floor the whole time, back and forth, back and forth."

Her friends arrived in Valemount to rescue the girls just after daylight.

"I could see they were scared," said Valkowsky. "As soon as I got there, they just hugged me and wouldn't let go."

Valkowsky and the friend then drove the girls to their father's house in Alberta.

Meanwhile, Aubichon tried to reach Greyhound. She was told by a customer service representative that Greyhound would consider giving her a refund if she filed a formal letter of complaint.

"I don't even care about the money," said Aubichon. "Do you understand what you just did to two little girls?"

CBC News contacted Greyhound at its corporate office in Dallas, Texas.

Greyhound 'taking this matter very seriously'
"We are taking this matter very seriously and are currently conducting an investigation to find out exactly what happened," Greyhound spokeswoman Lanesha Gipson said in an email.

Gipson said an initial investigation shows the girls' tickets expired two days before they travelled. "With the second bus at capacity, we had no empty seats for the customers to travel."

She said the driver "still wanted to be helpful and called the driver of the next scheduled bus, who agreed to transport them."

"Because our tickets are date and time specific, we encourage customers whose travel plans have changed to have their tickets reissued for another date," said Gipson.

But Aubichon said Greyhound staff should not have let her daughters board the bus in Prince George and travel the first leg of their journey if the tickets had indeed expired.

"The lady who sold the bus tickets, the driver who took the bus tickets, nobody paid any attention," she said.

Aubichon said she wants to ensure no other young passengers ever go through what her daughters endured, and no parent suffer what she did.

"Absolutely, I had my fears about putting them on Greyhound," she said. "But it was my cheapest way of getting them here."

"I urged them to take the bus because I wanted to see my daughters so badly. And this is what happens."

 

Driver released without charge after collision that killed RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett
Investigation into the deadly crash ongoing
CBC News Posted: Apr 06, 2016 3:24 PM PT Last Updated: Apr 06, 2016 6:44 PM PT


A man taken into custody at the scene of the crash that killed RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett Tuesday morning has been released without charge (Richard Zussman/CBC)


Related Stories

• Condolences for Mountie Sarah Beckett pouring in
• Sarah Beckett, RCMP constable, killed in crash near Victoria
• RCMP officer seriously injured in early morning crash near Victoria

Police say the man taken into custody following a collision that killed an RCMP officer in Langford, B.C., has been released without charge.

Const. Sarah Beckett died yesterday after her cruiser was struck by a pickup truck. The collision happened at an intersection at around 3:30 a.m. local time Tuesday and Beckett was pronounced dead at around 4 a.m., while the
other driver was not seriously injured.

An RCMP spokesperson says a man taken into custody at the scene was released without charge this morning.


Beckett, shown here in a 2008 Facebook photo, had just returned to work after her second maternity leave. (Facebook )

Investigators continue to speak with witnesses and document evidence related to the crash.

 

Thanks JPT! I will make this a `watched thread' and view it later, too tired now, soon to bed, g'day!

 

Mulcair and the NDP head into couples therapy at convention
NDP leader faces a divided party, with some calling for his departure and others standing behind him

Whatever the outcome of this weekend's vote on Tom Mulcair's leadership, it's already apparent that the NDP is a party deeply divided — not just over whether he deserves to stay in the job, but over where the party needs to go.

One can't be separated from the other.

Mulcair, as we already know, led the New Democrats to a devastating result in the 2015 election. The party lost votes, over half its seats and its status as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons.

• Dominic Cardy refuses to endorse Tom Mulcair, skips party convention
• Proposed NDP resolutions reveal grassroots itching to shift to the left
• NDP should embrace Leap Manifesto, riding associations say
• Mulcair not worried about MPs rebelling against his leadership

Worse still, the Liberals vaulted over the NDP in large part because Justin Trudeau out-performed Mulcair during the campaign.

But there's a growing sense inside the party that the Liberals really usurped the NDP as the party of choice among progressive voters, with the most obvious example being Trudeau's willingness to run deficits to invest in infrastructure, indigenous communities and health care.




Heading into the weekend, the list of those who want a change at the top includes the party's youth wing, its socialist caucus and the president of the Canadian Labour Congress.

In a letter released this week, the youth wing urged NDP members to support "a new direction and new style of leadership."

It complains that young New Democrats were forced in the last campaign to argue against legalization of marijuana, against Mulcair's participation in a debate on women's issues and, well, on a host of other issues that ran counter to what young people believe.

A more progressive approach
For those who want Mulcair out as leader, the arguments amount to something like this: They want someone who's more progressive. More hip. More engaging. They see Mulcair as too top-down in his approach, a leader unwilling to listen or compromise.

In an interview with CBC's Peter Mansbridge on Wednesday, Mulcair went out of his way to signal a willingness to listen to grassroots members — even on proposals to keep fossil fuels in the ground to fight climate change, a contentious idea in Alberta, the province hosting this weekend's convention.

On the other side are some of the country's largest public and private sector unions, among them the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the United Steelworkers, who insist Mulcair remains the right person to lead the party. They see him as bright, experienced, principled and tough.

"I see Tom as a real fighter," CUPE's national president, Mark Hancock, said this week on the podcast edition of CBC Radio's The House. "He's a scrapper. He's somebody I want to have in my corner if I'm going into a dispute."

Somewhere in the middle is Mulcair's own caucus. There's no open rebellion, but neither are his MPs doing much to openly line up behind him.

It's an uncomfortable spot for a political leader who has spent the past few months accepting blame for the NDP's poor showing in the last campaign, and appealing for a second chance.

Under the party's constitution, Mulcair only needs the support of 50 per cent plus one of the 1,500 delegates expected in Edmonton this weekend to stave off a leadership race.

Mulcair says that's clearly not enough. And there, at least, he's getting no blowback.

The numbers game
Party president Rebecca Blaikie has mused that Mulcair probably needs 70 per cent, a figure others in the party insist is the minimum for Mulcair to claim the "moral authority" to stay.

And even then it could be a compromise of sorts. Some New Democrats quietly say they don't believe Mulcair can lead the party into the next election, but they don't want him to leave quite yet, when there's no obvious successor.

Either way, it's uncharted territory for a party with no history of deposing its leaders.

And if you're a Mulcair backer there's an added cause for concern. Nearly twice as many delegates as expected registered for this weekend's convention. It's unlikely, say party insiders, that the greater than expected turnout is among New Democrats interested in maintaining the status quo.

Looking for signs
With that in mind, here are some things to watch for this weekend in Edmonton as a gauge of how Sunday's leadership review might go:

• How many speakers at the microphones focus on the past election's failures as opposed to focus on where the party needs to go? A collective inability to stop rehashing the 2015 campaign would indicate Mulcair has failed to convince members he can lead the party forward. How many will defend him? Many insiders are looking at the resolutions in Section 7 dealing with internal party democracy. If people really want to vent against Mulcair, that's where they'll do it.
• How hard will delegates push the convention to adopt the so-called Leap Manifesto as party policy? The document drafted by activist writers Naomi Klein and Ai Lewis calls for the rejection of all new pipelines and fracking, the scrapping of trade deals and a focus on "localized, ecologically based agriculture" as part of a drive to an economy that will rely exclusively on renewable energy.
• Discussions were underway before the convention to bring forward a resolution that would have the party endorse the principles of the manifesto with a commitment to work on ways to incorporate some — but not all — of the proposals as party policy. Mulcair is part of those discussions. How delegates who are demanding a more progressive agenda react to what's agreed upon will be another gauge.
• What will Mulcair say in his speech to delegates? What tone will he strike on Sunday morning immediately before voting begins on the leadership review? A common view is that it's now up to Mulcair "to seal the deal" on his leadership. Everyone knows what happened in 2015. The goal in that speech has to be to convince people that he's the right choice to lead the NDP forward.

"He has to show he can raise money, bring in new members and identify those progressive issues that will distinguish the NDP under Tom Mulcair from the Liberals under Justin Trudeau,'' says one insider.

Mulcair's supporters argue a willingness to run deficits is no measure of how progressive your policies are. They say the NDP remains the only party that would scrap the Conservatives' anti-terrorism law. It's the only party opposed to a military role in Iraq. And the only party with a plan to tax corporations more heavily, or to propose universal, $15-a-day child care.

It's no easy task. The sting of 2015 remains sharp. Rebuilding for a future four years away is still too distant.

As the British historian Lord Acton famously observed, "The long term versus the short term argument is the one used by losers."

It may well be the best argument Mulcair has, as he tries to hold on to his job, and to keep his party from the kind of divisive public quarrelling that eventually doomed the Liberals to the opposition benches a decade ago.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mulcair-chris-hall-leadership-ndp-1.3525911

 

Rachel Notley uses TV address to scold feds, downplay expectations for spending hikes
Albertans aren’t looking for big hikes in spending, premier says
CBC News Posted: Apr 07, 2016 6:46 PM MT Last Updated: Apr 07, 2016 7:05 PM MT

Premier Rachel Notley used a televised address Thursday to downplay expectations for big spending hikes amid the economic downturn.

With a new budget being unveiled in a week, Notley stressed now is not the time to open the purse strings in a significant way, serving notice to public sector workers that the province must show some restraint.

"Please remember that Albertans want us to live within our means," she told government workers, whose unions are soon heading to the bargaining table. "Albertans aren't looking for any significant increases in public spending in times like these."

• Alberta throne speech tackles economy, payday loans
• Finance minister warns of looming $10-billion deficit budget

In a 15-minute address taped in the kitchen of her Edmonton home, Notley also said the government will roll out details of the Alberta jobs program in next week's budget.

"The Alberta jobs plan invests in Alberta's infrastructure," she said. "The Alberta jobs plan diversifies our energy markets and our energy industry."

Much of the speech was made up of points she's made before.

Notley scolded the federal government for leaving Edmonton out of recent EI changes.

"The decision to exclude Edmonton and surrounding communities from EI improvements needs to be fixed," she said, urging the government "to do better."


'Everybody loses' with stalled pipelines
She urged Ottawa to help push ahead with approvals for building pipelines so Alberta's crude can get to tankers on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, allowing the best price on world markets.

"We must get this done, or everybody loses," she said. "Let's leave the divisive battles of the past in the past, and keep working together."

Notley's speech comes a week before her government tables its second budget. She acknowledged the deficit will be in excess of $10 billion, as the government has been projecting, and said royalty revenues will drop by 90 per cent next year.

Notley asked anyone who is suffering from job losses or reduced income to apply for new Alberta and federal child benefits, take advantage of the extension of EI benefits and provincial training programs.

Notley encouraged private sector businesses to watch the budget for "important new initiatives to promote job creation and economic diversification" in the province.

"And talk to us about how you can fit into Alberta's capital plan, our business lending and investment programs, and the new job creation steps we'll be setting out next week," she said.

Notley said the government will not make cuts to frontline services and the government will control costs, create jobs and diversify the economy.

Official Opposition Wildrose Leader Brian Jean gave a brief reaction prior to his more formal video address that will come early next week.

TV address offers 'troubling vision'
He said he had hoped Notley would outline a new plan for strengthening Alberta's economy. But he only saw more of her party's 'troubling vision."

He criticized the premier for allowing other provinces to "demonize" Alberta's oil and gas industry and for not having a strong voice on pipelines and equalization.

The debt the province will incur with its infrastructure building program will require higher interest payments, which will eat into money available for teachers, nurses, hospitals and schools, Jean said.

"I can't help but think that Albertans sitting around their kitchen tables, wondering what to do, expected so much more."

Interim PC leader Ric McIver said Notley's agenda shows a lack of imagination and her job creation plan rests on spending $34 billion in infrastructure over five years.

"She has no plan for a new economy. The new economy that she promises is a fantasy," he said. "It's unicorns and rainbows that no one can identify."

He said Notley has driven businesses out of the province.

"She continues to be a damaging force for Alberta," he said.

The cost to produce and air the address is now estimated at $85,000. CBC Television is airing the video at no cost to the Alberta government.

 

Oops, wrong thread ... "I'll be back".

 

Justin what the fuck is that? The eastern maritme provinces get extended EI benefits for generations but when Alberta needs the same, they exclude Edmonton the capital city.

 

Alberta doesn't have much use for the Liberals and they never let us forget it either ...

 

Fight for affordable internet to take centre stage at CRTC hearing today
Advocacy groups ready to lobby for cheaper internet at CRTC public hearing
By Sophia Harris, CBC News Posted: Apr 11, 2016 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Apr 11, 2016 5:00 AM ET


Alejandra Ruiz with the anti-poverty group ACORN says access to high-speed internet is a human right. (CBC)

Heidi Gatto browses a newspaper's job ads. The classifieds were once the go-to section for people like her looking for work.

Not anymore. She counts just five advertised jobs, a sign of our digital times.

"All the job postings, all the important things we do is online," says Gatto, a single mother living on social assistance in Toronto.

The problem for Gatto — she can't afford home internet service.

And she's not the only one in her family who suffers. Whenever Gatto's 11-year-old son, Justin needs to do research for his school work, he must take the bus to his grandmother's house where he can get online.


Heidi Gatto in Toronto can't afford home internet service. That hampers her job search and her son's school work.

Gatto feels left out, not having access to a service she believes is now a necessity. "We all need it or we're lost," she says.

National anti-poverty group, ACORN agrees. So it's lobbying the CRTC to mandate that telecoms offer a subsidized $10-a-month high-speed internet option for low-income Canadians.

"It's not a luxury anymore," says ACORN spokeswoman Alejandra Ruiz. "It's a human right."

The organization will make its case during CRTC public hearings that start today in Gatineau, Que. The three-week event is part of a review looking at access to basic telecommunications services.

Affordable internet is certain to become a hot topic during the hearing.

Full story:https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/affordable-internet-crtc-1.3523946

 

Temporarily demote G20 officer who ordered mass arrests, prosecution says

TORONTO -- The prosecution is calling for a year-long demotion for the senior Toronto police officer who illegally ordered mass arrests at the G20 summit six years ago.

After the year, Supt. David (Mark) Fenton would automatically be restored to his rank.

Prosecutor Brian Gover says the demotion would cost Fenton between $10,000 to $15,000 in lost pay.

Related Stories

• Detainees from Toronto G20 summit win right to sue via class actions

Gover also says such a penalty would be a "meaningful consequence" for the officer's misconduct.

Fenton was convicted last year under the Police Services Act for his actions at the tumultuous summit.

The tribunal found Fenton had no grounds to order riot police to box in and arrest hundreds of people -- many of them innocent bystanders.

Fenton, who once described the G20 protesters as a "marauding group of terrorists," apologized through his lawyer after his finding of guilt, Gover noted.

At the same time, the prosecutor said the defence's request for a reprimand would not be sufficient given the seriousness of his behaviour.

For one thing, Gover said, Fenton told the tribunal he had done the "right thing" and "would do it again."

"This was not a momentary lapse of judgment," Gover told retired judge John Hamilton.

The G20 weekend was marred by a spate of vandalism in which store windows were smashed and two cruisers set alight.

About 1,100 people -- about 600 of them on Fenton's orders -- were detained or arrested, many ending up in a widely condemned makeshift detention centre.

Gover said the challenging situation that weekend called for cool heads to prevail but Fenton, instead, acted like a "hot head" who was "spoiling to use his authority."

"Hundreds of people were denied their constitutional rights as a result of (his) actions," Gover said.

Fenton, a 27-year member of the Toronto police force, is the only upper command officer to face disciplinary proceedings for his summit actions.

The tribunal heard he had an "exemplary" record and enjoys strong support from his subordinates.

Complainants at the two-day sentencing hearing want him fired for what they called a "repeated and sustained abuse" of his authority.

They also said his "terse apology" was a backhanded attempt to justify his actions.

Their lawyer, Adrienne Telford, said many of those detained or jailed in deplorable conditions were "deeply affected" by Fenton's actions.

In addition, she said, he tried to abdicate responsibility for his misconduct by blaming subordinates for the mass violation of civil rights.