CALGARY – TC Energy Corp.’s decision to proceed with the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline with the help of the Alberta government would allow the oilpatch to hit the ground running when prices recover.
“This is absolutely critical for our economic future now more than ever,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said in an interview with the Financial Post.
On Tuesday, TC Energy, formerly known as TransCanada Corp., said it has decided to build the controversial pipeline with a US$1.1-billion “strategic investment” from the Alberta government.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
THE WHO HAS LET US ALL DOWN
With this historical context in mind, let’s re-examine the handling of the coronavirus pandemic byTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO. He praised the Chinese Communist party’s handling of the situation, even as doctors like Li Wenliang were being arrested for warning about the epidemic and as people were being welded in quarantine camps through draconian measures. He also opposed the travel restrictions placed on China, declaring them to be discriminatory. He delayed declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, and finally yielded when it had infected over 116 countries.
Countries often have a pandemic response plan that is implemented once a pandemic is declared. But the WHO was left arguing over the semantics of its definition, which delayed these plans being put into action. A prime example of the WHO’s ineptitude was when CNN decided to declare the coronavirus a pandemic on March 9, two days before the WHO.
Countries often have a pandemic response plan that is implemented once a pandemic is declared. But the WHO was left arguing over the semantics of its definition, which delayed these plans being put into action. A prime example of the WHO’s ineptitude was when CNN decided to declare the coronavirus a pandemic on March 9, two days before the WHO.
ALARMING PATTERN OF BIOSECURITY BREACHES
In late November 2018, just over a year before the first coronavirus case was identified in Wuhan, China, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Detroit Metro Airport stopped a Chinese biologist with three vials labeled “Antibodies” in his luggage.
The biologist told the agents that a colleague in China had asked him to deliver the vials to a researcher at a U.S. institute. After examining the vials, however, customs agents came to an alarming conclusion.
“Inspection of the writing on the vials and the stated recipient led inspection personnel to believe the materials contained within the vials may be viable Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) materials,” says an unclassified FBI tactical intelligence report obtained by Yahoo News.
The biologist told the agents that a colleague in China had asked him to deliver the vials to a researcher at a U.S. institute. After examining the vials, however, customs agents came to an alarming conclusion.
“Inspection of the writing on the vials and the stated recipient led inspection personnel to believe the materials contained within the vials may be viable Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) materials,” says an unclassified FBI tactical intelligence report obtained by Yahoo News.
Monday, March 30, 2020
MPs GET PAY RAISE & CARBON TAX GOES UP
Talk about being tone deaf.
MPs, who fled Ottawa over concerns about COVID-19 on March 13, will pocket a pay raise on April 1, the same day many Canadians will be wondering how to make rent or mortgage payments. It’s also the same day the carbon tax goes up.
How’s that for a double whammy?
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joins other MPs in enjoying raises Wednesday, at least two Ontario Conservative MPs are donating their pay hikes to the Salvation Army and a women’s shelter.
MPs, who fled Ottawa over concerns about COVID-19 on March 13, will pocket a pay raise on April 1, the same day many Canadians will be wondering how to make rent or mortgage payments. It’s also the same day the carbon tax goes up.
How’s that for a double whammy?
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joins other MPs in enjoying raises Wednesday, at least two Ontario Conservative MPs are donating their pay hikes to the Salvation Army and a women’s shelter.
THE IGNORANT & SELFISH
In households where someone has recently travelled abroad, 75% of them have visited a grocery store and 41% have hosted guests, despite a mandatory quarantine imposed by the Canadian government, according to a new study.
According to Innovative Research Group, of the 2,000 people surveyed, 7% — 140 people — said they had been out of the country.
Among them, 60% said they had been to a retail shop other than a grocery or drug store, 52% said they’ve met up with a friend or relative outdoors and 36% said they had gathered in a small group inside a home.
According to Innovative Research Group, of the 2,000 people surveyed, 7% — 140 people — said they had been out of the country.
Among them, 60% said they had been to a retail shop other than a grocery or drug store, 52% said they’ve met up with a friend or relative outdoors and 36% said they had gathered in a small group inside a home.
NOTHING TO SEE HERE. MOVE ALONG
In the segment aired by Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK, a journalist asked Bruce Aylward, a Canadian doctor who helped lead a WHO mission to China’s Wuhan, if the organization would consider giving Taiwan membership. The footage showed him saying he couldn’t hear properly, and asking the reporter to skip to the next question. It then showed the line disconnecting after the reporter said she’d like to hear more about Taiwan.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly backed China, even as Beijing was criticized by other countries and organizations for being slow to respond initially to the outbreak there, and for resisting cooperation with international disease-trackers. After weeks of wrangling, Aylward’s WHO response team gained access to Hubei province, where the virus first erupted.
Beijing is a big financial supporter of countries across Africa, including Ethiopia, where Tedros also served as foreign minister and a high-ranking member of its former ruling coalition.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly backed China, even as Beijing was criticized by other countries and organizations for being slow to respond initially to the outbreak there, and for resisting cooperation with international disease-trackers. After weeks of wrangling, Aylward’s WHO response team gained access to Hubei province, where the virus first erupted.
Beijing is a big financial supporter of countries across Africa, including Ethiopia, where Tedros also served as foreign minister and a high-ranking member of its former ruling coalition.
"ABSOLUTE, UTTER GARBAGE"
He blasted the government in an interview with The Hill Times on Thursday. When asked for his reaction to the government’s announcement, Mr. Cox called it “absolute, utter garbage” and said both Minister Guilbeault and the prime minister were lying.
“I have never seen such blatant lying—stand in front of a bloody nation in front of a microphone, thank journalists, say you’re going to support them and then do nothing,” said Mr. Cox. “I’m astonished that they’ve done this. They have done nothing. There is absolutely no new support whatsoever for journalism that was announced yesterday. [Minister] Guilbeault is lying, there was no acceleration of any program.”
“I have never seen such blatant lying—stand in front of a bloody nation in front of a microphone, thank journalists, say you’re going to support them and then do nothing,” said Mr. Cox. “I’m astonished that they’ve done this. They have done nothing. There is absolutely no new support whatsoever for journalism that was announced yesterday. [Minister] Guilbeault is lying, there was no acceleration of any program.”
Sunday, March 29, 2020
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED "INDEPENDENT" SEN. WOO
Senators voted not to allow the introduction of a motion by Independent Senators Group Leader Yuen Pau Woo (British Columbia) that, if introduced and voted through, would have set up the Senate’s Finance and Social Affairs committees and assigned them to study the government’s response to the pandemic.
However, the leader of the Senate Conservatives, Sen. Don Plett (Landmark, Man.), and the leader of the informal Progressive Senate Group, Sen. Jane Cordy (Nova Scotia), placed the blame squarely on Sen. Woo for the Senate’s rejection of his motion, in letters obtained by The Hill Times.
Sen. Cordy said in a letter to other Senate leaders that Sen. Woo’s letter “misrepresented” the series of events that led up to the rejection of his motion to establish oversight committees.
However, the leader of the Senate Conservatives, Sen. Don Plett (Landmark, Man.), and the leader of the informal Progressive Senate Group, Sen. Jane Cordy (Nova Scotia), placed the blame squarely on Sen. Woo for the Senate’s rejection of his motion, in letters obtained by The Hill Times.
Sen. Cordy said in a letter to other Senate leaders that Sen. Woo’s letter “misrepresented” the series of events that led up to the rejection of his motion to establish oversight committees.
LOCKDOWN STRAINING SUPPLY CHAINS IN CANADA
Though almost every mode of transport has been shaken by the impact of the fast-moving virus, the most severe pain is being felt in airfreight, where travel bans have forced airlines to park planes and send employees home. Aside from carrying travellers, passenger planes are crucial to the quick delivery of goods including pharmaceutical and medical supplies.
“There are no passenger planes flying, so all the belly space that carried hundreds of thousands of kilos a day in cargo just doesn’t exist,” Singh said. “The hardest thing is getting things out of China by air. The rates they are charging have tripled because of the demand. Everybody is struggling, but that’s the biggest problem, getting goods out of Asia.”
Trucking industry leaders are also increasingly concerned about another long-standing problem threatening supply chains: driver shortages. The job vacancy rate in trucking has soared higher than in any other industry in Canada aside from crop production as older drivers retire and the industry struggles to draw new recruits, a recent study by Trucking HR Canada and the Conference Board of Canada found.
“There are no passenger planes flying, so all the belly space that carried hundreds of thousands of kilos a day in cargo just doesn’t exist,” Singh said. “The hardest thing is getting things out of China by air. The rates they are charging have tripled because of the demand. Everybody is struggling, but that’s the biggest problem, getting goods out of Asia.”
Trucking industry leaders are also increasingly concerned about another long-standing problem threatening supply chains: driver shortages. The job vacancy rate in trucking has soared higher than in any other industry in Canada aside from crop production as older drivers retire and the industry struggles to draw new recruits, a recent study by Trucking HR Canada and the Conference Board of Canada found.
RUNNING OUT OF OIL STORAGE SITES
The world will run out of places to store oil in as little as three months, according to an industry consultant.
IHS Markit said that current rates of supply and demand mean inventories will increase by 1.8 billion barrels over the first half of 2020. With only an estimated 1.6 billion barrels of storage capacity still available, producers will be forced to cut output because by June there’ll be no place left to put the unwanted crude, it said.
The oil market has been hammered by falling demand as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, and as Saudi Arabia vows to flood the market with crude at deep discounts, following the collapse of the coalition of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia. On Thursday, Pakistan banned imports of crude and fuels because its storage sites are full. Vitol Group and Gunvor Group, two of the world’s top merchants, say there’s heavy interest in storing while several traders have booked supertankers to hoard barrels at sea.
IHS Markit said that current rates of supply and demand mean inventories will increase by 1.8 billion barrels over the first half of 2020. With only an estimated 1.6 billion barrels of storage capacity still available, producers will be forced to cut output because by June there’ll be no place left to put the unwanted crude, it said.
The oil market has been hammered by falling demand as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, and as Saudi Arabia vows to flood the market with crude at deep discounts, following the collapse of the coalition of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia. On Thursday, Pakistan banned imports of crude and fuels because its storage sites are full. Vitol Group and Gunvor Group, two of the world’s top merchants, say there’s heavy interest in storing while several traders have booked supertankers to hoard barrels at sea.
GRAND CHIEF WANTS HOUSING SUPPORT
Grand Chief Billy Morin of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations says the $305 million from the federal government for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to address COVID-19 is not enough.
Morin, who is also chief of the Enoch Nation, said he doesn’t necessarily want more cash but would like Ottawa to step up with housing supports or temporary housing supports “as other First Nations have had in times of crisis.”
Reserves are dealing with housing overcrowding where as many as 12 to 15 people are living in three-bedroom homes, Morin said Saturday at a COVID-19 briefing with Alberta’s Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson.
Morin, who is also chief of the Enoch Nation, said he doesn’t necessarily want more cash but would like Ottawa to step up with housing supports or temporary housing supports “as other First Nations have had in times of crisis.”
Reserves are dealing with housing overcrowding where as many as 12 to 15 people are living in three-bedroom homes, Morin said Saturday at a COVID-19 briefing with Alberta’s Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson.
TRACKING LIBERAL GOV'T FAILURE RE COVID-19
When the COVID-19 crises first hit in late January, Ottawa MPs of all political stripes weren’t satisfied with the federal government’s assurances that Canada had the problem under control.
For the next two months — until major changes were made at last to our border policy in late March — the Liberal, Bloc, NDP and Conservative MPs dug into that border policy, asking numerous probing questions, examining the motives and reasons behind the initial and unyielding federal response in those two months.
Here is a detailed timeline of the questions those MPs asked and the answers they got in the House of Commons and at Parliamentary health committee meetings.
Also included in the timeline — as a contrast to the approach taken by the Canadian federal government — are the actions taken by the government in Taiwan (compiled by Dr. Jason Wang et al), a nation that has so far successfully slowed the spread of the virus, despite close travel and economic ties to China, and despite being expected to have the second biggest outbreak of the virus.
For the next two months — until major changes were made at last to our border policy in late March — the Liberal, Bloc, NDP and Conservative MPs dug into that border policy, asking numerous probing questions, examining the motives and reasons behind the initial and unyielding federal response in those two months.
Here is a detailed timeline of the questions those MPs asked and the answers they got in the House of Commons and at Parliamentary health committee meetings.
Also included in the timeline — as a contrast to the approach taken by the Canadian federal government — are the actions taken by the government in Taiwan (compiled by Dr. Jason Wang et al), a nation that has so far successfully slowed the spread of the virus, despite close travel and economic ties to China, and despite being expected to have the second biggest outbreak of the virus.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
21M CELLPHONE ACCOUNTS DISAPPEAR IN CHINA
The opacity of the Chinese Communist government obliges responsible outside observers to look for clues to the truth of the coronavirus epidemic, instead of merely repeating official information without question.
The official count from China is 3,277 fatalities from 81,171 infections as of Tuesday, but the Epoch Times noted the troubling disappearance of some 21 million cell phone accounts in China over the past three months – an unprecedented decline that hints at more fatalities than Beijing is prepared to admit.
The official count from China is 3,277 fatalities from 81,171 infections as of Tuesday, but the Epoch Times noted the troubling disappearance of some 21 million cell phone accounts in China over the past three months – an unprecedented decline that hints at more fatalities than Beijing is prepared to admit.
OTTAWA SHUTS SERVICE CANADA CENTRES
The federal government is shutting the doors to all of its 317 Service Canada Centres – where people can apply in person for employment insurance, Old Age Security, pension benefits and passports – on Friday after employees en masse refused to work.
The government bent to pressure Thursday evening from the Canadian Employment and Immigration Union, which represents 17,000 Service Canada employees, including 3,360 who staff the centres.
Many had called in sick or refused to work because they didn’t feel safe during the coronavirus pandemic, despite safe distancing measures put in place that kept the centres open, said Crystal Warner, executive vice-president with the union.
The centres were crowded and efforts to control the traffic resulted in long lines outside and sometimes irate visitors, she said. In recent days, so many missed work that 187 centres closed on Thursday – almost 60 per cent of the network.
The government bent to pressure Thursday evening from the Canadian Employment and Immigration Union, which represents 17,000 Service Canada employees, including 3,360 who staff the centres.
Many had called in sick or refused to work because they didn’t feel safe during the coronavirus pandemic, despite safe distancing measures put in place that kept the centres open, said Crystal Warner, executive vice-president with the union.
The centres were crowded and efforts to control the traffic resulted in long lines outside and sometimes irate visitors, she said. In recent days, so many missed work that 187 centres closed on Thursday – almost 60 per cent of the network.
FORD PASSED THE TEST THAT TRUDEAU FAILED
To quote Charles Dickens via the Simpsons: it was the best of times, it was the blurst of times. We’ve got our own tale of two cities in Canadian politics this week: in Toronto, the Progressive Conservative government rapidly brought emergency measures forward to the legislature, and the opposition — despite real and substantial reservations — worked quickly with the Tories to approve them. Meanwhile, in Ottawa, the first draft of the Liberals’ emergency COVID-19 response legislation was so irretrievably flawed that, when it arrived at Parliament Hill, MPs immediately suspended the House of Commons so that they could start from very nearly a blank sheet of paper.
The poison pill the federal government was trying to force the opposition to swallow: on top of the emergency-spending measures, the government wanted the power to lower or raise taxes, without a vote in the Commons, until the end of 2021. It was a direct attack on the powers of elected MPs, and they rightly insisted that the measures be deleted from the bill.
The poison pill the federal government was trying to force the opposition to swallow: on top of the emergency-spending measures, the government wanted the power to lower or raise taxes, without a vote in the Commons, until the end of 2021. It was a direct attack on the powers of elected MPs, and they rightly insisted that the measures be deleted from the bill.
VIRTUE-SIGNALLING FREELAND
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canada is seeking assurances from the United States that it won't deport asylum-seekers turned back by Canada at its borders through temporary pandemic containment measures.
As part of the temporary agreement to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus across the shared border, Canada agreed last week to return asylum-seekers attempting to enter the country outside of official border points —a stark departure from Canada's former policy of allowing them to stay and file refugee claims.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said it plans to send those returned migrants back to their countries of origin.
Friday, March 27, 2020
CANADIAN OIL AT US$5.03 PER BARREL
The price of the Canadian oil benchmark, Western Canadian Select, has been obliterated this week, sinking as low as US$5.03 in this mornings trading. This mornings fall of $1.42 per barrel follows yesterdays massive tumble of $2.45 per barrel to close the day at $6.45.
The fall marks a second day of record lows for the benchmark, with yesterday’s close at $6.45 having been a new low for the commodity. The sharp decline in oil has resulted in the price of shipping product now being higher than that of what can be collected for it on the market
PREMIER FORD NAMES & SHAMES PRICE GOUGERS
Doug Ford ripped into Ontario businesses that are price gouging in the middle of the coronavirus crisis on Thursday, calling out one high-end Toronto grocery store by name.
The premier had harsh words for Pusateri’s Fine Foods after photos emerged on social media showing one of the company’s locations charging $29.99 for a tub of Lysol wipes.
“I have zero, zero tolerance for price gouging. I’m calling them out. Pusateri’s, I hear they are selling hand wipes for $30 a tin. That is disgusting,” Ford said.
The premier had harsh words for Pusateri’s Fine Foods after photos emerged on social media showing one of the company’s locations charging $29.99 for a tub of Lysol wipes.
“I have zero, zero tolerance for price gouging. I’m calling them out. Pusateri’s, I hear they are selling hand wipes for $30 a tin. That is disgusting,” Ford said.
WHEN AUTOMAKERS RETOOL
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re going to need a lot of medical supplies. Having temporarily shuttered their factories, some automakers might just start making those instead.
It’ll be quite a leap from making cars, but for most, it isn’t the first time items other than vehicles have gone down the assembly line.
In the past, the non-automobiles they built were primarily military supplies, and during the Second World War, automakers in Canada and the U.S. were ordered to stop making cars and switch over.
It’ll be quite a leap from making cars, but for most, it isn’t the first time items other than vehicles have gone down the assembly line.
In the past, the non-automobiles they built were primarily military supplies, and during the Second World War, automakers in Canada and the U.S. were ordered to stop making cars and switch over.
GLOBAL SHORTAGE OF CONDOMS LOOMING
A global shortage of condoms is looming, the world’s biggest producer said, after a coronavirus lockdown forced it to shut down production.
Malaysia’s Karex Bhd makes one in every five condoms globally. It has not produced a single condom from its three Malaysian factories in the past 10 days due to a lockdown imposed by the government to halt the spread of the virus.
That’s already a shortfall of 100 million condoms, normally marketed internationally by brands such as Durex, supplied to state healthcare systems such as Britain’s NHS or distributed by aid programs such as the UN Population Fund.
Malaysia’s Karex Bhd makes one in every five condoms globally. It has not produced a single condom from its three Malaysian factories in the past 10 days due to a lockdown imposed by the government to halt the spread of the virus.
That’s already a shortfall of 100 million condoms, normally marketed internationally by brands such as Durex, supplied to state healthcare systems such as Britain’s NHS or distributed by aid programs such as the UN Population Fund.
BUDWEISER GIVES $500K TO CANADA'S RED CROSS
TORONTO, March 27, 2020 /CNW/ - Budweiser Canada announced today that it will redirect a portion of its previously planned sports investments to the Canadian Red Cross, to help support the heroes on the front lines in response to the COVID-19 public health crisis.
Budweiser will donate $500,000 to the Canadian Red Cross Fund which will support five key areas directly related to COVID-19,
Budweiser will donate $500,000 to the Canadian Red Cross Fund which will support five key areas directly related to COVID-19,
UNION PRICE GOUGING OF N95 MASKS
The Service Employees International Union said it has located 39 million N95 masks and will be facilitating the sale of them to healthcare providers.
The union said it will be selling the masks to states, counties and hospitals for $5 apiece and claims it “has no financial interest in the transactions.”
Similar N95 masks are available on the Home Depot website for $23.97 for a box of 20, or about $1.20 apiece.
The union said it will be selling the masks to states, counties and hospitals for $5 apiece and claims it “has no financial interest in the transactions.”
Similar N95 masks are available on the Home Depot website for $23.97 for a box of 20, or about $1.20 apiece.
TRACKING SPRING BREAK COVIDIOTS' TRAVEL
On Monday we reported how thousands of young Americans laughed off warnings to self-isolate and partied on Florida beaches anyway for spring break - with several now testing positive for COVID-19.
In case you were wondering how far these spring break 'covidiots' traveled for their ill-advised debauchery data visualization company Tectonix used cell phone location data collected by company X-Mode to map out the travels of thousands of spring breakers, using special geo-spatial big-data analysis software.
In case you were wondering how far these spring break 'covidiots' traveled for their ill-advised debauchery data visualization company Tectonix used cell phone location data collected by company X-Mode to map out the travels of thousands of spring breakers, using special geo-spatial big-data analysis software.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
CHINA'S STUNNING SHOW OF HYPOCRISY
Two months ago, as deaths from China's virus were rapidly escalating and spreading across the nation, Beijing expressed outrage at the measures enacted by the global community to limit the spread of the deadly virus, saying they went way beyond standards accepted worldwide.
Specifically, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing "does not agree with the approach adopted by individual countries to create tension or even panic" by closing borders, trade, and flights to and from China.
WHO boss Tedros also piled on - saying these flight bans and border closures were racist.
But now, as China claims it has its domestic outbreak under control and that the new cases are ONLY from foreigners, and in a stunning piece of total and utter hypocrisy, they have decided to... Suspend entry of all foreigners' entry to China:
Specifically, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing "does not agree with the approach adopted by individual countries to create tension or even panic" by closing borders, trade, and flights to and from China.
WHO boss Tedros also piled on - saying these flight bans and border closures were racist.
But now, as China claims it has its domestic outbreak under control and that the new cases are ONLY from foreigners, and in a stunning piece of total and utter hypocrisy, they have decided to... Suspend entry of all foreigners' entry to China:
COMMUNIST REGIME IS THE CHINA VIRUS
The institutional flattery of the communist government in Beijing was something we had to tolerate back in the days when the establishment still saw China as a rich vein for trade deals and other lucrative goodies. It was easier then for political leaders to shrug at China’s conduct when the victims were in Tibet, or Hong Kong, or the Uyghurs of Xinjiang. But now the whole world is paying dearly for Beijing’s behaviour. And China is scrambling to dodge responsibility, now promoting conspiracy theories that the virus was actually spread by the U.S. military, and provoking Trump into harping on this being a “Chinese virus.” A more salient debate isn’t whether that’s racist, but whether Trump is unwittingly giving Beijing more material it can use to play the victim with.
This pandemic has cost our economies billions, if not yet trillions, and will cost us far more yet. Its human toll will be staggering and permanent. We will likely persevere, but what the world can no longer afford is the threat to our collective health and well-being that is the Chinese communist regime. As it desperately tries to salvage its legitimacy, let’s at least refrain from helping with that. This isn’t the first deadly viral epidemic to emerge from their country and it probably won’t be the last. The good people of China will have to cure themselves of this communist government if we all hope to survive the next one.
This pandemic has cost our economies billions, if not yet trillions, and will cost us far more yet. Its human toll will be staggering and permanent. We will likely persevere, but what the world can no longer afford is the threat to our collective health and well-being that is the Chinese communist regime. As it desperately tries to salvage its legitimacy, let’s at least refrain from helping with that. This isn’t the first deadly viral epidemic to emerge from their country and it probably won’t be the last. The good people of China will have to cure themselves of this communist government if we all hope to survive the next one.
LIBERALS' ATTEMPTED POWER GRAB A BETRAYAL
The overreaches in the bill included a provision that would have allowed Finance Minister Bill Morneau to raise, lower or eliminate taxes through to Dec. 31, 2021. He also could have borrowed and spent endlessly on the crisis over the same time frame.
The contents of the bill leaked to several political reporters Monday night and opposition parties made it clear it was going too far. On Tuesday morning, the prime minister said he would remove the controversial tax section, but Bergen said the there was still far too much unchecked authority for the government.
“It was still chock full of power grabs. Everyone was talking about section two, that would give them what they wanted on tax until 2022. But there was more in the bill that didn’t provide accountability. We needed sunset clauses.”
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
NUMBNUTS SNOWBIRDS
A flock of homeward-bound snowbirds landed in Brockville on the weekend, settled overnight in the Walmart parking lot, and proceeded to shop in defiance of government directives that they self-isolate for 14 days, multiple witnesses report.
The actions of the returning Canadians struck fear and concern among store employees, fuelled angry social-media posts by residents, tested the patience of politicians and even prompted area municipal officials to take direct action.
Two council members from Elizabethtown-Kitley took a direct approach. Coun. Tom Linton, later aided by Mayor Brant Burrow, took it upon themselves to approach the RVers and inform them of the need to stay out of the stores.
HOLDING CHINA ACCOUNTABLE
“The Communist government of China knowingly withheld critical information needed to combat the spread of the Chinese-born COVID-19 and to this day continues to spread lies and disinformation on the origin of the deadly virus,” she said.
“There is no doubt that China’s unconscionable decision to orchestrate an elaborate coverup of the wide-ranging and deadly implications of coronavirus led to the death of thousands of people, including hundreds of Americans and climbing,” she said.
“This Resolution calls for China to provide compensation for the harm, loss, and destruction their arrogance brought upon the rest of the world. Simply put – China must, and will, be held accountable.”
IPCC EXPERTS CALLING OUT THE IPCC
THANKFULLY we usually always get to hear the inconvenient and raw truth about taxpayer funded, unelected, bloated government bureaucracies when members eventually leave and are not subject to bullying and financial repercussions. Definitely no exception here…
46 enlightening statements by IPCC experts against the IPCC
46 enlightening statements by IPCC experts against the IPCC
COMPETING FOR MEDICAL SUPPLIES IN USA
A mad scramble for masks, gowns and ventilators is pitting states against each other and driving up prices. Some hard-hit parts of the country are receiving fresh supplies of N95 masks, but others are still out of stock. Hospitals are requesting donations of masks and gloves from construction companies, nail salons and tattoo parlors, and considering using ventilators designed for large animals because they cannot find the kind made for people.
The market for medical supplies has descended into chaos, according to state officials and health-care leaders. They are begging the federal government to use a wartime law to bring order and ensure the United States has the gear it needs to battle the coronavirus. So far, the Trump administration has declined.
The market for medical supplies has descended into chaos, according to state officials and health-care leaders. They are begging the federal government to use a wartime law to bring order and ensure the United States has the gear it needs to battle the coronavirus. So far, the Trump administration has declined.
LARGEST RESCUE PACKAGE IN USA HISTORY
It appears on early Wednesday morning, the White House and Republican and Democratic Senate leaders reached a deal to keep the American economy humming during the virus crisis and hopefully avoid depression in the second and third quarters.
The new Senate proposal will inject $2 trillion into the US economy, just like a shot of heroin, providing tax rebates, four months expanded unemployment benefits, and several business tax-relief provisions aimed at supporting individuals, families, and businesses
ONTARIO SLASHES PRICE OF HYDRO
Ontario has slashed the price of hydro temporarily as many people work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Premier Doug Ford announced the plan, which he called "critical" during a news conference Tuesday, saying all current time-of-use pricing will shift to off-peak rates for the next 45 days.
The change will result in a savings for families of more than $20 per month, he said, while small businesses will save $150 and farms will save more than $300.
LIBERALS CAN'T HELP BEING OPPORTUNISTIC
It was the classic curse of the commentator. No sooner was Monday’s oeuvre published, commending Justin Trudeau for ditching wedge politics, than word started to leak about a Liberal plan to effectively neuter Parliament for 21 months.
The draft bill that magically found its way into the hands of reporters, after the government shared it with the opposition, was sweeping in discretion and duration. It allowed the finance minister to tax, spend and borrow with impunity, but without parliamentary approval, until the end of next year.
The furor was immediate. Scott Reid, the Ontario Conservative MP, said the bill was so outlandish it provoked spontaneous outrage in every opposition MP who read it. “I think the key offense is the ridiculously long time-line. Extreme measures may be warranted in the short-run. But the de facto suspension of our system of government for nearly two years is way, way too much,” he said in an email.
The draft bill that magically found its way into the hands of reporters, after the government shared it with the opposition, was sweeping in discretion and duration. It allowed the finance minister to tax, spend and borrow with impunity, but without parliamentary approval, until the end of next year.
The furor was immediate. Scott Reid, the Ontario Conservative MP, said the bill was so outlandish it provoked spontaneous outrage in every opposition MP who read it. “I think the key offense is the ridiculously long time-line. Extreme measures may be warranted in the short-run. But the de facto suspension of our system of government for nearly two years is way, way too much,” he said in an email.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
BORDERS MATTER AGAIN. EVEN TO LIBERALS
Furey: To date, tens of thousands of people, goaded on by an industry of open borders activists, human traffickers and unscrupulous cab drivers, have jumped the asylum claimant queue to get a foothold in Canada at the time and place of their choosing.
It was so obviously a violation of our sovereignty, to say nothing of common sense, to let this persist. Yet the Liberals seemed to get a kick out of the Conservatives crying foul against it – never let a cheap shot excuse to call someone racist go to waste! – that they not only kept it open but sadistically sent in a brigade of federal police to assist in the violation of federal laws that those officers were otherwise tasked with enforcing. Talk about demoralizing the troops.
And so it took the wildfire spread of the coronavirus to do what regular politics couldn’t and force the closure of Roxham Road. It was just absurd of the Liberals to announce a near total closure of the U.S. border but to say, as they first did, that they’d still keep the illegal crossing open. The only caveat was that they’d house the crossers in quarantine for two weeks.
It was so obviously a violation of our sovereignty, to say nothing of common sense, to let this persist. Yet the Liberals seemed to get a kick out of the Conservatives crying foul against it – never let a cheap shot excuse to call someone racist go to waste! – that they not only kept it open but sadistically sent in a brigade of federal police to assist in the violation of federal laws that those officers were otherwise tasked with enforcing. Talk about demoralizing the troops.
And so it took the wildfire spread of the coronavirus to do what regular politics couldn’t and force the closure of Roxham Road. It was just absurd of the Liberals to announce a near total closure of the U.S. border but to say, as they first did, that they’d still keep the illegal crossing open. The only caveat was that they’d house the crossers in quarantine for two weeks.
ONTARIO'S ESSENTIAL SERVICES REMAIN OPEN
Ontario’s list of essential businesses that are not required to close is long and extensive.
Here is a summary of what is covered
Sunday, March 22, 2020
COVID-19 SHATTERS FACADE OF EU
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The European entity which proclaims solidarity and supranational status is reverting to a collection of nation states, each desperately fighting for their own survival amid the Covid-19 pandemic. EU leaders have been criticized for showing lack of central leadership and solidarity. When Italy first reported a surge in infections a few weeks ago, the rest of Europe was slow to respond with the necessary prompt assistance. Now Italy is such a grip of the disease – with thousands dead – that in some parts of the country normal funeral services reportedly cannot even cope with the number of deceased.
The European entity which proclaims solidarity and supranational status is reverting to a collection of nation states, each desperately fighting for their own survival amid the Covid-19 pandemic. EU leaders have been criticized for showing lack of central leadership and solidarity. When Italy first reported a surge in infections a few weeks ago, the rest of Europe was slow to respond with the necessary prompt assistance. Now Italy is such a grip of the disease – with thousands dead – that in some parts of the country normal funeral services reportedly cannot even cope with the number of deceased.
LIBERALS' OPEN CLOSED BORDERS
When does closed really mean open?
The Trudeau government announced earlier last week that Canada’s borders were closed — later admitting broad exemptions, including to illegal border-crossers, asylum seekers, temporary foreign workers and anyone part of the supply chain whose job involves getting goods in and out of Canada.
In other words, our borders were still wide open.
The Trudeau government announced earlier last week that Canada’s borders were closed — later admitting broad exemptions, including to illegal border-crossers, asylum seekers, temporary foreign workers and anyone part of the supply chain whose job involves getting goods in and out of Canada.
In other words, our borders were still wide open.
ARRESTED FOR VIOLATION OF ISOLATION ORDER
A woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 was arrested by police in Quebec City for having allegedly violated an isolation order by being outside her home.
The CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, the health and social services centre based in the provincial capital, confirmed the arrest that was made on Friday through a release sent to the Montreal Gazette by email. It stated an “intervention was carried out with the goal of reissuing” an order the woman remain isolated and respect instructions to avoid all contagion.
“The Public Health Act accords our director of public health the power to put into action all appropriate measures where the non-respect of instructions can jeopardize the health and security of the public,” the health and social services centre stated in the release. “Our ultimate priority is the health and safety of all, and we will use all the necessary and required measures at our disposition to make sure instructions are respected.
The CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, the health and social services centre based in the provincial capital, confirmed the arrest that was made on Friday through a release sent to the Montreal Gazette by email. It stated an “intervention was carried out with the goal of reissuing” an order the woman remain isolated and respect instructions to avoid all contagion.
“The Public Health Act accords our director of public health the power to put into action all appropriate measures where the non-respect of instructions can jeopardize the health and security of the public,” the health and social services centre stated in the release. “Our ultimate priority is the health and safety of all, and we will use all the necessary and required measures at our disposition to make sure instructions are respected.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
ONLY ESSENTIAL CROSS-BORDER TRAFFIC ALLOWED
Canadians are waking up to a new reality today: the world's longest undefended border is no longer open for routine, casual traffic between Canada and the United States.
The ban on non-essential cross-border travel went into effect at midnight ET and will stay in place for at least 30 days as both countries scramble to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19.
The ban applies to people wanting to cross the border for tourism or purely recreational purposes, like shopping.
It is not supposed to impede trade or essential travel, but what constitutes essential is not entirely clear and will doubtless lead to some confusion at border crossings.
ALBERTA'S CREDIT RATING DECLINE
The global credit rating agency DBRS Morningstar says Alberta hasn't done enough to respond to economic pressures from the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent plunging price of oil.
The Toronto-based firm said Thursday that it had decreased Alberta's credit rating from AA to AA low, citing the provincial government's lack of a "full fiscal policy response" to incoming pressure.
Travis Shaw, senior vice-president of public finance at DBRS, said the Alberta government's recent budget now seems "long past."
TAIWAN SAYS WHO FAILED TO REPORT THEIR CLAIMS
Taiwan is blaming the World Health Organization’s relationship with China for its failure to act on early warnings of human-to-human transmission of coronavirus.
Taiwanese health officials alerted WHO of the infectivity of coronavirus in late December 2019, but the organization failed to report the claims to other countries, according to a Financial Times report.
Taiwanese health officials alerted WHO of the infectivity of coronavirus in late December 2019, but the organization failed to report the claims to other countries, according to a Financial Times report.
SOLUTION TO VENTILATOR SHORTAGE
An Eastern Ontario anesthetist has tested the modification, which could double or quadruple the capacity of scarce ventilators during a growing COVID-19 pandemic.
It could also prevent a worst-case scenario in which older or sicker patients could be left to die because the capacity of the system becomes overwhelmed by COVID-19.
With the relatively simple adaptation — running two hoses from one ventilator — ventilators that are designed to act as mechanical breathing devices for a single person can be doubled or quadrupled so that more than one person at a time can be hooked up.
Friday, March 20, 2020
PUTTING THE PEOPLE OF ONTARIO AT RISK
Premier Doug Ford:
“If you’re coming back from a holiday, you aren’t self-isolating, you’re putting the people of Ontario at risk. You’re putting your family, your kids, your grandparents, your mothers and fathers at risk. Please follow the guidelines that everyone else is following.”
“If you’re coming back from a holiday, you aren’t self-isolating, you’re putting the people of Ontario at risk. You’re putting your family, your kids, your grandparents, your mothers and fathers at risk. Please follow the guidelines that everyone else is following.”
SUPPLY CHAINS STILL MOVING ACROSS BORDER
For the first time since Canadian Confederation in 1867, Canada and the U.S. are closing the joint border to most travellers as they fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed on Wednesday morning to bar travellers crossing the world’s longest land border for “recreation and tourism” purposes.
Hundreds of thousands of people, as well as $2.7 billion in goods and services, cross the 8,891 kilometre-long border between the U.S. and Canada daily. The U.S. is by far Canada’s most important trading partner.
Thus, in order to ensure that food, medical supplies and all other essential goods continue to flow between both countries, the Trudeau government assured that supply chains would still be able to circulate between countries.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed on Wednesday morning to bar travellers crossing the world’s longest land border for “recreation and tourism” purposes.
Hundreds of thousands of people, as well as $2.7 billion in goods and services, cross the 8,891 kilometre-long border between the U.S. and Canada daily. The U.S. is by far Canada’s most important trading partner.
Thus, in order to ensure that food, medical supplies and all other essential goods continue to flow between both countries, the Trudeau government assured that supply chains would still be able to circulate between countries.
ITALY OVERWHELMED BY COVID-19
MILAN, March 19 (Reuters) — Italy ordered the army to move bodies from a northern town at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak where funeral services have been overwhelmed as the government prepared to prolong emergency lockdown measures across the country.
Video shot by local people in Bergamo, northeast of Milan, and shown on the website of the local newspaper Eco di Bergamo, showed a long column of military trucks driving through the streets overnight and removing coffins from the town’s cemetery.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
DELAYING SURGERY IN READINESS FOR COVID-19
Relatively few Canadians have contracted the novel coronavirus and fewer still have died from it. But COVID-19 is already having a tangible impact on thousands of the ill in Canada as hospitals postpone elective surgeries and transplants and clear out clinics and wards to ready for a possible wave of infected patients.
The moves — many announced in just the last few days — are designed partly to prevent sick and immune-compromised patients from being infected by COVID-19, but mostly to free up critical-care space and equipment should the pandemic suddenly spike.
The rationale is that even if a surgery is not urgent, those patients often spend time in the intensive-care unit and occupy a ward bed, resources that would be desperately needed if Canada experiences an Italy-like surge in COVID-19 cases.
The moves — many announced in just the last few days — are designed partly to prevent sick and immune-compromised patients from being infected by COVID-19, but mostly to free up critical-care space and equipment should the pandemic suddenly spike.
The rationale is that even if a surgery is not urgent, those patients often spend time in the intensive-care unit and occupy a ward bed, resources that would be desperately needed if Canada experiences an Italy-like surge in COVID-19 cases.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
CHINA DID THIS, SAYING SO IS NOT RACIST
Chinese laboratories identified a mystery virus as a highly infectious new pathogen by late December last year, but they were ordered to stop tests, destroy samples and suppress the news, a Chinese media outlet has revealed.
A regional health official in Wuhan, centre of the outbreak, demanded the destruction of the lab samples that established the cause of unexplained viral pneumonia on January 1. China did not acknowledge there was human-to-human transmission until more than three weeks later...
Censors have been rapidly deleting the report from the Chinese internet.
SAY NO TO THE EAVESDROPPING DRAGON
Brian Crowley, managing director of the non-partisan think tank, the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI), has referred to Huawei as the “Eavesdropping Dragon” that has no place in Canadian communications.
“We are close to a watershed decision for Canada,” said Crowley. “Should Ottawa allow Huawei, the telecommunications giant at the centre of China’s global ambitions, to be involved in the construction of Canada’s next-generation 5G communication networks?”
Crowley’s answer, and the answer of MLI’s China-Canada experts, is a resounding no, with Huawei being no better than a sleeper spy agency because of its ties and commitments to China’s communist leader.
“We are close to a watershed decision for Canada,” said Crowley. “Should Ottawa allow Huawei, the telecommunications giant at the centre of China’s global ambitions, to be involved in the construction of Canada’s next-generation 5G communication networks?”
Crowley’s answer, and the answer of MLI’s China-Canada experts, is a resounding no, with Huawei being no better than a sleeper spy agency because of its ties and commitments to China’s communist leader.
ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSERS TO BE SCREENED
Canadian Minister of Public Safety Bill Blair said Tuesday that in an attempt to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus, those crossing the border irregularly will still be allowed into Canada, but will be subject to medical screening and housed in quarantine when necessary.
Speaking at a press conference, Blair told reporters that those found crossing the border would be immediately taken into custody, and undergo a 24-hour screening process.
Between October and December of 2019, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) said there was an intake of 4,097 refugee claims from people attempting to cross into Canada irregularly.
HOW TO APPLY FOR EMERGENCY BENEFITS
The emergency care benefit will provide up to $900 every two weeks, for up to 15 weeks, to help Canadian workers who cannot go to work, do not have paid sick leave and do not qualify for EI sickness benefits. This includes those who are sick themselves, as well as those who are staying home to look after others who are sick or children who are not in school.
The emergency support benefit will offer payments of undisclosed amounts to unemployed workers who are not eligible for EI.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
CANADA MUST OPPOSE CHINA'S TYRANNY
A Vancouver court is the battleground for two different visions of Canada’s future. The United States wants the extradition of Meng Wanzhou, the top Huawei executive, while Beijing wants Canada to let her go.
As a matter of principle and strategy, Canada must stand up to Communist Party of China (CPC) imperialism by siding with her southern neighbor.
The Huawei face-off is more than a simple extradition case. So far, the CPC has operated in nothing but disproportionate, bad faith. In response to Wanzhou’s detention, it has sanctioned Canadian exports and taken two Canadians hostage.
Make no mistake; the CPC is already wielding its growing economic and political clout to control Canadian society. Canada will need to take steps to cope with this growing tyranny, and US President Donald Trump is an ally ready to offer help.
As a matter of principle and strategy, Canada must stand up to Communist Party of China (CPC) imperialism by siding with her southern neighbor.
The Huawei face-off is more than a simple extradition case. So far, the CPC has operated in nothing but disproportionate, bad faith. In response to Wanzhou’s detention, it has sanctioned Canadian exports and taken two Canadians hostage.
Make no mistake; the CPC is already wielding its growing economic and political clout to control Canadian society. Canada will need to take steps to cope with this growing tyranny, and US President Donald Trump is an ally ready to offer help.
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE: FRASER INSTITUTE
For more than 20 years, the Fraser Institute’s school rankings website has been the go-to source for parents and educators to measure school performance.
The newly updated website allows parents to easily find their child’s school and provides a detailed report on how each school is doing in academics compared to other ranked schools. It also shows whether the school’s results are improving, declining, or just staying steady over the most recent five years.
Monday, March 16, 2020
CANADA CLOSING DOOR TO VISITORS
Canada will deny entry to people who aren’t Canadian citizens or permanent residents, Prime Minister Trudeau announced Monday in Ottawa.
The American land border will remain open and Canadians abroad can return into the country, but the door is being slammed close on visitors from elsewhere. The government also intends to continue to allow trade with other countries and exceptions will be carved out for diplomats and people with family in the country.
The prime minister said the government would also mandate that airlines would have to do a basic health assessment of anyone travelling to Canada, including citizens. “Anyone who has symptoms will not be able to come to Canada.” The sweeping travel restrictions come as Canada passed 320 confirmed cases of the disease over the weekend and B.C. announced an additional three deaths, bringing the national total to four deaths.
The American land border will remain open and Canadians abroad can return into the country, but the door is being slammed close on visitors from elsewhere. The government also intends to continue to allow trade with other countries and exceptions will be carved out for diplomats and people with family in the country.
The prime minister said the government would also mandate that airlines would have to do a basic health assessment of anyone travelling to Canada, including citizens. “Anyone who has symptoms will not be able to come to Canada.” The sweeping travel restrictions come as Canada passed 320 confirmed cases of the disease over the weekend and B.C. announced an additional three deaths, bringing the national total to four deaths.
EMERGENCY MD's GET GARBLED GOV'T MESSAGES
They’re manning the trenches in an increasingly difficult struggle to fend off the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Canada’s emergency-department doctors are often left in the dark about how exactly to confront the challenge, receiving conflicting advice from government and hospital employers, some of them warned Sunday.
One emergency physician has just published a starkly worded opinion piece about what he called the “void in communication” over how health care workers in Ontario should protect themselves and their patients.
A spokesman for the emergency doctors’ national group says it’s a problem across the country — a “desultory and tentative” approach by government that leaves health workers and hospitals largely on their own.
But Canada’s emergency-department doctors are often left in the dark about how exactly to confront the challenge, receiving conflicting advice from government and hospital employers, some of them warned Sunday.
One emergency physician has just published a starkly worded opinion piece about what he called the “void in communication” over how health care workers in Ontario should protect themselves and their patients.
A spokesman for the emergency doctors’ national group says it’s a problem across the country — a “desultory and tentative” approach by government that leaves health workers and hospitals largely on their own.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
HEARTLAND'S CLIMATE AT A GLANCE
The Heartland Institute is excited to announce a groundbreaking new tool for policymakers, teachers, and anybody else interested in climate change. Heartland’s new ClimateAtAGlance.com website provides powerful, concise, one- or two-page summaries of the most important topics in the climate change debate.
Today’s climate debate is often fought over sound-bites and bullet points. Heartland has broken down 20 of the most frequently argued climate issues into short, “at-a-glance” summaries that provide the most important, accurate, powerful information. Bullet-points at the top of each summary provide quick, memorable information.
CLIMATE LAWSUIT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
A Rhode Island official acknowledged in 2019 that the state’s climate lawsuit against Exxon Mobil is partially designed to secure a steady stream of income for the state, court documents show.
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit told attendees at a meeting in New York that the state sued the industry to find a “sustainable funding stream,” nonprofit group Energy Policy Advocates noted in court documents filed Wednesday.
Energy Policy Advocates, a conservative nonprofit, filed an amicus brief Wednesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the court responsible for adjudicating Rhode Island’s case against Exxon.
“(P)laintiffs seek to use the courts in this manner to seek billions of dollars in revenues, for distribution toward political uses and constituencies, raising of which is properly attempted through the political process,” Energy Policy Advocates added.
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit told attendees at a meeting in New York that the state sued the industry to find a “sustainable funding stream,” nonprofit group Energy Policy Advocates noted in court documents filed Wednesday.
Energy Policy Advocates, a conservative nonprofit, filed an amicus brief Wednesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the court responsible for adjudicating Rhode Island’s case against Exxon.
“(P)laintiffs seek to use the courts in this manner to seek billions of dollars in revenues, for distribution toward political uses and constituencies, raising of which is properly attempted through the political process,” Energy Policy Advocates added.
THE TOUGH-GUY BRAVADO DOESN'T WORK
“When people think someone gets shot, they think he recovers and goes back to work. I thought I had dealt with it pretty well, the emotional, psychological stuff. But it is the cumulative things over the years,” said Buis, who is now a staff-sergeant major.
He thought he had held his life together with tough-guy bravado, but things started to come unglued in 2017 and totally fell apart last year, when psychologists diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and a dependency on opioids and alcohol that he had used to try to self-medicate his pain.
“I think there are a lot of people, particularly members of the RCMP, who if they get into this type of situation don’t really know where to turn. And hopefully we can start talking about the services that are out there for people who may end up in a similar situation to me,” said Buis, who has been on medical leave since October 2018.
PUTIN'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday supported a constitutional amendment that would allow him to seek reelection in 2024 by restarting the term count.
If approved, the amendment would pave the way for him to stay in office until 2036. The change would reset his presidential term count, which means he could stand in the next two elections.
In recent months, Putin has been secretive about the reforms he proposed, saying that they were intended to strengthen government bodies. He repeatedly said the changes would not be used to extend his current term in office.
If approved, the amendment would pave the way for him to stay in office until 2036. The change would reset his presidential term count, which means he could stand in the next two elections.
In recent months, Putin has been secretive about the reforms he proposed, saying that they were intended to strengthen government bodies. He repeatedly said the changes would not be used to extend his current term in office.
Friday, March 13, 2020
CANADA'S GDP STALLED AT MINISCULE 0.1%
A report Wednesday by the highly-respected Macdonald-Laurier Institute warned against listening to any politician claiming the coronavirus — or COVID-19 — is primarily responsible for throwing a wrench into Canada’s economy.
Despite the Trudeau-Liberals’ claims that all is hunky-dory, the economy’s been circling the bowl for quite some time and has already been exposed to some serious risk factors.
According to Munk Senior Fellow Philip Cross, the author of MLI’s latest economic report, Canada’s GDP had stalled to a miniscule 0.1% by the end of last year, worn down by declines in exports and business investment.
Despite the Trudeau-Liberals’ claims that all is hunky-dory, the economy’s been circling the bowl for quite some time and has already been exposed to some serious risk factors.
According to Munk Senior Fellow Philip Cross, the author of MLI’s latest economic report, Canada’s GDP had stalled to a miniscule 0.1% by the end of last year, worn down by declines in exports and business investment.
Thursday, March 12, 2020
USA MEDS SUPPLY CHAIN VULNERABLE TO CHINA
On Thursday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) asked three health care experts about the dangers of the U.S. health care industry being dependent on China. The experts revealed the chilling and eye-opening fact that communist China could derail America's medical supply chain.
Hawley first turned to Rosemary Gibson, senior advisor at The Hastings Center (a bioethics research institute). "We know China produces about nine percent of our generic drugs, which is a lot," he said. "Do you have any sense of how many of our drugs involve Chinese production?"
"Thousands," Gibson replied. "Thousands of our generic drugs and even some of the brand name products and perhaps even new therapies for coronavirus may depend on the chemicals that are sourced primarily in China."
MOMENT OF RECKONING FOR USA RE CHINA
The coronavirus outbreak presents a “moment of reckoning” for the United States in reevaluating its approach towards China, assessed Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) during an interview with Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow on Thursday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily.
Marlow noted the myriad of political issues related to viral outbreak, from national immigration, industrial, and manufacturing policies. He highlighted America’s dependence on Chinese exports of generic and over-the-counter drugs.
“We are now largely dependent on China having outsourced so much of our pharmaceutical manufacturing for basic pharmaceutical ingredients, like Tylenol or Advil,” Cotton stated. “They feel empowered to threaten our people if we hurt their feelings, if we extend the travel ban. So we have to have the immediate response to the Wuhan coronavirus, but this is a moment of reckoning in which we will have a far-reaching reevaluation of our relationship with China.”
Marlow noted the myriad of political issues related to viral outbreak, from national immigration, industrial, and manufacturing policies. He highlighted America’s dependence on Chinese exports of generic and over-the-counter drugs.
“We are now largely dependent on China having outsourced so much of our pharmaceutical manufacturing for basic pharmaceutical ingredients, like Tylenol or Advil,” Cotton stated. “They feel empowered to threaten our people if we hurt their feelings, if we extend the travel ban. So we have to have the immediate response to the Wuhan coronavirus, but this is a moment of reckoning in which we will have a far-reaching reevaluation of our relationship with China.”
ONTARIO SCHOOLS TO BE CLOSED FOR 3 WEEKS
Ontario will shut down all schools in Ontario for two weeks following March Break to try to slow the spread of the virus. “We recognize the significant impact this decision will have on families, students, schools, as well as the broader community, but this precaution is necessary to keep people safe,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce said in a statement released late Thursday.
Schools shut down for March Break on Friday afternoon and won’t reopen until April 6th.
Schools shut down for March Break on Friday afternoon and won’t reopen until April 6th.
WEASEL WATSON
Councillors canvassed Tuesday after learning Mayor Jim Watson received a heads-up about SNC-Lavalin’s bid scoring ahead of council’s $1.6-billion contract vote on the Trillium Line expansion were either miffed about not receiving the same disclosure or indifferent about the revelation.
Coun. Jeff Leiper called it “absolutely troubling” that the mayor knew the confidential information and not the rest of council. It’s understandable that the mayor as CEO of the municipality receives privileged information from time to time, but it’s a different story when the information would help inform a council vote, Leiper said.
During a finance committee meeting Monday night, councillors learned from the city manager that Watson received a briefing on March 5, 2019 about the Stage 2 contracts, including details about the discretionary clause the city used to keep SNC-Lavalin in the Trillium Line contract competition.
Coun. Jeff Leiper called it “absolutely troubling” that the mayor knew the confidential information and not the rest of council. It’s understandable that the mayor as CEO of the municipality receives privileged information from time to time, but it’s a different story when the information would help inform a council vote, Leiper said.
During a finance committee meeting Monday night, councillors learned from the city manager that Watson received a briefing on March 5, 2019 about the Stage 2 contracts, including details about the discretionary clause the city used to keep SNC-Lavalin in the Trillium Line contract competition.
COASTAL GASLINK HIJACKED BY FIVE CHIEFS
The hereditary chiefs are opposed to the Coastal GasLink pipeline, a project that would bring liquified natural gas to the B.C. coast for export.
But Tait Day, part of a group called the Wet’suwet’en Matrilineal Coalition who was stripped of her title of hereditary chief after supporting the Coastal GasLink project, said the vast majority of the people in Wet’suwet’en territory want the project to go ahead.
“This project has been hijacked by the five chiefs,” she said. “Over 80 per cent of the people in our community said they wanted LNG to proceed.”
But Tait Day, part of a group called the Wet’suwet’en Matrilineal Coalition who was stripped of her title of hereditary chief after supporting the Coastal GasLink project, said the vast majority of the people in Wet’suwet’en territory want the project to go ahead.
“This project has been hijacked by the five chiefs,” she said. “Over 80 per cent of the people in our community said they wanted LNG to proceed.”
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
WHITEWASHING MAO AND CHINA
Mao Zedong, China’s founding communist dictator and inspiration for what has been romanticized as The Little Red Book (a must-have knapsack item for old hippies and lefty university professors), was responsible for the deaths of upwards of 50 million people through the planned upheavals of starvation, persecution, prison labour and mass executions.
Estimates vary. Fifty million deaths, according to experts, is at the top end of Mao’s downsizing, with 30 million deaths being the bare minimum.
It’s not good when it’s give-or-take 20-million cadavers, even if the population then was 828 million.
Still, as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, Canada’s former ambassador to China, Howard Balloch, told a special Commons China-Canada committee this week that Chairman Mao wasn’t a totally bad guy because he “turned a more or less completely illiterate society into a literate society.”
Estimates vary. Fifty million deaths, according to experts, is at the top end of Mao’s downsizing, with 30 million deaths being the bare minimum.
It’s not good when it’s give-or-take 20-million cadavers, even if the population then was 828 million.
Still, as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, Canada’s former ambassador to China, Howard Balloch, told a special Commons China-Canada committee this week that Chairman Mao wasn’t a totally bad guy because he “turned a more or less completely illiterate society into a literate society.”
LIBERAL-BLOC COALITION HAS RETURNED
A parliamentary bid to further investigate the SNC-Lavalin scandal has been shut down with the Bloc Québécois being accused of making a “deal” with the Liberals.
Conservative MP Michael Barrett, who was pushing to deepen an earlier ethics probe, said the move suggests the “return of the Liberal-Bloc coalition” was at hand.
Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, a rookie Bloc MP, voted against a Conservative motion tabled in the House Ethics committee on Monday, which called for further study into the Ethics Commissioner’s report last year that found Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broke conflict of interest laws. The motion, put forward by Barrett, was similar to an earlier motion in February that was also voted down by the Bloc.
Conservative MP Michael Barrett, who was pushing to deepen an earlier ethics probe, said the move suggests the “return of the Liberal-Bloc coalition” was at hand.
Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, a rookie Bloc MP, voted against a Conservative motion tabled in the House Ethics committee on Monday, which called for further study into the Ethics Commissioner’s report last year that found Prime Minister Justin Trudeau broke conflict of interest laws. The motion, put forward by Barrett, was similar to an earlier motion in February that was also voted down by the Bloc.
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
COVID-19 & CHINA'S WAR ON THE TRUTH
"Chinese laboratories identified a mystery virus as a highly infectious new pathogen by late December last year, but they were ordered to stop tests, destroy samples and suppress the news, a Chinese media outlet has revealed.
"A regional health official in Wuhan, centre of the outbreak, demanded the destruction of the lab samples that established the cause of unexplained viral pneumonia on January 1. China did not acknowledge there was human-to-human transmission until more than three weeks later.
"The detailed revelations by Caixin Global, a respected independent publication, provide the clearest evidence yet of the scale of the cover-up in the crucial early weeks when the opportunity was lost to control the outbreak."
LETTING CHINA WALK ALL OVER CANADA
The Special Commons Committee on Canada-China Relations went ahead today without the presence of its most-anticipated witness: former Trudeau government cabinet minister and ambassador to China John McCallum.
Former ambassadors Howard Balloch and George St-Jacques both attended in person.
Balloch seconded St-Jacques's assessment: "The one thing that China respects is firmness. They don't respect weakness." He also seemed to criticize the Trudeau government's handling of the canola file: "Giving in when they're using leverage like that is the wrong response.""If you just adopt a laissez-faire attitude, if you let them walk over you, you end up as roadkill."
Former ambassadors Howard Balloch and George St-Jacques both attended in person.
Balloch seconded St-Jacques's assessment: "The one thing that China respects is firmness. They don't respect weakness." He also seemed to criticize the Trudeau government's handling of the canola file: "Giving in when they're using leverage like that is the wrong response.""If you just adopt a laissez-faire attitude, if you let them walk over you, you end up as roadkill."
USA WARNING CANADA ABOUT HUAWEI
The White House official spearheading the U.S. campaign to bar Huawei Technologies from Western 5G networks shared highly classified information with Canadian officials Monday about cyber-risks from the Chinese telecom’s gear, including “backdoors” that compromise national security and user data, sources involved in the Ottawa talks say.
Robert Blair, deputy White House chief of staff and President Donald Trump’s special representative for international telecommunications, met with Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and senior officials from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), National Defence, Communications Security Establishment (CSE) and the departments of Innovation and foreign affairs.
He warned that Canada would lose access to high-level U.S. intelligence if Ottawa decides to allow Huawei equipment in next-generation 5G networks.
Robert Blair, deputy White House chief of staff and President Donald Trump’s special representative for international telecommunications, met with Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and senior officials from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), National Defence, Communications Security Establishment (CSE) and the departments of Innovation and foreign affairs.
He warned that Canada would lose access to high-level U.S. intelligence if Ottawa decides to allow Huawei equipment in next-generation 5G networks.
Monday, March 9, 2020
THE $9 BILLION DISASTER: OTTAWA'S LRT
Nearly six months after the launch of the light rail transit, the city of Ottawa is exhausted. Commuters can cite by rote the many ways a rail car can be disabled — jammed doors, hobbled communications, unpredictable rail switches, disconnected power cables, disabled brakes and more.
This is the story of how myriad parts of the project failed to come together as promised.
This is the story of how myriad parts of the project failed to come together as promised.
OIL DOWN 31+ PER CENT IN PRICE WAR
Oil markets tumbled more than 30 per cent after the disintegration of the OPEC+ alliance triggered an all-out price-war between Saudi Arabia and Russia that is likely to have sweeping political and economic consequences.
Brent futures suffered the second-largest drop on record in the opening seconds of trading in Asia, behind only the plunge during the Gulf War in 1991. As the global oil benchmark plummeted to as low as US$31.02 a barrel, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. warned prices could drop to near US$20 a barrel.
The cataclysmic plunge will resonate through the energy industry, from giants like Exxon Mobil Corp. to smaller shale drillers in West Texas. It will hit the budgets of oil-dependent nations from Angola to Kazakhstan and could also reshape global politics, eroding the influence of countries like Saudi Arabia. The fight against climate change may suffer a setback as fossil fuels become more competitive versus renewable energy.
Brent futures suffered the second-largest drop on record in the opening seconds of trading in Asia, behind only the plunge during the Gulf War in 1991. As the global oil benchmark plummeted to as low as US$31.02 a barrel, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. warned prices could drop to near US$20 a barrel.
The cataclysmic plunge will resonate through the energy industry, from giants like Exxon Mobil Corp. to smaller shale drillers in West Texas. It will hit the budgets of oil-dependent nations from Angola to Kazakhstan and could also reshape global politics, eroding the influence of countries like Saudi Arabia. The fight against climate change may suffer a setback as fossil fuels become more competitive versus renewable energy.
Saturday, March 7, 2020
THE SOUND OF CRICKETS FROM INVESTORS
A day after legendary investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway abandoned an investment in GNL Quebec’s $9-billion Energie Saguenay liquefied natural gas project, frustrated investors and analysts are wondering if there’s anyone left to invest in LNG in Canada — or anything else, for that matter.
“They’ve basically all gone away, haven’t they?” said Cameron Gingrich, director of strategic energy advisory services at Solomon Associates in Calgary, of the major strategic investors in Canada’s nascent LNG industry.
In addition to Berkshire Hathaway, Gingrich said there’s been a long list of foreign strategic investors pull out of planned investments in proposed LNG projects in Canada in recent months and years, including Chevron Corp., Woodside Petroleum Ltd., Exxon Mobil Corp., CNOOC Ltd. and Petronas Bhd., which shelved its Pacific NorthWest LNG project to buy a smaller stake in a project led by Royal Dutch Shell plc.
“They’ve basically all gone away, haven’t they?” said Cameron Gingrich, director of strategic energy advisory services at Solomon Associates in Calgary, of the major strategic investors in Canada’s nascent LNG industry.
In addition to Berkshire Hathaway, Gingrich said there’s been a long list of foreign strategic investors pull out of planned investments in proposed LNG projects in Canada in recent months and years, including Chevron Corp., Woodside Petroleum Ltd., Exxon Mobil Corp., CNOOC Ltd. and Petronas Bhd., which shelved its Pacific NorthWest LNG project to buy a smaller stake in a project led by Royal Dutch Shell plc.
HEREDITARY CHIEFS: UNACCOUNTABLE ANACHRONISMS
Who are these hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Nations who are stopping the Coastal GasLink pipeline in northern British Columbia? And who gave these chiefs the right to high-handedly override the desires of the native Canadians over whom they claim dominion? Like the paternalistic rulers of Western nations of old who claimed to rule by divine right — France’s Louis XVI and Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II were their countries’ last specimens — the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Nations are unaccountable anachronisms divorced from the needs of their people.
EPA ELIMINATES SECRET SCIENCE
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making some critical changes to a rule designed to keep so-called secret science out of regulatory crafting process, sparking anger from Obama-era officials.
The agency walked back an element of the rule Tuesday that sought to restrict the EPA from considering research that is not publicly available. The EPA’s changes require the agency to now give preference to studies with public data rather than research that is hidden from view.
Former EPA Chief Scott Pruitt in 2018 proposed reversing the practice of relying on secretive data in crafting rules. Conservatives have-long lambasted such studies, noting that such “secret science” has been used to craft billions of dollars worth of environmental regulations.
The agency walked back an element of the rule Tuesday that sought to restrict the EPA from considering research that is not publicly available. The EPA’s changes require the agency to now give preference to studies with public data rather than research that is hidden from view.
Former EPA Chief Scott Pruitt in 2018 proposed reversing the practice of relying on secretive data in crafting rules. Conservatives have-long lambasted such studies, noting that such “secret science” has been used to craft billions of dollars worth of environmental regulations.
DEMENTIA SYMPTOMS OF JOE BIDEN
It’s very bizarre and dissonant how there are currently two separate and non-overlapping lines of criticism going on against the campaign of establishment-anointed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. There are the perfectly accurate criticisms regarding the right-wing, militaristic policy positions of the politician Joe Biden used to be, and then there are the equally accurate criticisms of Biden’s handlers and Democratic Party leadership for wheeling out the dementia-addled husk of a man he currently is to run for the world’s most powerful elected office.
I hate doing this. I hate repeatedly writing about the obvious and undeniable fact that an old man is exhibiting obvious and undeniable symptoms of incipient dementia. It isn’t fun, and it doesn’t feel good. But the alternative is laying down and allowing the Democratic party and its allied media to gaslight people into believing it’s not a thing, as they are doing currently.
I hate doing this. I hate repeatedly writing about the obvious and undeniable fact that an old man is exhibiting obvious and undeniable symptoms of incipient dementia. It isn’t fun, and it doesn’t feel good. But the alternative is laying down and allowing the Democratic party and its allied media to gaslight people into believing it’s not a thing, as they are doing currently.
CANADA'S STARK NEW REALITY
John Robson: Oh look. It’s reality. Warren Buffett just pulled Berkshire Hathaway’s $4 billion stake from a $9 billion Quebec LNG project because of “political uncertainty” in Canada, a.k.a. lawless blockades and a regulatory process that’s all maze and no cheese. Suddenly our larky mishandling of public policy has real consequences. We lose money, energy, jobs and hope.
For years we’ve cheerfully accepted cheerful assurances that “the environment and the economy go hand in hand” unless you ask awkward process questions. And cheerful platitudes about Aboriginal reconciliation again wilfully light on details. Or reality.
For years we’ve cheerfully accepted cheerful assurances that “the environment and the economy go hand in hand” unless you ask awkward process questions. And cheerful platitudes about Aboriginal reconciliation again wilfully light on details. Or reality.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
ANXIETY MANAGEMENT BY SLICK WILLY CLINTON
Former President Bill Clinton says his high-profile affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky was one of the things during his presidency that he did to “manage my anxieties,” according to The Daily Mail.
In the forthcoming documentary, “Hillary,” Clinton recalls how the pressure of being president made him feel like a boxer who had fought 30 rounds and that his fling with Lewinsky was “something that will take your mind off it for a while.”
In the forthcoming documentary, “Hillary,” Clinton recalls how the pressure of being president made him feel like a boxer who had fought 30 rounds and that his fling with Lewinsky was “something that will take your mind off it for a while.”
WHAT STARTED THE WUHAN CORONAVIRUS EPIDEMIC?
The fact that ground zero of the Novel Coronavirus is Wuhan, home of China’s newest and most sophisticated microbiology laboratory, naturally casts a shadow of doubt over narratives minimizing the role of human agency in creating the new strain of Coronavirus. Wuhan's important role as a major Chinese research center, much of it secret and covert, has to be taken into account. Moreover, Wuhan just happens also to be the medical headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army.
These issues are finding expressions in the many legitimate questions that are coming to light in the course of the Novel Coronavirus emergency. Some of these questions arise because of a history of largely unexplained relations between the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada (NML). It has been well reported that both institutions share the same top-level 4 certification assigned to containment facilities in research labs where staff can pursue high-level studies of the most dangerous pathogens known to humankind.
Immunologist and Medical Doctor, Xiangguo Qiu, is the principal professional link at the nexus of relations between the Wuhan and Winnipeg facilities. Until recently Dr. Qiu was the head of the Vaccine Development and Antiviral Therapies Section of the Special Pathogens Programme of the NML. The NML in Winnipeg is administered by Canada’s federal Public Health Agency.
Dr. Qiu received her medical degree in China. In 1996 she moved from the Taijin area of China to the United States while already being subsidized as participant in China’s Thousand Talents Program. She soon moved to Canada from the US continuing her graduate work at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Qiu continued her professional life in both Canada and China, apparently visiting the Wuhan Biosafety Laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Science at least five times, each for two-week periods in 2017 and 2018. In each case an undisclosed Chinese entity paid her travel expenses.
These issues are finding expressions in the many legitimate questions that are coming to light in the course of the Novel Coronavirus emergency. Some of these questions arise because of a history of largely unexplained relations between the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory and the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada (NML). It has been well reported that both institutions share the same top-level 4 certification assigned to containment facilities in research labs where staff can pursue high-level studies of the most dangerous pathogens known to humankind.
Immunologist and Medical Doctor, Xiangguo Qiu, is the principal professional link at the nexus of relations between the Wuhan and Winnipeg facilities. Until recently Dr. Qiu was the head of the Vaccine Development and Antiviral Therapies Section of the Special Pathogens Programme of the NML. The NML in Winnipeg is administered by Canada’s federal Public Health Agency.
Dr. Qiu received her medical degree in China. In 1996 she moved from the Taijin area of China to the United States while already being subsidized as participant in China’s Thousand Talents Program. She soon moved to Canada from the US continuing her graduate work at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Qiu continued her professional life in both Canada and China, apparently visiting the Wuhan Biosafety Laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Science at least five times, each for two-week periods in 2017 and 2018. In each case an undisclosed Chinese entity paid her travel expenses.
WUHAN RESIDENTS CLAIM EVERYTHING IS FAKE
While coronavirus continues to rapidly spread throughout the world - officially having infected nearly 100,000 and killing 3,347 as of this writing, China has reported a steady decrease in the number of new cases - insisting they've got the outbreak under control within their borders.
Why anyone believes the official numbers coming out of Beijing is anyone's guess - as the 'official' numbers coming from the CCP have been long divorced from reality based on early reporting from crematoriums operating at capacity and healthcare workers reporting deaths in provinces that had no official fatalities.
So, it should come to no surprise that skeptics of the CCP's attempts at narrative shaping include none other than residents of Wuhan, ground-zero of the COVID-19 outbreak.
During a visit to a Wuhan apartment complex in a public relations stunt, China's Vice prime minister Sun Chunlan was heckled by residents from their apartments, who shouted "Fake! Everything is fake!"
Why anyone believes the official numbers coming out of Beijing is anyone's guess - as the 'official' numbers coming from the CCP have been long divorced from reality based on early reporting from crematoriums operating at capacity and healthcare workers reporting deaths in provinces that had no official fatalities.
So, it should come to no surprise that skeptics of the CCP's attempts at narrative shaping include none other than residents of Wuhan, ground-zero of the COVID-19 outbreak.
During a visit to a Wuhan apartment complex in a public relations stunt, China's Vice prime minister Sun Chunlan was heckled by residents from their apartments, who shouted "Fake! Everything is fake!"
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
FEARSOME BLACK DEVILS
An all too obscure vignette of Canadian military history is our involvement in a super-elite, American-Canadian commando unit — The “First Special Service Force” — during the Second World War. It was formed in July 1942 from carefully screened Canadian and U.S. volunteers, many of whom were formerly hard rock miners, explosive specialists, skiers, parachutists, hunters and rugged individualists. Popularized in a somewhat distorted 1968 Hollywood movie as “The Devil’s Brigade,” the unit became better known and feared by the Axis and Allies alike as the “Black Devils.”
THE PM HAS A CUNNING PLAN
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he knows people are impatient for a resolution to tensions involving a disputed natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia, but time is needed to respect the traditions of the Wet'suwet'en people.
Speaking to reporters in Halifax Tuesday, Trudeau acknowledged the opposition of some Wet'suwet'en leaders to the Coastal GasLink pipeline has led to difficult times for many Canadians over the past few weeks.
He said his government has been focused on trying to find a solution, but added that current tensions stem from Canada's dark history of mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Monday, March 2, 2020
DOES TEAM TRUDEAU FINALLY GET IT?
Last week, we learned that our longstanding criticism of the Trudeau government’s approach to dealing with China is now shared by none other than the Trudeau government – or at least by the members of the civil service charged with advising it.
Late last year, officials at Global Affairs prepared a briefing note on “how to approach relations with China.” The analysis of the relationship with the world’s second superpower was made public last week by the House of Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations. (The committee is one of the blessings of a minority Parliament.)
After years of seeing China as a land of rainbows and dollar signs, the government is no longer receiving advice from Fantasy Island. China’s retaliation for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, involving economic punishment and hostage-taking, has left Ottawa with no choice but to wise up.
Late last year, officials at Global Affairs prepared a briefing note on “how to approach relations with China.” The analysis of the relationship with the world’s second superpower was made public last week by the House of Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations. (The committee is one of the blessings of a minority Parliament.)
After years of seeing China as a land of rainbows and dollar signs, the government is no longer receiving advice from Fantasy Island. China’s retaliation for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, involving economic punishment and hostage-taking, has left Ottawa with no choice but to wise up.
RECORD SHIPPING DOCKED; SEAWAY CLOSED
With protests stalling Canada’s railways, shipping companies on the St. Lawrence seaway say they’re ready to help move vital goods, but high water levels, controlled by a major dam, are keeping them at the dock.
The St. Lawrence Seaway corporation has decided to delay the opening of the system until April 1, even though the river is largely ice free and could open as early as March 20.
Bruce Burrows, president of the Marine Chamber of Commerce, said demand is 40 per cent higher than normal and they would like to be out on the water.
“We have over 100 ship transits ready to go, record volumes ready to move,” he said.
The St. Lawrence Seaway corporation has decided to delay the opening of the system until April 1, even though the river is largely ice free and could open as early as March 20.
Bruce Burrows, president of the Marine Chamber of Commerce, said demand is 40 per cent higher than normal and they would like to be out on the water.
“We have over 100 ship transits ready to go, record volumes ready to move,” he said.
Sunday, March 1, 2020
TURKEY OPENS REFUGEE FLOODGATE
Amid an escalation in Syria following an airstrike which killed 33 Turkish troops, Ankara announced that it would no longer hold back the wave of people attempting to reach Europe.
Ankara is once again using migrants as a weapon in a bid to accomplish its geopolitical goals, illustrating how so-called “refugees” can only have a massively negative impact on the countries they enter.
Ankara is once again using migrants as a weapon in a bid to accomplish its geopolitical goals, illustrating how so-called “refugees” can only have a massively negative impact on the countries they enter.
TURKEY ASKS NATO TO GO TO WAR AGAINST SYRIA
The spokesperson for the Islamist party of Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has called upon all of NATO to go to war against Syria for Syria’s having killed dozens of Turkey’s troops in order for Syria to defeat Turkey’s invasion and military occupation of Syria’s Idlib Province, which borders on Turkey. Going to war against Syria would mean going to war also against Russia, which is in Syria to protect Syria’s sovereignty over its own territory. If the United States accepts that Turkish proposal, then World War III will consequently result.
THE BACK ASSWARD LIBERAL GOVERNMENT
A Health Canada spokesperson told The Toronto Sun containment is still Canada’s strategy and that the Canadian government will not shut down its borders or ban direct or connecting flights from China.
The same applies to Italy and Iran, despite Ghebreyesus confirming “24 cases had been exported from Italy to 14 countries and 97 cases had been exported from Iran to 11 countries.”
“The Government of Canada and the provinces and territories have multiple systems in place to prepare for, detect and respond to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in Canada,” the spokesperson said. “The WHO advises that measures to limit the risk of exportation or importation of the disease should be implemented, without unnecessary restrictions of international traffic.”
The same applies to Italy and Iran, despite Ghebreyesus confirming “24 cases had been exported from Italy to 14 countries and 97 cases had been exported from Iran to 11 countries.”
“The Government of Canada and the provinces and territories have multiple systems in place to prepare for, detect and respond to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in Canada,” the spokesperson said. “The WHO advises that measures to limit the risk of exportation or importation of the disease should be implemented, without unnecessary restrictions of international traffic.”
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