GD's Political Animal: 2024

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Banned charity song tops UK sales chart

Anti-Starmer protest and charity song Freezing this Christmas hit #1 on the UK's sales and download charts for Christmas week, but got next to no airplay after the state-owned BBC refused to play it.

Christmas number one: Freezing This Christmas - who are Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers? | National World | Tom Morton:

December 20, 2024 - "'Freezing This Christmas' is a take-off of the crooning Mud perennial Lonely This Christmas - but unlike similar parodies its aim is not to raise a smile but to stoke anger. The fictional band Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers are looking to highlight the plight of pensioners. It was written as a protest against the new Labour government’s decision to scrap the winter fuel allowance. So far 1.6m people have watched the video on YouTube - and the song is, according to bookmaker William Hill, in the running to be Christmas number one.

"The lyrics were drafted by33-year-old freelance writer Chris Middleton from Newcastle. He told the Daily Telegraph: ... 'I saw something on [X] a couple of months ago about trying to do a Christmas song for pensioners and the hook of the chorus just came to me. Lonely This Christmas is my favourite Christmas song so that’s probably why'.... The song has an accompanying JustGiving fundraising page, which is raising money for Age UK. After setting a target of £5,000, so far it has raised more than £35,000 for the charity, and donations can be made here.

The singer is Dean Ager, 51, from Worthing, who usually impersonates Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble.... As well as hundreds of thousands of streams on YouTube, Freezing This Christmas has topped the Apple iTunes download chart - but so far the BBC has not played it."

Screen capture - YouTube

Freezing This Christmas racks up just over 14,000 sales in a few weeks but is pipped to top slot by Wham! | The Telegraph | Craig Simpson:

December 20, 2024 - "An anti-Keir Starmer protest song has topped the downloads and sales charts but missed out on the Christmas No 1 slot. Freezing This Christmas, by the parody act Sir Starmer and The Granny Harmers, ... was embraced by the public and reached No 1 in both the Official Download Chart and the Official Sales Chart, racking up just over 14,000 sales in a matter of weeks.

"However, Wham!’s 1984 hit Last Christmas was named Christmas No 1, sealing the top spot for the second year in a row – a first for the charts. The Official Singles Chart is calculated based on all audio, video, streaming, download and physical sales. Freezing This Christmas enjoyed a surge in download sales, but these were not enough to compete with the more than 12 million streams garnered by Last Christmas.

"Despite receiving no radio play, as the BBC refused to give the anti-Labour song air time, Freezing This Christmas finished at number 37 in the Official Singles Chart.

"The refusal to play the track continued even after this final chart position was announced, with the BBC’s Official Chart show Radio cutting the song from its countdown of the Christmas Top 40. Presenter Jack Saunders played both number 38 and 36, but omitted Freezing This Christmas at number 37."

Freezing This Christmas OFFICIAL VIDEO by Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers (Parody of Mud) | Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers | December 1, 2024:

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Emo ON seeks judicial review of Pride fines

The township of Emo, Ontario, has applied for judicial review of the provincial Human Rights Tribunal's decision that fined the township and mayor $15,000 in total for voting not to proclaim Pride Month.

Emo township seeks judicial review of tribunal penalty over lack of Pride proclamation | True North | Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire:

December 20, 2024 - "After the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ordered a small town and its mayor to pay $15,000 fines for “discriminating” against a Pride group for not declaring June as Pride Month, the two are applying for a judicial review of the case.

The northern Ontario township of Emo announced that it has applied for a judicial review to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to have the November decision quashed and sent back to the Human Rights Tribunal... The tribunal found that Emo, Ont., discriminated against Borderland Pride when it voted to refrain from accepting the verbiage of a draft proclamation written by the pride group.

"In the announcement, the town noted that despite being labelled as discriminatory against the LGBT community, it made a 'Declaration of Equality' in 2022, after the vote and before the tribunal decision, which recognized the 'dignity and worth' of LGBT people and the barriers they may face in society. The town announced that it would not provide further comment because the matter was before the divisional courts.

"The tribunal ordered the town to pay Borderland Pride $10,000. Its mayor, Harold McQuaker, was fined $5,000. McQuaker and the township’s chief administrative officer, hired after the vote, were also ordered to take a 'Human Rights 101' eLearning Module by Dec. 20. McQuaker publicly refused to pay the damages ordered against him at the beginning of the month, prompting Borderland Pride to take enforcement action against him and have the money garnished directly from his account.

"According to the notice of the judicial review application obtained by True North, the town and McQuaker want the tribunal to reexamine the case and have the orders against them stayed, claiming that the decision was 'unreasonable and incorrect.' The applicants demand that any orders placed on them be halted until the human rights tribunal reexamines the matter. They also want the $5,000 –plus interest and taxes – garnished from McQuaker’s account to be returned in the meantime. They claim that the money was unfairly taken from the mayor as it was garnished before the 30-day timeline to apply for judicial review had passed.

"The tribunal based its discrimination finding on a statement McQuaker made at a later, council meeting in which he pointed out that the township wasn’t flying a flag for anyone – and to fly the flag would be a political statement to which the alternative 'straight flag' isn’t being flown. Because the tribunal found McQuaker to have not acted in good faith when voting, he was disqualified from being shielded from paying damages as municipal workers in Ontario typically are for actions taken while performing their duties.

"The applicants argue that the court should not have used the mayor’s post-vote statements to determine if he had discriminated against the Pride group for voting not accepting its verbiage and proclamation. The applicants argue that the tribunal failed to explain why it declined to accept alternative explanations for McQuakers statements, including that he sought to be inclusive and that it didn’t support its claim that he acted in bad faith with 'any articulable' facts.... The applicants also argue that the orders against the CAO of the town, who was hired after the incident in question, demonstrate the unreasonableness of the decision. She allegedly was not informed that she would be subject to enforcement and wasn’t given a chance to defend herself.

"Among other problems the applicants have with the decision, they also took issue with the finding that Borderland Pride could even be paid compensation for injury to its 'dignity, feelings and self-respect,' as it is a corporation and not a human under the human rights code."

Mayor of Emo, ON Faces $5,000 fine and 're-education' over pride flag ruling | Rebel News | December 14, 2024:

Friday, December 20, 2024

Trump tariffs would plunge Canada into recession

Donald Trump has promised, as one of his "many first Executive Orders," to slap a 25% tariff on Canadian goods, a move that would plunge Canada into a deep recession.

Trump tells Trudeau to fix border problems or get hit with 25% tariffs | Toronto Sun | Brian Lilley:

November 26, 2024 - "Donald Trump has given Canada two months notice: Fix the border or get whacked with tariffs, huge tariffs. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he will sign an executive order to bring in across-the-board tariffs on Canadian goods....

“'As everyone is aware, thousands of people are pouring through Mexico and Canada, bringing crime and drugs at levels never seen before,' the president-elect posted. 'On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% tariff on all products coming into the United States'....

"While illegal immigration from Canada to the United States pales in comparison to what happens on the Mexican-American border, the numbers have been rising.

"Over the period from October 2023 to the end of September 2024, border patrol agents apprehended close to 20,000 people crossing in the Swanton Sector – more than in the previous 17 years combined. That sector runs from the Quebec-New Hampshire border, across the Vermont-Quebec border and then over the top of New York State to where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario.

"Trump’s new border czar, Tom Homan, comes from western New York, just south of Kingston, and knows the Canada-U.S. border well.... He ... told a Watertown, N.Y., TV station in an interview just after he was appointed ... [that] more than twice as many people on terror watch lists have been apprehended crossing into the United States from Canada than from Mexico. And while fentanyl isn’t a drug that is often seized crossing in from the north, Canada has long been a source of cocaine, marijuana and other drugs, a fact Homan is well aware of....

“'This tariff will remain in effect until such time as drugs, in particular fentanyl, and all Illegal aliens stop this invasion of our country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem,' Trump said.... If Trump were to act on this, and there is no reason to believe he is bluffing, it would cause immense devastation to the Canadian economy. An analysis by TD economics of Trump’s earlier tariff threat predicted that under a 10% tariff 'Real GDP would fall around 2.4 ppts over two years. This threat is 2 1/2 times bigger and would sink Canada into a deep recession.

"Thankfully, there is a warning and a chance to act to avoid the tariffs, because on something like this, turning to enacting our own tariffs wouldn’t have the desired effect, our pain would be much bigger than theirs....

"There is a problem of drugs, crime and people crossing the border in both directions. The Biden administration had raised issues with the Trudeau government months ago, there was no action. Now, we face an incoming administration that isn’t interested in playing nice.... What’s worrisome for Canada is it’s doubtful that the Trudeau government can deliver anything that will save us and our economy from the pain that is coming."

Brian Lilley Drops BOMBSHELL On Justin Trudeau In LEAKED Interview! | The Canada Digest | December 18, 2024:

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Canadian deficit crashes through $40B guidepost

Canada's Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland resigned rather than deliver the Trudeau government's Fall Economic Statement, which shows a federal deficit 50% higher than the $40.1 Billion "fiscal guidepost" Freeland had committed to in the spring Budget.

Government still planning to unveil economic statement despite Freeland's resignation | CBC News | Karina Roman:

December 16, 2024 - ""The federal government is still planning to unveil its long-awaited fall economic statement (FES) today — putting to rest weeks of speculation about a higher-than-projected deficit and the potential failure of other fiscal 'anchors' Ottawa claimed would keep its budget on track. The government's plans for the FES were thrown into chaos this morning when Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced she would resign from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet....

"Just last spring, in her Budget 2024 speech, Freeland laid out three 'fiscal guideposts' she said would demonstrate the government's continuing commitment to fiscal responsibility. The first was a promise to keep the 2023-24 deficit at or below $40.1 billion. Last week, Freeland would no longer commit to meeting that target."

Federal deficit climbs to $61.9B as Freeland resigns | CBC News: The National | December 16, 2024:

Federal deficit balloons to $61.9B as government tables economic update on chaotic day in Ottawa | CBC News | Catharine Tunney:

December 17, 2024 - "The federal government tabled a fall economic statement Monday that calls for more than $20 billion in new spending and explains how last fiscal year's deficit ballooned to $61.9 billion — but it was Chrystia Freeland's abrupt resignation as finance minister and her questioning of her own government's economic policy that sent Canadian politics into a frenzy....

"Freeland, who was meant to deliver the statement, resigned from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet just as reporters and stakeholders were headed to a media lockup to view the document.... Government House leader Karina Gould ended up tabling the fall economic statement in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon just after 4p.m. ET. By dinner time in Ottawa, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc had been sworn in as the new finance minister.

"Along with showing that the federal government blew its own deficit target by more than $20 billion, the document — overseen by Freeland before her resignation — includes ... $1.3 billion for a border security package over six years ... although the 270-page document doesn't explain exactly how that money will be spent. The government is also earmarking billions of dollars to boost Canadian businesses amid global uncertainty....

"Freeland's resignation letter suggests she did not agree with her boss on how to tackle those challenges.... She also took a parting shot at her boss's handling of the country's economy, denouncing what she called the government's 'costly political gimmicks' and imploring him to work collaboratively with the country's premiers to confront Trump['s] tariff threat....

"In her spring Budget 2024 speech, Freeland laid out guideposts she said would demonstrate the government's continuing commitment to fiscal responsibility. The first was a promise to keep the 2023-24 deficit at or below $40 billion. The federal government has blown past that benchmark; Monday's update posts a deficit of nearly $62 billion for last fiscal year. [Given an inflation rate of at least 1.7%, a $61.9 billion deficit will add more than $1 billion a year to debt interest charges. - gd]

"The federal government says the 2023-24 spike is due to one-time costs, including $16.4 billion related to Indigenous claims playing out in court and $4.7 billion related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deficit is projected to dip down to $48.3 billion for this current fiscal year."

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Violent Crime up >40% in Canada since 2014

Between 2014 (a year when Canadian crime rates reached their lowest) and 2022 (the most recent comparable year of data), population-adjusted rates of both violent crime and property crime in Canada have grown to surpass comparable crime rates in the United States.

Study finds violent crime in Canada surged 44% since 2014, worse than US | Western Standard | Western Standard News Services:

November 28, 2024: - "Canada’s violent crime rate has risen sharply, outpacing that of the United States, according to a new Fraser Institute report analyzing crime trends between the two countries.

"The study revealed a 43.8% increase in Canada’s violent crime rate between 2014 and 2022, reaching 434.1 violent crimes per 100,000 people.... U.S. violent crime rate stood at 380.7 per 100,000 people during the same period, making Canada’s rate 14% higher.

Courtesy Fraser Institute.

"Property crime in Canada has also seen a troubling rise, with the rate climbing 7% to 2,491 crimes per 100,000 people between 2014 and 2022. In contrast, the U.S. property crime rate dropped by 24.1% during the same period, leaving Canada’s property crime rate 27% higher than its southern neighbor. The report noted that Canada’s property crime rate had been lower than the U.S. until 2015, the year Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office.

Graph courtesy Fraser Institute.

"Homicide rates in Canada, while still below those in the U.S., have also increased significantly, rising 53.5% between 2014 and 2022....

“'Trudeau’s radical catch-and-release policies have set violent repeat offenders loose on our streets,' read a statement from the Conservative Party on Thursday. The party pledged to reform the justice system by prioritizing jail time for violent repeat offenders over bail, saying Canadians deserve safer communities."

Read study: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/comparing-recent-crime-trends-in-canada-and-us-an-introduction.pdf

Sunday, December 15, 2024

Health care wait times at new records in Canada

Canadian patients in 2024 waited longer than ever for medical treatment, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute.

Canadians faced longest ever health-care wait times in 2024, study finds | National Post | Stewart Lewis:

December 12, 2024 - "Canadians waited longer than ever for medical treatment in 2024, says the Fraser Institute. This year’s edition of its annual survey of physicians from across Canada reports a median wait time of 30 weeks from referral by a family doctor to consultation with a specialist, and then from the consultation to actual treatment. The 30-week wait is the longest ever recorded by the Institute — longer than the 27.7 weeks in 2023, 20.9 weeks in pre-pandemic 2019, and 222 per cent longer than the 9.3 weeks in 1993, when it began tracking wait times.

"'While most Canadians understand that wait times are a major problem, we’ve now reached an unprecedented and unfortunate milestone for delayed access to care,' said Bacchus Barua, director of health policy studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of 'Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2024.' The independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank released the new survey Thursday.

“'Long wait times can result in increased suffering for patients, lost productivity at work, a decreased quality of life, and in the worst cases, disability or death,' said Mackenzie Moir, senior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute and study co-author.

Courtesy Fraser Institute.

"Ontarians seem to be doing best in the country with the shortest median wait time (23.6 weeks, up from 21.6 weeks in 2023). Prince Edward Islanders are not quite so fortunate, recording the longest median wait(77.4 weeks). The Institute notes, however, that data for P.E.I. should be interpreted with caution due to fewer survey responses compared to other provinces.

"The wait time to see a specialist increased from 14.6 weeks in 2023 to 15.0 weeks in 2024. This wait time is 305 per cent longer than it was in 1993 — at 3.7 weeks.... For the second stage, the wait time for treatment increased from 13.1 weeks in 2023 to 15.0 weeks this year. This wait time is 167 per cent longer than in 1993 when it was 5.6 weeks, and 6.3 weeks longer than what physicians consider to be clinically 'reasonable' (8.6 weeks)....

"Among the various specialties, national median wait times were longest for orthopedic surgery (57.5 weeks) and neurosurgery (46.2 weeks). Meanwhile, the shortest are for radiation (4.5 weeks) and medical oncology treatments (4.7 weeks). For diagnostic tests, wait times were longest for CT scans (8.1 weeks), MRIs (16.2 weeks) and ultrasounds (5.2 weeks).

"It is estimated, across the 10 provinces, that the total number of procedures people waited for in 2024 is 1,543,994. Assuming each person waits for only one procedure, 3.7 per cent of Canadians waited for treatment in 2024....

"Data for this study was collected from Jan. 19 to May 31, 2024. A total of 1,973 responses were received across the 12 specialties surveyed, a response rate of 17.0 per cent.

Read report: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/waiting-your-turn-2024.pdf

Saturday, December 14, 2024

Emigration from Canada to USA hits 10-year high

It's not just Jordan Peterson and Gad Saad; emigration from Canada is at a 10-year high, with over 100,000 a year leaving for the USA.

Emigration from Canada to the U.S. hits a 10-year high as tens of thousands head south | CBC News | John Paul Tasker:

May 30, 2024 - "Tens of thousands of Canadians are emigrating from Canada to the United States and the number of people packing up and moving south has hit a level not seen in 10 years or more, according to data compiled by CBC News. There's nothing new about Canadians moving south of the 49th parallel for love, work or warmer weather, but the latest figures from the American Community Survey (ACS) suggest it's now happening at a much higher rate than the historical average.

"The ACS, which is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, says the number of people moving from Canada to the U.S. hit 126,340 in 2022. That's an increase of nearly 70 per cent over the 75,752 people who made the move in 2012.

"Of the 126,340 who emigrated from Canada to the U.S. that year, 53,311 were born in Canada, 42,595 were Americans who left here for their native land, and 30,434 were foreign-born immigrants to Canada who decided to move to the U.S. instead. That Canadian-born figure is notably higher now than it has been in the past. It's up roughly 50 per cent over the average number of Canadians born in Canada who left for the U.S. in the pre-COVID period....

"United Nations data compiled by Statistics Canada and shared with CBC News shows the U.S. is by far the most common destination for Canadian emigrants. There were about 800,000 Canadians living in the U.S. as of 2020, eight times more than the 100,000 who live in the U.K., according to the latest UN figures.

"A number of Facebook groups have popped up to help Canadians make the move. Recent arrivals use them to share tips on how to secure a visa or green card, where to live and what to do about health insurance. One group called 'Canadians Moving to Florida & USA' has more than 55,000 members and is adding dozens of new members every week.

"The real estate agents and immigration lawyers who help Canadians make the move say the surge is being driven partly by a desire for a more affordable life. But there are also people who say they have lost faith in Canada under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership....

"While the U.S., like Canada, has grappled with inflation, the cost of living can be cheaper in some states. The average U.S. home price is lower than it is here — $580,700 Cdn in the U.S., compared to $703,500 in Canada. That's 20 per cent lower after adjusting for exchange rates. The price gap is even more stark in some states....

"The tax burden is less onerous in many states. There's no state income tax in Florida. In Arizona, a popular destination for western Canadian emigrants, there's a flat state tax rate of 2.5 per cent. Some daily staples are also a lot more affordable south of the border, with lower so-called 'sin' taxes on alcohol and tobacco in some states."

Skilled newcomers are leaving Canada in record numbers: report | Canada Tonight | CBC News | November 19, 2024:

Friday, December 13, 2024

2022 Convoy charges against Randy Hillier stayed

On November 14 an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that all charges against Randy Hillier stemming from the 2022 Freedom Convoy be dropped, agreeing that Hillier's Charter right to be tried within a reasonable time frame had been violated.

Convoy protest charges against ex-MPP Randy Hillier stayed due to delays | Ottawa Citizen | Ken warren:

November 18, 2024 - "All charges against former MPP Randy Hillier relating to the February 2022 convoy protest in Ottawa have been stayed.... Hillier, who represented Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston as an independent after being removed from the Conservative caucus in 2019, had been facing a nine-pack of charges stemming from the trucker blockade along Wellington Avenue in front of Parliament Hill. The charges included two counts of mischief, three counts of counselling to commit an indictable offence, three counts of obstructing a police officer and one count of assaulting a police officer.

"In a ruling dated Thursday, Superior Court Justice Kerry McVey agreed with Hillier’s argument that his Charter right to be tried within a reasonable time frame had been violated. A four-week trial had been scheduled to begin next Jan. 27 in Ottawa, with an anticipated ending of Feb. 25. That would amount to a total of 34 months 28 days since police charged Hillier. Factoring in 105 days for delays caused by the defence and for 'exceptional circumstances,' McVey ruled that Hillier had been waiting for 31 months 13 days for a trial.

"A previous 30-month ceiling on delays had been established by the Supreme Court in the 2016 decision R v. Jordan. 'As a result, the application is granted,' McVey wrote. 'The charges against Mr. Hillier are dropped'....

"The case against Hillier included charges that he inspired his 56,000 online followers to flood non-emergency police lines during the convoy protest demonstration despite a police plea to the public to keep communication channels open. Police had received 274 malicious calls during a six-day period, according to the Crown case. Hillier had told his on-line supporters to keep calling because 'in a democracy, expressing yourself is a fundamental freedom.'

"The prosecution also said Hillier had disregarded a police officer’s directions and used his shoulder to push an officer away, allowing demonstrators to pass through a barricade.

"Despite emergency orders against it, the Crown also contended that Hillier told his supporters to continue stocking the protesters with gasoline and food."

Randy Hillier Charges Dropped!! Exclusive interview | Greg Wycliffe | November 19, 2024:

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

5% of Canadian businesses closed in one month

Business closings in Canada rose in June 2024 to their highest level since the pandemic, wiping out a year of gains in a single month.

Canada Just Saw 1 In 20 Businesses Close In A Month, Biggest Wave Since Pandemic | Better Dwelling:

October 1, 2024 - "Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows businesses suffered a major setback in June. The country saw the largest wave of business closures since the depths of the 2020 pandemic, when lockdowns physically restricted businesses from activity. In just one month, Canada saw enough businesses shutter to reverse more than a year of progress.....

"Seasonally adjusted data shows 46,354 businesses closed in June, marking the largest wave in exactly 4 years. That’s right, the current environment is so rough that businesses are responding like 2020 pandemic lockdowns just kicked off. The closure rate (share as a total) also set a similar pandemic record. The rate climbed 0.2 points to 5.0% in June, meaning 1 in 20 businesses closed their doors for good last month. If that sounds high, that’s because it is—the highest rate since June 2020.

"Even more disturbing is the fact this issue is now widespread. Stat Can observed closures across industries, noting it was a broad issue. They did note that construction and retail were slightly ahead of the pack. This highlights how weak households are these days, since both industries should have seen a large boost just by sheer population growth.

The opening vs closing rate of businesses across Canada.
The rate is determined as a share of total active businesses at month end.

Source: Statistics Canada.

"At the same time, fewer Canadians are starting a new business. Monthly business openings fell 8.6% (-3,746) to 39,482 businesses in June. It was the slowest month for new businesses since March 2023, and one would assume the reason for closures is also holding back budding entrepreneurs. The opening rate, openings as a share of total active businesses, was also much weaker than usual. The rate fell 0.4 points to 4.2% in June, marking the weakest rate since August 2021. Once again, the weakness was observed across all industries....

"More business closures and fewer openings means a decline in total businesses in Canada. The net balance of openings and closures reduced active businesses by 1% (-9,037) to 929,173 in June. This is the lowest number of active businesses since April 2023, meaning a single month wiped out over a year of gains for the Canadian economy....

"Canadian businesses are closing at one of the fastest clips in history — a rate not seen since they were locked down by a pandemic, and physically restricted from doing business. That doesn’t bode well with the rising unemployment rate, elevated even higher for young adults. It also seems to conflict with the [Trudeau government's] narrative of a strong economy that’s the envy of other G7 countries."

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Pride group garnishes ON mayor's bank account

Borderland Pride has garnished Emo, Ontario, mayor Harold McQuaker's bank account for the $5,000 the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal awarded the group after McQuaker voted against proclaiming Pride Month in Emo.

Mayor who stood up to Pride group has bank account garnished | Toronto Sun | Joe Warmington:

December 7, 2024 - "LGBTQ2+ activists have literally made Emo Township Mayor Harold McQuaker pay for daring to stand up to them. Although the Northern Ontario municipal leader vowed not to honour a $5,000 fine the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) levied against him for comments surrounding town council not approving a motion to approve Pride month, he wasn’t given a choice. In fact, the winner of the judgement that McQuaker called 'extortion' has boasted it has already gone into his bank account to collect the money....

“'Mayor McQuaker’s comments in the Toronto Sun and other media were very clear that he did not respect nor intend to comply with the Tribunal’s orders,' Borderland Pride said in an email.

"'Consequently, it was apparent he would not voluntarily make payment of the damages ordered. We took immediate action to garnish his bank account.'

"What McQuaker told the Sun was, 'I utterly refuse to pay the $5,000 because that’s extortion' and also said he would not partake in an Ontario Human Rights Commission re-education course....

"Borderland Pride said, 'The garnishment was issued by the court and delivered to the CIBC in Emo, which is the only bank in that community' and 'there is no hearing or application to issue a notice of garnishment – it is a service provided at the court counter or online once a person has an order for the payment of money.' Borderland Pride also wrote, 'Orders of the Tribunal can be enforced in the same manner as any civil judgment for the payment of money. We intend to ensure the Tribunal’s orders are complied with'....

"Cancel culture is cancelling this mayor and digging into his personal savings too. On a weak premise that there is discrimination of LGBT people there, the enforcement is harsher than most violent criminals receive. It seems like a heavy-handed, undemocratic move, not to mention a violation of personal finances, and cruel and unusual punishment....

"The state using legal instruments to take from one person and give to others amounts to communism and authoritarianism that should scare every citizen. First, we saw government and banks freezing accounts of pandemic lockdown protesters, seizing donations to crowdfunding sites, and now in woke Canada comes word they can raid bank accounts, too....

"There is no decision so far on the status of the $10,000 fine HRTO slapped on the Township of Emo for the 2020 decision by town council to vote three to two against granting a request for there to be a Pride month in the village of just 1,400 people.... Borderland Pride said they have so far not garnished the township as they await that decision."

Monday, December 9, 2024

Postal strike puts pressure on couriers to deliver

The ongoing Canada Post strike has left private couriers struggling to cope with backlogs caused by demand surges, severe weather conditions, and (in at least one case) striking postal workers blockading their delivery trucks.

Purolator, UPS pause shipments from couriers amid backlog from Canada Post strike | CBC News | Alexandra Mae Jones:

December 6, 2024 - "Amid an influx of packages that would normally be sent through Canada Post, Purolator and UPS have paused shipments from some courier companies in order to catch up. Purolator told CBC News on Thursday that severe weather and a surge in package volumes prompted it to freeze service for some partners.... Couriers such as eShipper act as middlemen between smaller e-commerce businesses and large carriers. But now eShipper is among the outfits temporarily barred from sending packages through UPS and the Canada Post-owned Purolator.

"In a notice sent to clients on Thursday and obtained by CBC News, eShipper stated that 'no shipments will be processed or moved by these carriers' for 48 hours, starting Wednesday [January 11]. In a statement Friday, Purolator said that the timeframe didn't come from it and that 'this is a temporary measure that will be removed as soon as possible.' UPS did not respond to requests for comment....

"FedEx is also experiencing 'increased volume demands' amid the ongoing Canada Post strike, spokesperson James Anderson told CBC News in a statement Friday. To manage this, 'a temporary limit of five packages per drop-off has been introduced at FedEx retail locations,' he said."

Purolator, UPS freeze courier shipments as Canada Post strike drags on | CBC News: The National | December 6, 2024:

Striking posties blocking Christmas deliveries from Purolator plant | Western Stanard | Dave Naylor:

December 7, 2024 - "It looks like striking postal workers are doing their best to ruin Christmas for as many Canadians as they can. Posties have been pictured at a Purolator plant delaying trucks as they tried to get out.... The postal workers would block each departing van for several minutes before allowing it to pass. Purolator is owned by Canada Post.

"'Striking mail-monkeys from Canada Post are now trying to hinder Purolator from getting Christmas packages delivered. They sure know how to win public sympathy. Looking forward to their careers as fry-cooks,' said Western Standard columnist Cory Morgan about the photo.

"Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon criticized Canada Post management and workers Wedneday, calling their handling of the three-week strike 'highly disrespectful' to Canadians during the busy holiday mailing season. The ongoing Canada Post strike, now in its third week, may continue for an extended period, according to MacKinnon.

"'We are at a dead end in negotiations,' MacKinnon told reporters, expressing frustration over the stalled talks between the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and Canada Post management.... Blacklock's Reporter said he criticized the lack of progress, despite the involvement of federal mediators who withdrew earlier this week after contract negotiations collapsed.... However, he ruled out government intervention at this time, stating, 'We are not considering any intervention. Binding arbitration is not in the cards.'

"The strike, which began November 15, comes during Canada Post’s busiest season for holiday mail and parcel deliveries. A similar dispute in 2018 lasted 35 days before the government passed back-to-work legislation. At the time, Canada Post estimated rotating strikes cost the corporation $110 million.... The last strike to resolve without government intervention occurred in 1975 and lasted 43 days."

Sunday, December 8, 2024

A common-sense climate policy for Canada

Graphic courtesy C2C Journal.

A common-sense climate policy for Canada | True North | Robert Lyman:

November 30, 2024 - "As the Conservatives prepare to take on the responsibility of governing, they must articulate a climate strategy ... that balances economic growth with practical environmental measures. Canada cannot afford to continue along the Justin Trudeau government’s path, prioritizing unrealistic, ideologically driven net-zero targets. The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act ... requir[es] an overhaul of the economy’s energy system, including the role of fossil fuels. Hydrocarbons currently supply 73 percent of Canada’s energy needs, underpinning essential services like heating, transportation and manufacturing. Eliminating these barely 25 years from now is not just ambitious—it is effectively impossible.

"The costs of these policies are already apparent. Carbon taxes and emissions regulations have driven up energy prices and housing costs, exacerbating Canada’s affordability crisis. According to the Fraser Institute, the federal government’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan could add $55,000 to the average cost of a new home. This comes as federal spending on climate measures reaches $20 billion annually, with the broader economic cost of net-zero estimated at $60 billion per year. These sacrifices are pointless; Canada contributes only 1.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions....

"Canadians are increasingly aware of the resulting financial and social burdens. Young people, seniors and working families feel the squeeze as energy and housing become less affordable. Adding to the frustration is Canada’s consistent failure to meet its international climate commitments. Unrealistic targets breed cynicism, especially when paired with negligible global impact. A newly elected Poilievre government might be tempted to take a reactionary approach that cancelled all climate measures. But this would be neither politically viable nor responsible....

"Instead, Canada should follow a pragmatic middle path, one inspired by the Copenhagen Consensus — a cost-benefit-driven approach that prioritizes technological innovation and adaptation over punitive measures. A reimagined Canadian climate policy would shift away from utopian targets and timelines. The net-zero goal, according to scientists aligned with the Copenhagen Consensus model, should be postponed to 2070 or even 2100, recognizing the long timelines required for energy transitions. Rather than subordinating everything to emissions reduction, the Conservatives should pursue a combined policy that aims to optimize economic growth, energy security, environmental quality and social cohesion....

"Governments should abandon attempts to 'pick winners' through subsidies or mandates, focusing instead on funding basic research and development.... Developing and commercializing new technologies at an organic pace is the most effective path toward meaningful emissions reductions. Equally important is the emphasis on adaptation and resilience. Climate policies should focus on protecting communities and infrastructure from immediate risks like flooding and extreme weather....

"A common-sense climate policy would also recognize Canada’s vast oil and natural gas reserves as assets rather than liabilities. Current regulations like the 2035 Clean Electricity mandate and the recently announced 'cap' on oil and gas emissions (actually, a draconian 35-percent reduction) undermine Canada’s energy security and economic stability. Revising or repealing these measures would ensure that the country’s resources contribute to both domestic needs and export markets.

"Reforms are urgently needed at the regulatory level to streamline environmental assessments and reduce delays in major projects, housing construction and capital investment, including the following:

Federal environmental reviews currently take years, sometimes over a decade.... Simplifying these processes while maintaining rigorous environmental standards would promote job creation and economic growth.
To address Canada’s housing crisis, federal climate-driven building mandates that inflate construction costs must be reconsidered....
Harmonizing Canada’s regulatory frameworks with those of the United States would facilitate cross-border trade and reduce compliance costs for industries.... While Canada should not blindly follow its neighbour’s lead, close alignment on key standards is the pragmatic choice.

"Finally, fostering federal-provincial harmony is essential. The Trudeau era has been marked by discord, with provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan bearing disproportionate burdens from federal policies. A collaborative approach that respects regional differences would not only improve governance but rebuild trust in the federation."

The original, full-length version of this article was recently published in C2C Journal.
https://c2cjournal.ca/2024/11/net-gain-a-common-sense-climate-change-policy-for-canada/

Saturday, December 7, 2024

Trudeau gov't bans more guns, to send to Ukraine

The Trudeau government banned 1,500 types of firearms in 2020 and promised a buyback program, but 4 years later not a single gun has been collected. This week, though, they banned another 300 models, and announced a plan to send the guns that have yet to be collected to Ukraine.

Liberals ban hundreds more types of firearms, look to send prohibited guns to Ukraine | National Post | Stephanie Taylor:

December 5, 2024 - "The federal government is adding hundreds more types of firearms to its list of banned guns and looking to send some of them to Ukraine. On Thursday, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced the Liberals were adding 324 more 'unique makes and models' of what he called 'assault-style' firearms to its list of banned guns, taking effect immediately. All current and future variants of these guns would be prohibited, raising the total number of models banned to more than 2,000, according to Public Safety Canada. The number of restricted firearms affected is 14,521....

"In May 2020, the Liberal government announced it was banning some 1,500 types of firearms, promising to compensate gun owners and businesses through a still not-yet-functional forced-buyback program. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated the program could cost upwards of $750 million, depending on its design. An amnesty order protecting from prosecution gun owners and businesses with prohibited inventory they acquired lawfully, including the 324 models added Thursday, is currently in place until October 2025, several days after the deadline for the next federal election to take place.

"LeBlanc said on Thursday that the pilot phase of the forced-buyback program targeting distributors and retailers is underway, with four businesses currently participating.... He also said that the guns taken from retailers could be shipped to Ukraine, which is fighting a war against Russia’s 2022 invasion. 'As part of that process, the Government of Canada has committed to the Ukrainian government to identify whether some of these guns could be donated to support the fight for democracy in Ukraine,' LeBlanc said.

"Defence Minister Bill Blair said the Liberals asked the Ukrainians in October if their troops could use some of the guns Canada has banned. 'They confirmed that indeed some of the weapons that are part of the program would be suitable,' said Blair. Businesses that choose to work with the Defence Department on the initiative would be compensated, he said.

"LeBlanc said more gun-control measures are coming, with the RCMP studying what to do about the SKS, a popular hunting rifle, which the Liberals had originally tried to prohibit in 2022 but have since backed down. He committed that he would resolve the SKS question by February 2025, when the government plans to come out with a new list of prohibited firearms. He noted that many First Nations and Inuit hunters use the SKS, which makes it more complicated....

"Conservative public safety critic Raquel Dancho blasted Thursday’s new prohibitions as strictly symbolic moves that would not address the real causes of violent crime. 'After nine years of Trudeau’s reckless policies, he has unleashed a crimewave (sic) on Canada. Violent crime has exploded over 50% and gun crime has surged 116%,' she said in a statement.

Trudeau has failed to fix the border disorder that lets in almost all of the illegal firearms used in gun crimes from the US.... Instead of locking up criminals and reversing his laws that have contributed to the alarming explosion of crime in our country, Trudeau chose to attack lawful and vetted hunters, sport shooters, and Indigenous Peoples who safely and legally use firearms as they have done for generations.

"Alberta Justice Minister Mickey Amery echoed the comments.... 'Instead of choosing to commit scarce resources to addressing criminal usage of firearms, such as through strengthening our border to combat the trafficking of firearms that make up the overwhelming majority of those used in violent crime, the federal government has chosen to focus its attention once again on undermining law-abiding firearms ownership in Alberta and across Canada.'

"The Alberta UCP government has said it will not enforce the federal government’s mandatory-buyback program or require provincial officials to assist with it. Manitoba and Saskatchewan have also said they oppose the plan."

Gun owners say new legislation is merely "doubling down" on "ineffective" path | CTV News | December 6, 2024:

Friday, December 6, 2024

Alberta "trans" bills passed in legislature

The Alberta government's "trans" bills have passed third reading in the provincial legislature.

Alberta passes laws to protect parental rights, ban child gender transitions | True North Wire | Isaac Lamoureux:

December 5, 2024 - "The Legislative Assembly of Alberta has passed a trio of bills that strengthen parental rights, promote fairness in sports, and prevent minors from undergoing irreversible gender transition procedures they may later regret. Bill 26, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, Bill 27, the Education Amendment Act, and Bill 29, the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, each passed their third reading and will come into effect following royal proclamation.... Alberta Premier Danielle Smith previously highlighted that the legislation would protect youth. 'The changes we’re introducing are founded on compassion and science, both of which are vital for the development of youth throughout a time that can be difficult and confusing,' she said...

"The Alberta government said that legislative amendments to ensure education continues during public health and states of emergencies will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. 'Additional regulatory amendments will follow, to provide school administrators more clarity and guidance on expectations for learning during emergencies. These would come into force at the same time as the legislative amendments, except for certain sections regarding school authority policies, which would come into effect on Sept. 1, 2025,' reads a statement from the Alberta government. “Further information regarding regulatory changes will be shared following the passage of the legislation.”

Do Alberta's new policies help or harm trans youth? | Power & Politics | CBC News | October 31, 2024:

Alberta legislation on transgender youth, student pronouns and sex education set to become law | CBC News | Andrew Jeffrey:

December 4,2024 - The Education Amendment Act, 2024 [Bill 27], the Health Statutes Amendment Act [Bill 26] and the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act [Bill 29], first announced by Premier Danielle Smith in a provincewide video address in January, are set to become law. National advocacy group Egale Canada and the Alberta-based Skipping Stone Foundation confirmed Wednesday their intent to pursue legal action in response, arguing the legislation violates the constitutional rights of young 2SLGBTQ+ people.

"The changes [under Bill 27] include requiring children under 16 to have parental consent if they want to change their names or pronouns at school. Students who are 16 or 17 won't need permission, but schools will need to let their parents know first. Students would not be able to learn about sex education, gender identity and sexual orientation in school unless their parents have opted in to them receiving that instruction. Any third-party instructional material would need approval from Alberta Education before it is used in the classroom....

"[Bill 26] would also prohibit doctors from treating those under 16 seeking gender-affirming treatment through puberty blockers or hormone therapy. Physicians would be prohibited from performing top and bottom gender surgeries on minors.... Schools would have to inform parents [under Bill 27] when kids ask to change pronouns....

"[Bill 29] would limit membership on female competitive sports teams to athletes who were female at birth. The bill will ban transgender athletes from competing in female amateur sports and require school and organizations to report eligibility complaints. Smith has said the government will work with leagues to set up coed or gender-neutral divisions for sports.

"According to the province, the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act is anticipated to take effect fall 2025, while the amendments to the Education Act will take effect on proclamation, which is anticipated in September 2025. The Health Statutes Amendment Act is expected to come into effect in the coming months....

"The Saskatchewan government used the notwithstanding clause to guard similar legislation. The clause allows a government to temporarily override certain sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Smith said she doesn't believe she'll need to invoke the notwithstanding clause to shield the policies from legal action, and that the legislation will be seen as reasonable and evidence-based. But she declined to say if she would use the clause to keep the laws on the books if the court challenges are successful."

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Jay Bhattacharya nominated for NIH director

Donald Trump’s nomination of Jay Bhattacharya to direct the U.S. National Institutes of Health is a major victory for science and academic freedom.

From "Fringe" to Mainstream | City Journal | John Thierry:

November 27, 2024 - "Four years ago, Jay Bhattacharya was ostracized by his colleagues at Stanford and censored on social media platforms thanks to a campaign against him by the public-health establishment. The director of the National Institutes of Health [NIH], Francis Collins, sent an email to another NIH official, Anthony Fauci, urging a 'quick and devastating published takedown' of Bhattacharya and his fellow 'fringe epidemiologists.'

"Bhattacharya is far from the fringe today. Donald Trump nominated him this week for Collins’s old job, director of the NIH. Assuming the Senate confirms him, it will be a major victory for science and academic freedom — and a serious threat to the universities that suppressed scientific debate and promoted disastrous policies during the pandemic, causing public trust in science to plummet.... Bhattacharya promised yesterday to 'reform American scientific institutions so that they are worthy of trust again.'

"As NIH director, he would wield a potent tool to induce reform: money. Stanford and more than a dozen other universities each get more than $500 million annually in grants from the NIH, the world’s largest funder of biomedical research. The NIH grants support not only researchers but also their universities’ bureaucracies, which collect a hefty surcharge to cover supposed overhead costs. The federal largesse has helped finance the administrative bloat at universities, including the expansion of diversity, equity, and inclusion [DEI] bureaucracies under the Biden administration....

"Those priorities are about to change. Trump has vowed to rescind immediately Biden’s executive order directing federal agencies to promote DEI. During his first term, Trump threatened to issue an executive order barring universities from receiving federal funds if they suppressed free speech. He didn’t issue that order, but ... the NIH director will already have the power to consider a university’s commitment to academic freedom in deciding whether or not to award funds.

“'For science to thrive and progress, we must be open-minded and allow vigorous and passionate debate,' says Martin Kulldorff, a former professor of medicine at Harvard. 'Why should taxpayers subsidize universities that don’t allow that?' Kulldorff, an eminent epidemiologist, lost his job at Harvard after he ... joined with Bhattacharya and Sunetra Gupta, an epidemiologist at Oxford, to write the Great Barrington Declaration [GBD], a critique of lockdowns that was signed by tens of thousands of scientists and physicians.

"Bhattacharya, who has a Ph.D. in economics as well as an M.D. from Stanford, hung on to his job as professor of health policy at the latter’s medical school, but his views were taboo on campus. After he and colleagues did a field study at the start of the pandemic showing that the Covid fatality rate was much lower than the doomsday number used to justify lockdowns, they were vilified by academics and journalists, and Stanford subjected them to a two-month inquiry by an outside legal firm. (They were vindicated by the inquiry and also by subsequent research confirming their findings.)

"As Bhattacharya has recounted, his department chairman blocked his attempt to hold a seminar discussing the Great Barrington Declaration, and the dean of epidemiology at Stanford circulated a petition at the medical school quoting him on Covid and asking the university to censor such speech. A dozen federal agencies successfully pressured social-media platforms to censor his speech, as revealed in the Twitter files and a lawsuit. Facebook removed a video of him discussing Covid policies in Florida; Twitter shadow-banned him by limiting the reach of his tweets, and Google 'deboosted' the [GBD] so that a search for it pointed users to criticism of it rather than the declaration itself.

"So far, the academic and public-health establishments have ignored criticism of their abandonment of scientific principles during the pandemic — and the evidence that their lockdowns and other mandates were largely futile and enormously harmful.... But now Stanford and other universities will be facing new financial pressure from critics. Cost-cutters in the Trump transition team are already contemplating a reduction in the overhead surcharges that universities collect in research grants from the federal government. These surcharges are more than 50 percent at Stanford and nearly 70 percent at Harvard....

"If the NIH and other agencies start considering a school’s dedication to academic freedom when awarding grants, some elite universities could pay a price. Stanford and other universities at the top of the list of NIH beneficiaries don’t look so elite in the free-speech rankings of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). Stanford ranks 218th of 257 schools, and others are even lower, including UCLA, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, and Harvard. The campus censors haven’t been swayed by abstract appeals to protect academic freedom, but perhaps they’ll rediscover that principle once they contemplate their budgets."

Trump’s NIH Pick Dr. Jay Bhattacharya Was Right on COVID Lockdowns | Dad Saves America | November 27, 2024:

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

ON township fined for not proclaiming Pride Month

The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has fined Emo township $10,000 and its mayor $5,000, and ordered the mayor to undergo OHRC training, for voting against a motion to proclaim Pride Month.

Emo, Ontario, municipal office in 2012. Photo by P199. CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Ontario town fined $10,000 for refusing to celebrate pride month | National Post | Tristan Hopper:

November 27, 2024 - ""Emo is a township of about 1,300 people located in the far west of Ontario, along the border with Minnesota. In a decision handed down last week, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ruled that Emo, its mayor and two of its councillors had violated the Ontario Human Rights Code by refusing to proclaim June as 'Pride Month.' The town was also cited for failing to fly 'an LGBTQ2 rainbow flag,' despite the fact that they don’t have an official flag pole.

"The dispute began in 2020 when the township was approached by the group Borderland Pride with a written request to proclaim June as Pride Month. Attached to the letter was a draft proclamation.... Emo was also asked to fly an 'LGBTQ2 rainbow flag for a week of your choosing.' Borderland Pride then asked Emo to 'email us a copy of your proclamation or resolution once adopted and signed'.... Borderland Pride’s draft proclamation was tabled before a May 2020 meeting of the Emo Township Council, where it was defeated by a vote of three to two.

"The claim of discrimination ultimately hinged on a single line uttered by Emo Mayor Harold McQuaker. When the proclamation came up for consideration, McQuaker was heard to say in a recording of the meeting, 'There’s no flag being flown for the other side of the coin … there’s no flags being flown for the straight people.' As Human Rights Tribunal vice-chair Karen Dawson wrote in her decision, 'I find this remark was demeaning and disparaging of the LGBTQ2 community of which Borderland Pride is a member and therefore constituted discrimination under the Code.' Dawson also ruled that given the 'close proximity” of McQuaker’s comment to his nay vote — that too 'constituted discrimination under the Code'....

"The Human Rights Tribunal ultimately ordered the Township to pay $10,000 to Borderland Pride, and for McQuaker to personally pay them another $5,000.... McQuaker and Emo’s chief administrative officer were also ordered to complete an online course known as 'Human Rights 101' and “provide proof of completion … to Borderland Pride within 30 days.' The course is offered by the Ontario Human Rights Commission....

"In a statement celebrating the decision, Borderland Pride noted that Emo joins both London and Hamilton in the category of Ontario communities that have been 'sanctioned for refusing to adopt proclamations in support of their local Pride organizations.' In 1995, Hamilton Mayor Bob Morrow was fined $5,000 for refusing to proclaim Gay Pride Week. That same year, London, Ont., was similarly fined $10,000 for refusing to officially recognize Pride weekend....

"{A]n April 2024 letter that Borderland Pride sent to Emo on the eve of its Human Rights Tribunal hearing, threaten[ed] an 'impending national public relations tire fire for your council and community' if it went ahead. The township was told they could avoid the hearing only if they apologized, imposed mandatory 'diversity and inclusion' training for council, agreed to undisclosed financial terms, pledged to green-light future Pride proclamations without edits and provide free facilities for a 'charitable drag event … the proceeds of which will support the Emo Public Library.'

"Borderland Pride also said it would return one third of their financial reward to the Emo Public Library, but only if the library hosted a 'drag story time event' on a 'date of our choosing.'

"This is the second time in four months that Borderland Pride has won a five-figure award via legal action. In August, the group won a $35,000 small claims court judgement against a Fort Frances man who wrote a Facebook post saying a Borderland-organized all-ages drag show was a 'pedophile show'.... [A]t the time, Borderland Pride director Douglas Judson outlined his intention to continue imposing 'consequences' on anyone else who attacked them.... ''As a lawyer who does this work that means I’m going to start taking people’s houses and their vehicles and their toys and draining their bank accounts and garnishing their wages because no one is going to stop behaving this way until there are real consequences,” he said."

Canadian town fined $10k for refusing to celebrate Pride Month | Sky News Australia | December 3, 2024:

Monday, December 2, 2024

Under-16s banned from social media in Australia

Children and teenagers under 16 to be banned from social media after parliament passes world-first laws | ABC News | Maani Truu:

November 28, 2024 - "Children and teenagers under the age of 16 will be banned from social media after the government's world-first laws passed parliament late on the final sitting week of the year.... Children and teenagers will be banned from using social media from the end of next year.... That means anyone under the age of 16 will be blocked from using platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook, a move the government and the Coalition argue is necessary to protect their mental health and wellbeing.

"The late vote capped off a frantic evening in the Senate, where the government managed to ram through most of its legislative agenda on the final full sitting day of the year. Coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic crossed the floor to vote with the entire crossbench against the laws, which received mixed reviews from mental health experts during a snap Senate inquiry this week. Liberal Richard Colbeck abstained.... Liberal MP Bridget Archer also broke with her party earlier in the week to vote with the Greens and a handful of independents against the bill in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

"The major parties had moved quickly to pass the legislation before the end of the parliamentary year, despite reservations from some Coalition MPs, the Greens and independents who called for more time and greater scrutiny.

"Under the laws, which won't come into force for another 12 months, social media companies could be fined up to $50 million for failing to take 'reasonable steps' to keep under 16s off their platforms. There are no penalties for young people or parents who flout the rules. Social media companies also won't be able to force users to provide government identification, including the Digital ID, to assess their age.

"'Messaging apps,' 'online gaming services' and 'services with the primary purpose of supporting the health and education of end-users' will not fall under the ban, as well as sites like YouTube that do not require users to log in to access the platform.

"The bill was introduced to parliament last Thursday and was referred for a Senate inquiry the same day. Submissions to the inquiry closed on Friday, a three-hour hearing was held on Monday, and the report was tabled on Tuesday. Almost all the submissions raised concerns about the "extremely short" consultation period, the committee report noted."

Australia Bans Social Media for Anyone Under 16 | Bloomberg Technology | November 29, 2024:

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Sunday cartoon - Sunny ways

To help alleviate the vibecession, GDPA presents our first attempt at a political cartoon, with the help of X's AI, Grok. I hope you enjoy.

Saturday, November 30, 2024

Canada's in a "vibecession" says Finance Minister

Deputy PM and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says that Canada is experiencing a "vibecession".

Freeland's 'Vibecession' economics are TikTok nonsense | National Post | Terry Newman:

November 27, 2024 - "This week, while promoting the universally-panned Liberal government’s two-month GST tax holiday, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told Canadians that they are simply experiencing a 'disconnect' between her Liberal government’s messaging on the state of the economy and their own practical day-to-day economic realities. The fact we aren’t 'feeling' the messaging ... is 'not great' for our economy, we are told. It affects our economic behaviour. It’s so bad, in fact, that 'a lot of economists' have gone so far as to diagnose the rejection of the Liberals’ economic outlook as a 'vibecession.'

"If this ridiculous diagnostic term sounds like it came from a 25-year-old TikTok influencer — that’s because it did. Kyla Scanlon, a resident of Louisville, Ky., has been described as an American financial content creator.... Her coined term 'vibecession' appeared on her Summer 2022 Substack where she asked her readers at the time, 'Are we manifesting a recession?'

"The post appears exactly as you might expect. It rambles in the pseudo-psychological self-help tone we’ve come to expect from Gen-Z: 'I know that there is too much going on to even begin to process what is happening, and I am hoping to talk about *why* some of the stuff feels so weird and bad in this piece. I sincerely hope that you are doing okay.' Its opening stickman graphic suggests that, to solve our 'vibecession,' we simply need to dam up the “discourse” from our river of bad vibes to prevent it from washing over our reality. It even includes a Charles Bukowski poem.

"The same year, Scanlon’s theory that we are manifesting a poor economy rather than the more obvious explanation that we are suffering through one, somehow made it all the way to the New York Times as a guest essay titled, 'The Vibes in the Economy Are … Weird. Really Weird.' Interestingly, the link to the study that purports to prove her theory that it is vibes and not our economic realities that affect our spending behaviours has since been 'unalived.' The link is dead.

"In 2024, Scanlon’s theory made its way to its proper home in 'Cultural Vibrations: New Paradigms 2024,' a journal published by 'thesis-led venture capital firm' Hannah Grey. One page of the journal titled, 'Navigating the Vibecession,' is dedicated to Scanlon’s TikTok page. In fact, the entire page is screenshots of Kyla’s face on TikTok with topic thought bubbles including 'Zuck goggles,' 'confusing data,' and 'Tswift nostalgia' — which I can only assume has something to do with Taylor Swift.

"As of September this year, the Biden White House and Federal Reserve starting taking her musings as serious economic advice. So, directly or indirectly, a 25-year-old Kyla Scanlon was the 'economist' Freeland was referring to when she claimed the vibecession is on us. But it’s not the fault, by any means, of a 25-year-old TikTok star that a major media outlet and governments have used her cultural musings as economic advice. That’s on them....

"Occam’s razor states the simplest explanation is usually the best, and here it is: People are not spending. And it isn’t because we have bad vibes. Forgive me the personal anecdote, but groceries to feed my family of four cost $1,000 a month not that long ago. Now, they cost over $1,400.... Likewise, gas prices have risen. None of this has to do with 'feelings.' None of it has been manifested into existence by myself or other Canadians.

"Don’t let the Liberal government gaslight you into accepting the cultural theories of a TikTok influencer as an explanation for your economic realities — what you’re experiencing is the very real effects of nine years of Liberal governance and poor polices. You did not bring this on yourselves."

No, Canada Is NOT Suffering From A Vibecession | IceCap Canadian Market Wrap Episode 14 | November 28, 2024:

Friday, November 29, 2024

New York state senator calls for secession

New York state senator Liz Kreuger is calling for New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to secede from the United States and ask to join Canada.

NY Official Proposes New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, And Vermont Join Canada As New Province | International Business Times | Sarah Ian:

November 28, 2024 - "As tensions rise over President-elect Donald Trump's impending second term, a Democratic state senator from New York has suggested a drastic solution: secession. Liz Krueger, chair of the New York State Senate Finance Committee, has proposed that New York leave the United States and join Canada, arguing that Trump's policies threaten the state's progressive values and federal funding, according to Washington Examiner.

Liz Krueger in 2019. Photo by New York Senate.

CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.

"Krueger, a prominent Democrat from Manhattan, has gained attention for her unconventional proposals to counter Trump's administration. Among these are withholding federal taxes and a call for New York, along with other liberal states like Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont, to secede and become a province of Canada....

"'It's not unreasonable to think outside of the box,' Krueger stated during an interview with Politico. She cited Trump's planned mass deportations and his threats to withhold federal funding from sanctuary states as reasons for her proposals.

"Krueger highlighted the financial stakes involved. New York contributes approximately $362 billion annually in tax revenue to the federal government but relies on $85 billion in federal aid, much of it earmarked for Medicaid. She argued that withholding tax payments could serve as leverage if Trump follows through on his threats to cut funding....

"Krueger's vision of New York joining Canada stems from her frustration with federal policies she perceives as harmful. She first proposed the idea in September, before Trump's election victory.

"'Why do I have to leave this country? I love this country,' she said. 'But if Trump wins a second term, it's not actually my fault or the fault of people in New York. I thought I'd suggest to Canada that, instead of us all trying to illegally cross the border at night, they let us become a new southeast province.' According to Krueger, New York's progressive values align more closely with Canada's political philosophy than with Trump's America.

Thursday, November 28, 2024

Canadian jailed in Dubai for medical cannabis

Canadian Maurice Kevin O'Rourke has been sentenced to life in prison for possession of medical cannabis and CBD oil, after his luggage was searched during a flight layover in Dubai.

Canadian man, 64, sentenced to life in Dubai prison for medical marijuana possession | Western Standard | Jen Hodgson:

November 27, 2024 - "Maurice Kevin O'Rourke, a 64-year-old carpenter from Mississauga, ON, with Addison’s disease, was caught with CBD oil and medical cannabis in Dubai and sentenced to life in prison. O'Rourke was prescribed the CBD oil and cannabis, which are legal in Canada, to manage chronic pain from the disease. While travelling from Canada to South Africa, he had a layover in Dubai — where the CBD and cannabis were discovered in his luggage.

"O’Rourke was detained and taken to prison in Al Awir, United Arab Emirates on July 3, where he was handed down a life sentence. He is appealing the sentence and has a trial scheduled to start on Christmas Day.

O'Rourke before and after arrest. Western Standard.

“'Our world fell apart. Our daughter Maegan and I are shattered. We're in disbelief,” said his wife Pamela O'Rourke after the ruling, according to the Daily Mail. 'Kevin accepts that he shouldn't have travelled while on medication but he doesn't deserve to spend the rest of his life in prison'....

"Mrs. O'Rourke said her husband developed an 'open wound' in prison. 'In three months he went from being strong and healthy to being in a wheelchair. It's been incredibly distressing and life threatening for him,' she said.

"The O’Rourke family has some help from Radha Stirling, crisis manager and CEO of human rights organization Detained in Dubai, but she worries 'Kevin will not survive.... Dubai's prison system will not provide adequate medical care and he will be deprived of necessary medication and care,' Stirling told the Mail. 'The suffering of prisoners is not of concern to authorities in the UAE'....

"Stirling called on the Canadian government and Mississauga MP Peter Fonseca to help get O’Rourke home, noting neither country would want a foreign death while in custody. 'We have seen rapists and murderers sentenced to just a few years in jail. How can the courts sentence an older man to life in prison for possessing medication for personal use?'...

'“Dubai needs to be sensible here. He was just in transit and did not intentionally put himself in harm's way. He is ill and in need of ongoing and constant medical care.... [W]e hope the government of Dubai will understand and allow him to come home.'”

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Minnesota gov't sends trans rapists to women's prisons

The office of Minnesota governor Tim Walz gave nearly $500,000 to a lobby suing the state to have trans-identified convicts sent to women's prisons.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, 2024. Office of Gov. Tim Walz / Wikimedia Commons.

At Least FIVE Male Inmates Transferred To Minnesota Women’s Prison, Including Two Convicted Pedophiles | Reduxx | Genevieve Gluck:

September 11, 2024 - "A total of five male convicts were transferred to a Minnesota’s women-only prison following the adoption of a gender identity policy by the Department of Corrections in January of 2023. Two of the men who are now being held at MCF-Shakopee, a female correctional center, are sexual predators serving sentences related to the abuse of children.

"Among them are Elijah Thomas Berryman, 26, who was first arrested in April 2022 and accused of sexually abusing a minor multiple times. He pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in March of this year, and according to the Minnesota DOC website, is currently serving his 25-year sentence at the women’s prison.

"Another, Sean Windingland, 35, sexually assaulted two 6-year-old relatives and posted videos of the abuse and grooming on pornography and pro-pedophile websites. Windingland admitted to engaging in sexual contact with the young girls when questioned by investigators, but claimed that the children had consented. He pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2019. Windingland is now serving his 36-year prison sentence among women at MCF-Shakopee.

"[A] third, Bradley Richard Sirvio, is a convicted murderer who is serving a life sentence. Sirvio, 52, beat a man to death with a hammer before setting his house on fire in November of 1995. A repeat offender, Sirvio... was quietly transferred to MCF-Shakopee in November 2023, a full five months ahead of the date that a newly-drafted gender identity policy was set to take effect.

"The two remaining men confirmed by Reduxx to have been transferred into the women’s prison are Nathan Charles Johnson, ... and a trans-identified male who uses the name Christina Suzanne Lusk, but was born Craig Lusk. In June 2022, Lusk launched a discrimination lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Corrections which ultimately resulted in the implementation of measures permitting male convicts to be housed in the female estate.

"Lusk ... was backed by the trans activist non-profit organization Gender Justice – which was recently revealed to have received nearly $500,000 in taxpayer funds from the administration of Governor Tim Walz. The Democratic vice presidential nominee’s office handed out $448,904 to Gender Justice just one year after the organization filed the sex discrimination complaint against Minnesota’s DOC on behalf of Lusk, according to a review of public records published by the taxpayer watchdog group OpenTheBooks.com.""

Pages