nationalobserver--2020-08-11--Masks mandatory for Quebec students Grade 5 and up

Quebec 's updated back-to-school plan requires students in Grade 5 and up to wear masks in all common areas of school buildings , but not in the classroom .
Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge said Monday the government 's new strategy does away with the six-student bubble concept it had announced in June and instead focuses on making communication between teachers and students as easy as possible .
`` We want to preserve the ease of communication , face-to-face contact , facial expressions — these are important , '' Roberge told a news conference in Montreal .
He added that health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making masks mandatory inside classrooms .
Roberge said each classroom will be its own bubble , and students will not be required to maintain a two-metre distance with their classmates .
There will be limited mixing between classes and in the event of an outbreak , parents will be advised and the affected classroom bubble will be sent home to continue studies remotely .
• Liberals turn over thousands of pages on WE decision to Commons committee • What happens if the Governor General requires discipline or dismissal ?
In Ontario , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classroom for students in Grades 4 through 12 , but Quebec 's public health director said children would likely have a hard time following that rule .
`` For kids ... we ( will ) organize schools in a different way with classes that are going to be closed — not mixing with others too much , '' said Dr. Horacio Arruda on Monday .
`` Wearing a mask is difficult for an adult , so imagine for kids . ''
And while all elementary and high school students will be expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the month , children who have a doctor 's note to suggest they 're at high risk of COVID-19 complications or who live with someone at risk , will be granted an exemption and offered a remote learning service .
The province is also maintaining an option for students in Grades 10 and 11 to physically attend classes one out of every two days , if their school can not organize stable classroom bubbles .
In May , Quebec became the first province to reopen elementary schools — but only outside the Montreal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , with relatively few cases of COVID-19 reported .
In order to protect children from harm , Roberge said , schools need to fully reopen in order to offer students the ability to properly socialize and learn .
Quebec 's updated back-to-school plan requires students in Grade 5 and up to wear masks in all common areas of school buildings , but not in the classroom .
`` Not opening the school is putting our kids at risk , we have some trouble with mental health , with learning disability , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the higher risk is not to reopen our schools . ''
Stakeholders in the education sector reacted positively to the revised plan on Monday , welcoming the elimination of the six-student bubbles as well as the implementation of mandatory mask-wearing within common areas in schools .
`` Wearing a compulsory face covering will facilitate movement within the establishment , '' said Carl Ouellet , head of a Quebec association representing school management staff .
`` This is consistent with the other measures that apply in society . ''
Helene Boudrages , head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she was satisfied with the remote learning option for students who have health issues .
`` We welcome the fact that a minimum number of hours of distance education is provided for ... which will ensure equity , '' she said .
Quebec reported one new death in the past 24 hours attributed to COVID-19 and 98 new cases of the virus — the lowest daily number of cases since July .
Health Minister Christian Dube said Monday authorities compiled various official sources of COVID-19 data in recent days and the adjusted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been previously reported .
Quebec has now reported a total of 60,627 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,696 deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus .
The province also updated the number of people who are considered recovered from the virus , for a total of 53,041 patients .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10 , 2020 .

Quebec's updated back-to-school plan requires students in Grade 5 and up to wear masks in all common areas of school buildings, but not in the classroom. Education Minister Jean-Francois Roberge said Monday the government's new strategy does away with the six-student bubble concept it had announced in June and instead focuses on making communication between teachers and students as easy as possible. "We want to preserve the ease of communication, face-to-face contact, facial expressions — these are important," Roberge told a news conference in Montreal. He added that health and education experts advised his office against making masks mandatory inside classrooms. Roberge said each classroom will be its own bubble, and students will not be required to maintain a two-metre distance with their classmates. There will be limited mixing between classes and in the event of an outbreak, parents will be advised and the affected classroom bubble will be sent home to continue studies remotely.
In Ontario, the government has made mask-wearing mandatory in the classroom for students in Grades 4 through 12, but Quebec's public health director said children would likely have a hard time following that rule. "For kids ... we (will) organize schools in a different way with classes that are going to be closed — not mixing with others too much," said Dr. Horacio Arruda on Monday. "Wearing a mask is difficult for an adult, so imagine for kids." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions And while all elementary and high school students will be expected to return to school at the end of the month, children who have a doctor's note to suggest they're at high risk of COVID-19 complications or who live with someone at risk, will be granted an exemption and offered a remote learning service.
The province is also maintaining an option for students in Grades 10 and 11 to physically attend classes one out of every two days, if their school cannot organize stable classroom bubbles. Quebec's updated back-to-school plan requires students in Grade 5 and up to wear masks in all common areas of school buildings, but not in the classroom. In May, Quebec became the first province to reopen elementary schools — but only outside the Montreal area. Roberge said that exercise went well, with relatively few cases of COVID-19 reported. In order to protect children from harm, Roberge said, schools need to fully reopen in order to offer students the ability to properly socialize and learn. "Not opening the school is putting our kids at risk, we have some trouble with mental health, with learning disability," Roberge said. "So I think the higher risk is not to reopen our schools." Stakeholders in the education sector reacted positively to the revised plan on Monday, welcoming the elimination of the six-student bubbles as well as the implementation of mandatory mask-wearing within common areas in schools.
"Wearing a compulsory face covering will facilitate movement within the establishment," said Carl Ouellet, head of a Quebec association representing school management staff. "This is consistent with the other measures that apply in society." Helene Boudrages, head of an association representing Montreal school administrators, said she was satisfied with the remote learning option for students who have health issues. "We welcome the fact that a minimum number of hours of distance education is provided for ... which will ensure equity," she said.


nationalobserver--2020-08-11--Rent-relief program becomes new fight between Liberals, opposition

A quiet choice this spring to have the Crown corporation responsible for helping Canadians obtain affordable housing run a commercial rent-relief program during the COVID-19 pandemic has become the latest front in a war between the Liberal government and opposition .
Opposition parties are trying to draw parallels between the decision to have the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. run the program and the WE controversy , arguing both involve ethical breaches at the highest levels of the Liberal hierarchy .
That is because the CMHC ended up contracting out administration of the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's chief of staff is a senior executive .
That contract with MCAP was initially worth $ 56 million when the rent-relief program was launched in May and later expanded to $ 84 million in July .
The Liberals are pushing back against opposition allegations of unethical conduct as well as comparisons with the WE controversy , saying it followed the rules when it came to MCAP and that CMHC alone made the decision to have the company run the program without any political involvement .
The root of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when Trudeau announced Ottawa had reached an agreement in principle with all provinces and territories to implement the rent-relief program , which promised to reduce the rent for small businesses by 75 per cent through subsidies and loans to their landlords .
• Liberals turn over thousands of pages on WE decision to Commons committee • What happens if the Governor General requires discipline or dismissal ?
Trudeau said at the time the CMHC would administer the program , a decision the Liberals are now defending .
Finance Minister Bill Morneau 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was considered the best fit because it deals with mortgages and has the best understanding of Canada 's real-estate market .
`` In consultation with the Department of Justice it was determined that CMHC was able to make payments without requiring new legislation that would have further delayed roll out , '' Proteau said in a statement , adding it also had experience delivering a program that involved working with the provinces and territories .
But then CMHC , which describes its singular mission as `` to make housing affordable for everyone in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ program .
According to CMHC spokeswoman Audrey-Anne Coulombe , that was because it did `` not have the internal capacity to stand up the program in short order . ''
That should have been obvious to the Liberals from the start , say the Conservatives , who argue the program should have been given to the Canada Revenue Agency .
It is already managing a variety of support programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic , such as the federal wage subsidy .
The Conservatives say that would have also prevented the CMHC outsourcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toronto-headquartered mortgage lender that hired Robert Silver as an executive vice-president in January .
Silver is married to Katie Telford , Trudeau 's chief of staff .
Proteau said the Canada Revenue Agency was a good fit for the wage subsidy program because its mandate already deals with things like payroll taxes .
She said it does not directly monitor commercial rent .
Opposition parties are trying to draw parallels between the decision to have the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. run the program and the WE controversy , arguing both involve ethical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberal hierarchy .
The Liberals and CMHC say the Crown corporation awarded MCAP the contract on its own , independent of any political involvement .
Coulombe said the CMHC reached out to two financial institutions with experience dealing with commercial mortgages and asked for proposals .
She said MCAP 's proposal was stronger , and cost less .
She said the second company told the CMHC it would still be prepared to support the program if it needed a back-up plan .
The Prime Minister 's Office has also released emails it says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mario Dion in January before Silver was hired by MCAP .
Trudeau spokesman Alex Wellstead said Dion advised no additional measures were needed .
`` However , out of an abundance of caution , Ms. Telford implemented a voluntary conflict screen at that time , '' Wellstead said .
`` This screen applies to anything related to MCAP and it has been diligently followed since it was implemented .
Ms. Telford has not been involved in any discussions related to MCAP . ''
The Conservatives nonetheless say they want answers .
They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's ill-fated decision to have the WE Charity run a student-volunteer program during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Dion is now investigating whether Trudeau and Morneau violated conflict-of-interest rules over the agreement , which was cancelled in early July , due to connections to WE .
`` Our economy will take a $ 100 billion hit this year , and what is the prime minister focused on ? ''
Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre said Sunday in Ottawa .
`` Not on getting Canada through this crisis or rebuilding our economy , but on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Trudeau has been found to have violated the Conflict of Interest Act twice before .
The first time was for accepting two paid family vacations on the private island of the Aga Khan , and the second was for improperly pressuring Jody Wilson-Raybould , who was the attorney general , to halt the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin .
Former federal ethics commissioner Mary Dawson was to have testified on the matter Monday during a virtual meeting of the House of Commons ethics committee .
Technical difficulties made that impossible and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the rent-relief program has been criticized for falling short in meeting the needs of small businesses , many of which are struggling to survive due to the pandemic-related shutdowns .
The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses , which represents such companies , says only 20 per cent of its members felt the program was helpful .
`` It 's not working for anyone — tenants or landlords — yet no major changes have been made to the program since it was announced , beyond an extension to July and August , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has proposed a number of amendments to make it more accessible to companies .
Proteau said as of Sunday , the more than 70,000 business tenants have received a total of over $ 693 million in rent support .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10 , 2020 .

A quiet choice this spring to have the Crown corporation responsible for helping Canadians obtain affordable housing run a commercial rent-relief program during the COVID-19 pandemic has become the latest front in a war between the Liberal government and opposition. Opposition parties are trying to draw parallels between the decision to have the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. run the program and the WE controversy, arguing both involve ethical breaches at the highest levels of the Liberal hierarchy. That is because the CMHC ended up contracting out administration of the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program to a mortgage lender where the husband of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's chief of staff is a senior executive. That contract with MCAP was initially worth $56 million when the rent-relief program was launched in May and later expanded to $84 million in July. The Liberals are pushing back against opposition allegations of unethical conduct as well as comparisons with the WE controversy, saying it followed the rules when it came to MCAP and that CMHC alone made the decision to have the company run the program without any political involvement. The root of the dispute goes back to April 24, when Trudeau announced Ottawa had reached an agreement in principle with all provinces and territories to implement the rent-relief program, which promised to reduce the rent for small businesses by 75 per cent through subsidies and loans to their landlords.
Trudeau said at the time the CMHC would administer the program, a decision the Liberals are now defending. Finance Minister Bill Morneau's spokeswoman Maeva Proteau says the Crown corporation was considered the best fit because it deals with mortgages and has the best understanding of Canada's real-estate market. "In consultation with the Department of Justice it was determined that CMHC was able to make payments without requiring new legislation that would have further delayed roll out," Proteau said in a statement, adding it also had experience delivering a program that involved working with the provinces and territories. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions But then CMHC, which describes its singular mission as "to make housing affordable for everyone in Canada," outsourced administration of the program. According to CMHC spokeswoman Audrey-Anne Coulombe, that was because it did "not have the internal capacity to stand up the program in short order."
That should have been obvious to the Liberals from the start, say the Conservatives, who argue the program should have been given to the Canada Revenue Agency. It is already managing a variety of support programs related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the federal wage subsidy. Opposition parties are trying to draw parallels between the decision to have the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. run the program and the WE controversy, arguing both involve ethical breaches at the highest levels of the Liberal hierarchy. The Conservatives say that would have also prevented the CMHC outsourcing the rent-relief program to MCAP, the Toronto-headquartered mortgage lender that hired Robert Silver as an executive vice-president in January. Silver is married to Katie Telford, Trudeau's chief of staff. Proteau said the Canada Revenue Agency was a good fit for the wage subsidy program because its mandate already deals with things like payroll taxes. She said it does not directly monitor commercial rent. The Liberals and CMHC say the Crown corporation awarded MCAP the contract on its own, independent of any political involvement. Coulombe said the CMHC reached out to two financial institutions with experience dealing with commercial mortgages and asked for proposals. She said MCAP's proposal was stronger, and cost less. She said the second company told the CMHC it would still be prepared to support the program if it needed a back-up plan.
The Prime Minister's Office has also released emails it says show Telford consulted with federal ethics commissioner Mario Dion in January before Silver was hired by MCAP. Trudeau spokesman Alex Wellstead said Dion advised no additional measures were needed. "However, out of an abundance of caution, Ms. Telford implemented a voluntary conflict screen at that time," Wellstead said. "This screen applies to anything related to MCAP and it has been diligently followed since it was implemented. Ms. Telford has not been involved in any discussions related to MCAP."


nationalobserver--2020-08-11--MPs Chagger and Qualtrough to be grilled by committee on WE affair

Two federal cabinet ministers and the country 's top public servant will be grilled today about how a charity with close ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wound up administering a $ 912-million student grant program .
The House of Commons ethics committee is scheduled to hear from Youth Minister Bardish Chagger , Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough and Ian Shugart , clerk of the Privy Council .
The committee is ostensibly conducting a review of the existing safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest when the federal government is deciding how to spend taxpayers ' dollars .
But opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the government 's agreement with WE Charity to administer the grant program , which had been intended to encourage students to engage in summer volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Chagger was the minister responsible for the program , which has now been abandoned after becoming mired in controversy .
• Liberals turn over thousands of pages on WE decision to Commons committee • What happens if the Governor General requires discipline or dismissal ?
Qualtrough is in charge of the department whose public servants concluded they were not capable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the government , recommended that WE Charity was the only group capable of delivering it .
Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau , who also has close family ties to WE Charity , are both under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner .
Both have apologized for failing to recuse themselves when cabinet approved the recommended agreement with the charity .
The controversy has dogged the government since late June , when it announced an agreement to pay WE Charity up to $ 43.5 million to administer the grant program .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not make money on the deal .
Trudeau has been a featured speaker at six WE Day events and his wife hosts a podcast for the group , for which they have not been paid .
However , the charity has covered some of Sophie Gregoire Trudeau 's travel expenses and has paid Trudeau 's mother and brother almost $ 300,000 for speaking at numerous WE events over the years and reimbursed them for some $ 200,000 in expenses .
One of Morneau 's daughters works for the organization , another has spoken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donated $ 100,000 to it .
Morneau also revealed that WE Charity covered $ 41,000 in expenses for him and his family in 2107 for trips to view two of its humanitarian projects in Ecuador and Kenya .
Morneau wrote a cheque to reimburse the organization for those expenses shortly before testifying two weeks ago at the Commons finance committee , which is also attempting to get to the bottom of the affair .
Two federal cabinet ministers and the country 's top public servant will be grilled today , , August 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charity with close ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wound up administering a $ 912-million student grant program .
Members of the finance committee are waiting to see some 5,000 pages of documents turned over by the government Saturday on the WE controversy .
The documents are being vetted by committee lawyers to ensure they do n't disclose personal information or cabinet secrets .
In the meantime , opposition parties are attempting to expand the ethical cloud to include the delivery of another emergency program — this one to provide rent relief for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government handed responsibility for the program to the Canada Mortage and Housing Corp. but the Crown corporation decided to contract it out to MCAP , a mortgage lender that employs the husband of Trudeau 's chief of staff , Katie Telford .
The contract was initially worth $ 56 million when the rent-relief program was launched in May and later expanded to $ 84 million in July .
The Prime Minister 's Office says CMHC independently chose to outsource the program .
Moreover , the PMO says Telford alerted the ethics commissioner in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior executive at MCAP , and was advised she did n't need to set up an ethics screen .
She nevertheless voluntarily set up a screen to ensure she would not be involved in anything that might benefit the company .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11 , 2020 .

Two federal cabinet ministers and the country's top public servant will be grilled today about how a charity with close ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wound up administering a $912-million student grant program. The House of Commons ethics committee is scheduled to hear from Youth Minister Bardish Chagger, Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough and Ian Shugart, clerk of the Privy Council. The committee is ostensibly conducting a review of the existing safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest when the federal government is deciding how to spend taxpayers' dollars. But opposition MPs are sure to focus more pointedly on the government's agreement with WE Charity to administer the grant program, which had been intended to encourage students to engage in summer volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chagger was the minister responsible for the program, which has now been abandoned after becoming mired in controversy.
Qualtrough is in charge of the department whose public servants concluded they were not capable of delivering the program and who, according to the government, recommended that WE Charity was the only group capable of delivering it. Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau, who also has close family ties to WE Charity, are both under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner. Both have apologized for failing to recuse themselves when cabinet approved the recommended agreement with the charity. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The controversy has dogged the government since late June, when it announced an agreement to pay WE Charity up to $43.5 million to administer the grant program. The agreement stipulated that the charity could not make money on the deal.
Trudeau has been a featured speaker at six WE Day events and his wife hosts a podcast for the group, for which they have not been paid. However, the charity has covered some of Sophie Gregoire Trudeau's travel expenses and has paid Trudeau's mother and brother almost $300,000 for speaking at numerous WE events over the years and reimbursed them for some $200,000 in expenses. Two federal cabinet ministers and the country's top public servant will be grilled today, , August 11, 2020, about, how a charity with close ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wound up administering a $912-million student grant program. One of Morneau's daughters works for the organization, another has spoken at its events and his wife has donated $100,000 to it. Morneau also revealed that WE Charity covered $41,000 in expenses for him and his family in 2107 for trips to view two of its humanitarian projects in Ecuador and Kenya. Morneau wrote a cheque to reimburse the organization for those expenses shortly before testifying two weeks ago at the Commons finance committee, which is also attempting to get to the bottom of the affair. Members of the finance committee are waiting to see some 5,000 pages of documents turned over by the government Saturday on the WE controversy. The documents are being vetted by committee lawyers to ensure they don't disclose personal information or cabinet secrets. In the meantime, opposition parties are attempting to expand the ethical cloud to include the delivery of another emergency program — this one to provide rent relief for small businesses during the pandemic.
The government handed responsibility for the program to the Canada Mortage and Housing Corp. but the Crown corporation decided to contract it out to MCAP, a mortgage lender that employs the husband of Trudeau's chief of staff, Katie Telford. The contract was initially worth $56 million when the rent-relief program was launched in May and later expanded to $84 million in July. The Prime Minister's Office says CMHC independently chose to outsource the program. Moreover, the PMO says Telford alerted the ethics commissioner in January, when her husband became a senior executive at MCAP, and was advised she didn't need to set up an ethics screen. She nevertheless voluntarily set up a screen to ensure she would not be involved in anything that might benefit the company.


nationalobserver--2020-08-11--Trudeau government to provide Lebanon more humanitarian aid

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced an additional $ 25 million in aid to help the people of Lebanon struggling to recover from last week 's devastating explosion in Beirut .
That brings Canada 's total contribution to the international aid effort to $ 30 million .
Trudeau says the additional funding is intended to help trusted humanitarian aid groups `` support emergency medical services and provide shelter , food , and other essential items for people impacted by the blast . ''
Trudeau 's government was criticized last week for doing too little to help the Lebanese people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of that , $ 2 million was to match donations from Canadians .
• Environmental groups take Ford government to court over COVID-19 recovery bill • Liberals turn over thousands of pages on WE decision to Commons committee Last Tuesday 's blast is believed to have been detonated by thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored for seven years at a portside warehouse .
`` We will continue to monitor this tragic situation , and work closely with the international community and humanitarian partners to identify how we can continue to support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their urgent needs , '' a government statement released late Monday said .
`` Our government is sending a clear message to the Lebanese people that we will not only be there for them for the immediate response to this tragedy , but also for the rebuilding efforts over the long-term , '' she said in the statement .
`` We are ready to do more and we will ensure that our investments go directly to communities affected . ''
Trudeau said that matching funding has now been expanded to a maximum of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trudeau has announced an additional $ 25 million in aid to help the people of Lebanon struggling to recover from last week 's devastating explosion in Beirut .
He encouraged Canadians to donate to the Lebanon matching fund , saying : `` Together , we can support the people of Lebanon as they work to heal and rebuild . ''
More than 150 people were killed in the blast , thousands more were injured and an estimated 300,000 residents were left homeless .
Canada 's additional aid was announced just hours after Lebanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his government following days of angry protests .
He blamed the blast on `` the result of endemic corruption . ''
Bessma Momani , a professor of political science at the University of Waterloo , said the Canadian government 's initial $ 5 million in aid was `` inadequate and not commensurate with what a G7 country with strong diaspora links to Lebanon and with a self-proclaimed internationalist agenda should commit . ''
She questioned why the government put an initial $ 2-million cap on matching donations .
`` This is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadians ) to give generously . ''

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced an additional $25 million in aid to help the people of Lebanon struggling to recover from last week's devastating explosion in Beirut. That brings Canada's total contribution to the international aid effort to $30 million. Trudeau says the additional funding is intended to help trusted humanitarian aid groups "support emergency medical services and provide shelter, food, and other essential items for people impacted by the blast." Trudeau's government was criticized last week for doing too little to help the Lebanese people, promising only an initial $5 million. Of that, $2 million was to match donations from Canadians.
Last Tuesday's blast is believed to have been detonated by thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored for seven years at a portside warehouse. "We will continue to monitor this tragic situation, and work closely with the international community and humanitarian partners to identify how we can continue to support the people of Lebanon and respond to their urgent needs," a government statement released late Monday said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions International Development Minister Karina Gould was more explicit.
"Our government is sending a clear message to the Lebanese people that we will not only be there for them for the immediate response to this tragedy, but also for the rebuilding efforts over the long-term," she said in the statement. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced an additional $25 million in aid to help the people of Lebanon struggling to recover from last week's devastating explosion in Beirut. "We are ready to do more and we will ensure that our investments go directly to communities affected." Trudeau said that matching funding has now been expanded to a maximum of $5 million. He encouraged Canadians to donate to the Lebanon matching fund, saying: "Together, we can support the people of Lebanon as they work to heal and rebuild." More than 150 people were killed in the blast, thousands more were injured and an estimated 300,000 residents were left homeless.
Canada's additional aid was announced just hours after Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced the resignation of his government following days of angry protests. He blamed the blast on "the result of endemic corruption." Bessma Momani, a professor of political science at the University of Waterloo, said the Canadian government's initial $5 million in aid was "inadequate and not commensurate with what a G7 country with strong diaspora links to Lebanon and with a self-proclaimed internationalist agenda should commit." She questioned why the government put an initial $2-million cap on matching donations.


nationalobserver--2020-08-11--B.C. lawmaker vows action on old-growth forests

A British Columbia legislator says the province ’ s anticipated strategic review of old-growth forest management is coming by late summer or early fall , and will include “ immediate actions . ''
Doug Routley , the BC NDP member for Nanaimo-North Cowichan , made the comments following an announcement by James Darling and Robert Fuller on Monday that they had ended their hunger strike on Vancouver Island , after becoming disillusioned with government action .
The province ’ s Old Growth Strategic Review Panel said this spring it had submitted its recommendations on how to manage B.C.
’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Doug Donaldson , after hearing from hundreds of people over a period of several months last winter .
In a Jan. 31 submission to the review panel , the BC Council of Forest Industries said the sector contributes $ 12.9 billion to provincial GDP and supports over 100,000 jobs — yet is experiencing “ challenging times ” due to U.S. “ protectionism ” and high tariffs and that have forced “ dozens of mills ” to close .
The industry group recommended embracing “ sustainable forest management ” as part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a balanced forest portfolio.
” The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society , however , said industrial logging practices over 150 years have led to three-quarters of the original old-growth forests on B.C.
’ s southern coast being logged .
It called for a moratorium on old-growth logging , and for the practice to be phased out completely .
On Saturday , Darling spoke at a gathering held at Maffeo Sutton Park in Nanaimo , meant to mark the end of the protest , and admitted he was “ at my wits ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the province ’ s anticipated strategic review of old-growth forest management is coming by late summer or early fall , and will include “ immediate actions . ''
He raised the conclusions of the UN Environment Programme last November , that even if countries around the world do meet their Paris agreement commitments , it would still mean a 3.2 C global temperature rise over pre-industrial levels .
Scientists say this global heating will bring mass extinctions and lead to large parts of the planet becoming uninhabitable .
“ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that seem almost inevitable at this point , ” Darling said .
“ I ’ m really terrified about what the future has in store for my son and for his generation .
”

A British Columbia legislator says the province’s anticipated strategic review of old-growth forest management is coming by late summer or early fall, and will include “immediate actions." Doug Routley, the BC NDP member for Nanaimo-North Cowichan, made the comments following an announcement by James Darling and Robert Fuller on Monday that they had ended their hunger strike on Vancouver Island, after becoming disillusioned with government action. The province’s Old Growth Strategic Review Panel said this spring it had submitted its recommendations on how to manage B.C.’s dwindling supply of old-growth forests to Forestry Minister Doug Donaldson, after hearing from hundreds of people over a period of several months last winter. The B.C. government has been under pressure from Extinction Rebellion activists, including Darling and Fuller, to move forward with those recommendations, after an independent scientific report this summer suggested provincial figures were misleading and that only about three per cent of forests with very large, old trees still remained. “In order to inform our science-based approach we commissioned the Old Growth Strategic Review, and will be releasing the report later this summer or early in the fall,” Routley said in emailed comments sent to National Observer Aug. 10. “This report will include immediate actions and chart out next steps.”
Over a two-week period, Darling and Fuller protested outside Routley’s office and that of Nanaimo MLA Sheila Malcolmson. They began July 26, after penning a letter to B.C. Premier John Horgan saying they wouldn’t eat again until he banned old-growth logging. In an Aug. 10 statement, the two said they were ending their strike, even though the government had “refused to declare a moratorium.” They also claimed to have been told that B.C.’s hands were tied on the issue of old-growth logging due to international trade issues. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Routley said the provincial government wants to develop a “balanced” approach to managing old-growth forests that “protects the biodiversity of these unique ecosystems while supporting the forestry industry and the families and communities that depend on this sector.”
In a Jan. 31 submission to the review panel, the BC Council of Forest Industries said the sector contributes $12.9 billion to provincial GDP and supports over 100,000 jobs — yet is experiencing “challenging times” due to U.S. “protectionism” and high tariffs and that have forced “dozens of mills” to close. The industry group recommended embracing “sustainable forest management” as part of a strategy that acknowledges the province “already has a balanced forest portfolio.” A British Columbia legislator says the province’s anticipated strategic review of old-growth forest management is coming by late summer or early fall, and will include “immediate actions." The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, however, said industrial logging practices over 150 years have led to three-quarters of the original old-growth forests on B.C.’s southern coast being logged. It called for a moratorium on old-growth logging, and for the practice to be phased out completely. On Saturday, Darling spoke at a gathering held at Maffeo Sutton Park in Nanaimo, meant to mark the end of the protest, and admitted he was “at my wits’ end.” He raised the conclusions of the UN Environment Programme last November, that even if countries around the world do meet their Paris agreement commitments, it would still mean a 3.2 C global temperature rise over pre-industrial levels. Scientists say this global heating will bring mass extinctions and lead to large parts of the planet becoming uninhabitable. “I don’t know what to do about the catastrophes that seem almost inevitable at this point,” Darling said. “I’m really terrified about what the future has in store for my son and for his generation.”


nationalobserver--2020-08-12--Safety won't be compromised for vaccine approval

Canada will not cut corners to get a vaccine candidate for COVID-19 approved , the country 's chief public health officer said Tuesday .
As news emerged that Russia had approved the world 's first such vaccine , Dr. Theresa Tam said she is as anxious as anyone for a safe and effective vaccine to be ready , but that getting one quickly does n't mean compromising safety .
`` Getting this done in record time is no easy feat , as we must ensure any vaccine demonstrates the highest standard of safety and effectiveness , '' Tam said at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are many steps and partners across research , government and industry required to produce and deliver a safe and effective vaccine .
All steps and partners are crucial .
Nothing gets cut . ''
Tam said for Canada , fast-tracking a vaccine means trying to do some things at the same time .
That could mean while a vaccine candidate is still in its third and final clinical trial phase , governments are developing plans to produce , distribute and administer that vaccine if it gets approved .
• Environmental groups take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill • David Suzuki , Catherine McKenna , Tzeporah Berman , Bruce Lourie , Graham Saul , Noam Chomsky on the fork in the road Scientists both within Russia and outside it sounded alarm at the early approval of the Russian vaccine , which was developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow and Russia 's ministry of defence .
Russia 's health ministry claimed that the vaccine , which modifies a common cold virus to try and mimic the novel coronavirus , will make someone immune to COVID-19 for up to two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data on the evidence to back that up .
Tam would not comment on Russia 's vaccine at all because she said she does n't have enough information about it .
Her deputy , Dr. Howard Njoo , said there is just not much information available about how effective that vaccine has been , any side effects it had for the people it was tested on , or how many people were involved in those trials .
He said one of the only indicators is the amount of time that passed between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to approve it .
`` It seems quite short , based on what we know about how normally vaccine trials go , '' Njoo said .
Vaccines normally go through at least three phases of testing , with very small numbers of volunteers receiving it in the first two phases .
In phase three , the number of people it is tested on grows exponentially .
At least two of the vaccine candidates being developed in the United States are testing their product on 30,000 healthy adults in phase three .
Canada will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate for COVID-19 approved , the country 's chief public health officer said on Tuesday , August 11 , 2020 .
The Moscow vaccine appears to have been given approval before any phase three trial , citing enough success in the first two phases .
Tam warned last week that getting a vaccine approved wo n't be a `` silver bullet '' to stop the pandemic because approval is just the first step .
She said Tuesday the success of any approved vaccine will depend heavily on getting Canadians to take it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Canada surpassed the 120,000 mark Tuesday , with 8,987 deaths attributed to the disease .
Tam says almost nine in 10 patients have already recovered .
There are more than two dozen COVID-19 vaccine candidates in various clinical testing phases around the world , and Tam said eight are in the third and final phase .
Most companies behind those trials have said not to expect results until the fall .
Last week , Canada signed deals with two vaccine developers , Pfizer and Moderna , to get access to millions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ succeed at phase three trials and are approved by Health Canada .
The earliest either is expected to arrive in Canada for use in patients is next winter .
Tam said she is `` cautiously optimistic '' a vaccine is coming and she has full confidence in Health Canada 's approval process to ensure any vaccine Canadians are given is both safe and effective .

Canada will not cut corners to get a vaccine candidate for COVID-19 approved, the country's chief public health officer said Tuesday. As news emerged that Russia had approved the world's first such vaccine, Dr. Theresa Tam said she is as anxious as anyone for a safe and effective vaccine to be ready, but that getting one quickly doesn't mean compromising safety. "Getting this done in record time is no easy feat, as we must ensure any vaccine demonstrates the highest standard of safety and effectiveness," Tam said at a media briefing in Ottawa. "There are many steps and partners across research, government and industry required to produce and deliver a safe and effective vaccine. All steps and partners are crucial. Nothing gets cut." Tam said for Canada, fast-tracking a vaccine means trying to do some things at the same time. That could mean while a vaccine candidate is still in its third and final clinical trial phase, governments are developing plans to produce, distribute and administer that vaccine if it gets approved.
Scientists both within Russia and outside it sounded alarm at the early approval of the Russian vaccine, which was developed by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow and Russia's ministry of defence. Russia's health ministry claimed that the vaccine, which modifies a common cold virus to try and mimic the novel coronavirus, will make someone immune to COVID-19 for up to two years. But Russian scientists have published no data on the evidence to back that up. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Tam would not comment on Russia's vaccine at all because she said she doesn't have enough information about it.
Her deputy, Dr. Howard Njoo, said there is just not much information available about how effective that vaccine has been, any side effects it had for the people it was tested on, or how many people were involved in those trials. He said one of the only indicators is the amount of time that passed between the discovery of the vaccine and the decision to approve it. Canada will not cut corners to get a vaccine candidate for COVID-19 approved, the country's chief public health officer said on Tuesday, August 11, 2020. "It seems quite short, based on what we know about how normally vaccine trials go," Njoo said. Vaccines normally go through at least three phases of testing, with very small numbers of volunteers receiving it in the first two phases. In phase three, the number of people it is tested on grows exponentially. At least two of the vaccine candidates being developed in the United States are testing their product on 30,000 healthy adults in phase three. The Moscow vaccine appears to have been given approval before any phase three trial, citing enough success in the first two phases. Tam warned last week that getting a vaccine approved won't be a "silver bullet" to stop the pandemic because approval is just the first step. She said Tuesday the success of any approved vaccine will depend heavily on getting Canadians to take it.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada surpassed the 120,000 mark Tuesday, with 8,987 deaths attributed to the disease. Tam says almost nine in 10 patients have already recovered. There are more than two dozen COVID-19 vaccine candidates in various clinical testing phases around the world, and Tam said eight are in the third and final phase. Most companies behind those trials have said not to expect results until the fall. Last week, Canada signed deals with two vaccine developers, Pfizer and Moderna, to get access to millions of doses of their experimental vaccines if they succeed at phase three trials and are approved by Health Canada. The earliest either is expected to arrive in Canada for use in patients is next winter.


nationalobserver--2020-08-12--Scrutiny of WE Charity did not include financial situation: PCO clerk

Canada 's top public servant says federal officials did not probe the WE organization 's financial situation or governance structure when doing homework on a deal with the charity to administer a pandemic grant program for student volunteers .
Due diligence focused on WE Charity 's ability to deliver the program , Ian Shugart , clerk of the Privy Council , told the House of Commons ethics committee Tuesday .
Shugart said senior officials at Employment and Social Development Canada , which ultimately signed the contract with WE , told him they had a track record with the organization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he initially pushed back on the proposal to have WE administer the Canada Student Service Grant when it came to his attention in early May , knowing his family 's connections with the organization would lead to significant scrutiny .
Shugart confirmed Trudeau asked for further evaluation of the deal , which would have paid WE Charity up to $ 43.5 million to administer a grant program designed to encourage students to sign up for volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Ottawa budgeted $ 912 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with WE was for $ 543 million .
• Environmental groups take Ford government to court over COVID-19 recovery bill • David Suzuki , Catherine McKenna , Tzeporah Berman , Bruce Lourie , Graham Saul , Noam Chomsky on the fork in the road Officials went back and examined whether WE Charity had the ability to administer a Canada-wide student volunteer program , and whether it could deliver these services in both official languages .
Other issues relating to WE Charity 's organization , board of directors , financial state and governance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Shugart said .
When it came back to cabinet two weeks later , Shugart says , he believed the due diligence undertaken was sufficient .
The former chair of WE Charity 's board of directors , Michelle Douglas , told the House of Commons finance committee last month she resigned in March after the organization began a series of mass layoffs but refused to provide financial justification to the board for them .
She also testified a majority of those on the Canadian and American boards of the charity resigned or were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WE co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger said was part of a board renewal .
On Tuesday , MPs on the House of Commons ethics committee posed questions about this change as well as why government 's contract with WE was not directly to the charity , but with a separate corporate entity called WE Charity Foundation .
Canada 's top public servant says federal officials did not probe the WE organization 's financial situation or governance structure when doing homework on a deal with the charity to administer a pandemic grant program for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not flagged , Shugart replied .
`` I think knowing in retrospect what we know now , we probably would have inquired further , '' he added .
The ethics committee is conducting a review of the existing safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest when the federal government decides how to spend taxpayers ' dollars .
But opposition MPs focused more pointedly on the government 's agreement and dealings with WE Charity leading up to the since-abandoned agreement .
Youth Minister Bardish Chagger , who also appeared Tuesday , said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with WE co-founder Craig Kielburger , almost a week before Trudeau announced the program .
She said this conversation was an unsolicited pitch about a youth social entrepreneurship program .
Asked why she did n't disclose this conversation in a previous appearance at the Commons finance committee , which is also probing the WE controversy , Chagger said the conversation was not about the Canada Student Service Grant .
Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough , whose department recommended WE Charity to run the program , told the committee Tuesday that she learned of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to cabinet for approval on May 5 .
She said this was because the file fell under Chagger 's portfolio as youth minister .
Qualtrough defended the Liberal government 's work to help Canadians during the height of the pandemic , but acknowledged this file was not handled properly .
`` It was a pandemic and things were crazy and we were going at breakneck speed , but we should have not dropped the ball on this , '' she said .
`` It 's an unfortunate situation .
I do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important , I would say fantastic work , that we have done for students and for Canadians . ''
Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau , whose family also has ties to WE Charity , are both under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner .
Both have apologized for failing to recuse themselves when cabinet approved the recommended agreement with the charity .
Trudeau has been a featured speaker at six WE Day events and his wife hosts a podcast for the group , for which they have not been paid .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands in expenses for Sophie Gregoire Trudeau 's as well as speaking fees and expenses to Trudeau 's mother and brother for speaking at numerous WE events over the years .
One of Morneau 's daughters works for the organization , another has spoken at its events and his wife has donated $ 100,000 .
Morneau also revealed last month that he had repaid some $ 41,000 in expenses that WE had paid for him and his family in 2017 for trips to view two of its humanitarian projects in Ecuador and Kenya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , was a guest speaker at one WE Day event in 2016 .
She said she was not paid and her expenses were not covered .
NDP MP Charlie Angus said he believes this all shows there was a close `` comfort level '' between WE and senior Trudeau government officials , which he believes led to the current controversy .
`` Do n't you feel if we had done more due diligence we would n't be in this debacle right now ? ''
he said .
This report by The Canadian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .

Canada's top public servant says federal officials did not probe the WE organization's financial situation or governance structure when doing homework on a deal with the charity to administer a pandemic grant program for student volunteers. Due diligence focused on WE Charity's ability to deliver the program, Ian Shugart, clerk of the Privy Council, told the House of Commons ethics committee Tuesday. Shugart said senior officials at Employment and Social Development Canada, which ultimately signed the contract with WE, told him they had a track record with the organization, which reassured him about the charity. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he initially pushed back on the proposal to have WE administer the Canada Student Service Grant when it came to his attention in early May, knowing his family's connections with the organization would lead to significant scrutiny. Shugart confirmed Trudeau asked for further evaluation of the deal, which would have paid WE Charity up to $43.5 million to administer a grant program designed to encourage students to sign up for volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ottawa budgeted $912 million for the program, but the deal with WE was for $543 million.
Officials went back and examined whether WE Charity had the ability to administer a Canada-wide student volunteer program, and whether it could deliver these services in both official languages. Other issues relating to WE Charity's organization, board of directors, financial state and governance structure were not considered at that time, Shugart said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions When it came back to cabinet two weeks later, Shugart says, he believed the due diligence undertaken was sufficient.
The former chair of WE Charity's board of directors, Michelle Douglas, told the House of Commons finance committee last month she resigned in March after the organization began a series of mass layoffs but refused to provide financial justification to the board for them. Canada's top public servant says federal officials did not probe the WE organization's financial situation or governance structure when doing homework on a deal with the charity to administer a pandemic grant program for student volunteers. She also testified a majority of those on the Canadian and American boards of the charity resigned or were replaced around the same time — something WE co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger said was part of a board renewal. On Tuesday, MPs on the House of Commons ethics committee posed questions about this change as well as why government's contract with WE was not directly to the charity, but with a separate corporate entity called WE Charity Foundation. Those issues were simply not flagged, Shugart replied. "I think knowing in retrospect what we know now, we probably would have inquired further," he added.
The ethics committee is conducting a review of the existing safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest when the federal government decides how to spend taxpayers' dollars. But opposition MPs focused more pointedly on the government's agreement and dealings with WE Charity leading up to the since-abandoned agreement. Youth Minister Bardish Chagger, who also appeared Tuesday, said she had a telephone conversation on April 17 with WE co-founder Craig Kielburger, almost a week before Trudeau announced the program. She said this conversation was an unsolicited pitch about a youth social entrepreneurship program.


nationalobserver--2020-08-12--Trudeau denies Bill Morneau to be fired as finance minister

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried Tuesday to shut down speculation that he 's about to fire his finance minister , saying he has full confidence in Bill Morneau and that any reports to the contrary are false .
Trudeau 's office took the unusual step of issuing a statement in support of Morneau as rumours about the minister 's imminent departure from the crucial finance post reached a fever pitch on Parliament Hill .
For several weeks , opposition parties have been calling for Morneau 's resignation over allegations that he had a conflict of interest in the WE Charity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facing investigations by the federal ethics watchdog .
But news this week that Mark Carney , a former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England , is helping to advise Trudeau on the post-pandemic economic recovery fuelled speculation that Morneau is about to be replaced as finance minister .
In the statement Tuesday , the Prime Minister 's Office praised Morneau 's record , including his `` lead role '' in creating emergency aid programs to help individuals and businesses survive the economic shutdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to court over COVID-19 recovery bill • David Suzuki , Catherine McKenna , Tzeporah Berman , Bruce Lourie , Graham Saul , Noam Chomsky on the fork in the road `` Since we formed government , Minister Morneau has worked relentlessly with all his colleagues , and closely with the prime minister , to deliver critical support for Canadians to build a strong and resilient economy , '' it said .
`` In particular , Minister Morneau played a central role that saw Canada develop one of the best economies in the G7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first mandate , generational changes to the CPP , the lowest unemployment rate in Canadian history , and over a million Canadians lifted out of poverty . ''
The statement said Morneau is continuing his important work of helping Canadians survive the economic impact of the pandemic .
`` Of course the prime minister has full confidence in Minister Morneau and any statement to the contrary is false .
The prime minister knows that Minister Morneau and the entire team of cabinet ministers will keep doing the work that Canadians rely on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier Tuesday , Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said it mattered little to him whether Morneau or someone else serves as finance minister under Trudeau .
`` It really does n't matter , making a trade for Bill Morneau , when you 've got a prime minister that has such a lack of ethics embroiled in so many scandals , '' Scheer told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried on Tuesday , August 11 , 2020 , to shut down speculation that he 's about to fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full confidence in Bill Morneau and that any reports to the contrary are false .
Trudeau and Morneau are both under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner for possible conflicts of interest arising from the government 's decision to hand the administration of a student grant program to WE Charity .
Both have close family connections to the charity and have apologized for not recusing themselves from the decision .
However , they 've also insisted that it was public servants who recommended WE Charity as the only organization capable of managing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the controversy .
The government had budgeted $ 912 million for the program , which was supposed to encourage students to sign up for volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The agreement to have WE Charity administer the program was for $ 543 million .
WE Charity was to be paid up to $ 43.5 million under the agreement , which stipulated that the organization could not make money on the deal .
Trudeau has been a featured speaker at six WE Day events and his wife hosts a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have not been paid .
However , the charity has covered hundreds of thousands in expenses for Sophie Gregoire Trudeau as well as fees and expenses to Trudeau 's mother and brother for speaking at numerous WE events over the years .
One of Morneau 's daughters works for the organization , another has spoken at its events and his wife has donated $ 100,000 .
Morneau also revealed last month that he had repaid some $ 41,000 in expenses that WE had paid for him and his family in 2017 for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projects in Ecuador and Kenya .

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried Tuesday to shut down speculation that he's about to fire his finance minister, saying he has full confidence in Bill Morneau and that any reports to the contrary are false. Trudeau's office took the unusual step of issuing a statement in support of Morneau as rumours about the minister's imminent departure from the crucial finance post reached a fever pitch on Parliament Hill. For several weeks, opposition parties have been calling for Morneau's resignation over allegations that he had a conflict of interest in the WE Charity affair. Morneau and Trudeau are both facing investigations by the federal ethics watchdog. But news this week that Mark Carney, a former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, is helping to advise Trudeau on the post-pandemic economic recovery fuelled speculation that Morneau is about to be replaced as finance minister. In the statement Tuesday, the Prime Minister's Office praised Morneau's record, including his "lead role" in creating emergency aid programs to help individuals and businesses survive the economic shutdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Since we formed government, Minister Morneau has worked relentlessly with all his colleagues, and closely with the prime minister, to deliver critical support for Canadians to build a strong and resilient economy," it said. "In particular, Minister Morneau played a central role that saw Canada develop one of the best economies in the G7, a million new jobs over the first mandate, generational changes to the CPP, the lowest unemployment rate in Canadian history, and over a million Canadians lifted out of poverty." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The statement said Morneau is continuing his important work of helping Canadians survive the economic impact of the pandemic.
"Of course the prime minister has full confidence in Minister Morneau and any statement to the contrary is false. The prime minister knows that Minister Morneau and the entire team of cabinet ministers will keep doing the work that Canadians rely on to get them through this pandemic." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tried on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, to shut down speculation that he's about to fire his finance minister, saying he has full confidence in Bill Morneau and that any reports to the contrary are false. Earlier Tuesday, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said it mattered little to him whether Morneau or someone else serves as finance minister under Trudeau. "It really doesn't matter, making a trade for Bill Morneau, when you've got a prime minister that has such a lack of ethics embroiled in so many scandals," Scheer told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa. Trudeau and Morneau are both under investigation by the federal ethics commissioner for possible conflicts of interest arising from the government's decision to hand the administration of a student grant program to WE Charity. Both have close family connections to the charity and have apologized for not recusing themselves from the decision. However, they've also insisted that it was public servants who recommended WE Charity as the only organization capable of managing the program, which has since been abandoned due to the controversy.
The government had budgeted $912 million for the program, which was supposed to encourage students to sign up for volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement to have WE Charity administer the program was for $543 million. WE Charity was to be paid up to $43.5 million under the agreement, which stipulated that the organization could not make money on the deal. Trudeau has been a featured speaker at six WE Day events and his wife hosts a podcast for the group, for which they have not been paid. However, the charity has covered hundreds of thousands in expenses for Sophie Gregoire Trudeau as well as fees and expenses to Trudeau's mother and brother for speaking at numerous WE events over the years.


nationalobserver--2020-08-12--Trudeau's ethical conduct in spotlight as Commons sits but PM won't be there

Justin Trudeau 's ethical conduct will be put under an opposition microscope today during a rare summer sitting of the House of Commons — but the prime minister wo n't be there .
Trudeau is on vacation with his family and his office says he wo n't be cutting it short to attend the special parliamentary sitting .
It 's not clear that Finance Minister Bill Morneau will be there either .
Trudeau and Morneau are under investigation by the federal ethics watchdog for possible conflicts of interest arising from the government 's decision to hand the administration of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Both have close family connections to the charity and have apologized for not recusing themselves from the decision .
• Environmental groups take Ford government to court over COVID-19 recovery bill • David Suzuki , Catherine McKenna , Tzeporah Berman , Bruce Lourie , Graham Saul , Noam Chomsky on the fork in the road Trudeau 's office points out that the prime minister has already testified at length about the controversy before the Commons finance committee , as have Morneau , other ministers and senior bureaucrats .
But today 's sitting of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more time for opposition parties to mount their attacks on the government 's alleged ethical lapses .
The chamber normally does not sit at all during the summer .
Under special procedural rules adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic , the government agreed to have the Commons sit twice in July and twice in August .
Today 's sitting is to last almost four hours , with most MPs participating virtually along with a handful physically present in the chamber .
The session includes 95 minutes for opposition MPs to grill the government in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more than two hours for a `` take-note '' debate on the government 's response to the pandemic .
There is no opportunity for opposition parties to try to defeat Trudeau 's minority government with a motion of non-confidence — which Conservative and Bloc Quebecois MPs have suggested they might otherwise be tempted to do given the ethical cloud hanging over the Liberals .
Opposition MPs may yet have another chance to grill Trudeau directly about the WE Charity affair .
In two weeks , the Commons is to hold its second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal schedule on Sept. 21 .
Justin Trudeau 's ethical conduct will be put under an opposition microscope today during a rare summer sitting of the House of Commons — but the prime minister wo n't be there .
They may try to call the prime minister as a witness before the multiple committees now probing the controversy .
The ethics committee has already invited Trudeau to appear ; he has not yet responded .
The government operations committee is also to launch an inquiry into the affair once the finance committee wraps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ languages committee is to meet today to consider a Conservative request that it too launch a study into why an anglophone charity was chosen to deliver the student grant program .
Many of the same witnesses have already appeared before multiple committees .
Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough is to testify today at the finance committee , one day after testifying at the ethics committee .
On Tuesday , the ethics committee also heard from Youth Minister Bardish Chagger , the minister responsible for the grant program , and the top federal public servant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testified before the finance committee late last month .
Trudeau and his ministers , backed up by bureaucrats , have insisted that it was public servants who recommended WE Charity as the only organization capable of managing the student grant program , which has since been abandoned due to the controversy .
The government had budgeted $ 912 million for the program , which was supposed to encourage students to sign up for volunteer work related to the COVID-19 pandemic .
However , the agreement to have WE Charity administer the program put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WE Charity was to be paid up to $ 43.5 million under the agreement , which stipulated that the organization could not make money on the deal .
Trudeau has been a featured speaker at six WE Day events and his wife hosts a podcast for the group , for which they have not been paid .
However , the charity has covered hundreds of thousands in expenses for Sophie Gregoire Trudeau as well as fees and expenses paid to Trudeau 's mother and brother for speaking at numerous WE events over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works for the organization , another has spoken at its events and his wife has donated $ 100,000 .
Morneau also revealed last month that he had repaid some $ 41,000 in expenses that WE had paid for him and his family in 2017 for trips to view two of its humanitarian projects in Ecuador and Kenya .
Opposition parties are also attempting to expand the ethical cloud to include the delivery of another emergency program — this one to provide rent relief for small businesses during the pandemic .
The government handed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mortgage and Housing Corp. but the Crown corporation decided to contract it out to MCAP , a mortgage lender that employs the husband of Trudeau 's chief of staff , Katie Telford .
The contract was initially worth $ 56 million when the rent-relief program was launched in May and later expanded to $ 84 million in July .
The Prime Minister 's Office says CMHC independently chose to outsource the program .
The PMO says Telford alerted the ethics commissioner in January , when her husband became a senior executive at MCAP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to set up an ethics screen .
She nevertheless voluntarily set up a screen to ensure she would not be involved in anything that might benefit the company .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12 , 2020 .

Justin Trudeau's ethical conduct will be put under an opposition microscope today during a rare summer sitting of the House of Commons — but the prime minister won't be there. Trudeau is on vacation with his family and his office says he won't be cutting it short to attend the special parliamentary sitting. It's not clear that Finance Minister Bill Morneau will be there either. Trudeau and Morneau are under investigation by the federal ethics watchdog for possible conflicts of interest arising from the government's decision to hand the administration of a student grant program to WE Charity. Both have close family connections to the charity and have apologized for not recusing themselves from the decision.
Trudeau's office points out that the prime minister has already testified at length about the controversy before the Commons finance committee, as have Morneau, other ministers and senior bureaucrats. But today's sitting of the Commons offers a larger stage and more time for opposition parties to mount their attacks on the government's alleged ethical lapses. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The chamber normally does not sit at all during the summer. Under special procedural rules adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government agreed to have the Commons sit twice in July and twice in August.
Today's sitting is to last almost four hours, with most MPs participating virtually along with a handful physically present in the chamber. The session includes 95 minutes for opposition MPs to grill the government in a sort of extended question period, and more than two hours for a "take-note" debate on the government's response to the pandemic. Justin Trudeau's ethical conduct will be put under an opposition microscope today during a rare summer sitting of the House of Commons — but the prime minister won't be there. There is no opportunity for opposition parties to try to defeat Trudeau's minority government with a motion of non-confidence — which Conservative and Bloc Quebecois MPs have suggested they might otherwise be tempted to do given the ethical cloud hanging over the Liberals. Opposition MPs may yet have another chance to grill Trudeau directly about the WE Charity affair. In two weeks, the Commons is to hold its second special sitting this month before resuming its normal schedule on Sept. 21. They may try to call the prime minister as a witness before the multiple committees now probing the controversy. The ethics committee has already invited Trudeau to appear; he has not yet responded.
The government operations committee is also to launch an inquiry into the affair once the finance committee wraps up its study. And the official languages committee is to meet today to consider a Conservative request that it too launch a study into why an anglophone charity was chosen to deliver the student grant program. Many of the same witnesses have already appeared before multiple committees. Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough is to testify today at the finance committee, one day after testifying at the ethics committee. On Tuesday, the ethics committee also heard from Youth Minister Bardish Chagger, the minister responsible for the grant program, and the top federal public servant, Ian Shugart — both of whom testified before the finance committee late last month.


nationalobserver--2020-08-12--Liberals rolling out $18 million in funding for small food producers

The federal government is rolling out $ 18 million in support for projects they say will help strengthen Canada 's food supply chain .
The funds are going everywhere from an Alberta company focusing on plant-based proteins to distilleries in Quebec seeking to upgrade their equipment .
Some money is also being directed to small towns in Northern Ontario to hire staff and interns to help on agriculture-related work .
Terry Duguid , a Winnipeg MP and parliamentary secretary for Western Economic Diversification Canada , says the COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty for many food-related businesses .
He says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather that and be well-positioned for future business .
• Environmental groups take Ford government to court over COVID-19 recovery bill • David Suzuki , Catherine McKenna , Tzeporah Berman , Bruce Lourie , Graham Saul , Noam Chomsky on the fork in the road The Liberals have been under sustained pressure from farmers and food producers to do more to address the issues the COVID-19 pandemic has created for the sector .
Among other things , there have been outbreaks of the illness among farm workers and in processing plants , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the near shutdown of the entire hospitality industry leading to an oversupply of food with no markets .
While the federal government initially responded with a $ 252 million bailout package , they were criticized for including in that some previously announced money .
The funds being announced today comes from the budgets of the various federal economic development agencies , which focus on supporting hyper-local initiatives .
In some cases , the funding represents deals that were in the works well before the pandemic , or is being given to the companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duguid said while some of the money may have been earmarked pre-pandemic , it does n't discount the benefit it will bring to businesses .
The federal government is rolling out $ 18 million in support for projects they say will help strengthen Canada 's food supply chain .
`` This is about today , this is about COVID , this is about a difficult time but it is also about the future , '' he said .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12 , 2020 .

The federal government is rolling out $18 million in support for projects they say will help strengthen Canada's food supply chain. The funds are going everywhere from an Alberta company focusing on plant-based proteins to distilleries in Quebec seeking to upgrade their equipment. Some money is also being directed to small towns in Northern Ontario to hire staff and interns to help on agriculture-related work. Terry Duguid, a Winnipeg MP and parliamentary secretary for Western Economic Diversification Canada, says the COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty for many food-related businesses. He says the government intends the funds to help them weather that and be well-positioned for future business.
The Liberals have been under sustained pressure from farmers and food producers to do more to address the issues the COVID-19 pandemic has created for the sector. Among other things, there have been outbreaks of the illness among farm workers and in processing plants, and sharp declines for certain products due to the near shutdown of the entire hospitality industry leading to an oversupply of food with no markets. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions While the federal government initially responded with a $252 million bailout package, they were criticized for including in that some previously announced money.