nationalobserver--2020-06-15--Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society: Trump is worse than Hitler, but the peasants are coming with

Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society: Trump is worse than Hitler, but the peasants are coming with pitchforks

At first , it seemed like rhetorical overkill , the kind heard in barroom debates .
But Noam Chomsky , the world-renowned public intellectual , made a plausible case for a chilling assessment of arguably the world 's most powerful man .
Voting for U.S. President Donald Trump is worse than voting for Hitler , Chomsky affirmed to interviewer Linda Solomon Wood , during a Canada ’ s National Observer-sponsored webinar in April .
`` Hitler was maybe the worst criminal in human history.
” He wanted to murder millions of Jews , Slavs , Roma , homosexuals , others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do ?
He wants to destroy the prospects for organized human life . ''
The 91-year-old linguist and social critic remains remarkably optimistic about future options — but only if we collectively confront the three existential crises he identified in a 2019 interview with National Observer — nuclear war , global warming and ( presciently ) pandemics .
He warned then that humanity has to decide `` whether organized human society will survive another couple of generations . ''
Trump is exercising `` maximum sadism '' and exacerbating all three threats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to COVID-19 .
Critics have rightly noted inconsistent messaging , political posturing and divisiveness , quarrelling with governors and ignoring medical authorities .
Chomsky adds a lesser known dimension : While `` the pandemic is raging , people are dying and hospitals ca n't keep up , '' the Trump administration proposed a budget that would continue to cut health-related parts of government , such as the Centers for Disease Control .
And Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — the `` real evil genius '' of the administration , in Chomsky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic stimulus program should not bail out Democratic-governed states that have provided pensions to firefighters , teachers and other working people .
Video of Noam Chomsky on Trump , COVID-19 pandemic and the future world Noam Chomsky in conversation with Linda Solomon Wood in a live Zoom call on April 23 , 2020 • Sumas First Nation chief says Trans Mountain spill happened just south of a cultural and burial ground of great significance Vis-à-vis the prospect of thermonuclear war , Trump 's approach is , `` let 's make it worse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ established by previous U.S.-Russian agreements , including the Intermediate Nuclear Forces ( INF ) , `` open skies '' and the new START treaties , despite Russian President Vladimir Putin 's pleas to renegotiate it .
The military industry loves it , Chomsky notes : `` They 're getting enormous money to build weapons that [ can ] destroy everything .
And then down the road , they 'll get more money to try to build defenses against these weapons that we 're encouraging others to produce . ''
Beyond dismantling arms control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orchestrating an international alliance of `` the most cruel , harsh , reactionary states , '' environmentally destructive and ethno-nationalist regimes such as Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil , Narendra Modi in India , Viktor Orban in Hungary , Matteo Salvini in Italy , and dictatorships in Egypt and the Gulf states .
And then there 's the climate crisis , one that policy analysts sometimes call a `` wicked '' problem , partly because nobody needs to push a red button or inadvertently spread a virus for it to undermine human society — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chomsky reminds us that , while the world will eventually escape from the pandemic , though `` at severe cost , '' we wo n't escape `` the melting of the polar ice caps , the rise in sea level , [ and ] other extremely harmful consequences of global warming . ''
But the U.S. , with its global power , is in the hands of a president and party that wants to make the crisis `` as severe and imminent as possible . ''
Chomsky is never at a loss for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Environment Protection Agency `` a subsidiary of the corporate world , '' silenced scientists , essentially removed emission controls on coal plants , facilitated mercury pollution in waterways , and increased subsidies to fossil fuel industries — as if `` let 's kill more Americans '' is the objective .
The U.S. National Transportation Agency reported that the planet will be catastrophically warmer by the end of the century — but nevertheless recommended the removal of emissions controls on automobiles .
Chomsky ’ s logic is : `` We 're going off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have fun and make profit ? ''
Yet Chomsky avoids the trap of blaming America 's woes on a single politician , no matter how destructive and venal .
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed risks to the entire society from extreme economic inequality , the product of neoliberal policies of the past 40 years .
As we have seen in Canada , workers in precarious jobs and without paid sick leave can not simply self-isolate at home .
If they have a home .
Chomsky reported that while one-tenth of one per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent of the country 's wealth , 60 to 70 per cent of the American population has to live `` paycheque to paycheque . ''
Voting for U.S. President Donald Trump is worse than voting for Hitler , Noam Chomsky told interviewer Linda Solomon Wood , during a Canada ’ s National Observer webinar .
Moreover , to deal with public health crises , `` you have to have the institutional structure . ''
For instance , the powerful drug companies , their enormous profits fattened by `` protectionist measures like incredible patent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic was likely — but their incentive was to make short-term profits `` by selling something tomorrow , '' not `` preventing a catastrophe a couple years down the road . ''
Yet , given his historical perspective , Chomsky remains relatively optimistic .
His own remarkable lifetime has encompassed monumental crises , including the global war to defeat fascism .
( Coincidentally , Chomsky became a teenager on the day , in 1941 , that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor , catapulting America fully into that war . )
The Great Depression of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's economic fallout , but the U.S. overcame it through the New Deal — a `` version of regimented capitalism which was extremely beneficial to people . ''
Arms control treaties could be reinstated .
The environmental crisis could be mitigated with only a `` small percentage '' of the funding for Second World War mobilization .
In just a 60-minute webinar , Chomsky offered numerous specifics to the 700 participants : * The post-pandemic stimulus bill could impose conditions on corporations .
For instance , the airline companies currently begging for government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the management board , ensure a living wage for all employees , and focus on passengers ' needs rather than continuing to spend billions on stock buybacks that enrich investors .
If the airlines refuse , put them under public ownership .
* Major countries could socialize the fossil fuel industries — which would not be prohibitively expensive at a time of very low oil prices — and put them out of business as `` a great boon to the world.
” ( However improbable , this scenario has appeared in major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's intriguing to imagine volcanic eruptions in Alberta Premier Jason Kenney 's anti-environmentalist `` war room. ''
) .
* Asked about the controversial and arguably outdated and error-laden Michael Moore-produced film Planet of the Humans , which attacks the potential of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels , Chomsky cited economist Robert Pollin about how to develop a sustainable economy , while ensuring the re-employment of workers as the fossil fuel sector is phased out .
Such policies are not utopian , Chomsky insists .
In many ways , they would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ framework prevailing before the neoliberal mantras of privatization and free market fundamentalism became the common sense of western political and economic elites .
The COVID-19 crisis has challenged that common sense , and reconfirmed the importance of collective action and public resources .
Can we get to a better world after the pandemic ?
Chomsky takes great heart from front-line nurses and doctors , helping people survive , often without protective gear because governments have preferred `` to waste their money elsewhere . ''
Their heroism illustrates `` the magnificence of the human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what can be done . ''
Asked poignantly by a 14-year-old , `` What do I do to take back my future ? ''
Chomsky lauded all the young people on the front lines of school climate strikes .
He particularly praised Greta Thunberg , the 17-year-old activist who directly took on Trump 's indifference to the climate crisis at the annual meeting of plutocrats and politicians — the self-designated `` Masters of the Universe '' — in the Swiss resort town of Davos .
And he touted the recent formation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first meeting in November 2018 , to counter Trump 's reactionary International of authoritarian regimes .
The PI was initiated by Democratic firebrand Bernie Sanders in the U.S. , and the former finance minister of Greece 's left-leaning Syriza government , Yanis Varoufakis .
It is intended as a network of activists and groups , and `` most people in the world want what it stands for , '' Chomsky claims .
As always , Chomsky reminded his listeners of the historic power of organized popular movements — abolitionist , civil rights , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more recently , fossil fuel divestment .
For instance , a few years ago , the Green New Deal — large-scale government investment to create jobs and address climate change — was `` just something to be ridiculed , '' but thanks to the Sunrise Movement of young activists in the U.S. , it is now on the legislative agenda .
`` You do n't laugh at it anymore , '' he said .
In the past , such movements have forced the economic elite to create the image of `` the soulful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the human race , but because they 're being pressed to do it . ''
Chomsky cautions us against swallowing corporate public relations rhetoric , when what is needed is fundamental structural change ; but the moment may be right for meaningful reforms .
In his view , the mood at this year ’ s Davos extravaganza — even before COVID-19 was recognized as a global pandemic — was different .
Less mutual self-congratulation , more contrition and promises to be more humane .
`` They 're running scared … The peasants are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this assessment , from a surprising source : The pandemic is exposing the brittleness and inequalities of many countries ' economies .
People in low-wage precarious jobs and on the front lines are losing their livelihoods and even their lives .
To `` demand collective sacrifice you must offer a social contract that benefits everyone.
” That means considering radical reforms that reverse “ the prevailing policy direction of the last four decades.
” Such reforms include a more active governmental role in the economy , investment in public services , more secure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a guaranteed basic income .
That statement is not from some Bolshevik pamphlet .
It 's an April 3 editorial from a leading international business newspaper , the Financial Times — an organ whose viability depends on telling it to investors like it really is .
Running scared , indeed .
The global uprisings for racial justice , in the wake of the death of George Floyd while in police custody , occurred after Chomsky 's interview .
But they offer further evidence of the ability of people power to shift policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scorned options , such as defunding or even disbanding police forces , are now being endorsed by mayors and national politicians .
We are at a crossroads .
The `` Masters of the Universe '' would like to reconstitute the neoliberal economy , Chomsky suggests , but `` harsher , with more authoritarian measures to ensure that there 's no interference with this model . ''
But at the same time , `` this is a good opportunity to … raise questions about what kind of world we want to live in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when `` the choices were between fascism and liberal social democracy … the usual class war is operating right now … What world will come out ( of the pandemic ) depends on the balance of forces . ''
The necessary policies are straightforward , Chomsky asserts .
`` We can change the institutional structures that are driving us to disaster .
It 's all within reach . ''
This live interview is part of Conversations , hosted by Linda Solomon Wood and sponsored by Canada 's National Observer , featuring topics around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change .
To watch the full conversation , head to our YouTube channel .
To stay up to date on upcoming interviews , subscribe here .

At first, it seemed like rhetorical overkill, the kind heard in barroom debates. But Noam Chomsky, the world-renowned public intellectual, made a plausible case for a chilling assessment of arguably the world's most powerful man. Voting for U.S. President Donald Trump is worse than voting for Hitler, Chomsky affirmed to interviewer Linda Solomon Wood, during a Canada’s National Observer-sponsored webinar in April. "Hitler was maybe the worst criminal in human history.” He wanted to murder millions of Jews, Slavs, Roma, homosexuals, others. "But what does Trump want to do? He wants to destroy the prospects for organized human life." The 91-year-old linguist and social critic remains remarkably optimistic about future options — but only if we collectively confront the three existential crises he identified in a 2019 interview with National Observer — nuclear war, global warming and (presciently) pandemics. He warned then that humanity has to decide "whether organized human society will survive another couple of generations." Trump is exercising "maximum sadism" and exacerbating all three threats, Chomsky now asserts. Consider Trump's response to COVID-19. Critics have rightly noted inconsistent messaging, political posturing and divisiveness, quarrelling with governors and ignoring medical authorities. Chomsky adds a lesser known dimension: While "the pandemic is raging, people are dying and hospitals can't keep up," the Trump administration proposed a budget that would continue to cut health-related parts of government, such as the Centers for Disease Control. And Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — the "real evil genius" of the administration, in Chomsky's phrase — declared that Congress's pandemic stimulus program should not bail out Democratic-governed states that have provided pensions to firefighters, teachers and other working people. Video of Noam Chomsky on Trump, COVID-19 pandemic and the future world
Noam Chomsky in conversation with Linda Solomon Wood in a live Zoom call on April 23, 2020 Vis-à-vis the prospect of thermonuclear war, Trump's approach is, "let's make it worse," by dismantling the arms control regime established by previous U.S.-Russian agreements, including the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF), "open skies" and the new START treaties, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's pleas to renegotiate it. The military industry loves it, Chomsky notes: "They're getting enormous money to build weapons that [can] destroy everything. And then down the road, they'll get more money to try to build defenses against these weapons that we're encouraging others to produce." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Beyond dismantling arms control, Trump's foreign policy amounts to orchestrating an international alliance of "the most cruel, harsh, reactionary states," environmentally destructive and ethno-nationalist regimes such as Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Narendra Modi in India, Viktor Orban in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, and dictatorships in Egypt and the Gulf states.
And then there's the climate crisis, one that policy analysts sometimes call a "wicked" problem, partly because nobody needs to push a red button or inadvertently spread a virus for it to undermine human society — just carry on business as usual. Chomsky reminds us that, while the world will eventually escape from the pandemic, though "at severe cost," we won't escape "the melting of the polar ice caps, the rise in sea level, [and] other extremely harmful consequences of global warming." But the U.S., with its global power, is in the hands of a president and party that wants to make the crisis "as severe and imminent as possible." Voting for U.S. President Donald Trump is worse than voting for Hitler, Noam Chomsky told @Linda_Solomon, during Conversations, sponsored by Canada's National Observer. Chomsky is never at a loss for examples. The Trump administration has made the Environment Protection Agency "a subsidiary of the corporate world," silenced scientists, essentially removed emission controls on coal plants, facilitated mercury pollution in waterways, and increased subsidies to fossil fuel industries — as if "let's kill more Americans" is the objective. The U.S. National Transportation Agency reported that the planet will be catastrophically warmer by the end of the century — but nevertheless recommended the removal of emissions controls on automobiles. Chomsky's reading of Trump's logic is: "We're going off the cliff anyway, so why not have fun and make profit?" Yet Chomsky avoids the trap of blaming America's woes on a single politician, no matter how destructive and venal. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed risks to the entire society from extreme economic inequality, the product of neoliberal policies of the past 40 years. As we have seen in Canada, workers in precarious jobs and without paid sick leave cannot simply self-isolate at home. If they have a home. Chomsky reported that while one-tenth of one per cent of the U.S. population has 20 per cent of the country's wealth, 60 to 70 per cent of the American population has to live "paycheque to paycheque." Moreover, to deal with public health crises, "you have to have the institutional structure." For instance, the powerful drug companies, their enormous profits fattened by "protectionist measures like incredible patent protection," knew that a coronavirus epidemic was likely — but their incentive was to make short-term profits "by selling something tomorrow," not "preventing a catastrophe a couple years down the road." Yet, given his historical perspective, Chomsky remains relatively optimistic. His own remarkable lifetime has encompassed monumental crises, including the global war to defeat fascism. (Coincidentally, Chomsky became a teenager on the day, in 1941, that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, catapulting America fully into that war.) The Great Depression of the 1930s was comparable to the COVID-19's economic fallout, but the U.S. overcame it through the New Deal — a "version of regimented capitalism which was extremely beneficial to people." Arms control treaties could be reinstated. The environmental crisis could be mitigated with only a "small percentage" of the funding for Second World War mobilization.
In just a 60-minute webinar, Chomsky offered numerous specifics to the 700 participants: * The post-pandemic stimulus bill could impose conditions on corporations. For instance, the airline companies currently begging for government bailouts could be required to put workers on the management board, ensure a living wage for all employees, and focus on passengers' needs rather than continuing to spend billions on stock buybacks that enrich investors. If the airlines refuse, put them under public ownership. * Major countries could socialize the fossil fuel industries — which would not be prohibitively expensive at a time of very low oil prices — and put them out of business as "a great boon to the world.” (However improbable, this scenario has appeared in major international media at least since 2014; it's intriguing to imagine volcanic eruptions in Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's anti-environmentalist "war room.").


nationalobserver--2020-06-14--Erin O'Toole used American call centre to contact Conservatives

Erin O'Toole , running for the leadership of the federal Conservative party promising to stand up for Canadian workers , used American ones on his campaign .
A U.S. call centre was hired in May by a Canadian vendor the O'Toole campaign uses to contact party members , his campaign confirmed .
`` There was one small project where they needed overflow capacity in a short amount of time , and because of a lack of availability of Canadian conservative political call centres ( as other campaigns had hired them ) the project was sent to an American call centre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' O'Toole campaign spokesperson Melanie Paradis said in an email .
`` Having said that , most of the calls from our campaign to members have been conducted by Canadians . ''
Paradis said Canadian firms are currently able to fully handle the O'Toole campaign 's requirements .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks `` All of the professional Canadian conservative voter-contact firms that can handle the high volume needed are contracted by the MacKay campaign , putting them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O'Toole and Peter MacKay are locked in a fierce battle for top spot in the leadership contest and each side has been slinging mud at the other for weeks .
The MacKay campaign responded swiftly when asked whether it had employed any American labour .
`` Our campaign employs Canadians .
Every person we are paying to provide a service to the campaign is Canadian .
We do not use foreign phone banks to contact voters , '' spokesman Chisholm Pothier said in an email .
The campaign team for Leslyn Lewis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they are using a small Canadian company for the limited telemarketing they 're doing .
The campaign team for Derek Sloan — the fourth candidate — said it has never used American labour .
Election finance records show that in the 2017 leadership race , one of the best-known conservative firms — Responsive Marketing Group — did work for a number of campaigns simultaneously : those of Michael Chong , Kevin O'Leary and Erin O'Toole .
Another firm , Elect Right , worked for both Tony Clement and Maxime Bernier .
Erin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal Conservative party promising to stand up for Canadian workers , used American ones on his campaign .
RMG and Elect Right are doing work for the MacKay campaign this time , his team confirmed .
It 's not unprecedented for American firms to be used in Canadian campaign work .
In the 2011 federal election , several Conservative MPs hired the American firm Front Porch to make calls for their campaigns .
Jim Ross , who is listed online as a consultant to Front Porch , is on the O'Toole campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a message seeking comment .
Indeed , no political campaign could function these days without using some U.S.-based services , including Facebook and Twitter .
MacKay is using NationBuilder , a well-known American firm that provides platforms for political campaigns to build websites , as well as databases to hold onto voter identification .
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh used the company to win his leadership race in 2017 and environmental activists used it to organize during the 2019 federal election campaign .

Erin O'Toole, running for the leadership of the federal Conservative party promising to stand up for Canadian workers, used American ones on his campaign. A U.S. call centre was hired in May by a Canadian vendor the O'Toole campaign uses to contact party members, his campaign confirmed. "There was one small project where they needed overflow capacity in a short amount of time, and because of a lack of availability of Canadian conservative political call centres (as other campaigns had hired them) the project was sent to an American call centre that could handle the work needed," O'Toole campaign spokesperson Melanie Paradis said in an email. "Having said that, most of the calls from our campaign to members have been conducted by Canadians." Paradis said Canadian firms are currently able to fully handle the O'Toole campaign's requirements.
"All of the professional Canadian conservative voter-contact firms that can handle the high volume needed are contracted by the MacKay campaign, putting them in conflict," she said. O'Toole and Peter MacKay are locked in a fierce battle for top spot in the leadership contest and each side has been slinging mud at the other for weeks. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The MacKay campaign responded swiftly when asked whether it had employed any American labour.
"Our campaign employs Canadians. Every person we are paying to provide a service to the campaign is Canadian. We do not use foreign phone banks to contact voters," spokesman Chisholm Pothier said in an email. Erin O'Toole, running for the leadership of the federal Conservative party promising to stand up for Canadian workers, used American ones on his campaign. The campaign team for Leslyn Lewis, a third candidate in the race, said they are using a small Canadian company for the limited telemarketing they're doing. The campaign team for Derek Sloan — the fourth candidate — said it has never used American labour. Election finance records show that in the 2017 leadership race, one of the best-known conservative firms — Responsive Marketing Group — did work for a number of campaigns simultaneously: those of Michael Chong, Kevin O'Leary and Erin O'Toole. Another firm, Elect Right, worked for both Tony Clement and Maxime Bernier. RMG and Elect Right are doing work for the MacKay campaign this time, his team confirmed. It's not unprecedented for American firms to be used in Canadian campaign work.
In the 2011 federal election, several Conservative MPs hired the American firm Front Porch to make calls for their campaigns. Jim Ross, who is listed online as a consultant to Front Porch, is on the O'Toole campaign team. He did not respond to a message seeking comment. Indeed, no political campaign could function these days without using some U.S.-based services, including Facebook and Twitter. MacKay is using NationBuilder, a well-known American firm that provides platforms for political campaigns to build websites, as well as databases to hold onto voter identification.


nationalobserver--2020-06-14--Sumas First Nation chief says Trans Mountain spill happened just south of a cultural and burial grou

Sumas First Nation chief says Trans Mountain spill happened just south of a cultural and burial ground of great significance

Trans Mountain estimates as much as 1,195 barrels , or 190,000 litres , of light crude spilled from its pipeline pumping station in Abbotsford , B.C .
While an investigation is ongoing , the Crown-owned company said in a statement the cause of the spill appears to be related to a fitting on a one-inch , or 2.5-centimetre , piece of pipe .
The statement said the pipeline was expected restart Sunday after all safety protocols were completed .
It said the spill was fully contained on Trans Mountain property , the free-standing oil has been recovered and it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sumas First Nation Chief Dalton Silver said the spill happened just south of a cultural and burial ground of great significance to their people .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks He said in a statement Sunday that it 's the fourth time in 15 years that there has been a spill from the pipeline on their land .
`` Our main concern is for the clean-up of this spill and preventing further impacts to our territory .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ground immediately . ''
Trans Mountain said the site has permanent air and groundwater monitoring in place there 's no indication of a risk to the public or community .
`` An Incident Command Post remains active and the company continues to work with local authorities , area Indigenous groups and regulators , including the Canada Energy Regulator , Transportation Safety Board and B.C .
Ministry of Environment , in the oversight and cleanup of this incident , '' the company said in a statement .
A spokesman for Minister of Natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` monitoring the situation closely . ''
The pipeline was shut early Saturday when an alarm was received about the spill at the station in the B.C .
's Fraser Valley , not far from the U.S. border .
Trans Mountain estimates as much as 1,195 barrels , or 190,000 litres , of light crude spilled from its pipeline pumping station in Abbotsford , B.C .
The pipeline moves about 300,000 barrels of crude a day between Alberta and B.C .
's waterfront terminal near Vancouver .
The federal government approved the expansion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would see the crude capacity triple .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14 , 2020 .

Trans Mountain estimates as much as 1,195 barrels, or 190,000 litres, of light crude spilled from its pipeline pumping station in Abbotsford, B.C.
While an investigation is ongoing, the Crown-owned company said in a statement the cause of the spill appears to be related to a fitting on a one-inch, or 2.5-centimetre, piece of pipe.
The statement said the pipeline was expected restart Sunday after all safety protocols were completed.
It said the spill was fully contained on Trans Mountain property, the free-standing oil has been recovered and it will be disposed of at an approved facility.
Sumas First Nation Chief Dalton Silver said the spill happened just south of a cultural and burial ground of great significance to their people.


nationalobserver--2020-06-14--Police lack mental health training, according to a former New Brunswick ombudsman

A former provincial ombudsman says the recent police shootings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick have left him feeling distraught over the lack of police training on dealing with mental health issues , like those presented by the two victims .
`` I 've long felt that police are not really well equipped to deal with these kind of cases , '' Bernard Richard said in an interview Sunday .
`` In most provinces ( including New Brunswick ) , there are crisis intervention units that are available around the clock to respond to these types of situations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ indication whether police sought the help of mental health experts before the deadly shootings in Edmundston and near Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation , west of Miramichi .
`` That would be one of the first questions I would have to ask , '' said Richard , who served as the province 's ombudsman from 2004 to 2011 and now advises six Mi'kmaq First Nations in New Brunswick on child protection issues .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both these cases , the primary response was police , and they felt it necessary to use lethal force . ''
And in both cases , police were called to deal with people who appeared to be suffering from mental health challenges , Richard said .
On Friday night , the RCMP say they received a complaint about an `` unwanted person '' at a home near Metepenagiag in eastern New Brunswick .
When officers arrived , they were confronted by a man carrying knives , and there were several failed bids to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police said .
That 's when 48-year-old Rodney Levi was fatally shot by an officer .
He was declared dead in hospital around 9 p.m. local time .
On Saturday , the chief of the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation said Levi was attending a barbecue , where he had planned to seek guidance from a church minister .
A former provincial ombudsman says the recent police shootings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick have left him feeling distraught over the lack of police training on dealing with mental health issues , like those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ward described Levi as a troubled man who was seeking help with his mental health , but the chief insisted he was not violent .
`` He had his demons but he was always very friendly , '' Ward said Saturday .
`` He never tried to harm anybody ...
He was n't some monster that they 're going to try to paint him to be . ''
On Sunday , Ward issued a statement asking members of his community to refrain from speaking to the media about the Levi case , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he was responding to a request from Levi 's family .
Later in the day , the minister who invited Levi to the barbecue , Rev .
Brodie MacLeod of the Boom Road Pentecostal Church , issued a statement saying Levi was a `` welcomed guest '' who shared a meal with his family .
A spokesman for the New Brunswick RCMP said Sunday no one was available to comment on the case .
On June 4 , 26-year-old Chantel Moore was shot by an officer with the Edmundston Police Department .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer performing a wellness check allegedly encountered a woman with a knife .
Moore , from a First Nation in British Columbia , had moved to the community in northwestern New Brunswick to be closer to her mother and young daughter .
The Quebec Bureau of Independent Investigations , an independent police watchdog agency , has been called in to investigate both cases in New Brunswick .
The Quebec agency is investigating because no such unit exists in New Brunswick .
The bureau issued a statement saying it does not comment on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richard , who also served as the child and youth advocate in New Brunswick and British Columbia , said he took part in a `` healing walk '' Sunday in Moncton , N.B.
, that paid tribute to Moore and also raised questions about the Quebec agency 's impartiality .
`` I heard yesterday , loud and clear , folks do n't trust the so-called independent review process , '' Richard said .
`` There 's really not much expectation that the investigation , in each case , will actually meet the expectations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the cases should involve Indigenous expertise , he said .
As well , he said he has investigated cases involving police in the past , and he has recommended that police departments should hire plain-clothes social workers to help officers sort our domestic disputes and mental wellness assessments .
He 's also called for the use of police body cameras .
In Ottawa , the office of federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair issued a statement Sunday saying a `` timely , transparent and independent investigation '' into Levi 's death was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time when people across the country — and around the world — are having difficult but necessary conversations about systemic racism in our institutions , including policing , '' Blair 's office said in a statement .
`` We know that change will not happen overnight , but that these conversations need to be met with concrete actions . ''
Blair has already spoken in favour of the use of police body cameras and legislation that recognizes First Nations Policing as an essential service .
There have been calls for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the province 's policing and criminal justice systems .
New Brunswick 's minister of Aboriginal affairs , Jake Stewart , has said he supports the call , saying the province has a problem with systemic racism .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14 , 2020 .

A former provincial ombudsman says the recent police shootings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick have left him feeling distraught over the lack of police training on dealing with mental health issues, like those presented by the two victims. "I've long felt that police are not really well equipped to deal with these kind of cases," Bernard Richard said in an interview Sunday. "In most provinces (including New Brunswick), there are crisis intervention units that are available around the clock to respond to these types of situations." However, there has been no indication whether police sought the help of mental health experts before the deadly shootings in Edmundston and near Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation, west of Miramichi. "That would be one of the first questions I would have to ask," said Richard, who served as the province's ombudsman from 2004 to 2011 and now advises six Mi'kmaq First Nations in New Brunswick on child protection issues.
"I was a bit stunned that, in both these cases, the primary response was police, and they felt it necessary to use lethal force." And in both cases, police were called to deal with people who appeared to be suffering from mental health challenges, Richard said. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions On Friday night, the RCMP say they received a complaint about an "unwanted person" at a home near Metepenagiag in eastern New Brunswick.
When officers arrived, they were confronted by a man carrying knives, and there were several failed bids to subdue him with a stun gun, police said. A former provincial ombudsman says the recent police shootings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick have left him feeling distraught over the lack of police training on dealing with mental health issues, like those presented by the two victims. That's when 48-year-old Rodney Levi was fatally shot by an officer. He was declared dead in hospital around 9 p.m. local time. On Saturday, the chief of the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation said Levi was attending a barbecue, where he had planned to seek guidance from a church minister. Bill Ward described Levi as a troubled man who was seeking help with his mental health, but the chief insisted he was not violent. "He had his demons but he was always very friendly," Ward said Saturday. "He never tried to harm anybody ... He wasn't some monster that they're going to try to paint him to be."
On Sunday, Ward issued a statement asking members of his community to refrain from speaking to the media about the Levi case, saying an independent investigation was underway. Ward said he was responding to a request from Levi's family. Later in the day, the minister who invited Levi to the barbecue, Rev. Brodie MacLeod of the Boom Road Pentecostal Church, issued a statement saying Levi was a "welcomed guest" who shared a meal with his family. A spokesman for the New Brunswick RCMP said Sunday no one was available to comment on the case.


nationalobserver--2020-06-15--Doug Ford government restores environmental protections it suspended amid COVID-19

Ontario restored environmental protections Monday that the government suspended in April amid the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis .
At the time , the office of Environment Minister Jeff Yurek said the environmental protections could slow down the government ’ s response to the pandemic .
The move came under fire from critics and environmental groups , who called it an unnecessary overreach .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear why the government revoked the change Monday , and Yurek ’ s office did not respond to requests for comment .
But in an email to NDP environment critic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Observer , Yurek said the measure was revoked to coincide with Ontario ’ s economic reopening .
“ As Ontario continues to take a safe , stage-by-stage approach to reopening the economy , it now has a better understanding of the COVID-19 impact and can better manage its effect on the regulated community to ensure continuity of operations , ” Yurek wrote .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks • Sumas First Nation chief says Trans Mountain spill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burial ground of great significance Arthur said the protections should never have been suspended in the first place .
“ The history of this government is such that I ’ m skeptical of any moves they make to protect the environment , ” Arthur said .
“ We ’ ll be watching very closely to see where their next attack is going to come from.
” The government 's suspension of environmental protections included a key portion of Ontario ’ s Environmental Bill of Rights .
Under it , the government was allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could significantly impact the environment without consulting or notifying the public .
The law included a failsafe measure for public health emergencies , but Yurek ’ s office previously said it would have slowed down the government ’ s pandemic response to figure out which changes would qualify .
Under the revised rules , changes did not have to be limited to measures related to COVID-19 , but Yurek ’ s office said at the time the protections were stripped the government would continue to notify and consult the public on changes not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party Leader Mike Schreiner called on Yurek to release a complete list of every proposal that was exempt from public consultation “ so Ontarians can judge whether these emergency powers were used responsibly.
” The Ontario government has restored environmental protections that is suspended in April , saying they could hinder its response to the COVID-19 crisis .
# onpoli “ Given the Ford government ’ s spotty record on environmental protections , there is reason to wonder what projects or regulations were given the go-ahead while this oversight was removed , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suspension has been revoked , the changes the government made while it was in effect remain valid .
In the nearly two years since Premier Doug Ford took office , Ontario has cancelled 227 clean energy projects , wound down conservation programs , weakened endangered species protections and has taken away powers from the province ’ s environmental commissioner , who is meant to hold the government accountable .
Ontario Environment Minister Jeff Yurek , left , shakes hands with Premier Doug Ford as Yurek is sworn in during a cabinet shuffle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ont.
, Thursday , June 20 , 2019 .
Photo by Cole Burston ‘ How do we know that ’ s all there is ?
’ On Monday , the government posted a bulletin on Ontario ’ s Environmental Registry outlining seven changes it made without public consultation while the exemption was in place .
Two were previously reported by National Observer : last week the government allowed petroleum refineries in Ontario to temporarily reduce the number of surveys to detect leaky machinery , and last month , it delayed a deadline for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( The deadline change was meant to align Ontario ’ s deadline with a similar delay on the federal level , Yurek has said . )
The other five measures include a reduced number of mandatory inspections of storage tanks at petrochemical facilities , a six-month delay on the implementation of new rules on excess soil dug up during construction , adjusted electricity rates , extended agricultural licences and measures to allow municipalities to hold off on land planning decisions .
Three of the changes were made last week , days before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yurek ’ s letter to Arthur noted that the government posted notices for those changes online , even though the exemption meant it didn ’ t have to .
“ Ministries also continued to post over 450 regular proposal notices , with public consultation , for matters that did not require the same urgent action , ” the letter said .
But under the exemption , it ’ s possible for the government to have made more changes without disclosing them publicly .
Robert Wright , a staff lawyer at the non-profit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Environmental Review Tribunal , said the organization is “ guardedly optimistic ” that the full environmental protections are restored , but wants assurance that no other changes were made .
“ We still have to do the damage control from whatever was done during this period , ” he said .
“ How do we know that ’ s all there is ?
” Elaine MacDonald , a program director at Ecojustice , said she ’ s concerned some of the changes made by the government during the exemption period were made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than because of COVID-19 .
As an example , she pointed to the government ’ s move to reduce inspections for petrochemical facilities .
In a June 10 bulletin announcing the change , the government said : “ These actions are to support physical distancing and ensure operations can continue and goods and services can be delivered to the people of Ontario.
” MacDonald said the inspections are mostly done outdoors by one or two people , making them a minimal risk for COVID-19 .
But leaking machinery is a health risk for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
MacDonald also noted that the rules mostly apply to facilities in Chemical Valley , in the Sarnia , Ont .
area , several of which already have exemptions from air quality standards .
Petrochemical leaks and spills are common in Chemical Valley , a collaborative investigation involving Canada 's National Observer found in 2017 .
“ I think it ’ s just giving them a pass , ” MacDonald said .
A June 10 email sent to an air pollution working group , which Ecojustice is a part of , also noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to requests from the Canadian Fuels Association and the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.
” ( MacDonald provided a copy of the email to National Observer . )
“ It ’ s clear that this is something industry asked for , ” MacDonald said .
Arthur said even though the government has restored the full Environmental Bill of Rights , it can use other mechanisms to sidestep green protections .
Already , Ontario Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark has issued a series of special orders to approve land use plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overrides potential opposition , the Globe and Mail reported in May .
Meanwhile , Ecojustice has filed an application for Yurek to review the decision to suspend environmental protections .
The review would include any decisions made while the Environmental Bill of Rights was suspended .
Yurek has until July 13 to respond to the charity ’ s concerns , Wright said .
Editor 's Note : This story was updated at 7:42 p.m. eastern to include responses and materials from opposition parties and from Ecojustice , and more details on what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Ontario restored environmental protections Monday that the government suspended in April amid the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis. At the time, the office of Environment Minister Jeff Yurek said the environmental protections could slow down the government’s response to the pandemic. The move came under fire from critics and environmental groups, who called it an unnecessary overreach. It wasn’t immediately clear why the government revoked the change Monday, and Yurek’s office did not respond to requests for comment. But in an email to NDP environment critic Ian Arthur, which Arthur provided to National Observer, Yurek said the measure was revoked to coincide with Ontario’s economic reopening. “As Ontario continues to take a safe, stage-by-stage approach to reopening the economy, it now has a better understanding of the COVID-19 impact and can better manage its effect on the regulated community to ensure continuity of operations,” Yurek wrote.
Arthur said the protections should never have been suspended in the first place. “The history of this government is such that I’m skeptical of any moves they make to protect the environment,” Arthur said. “We’ll be watching very closely to see where their next attack is going to come from.” Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions The government's suspension of environmental protections included a key portion of Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights. Under it, the government was allowed to push forward projects or laws that could significantly impact the environment without consulting or notifying the public.
The law included a failsafe measure for public health emergencies, but Yurek’s office previously said it would have slowed down the government’s pandemic response to figure out which changes would qualify. The Ontario government has restored environmental protections that is suspended in April, saying they could hinder its response to the COVID-19 crisis. #onpoli Under the revised rules, changes did not have to be limited to measures related to COVID-19, but Yurek’s office said at the time the protections were stripped the government would continue to notify and consult the public on changes not related to the pandemic. Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner called on Yurek to release a complete list of every proposal that was exempt from public consultation “so Ontarians can judge whether these emergency powers were used responsibly.” “Given the Ford government’s spotty record on environmental protections, there is reason to wonder what projects or regulations were given the go-ahead while this oversight was removed,” he said in a statement. Though the suspension has been revoked, the changes the government made while it was in effect remain valid.
In the nearly two years since Premier Doug Ford took office, Ontario has cancelled 227 clean energy projects, wound down conservation programs, weakened endangered species protections and has taken away powers from the province’s environmental commissioner, who is meant to hold the government accountable. Ontario Environment Minister Jeff Yurek, left, shakes hands with Premier Doug Ford as Yurek is sworn in during a cabinet shuffle at Queen's Park in Toronto, Ont., Thursday, June 20, 2019. Photo by Cole Burston


nationalobserver--2020-06-16--Lawyers for Meng accuse U.S. authorities of misleading court in extradition case

Lawyers for Huawei 's chief financial officer are accusing authorities in the United States of misleading the B.C .
Supreme Court judge presiding over the extradition case .
Meng Wanzhou 's defence team is seeking a stay in the proceedings arguing that U.S. case records are `` grossly inaccurate and based on deliberate and/or reckless misstatements of fact and material omissions , thereby constituting a serious abuse of the extradition process . ''
The new claim was discussed during a case management conference convened Monday by Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes to determine scheduling in the case .
Holmes indicated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the new argument first as the case proceeds .
She said it 's difficult to analyze the effects of any alleged misstatements or omissions until she has an understanding of the defence 's evidence and the Crown 's response .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks The U.S. is seeking to extradite Meng on fraud charges based on allegations she lied to HSBC about Huawei 's relationship with Skycom , a telecommunications company in Iran , putting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against that country .
Meng and Huawei deny all the allegations in the case .
Holmes ruled last month that Meng 's alleged offences would constitute a crime in Canada and the case should proceed to the next round of legal arguments .
The latest claim of abuse of process is one of three put forth by Meng 's lawyers .
The first two focus on the circumstances of her arrest at the Vancouver airport in December 2018 and statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump .
In a case management memo dated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their client delivered a presentation to an HSBC banker in Hong Kong that included statements about Huawei 's business activities in Iran , but the statements were omitted from U.S. records of the case .
They argue Meng 's statements provided the bank with `` the material facts it needed to know in order to assess whether there was any risk to HSBC in continuing to provide banking services to Huawei , including processing U.S. dollar transactions related to Huawei 's commerce in Iran . ''
Lawyers for Huawei 's chief financial officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of misleading the B.C .
Supreme Court judge presiding over the extradition case .
Defence lawyer David Martin acknowledged during Monday 's conference that if a stay were not granted , an alternative outcome could be the redaction of some statements in the U.S. case records .
In addition to the latest claim of abuse of process , Meng 's lawyers argue her arrest was unlawful .
They allege Meng 's charter rights were violated when she was detained by border officials who took her electronic devices and passwords , which were then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notified that she was under arrest .
The Crown has told the court that when the border agency learned of its mistake it told the RCMP that the codes could n't be used or shared because they were obtained during the agency 's examination .
The case was adjourned Monday until June 23 to give the Crown and defence time to discuss the scheduling of arguments moving forward .
Holmes expressed concern at the length of the proceedings , noting proposed schedules from both the Crown and Meng 's counsel would n't see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Defence lawyer Richard Peck said they 've put together a `` blistering work schedule , '' but Holmes said the court could move faster .

Lawyers for Huawei's chief financial officer are accusing authorities in the United States of misleading the B.C. Supreme Court judge presiding over the extradition case. Meng Wanzhou's defence team is seeking a stay in the proceedings arguing that U.S. case records are "grossly inaccurate and based on deliberate and/or reckless misstatements of fact and material omissions, thereby constituting a serious abuse of the extradition process." The new claim was discussed during a case management conference convened Monday by Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes to determine scheduling in the case. Holmes indicated she wants to consider the evidence related to the new argument first as the case proceeds. She said it's difficult to analyze the effects of any alleged misstatements or omissions until she has an understanding of the defence's evidence and the Crown's response.
The U.S. is seeking to extradite Meng on fraud charges based on allegations she lied to HSBC about Huawei's relationship with Skycom, a telecommunications company in Iran, putting the bank at risk of violating American sanctions against that country. Meng and Huawei deny all the allegations in the case. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Holmes ruled last month that Meng's alleged offences would constitute a crime in Canada and the case should proceed to the next round of legal arguments.
The latest claim of abuse of process is one of three put forth by Meng's lawyers. The first two focus on the circumstances of her arrest at the Vancouver airport in December 2018 and statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump. Lawyers for Huawei's chief financial officer are accusing authorities in the United States of misleading the B.C. Supreme Court judge presiding over the extradition case. In a case management memo dated June 12, Meng's lawyers assert their client delivered a presentation to an HSBC banker in Hong Kong that included statements about Huawei's business activities in Iran, but the statements were omitted from U.S. records of the case. They argue Meng's statements provided the bank with "the material facts it needed to know in order to assess whether there was any risk to HSBC in continuing to provide banking services to Huawei, including processing U.S. dollar transactions related to Huawei's commerce in Iran." Defence lawyer David Martin acknowledged during Monday's conference that if a stay were not granted, an alternative outcome could be the redaction of some statements in the U.S. case records. In addition to the latest claim of abuse of process, Meng's lawyers argue her arrest was unlawful. They allege Meng's charter rights were violated when she was detained by border officials who took her electronic devices and passwords, which were then shared with the RCMP before Meng was notified that she was under arrest.
The Crown has told the court that when the border agency learned of its mistake it told the RCMP that the codes couldn't be used or shared because they were obtained during the agency's examination. The case was adjourned Monday until June 23 to give the Crown and defence time to discuss the scheduling of arguments moving forward. Holmes expressed concern at the length of the proceedings, noting proposed schedules from both the Crown and Meng's counsel wouldn't see the case wrap up until next spring.


nationalobserver--2020-06-16--Liberals looking to extend COVID-19 help ahead of parliamentary showdown

The Liberals are putting together a plan to extend one of the key COVID-19 benefits ahead of a parliamentary showdown on Wednesday .
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he 'll detail later this week how the Canada Emergency Response Benefit might be extended as millions of Canadians have almost maxed out how much they can claim .
`` In the last few weeks , things have started to look up for a lot of people but that said , we also know that far too many Canadian are still struggling , '' Trudeau said Monday during his daily press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 're having troubles finding a job you should n't also be worrying about whether you 'll hit the limit of your CERB benefits .
So right now we 're working on a solution to extend the benefit for people who ca n't return to work yet . ''
Upwards of 8.4 million Canadians have applied for the $ 2,000-per-month benefit , according to the most recently available data .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks But the program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim that support for 16 weeks .
The New Democrats said Monday that in the next couple of weeks , that means two million people will max out their benefits .
A further six million will hit the ceiling a few weeks later .
If there 's no plan to help them , NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said Monday , his party wo n't back a spending bill due in the House of Commons on Wednesday .
That day , MPs are to debate the supplementary estimates , which outline about $ 87 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed off on the vast majority of those funds , but there is also $ 6 billion in new spending which must be approved in a vote .
Any vote on new government spending can be considered a confidence motion , so in theory the opposition parties could bring down the government if they refuse to support it .
The NDP want a plan to extend CERB in place , Singh said Monday .
The Liberals are putting together a plan to extend one of the key COVID-19 benefits ahead of a parliamentary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 .
`` Right now that is a first and foremost step that needs to happen , '' he said .
`` There 's going to be millions of Canadians that have no support in just a couple of weeks and they need to know there 's going to be help . ''
Singh said his aim , however , is not to topple the government but help Canadians .
`` We 're flexible with the response from the government , but we 're firm on the fact that people need a concrete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
The Liberal government tried last week to pass a bill that would change CERB as part of broader legislation that would have also expanded benefits for Canadians with disabilities .
The CERB-related elements were designed to address concerns the benefit was discouraging people from returning to work .
People would have seen their benefits cut off if they failed to return to work when it was `` reasonable '' to do so , and their employer asked them to come back , or if they were able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It would have also allowed people to make claims for a two-week period , rather than the current four weeks .
That was intended to help Canadians facing short-term job loss or forced to take time off work to quarantine or care for someone diagnosed with COVID-19 .
The bill failed to pass after none of the opposition parties would back it .
The NDP 's issue was an element of the proposed legislation that would see Canadians who fraudulently claim the CERB being fined or sent to jail .
The Conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ table : allowing House of Commons committees more latitude in their work , the resumption of a special Commons committee on Canada-China relations and increased funding for the auditor general .
They have received commitments on none of them , so far .
`` We remain hopeful that the Liberals will agree to fully fund the auditor general and that they will fix the gaps in their programs so that Canadians stop falling through the cracks , '' deputy House leader Chris Warkentin said in a statement .
Demand for the CERB has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 60 billion from $ 35 billion .
At the same time , however , many have come off the CERB and returned to work with employers taking advantage of a federal wage subsidy program that sees the government cover up to 75 per cent of wages .
The two programs act in concert with each other , Trudeau said Monday as he urged companies to hire people back using the subsidy .
`` The CERB was designed to keep everyone at home and allow us to get through the initial wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the recovery phase we 're seeing more and more companies take on the wage subsidy , which is a good thing , '' he said .
`` But even with the economy reopening we know there are many jobs that are n't going to be coming back in the short term and that 's why we 're looking at continuing to help people who are on the CERB who ca n't find a job . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15 , 2020 .

The Liberals are putting together a plan to extend one of the key COVID-19 benefits ahead of a parliamentary showdown on Wednesday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday he'll detail later this week how the Canada Emergency Response Benefit might be extended as millions of Canadians have almost maxed out how much they can claim. "In the last few weeks, things have started to look up for a lot of people but that said, we also know that far too many Canadian are still struggling," Trudeau said Monday during his daily press conference outside his home. "If you're having troubles finding a job you shouldn't also be worrying about whether you'll hit the limit of your CERB benefits. So right now we're working on a solution to extend the benefit for people who can't return to work yet." Upwards of 8.4 million Canadians have applied for the $2,000-per-month benefit, according to the most recently available data.
But the program as currently structured only allows people to claim that support for 16 weeks. The New Democrats said Monday that in the next couple of weeks, that means two million people will max out their benefits. A further six million will hit the ceiling a few weeks later. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions If there's no plan to help them, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said Monday, his party won't back a spending bill due in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
That day, MPs are to debate the supplementary estimates, which outline about $87 billion in spending. Parliament has already signed off on the vast majority of those funds, but there is also $6 billion in new spending which must be approved in a vote. The Liberals are putting together a plan to extend one of the key COVID-19 benefits ahead of a parliamentary showdown on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. Any vote on new government spending can be considered a confidence motion, so in theory the opposition parties could bring down the government if they refuse to support it. The NDP want a plan to extend CERB in place, Singh said Monday. "Right now that is a first and foremost step that needs to happen," he said. "There's going to be millions of Canadians that have no support in just a couple of weeks and they need to know there's going to be help."
Singh said his aim, however, is not to topple the government but help Canadians. "We're flexible with the response from the government, but we're firm on the fact that people need a concrete plan about how they will get help," he said. The Liberal government tried last week to pass a bill that would change CERB as part of broader legislation that would have also expanded benefits for Canadians with disabilities.


nationalobserver--2020-06-16--Feds under pressure to move quickly on anti-racism initiatives

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos says the prime minister wants to move `` very quickly '' to dismantle barriers that contribute to systemic racism .
The government is making modest progress at diversifying the federal public service , but there is more work to do , especially in the senior ranks , Duclos told a media briefing Monday .
More broadly , he said , the government can and should help others remove barriers to progress for Canadians of different racial backgrounds .
Federal officials recently delayed a comprehensive response to the many recommendations of a national inquiry into missing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trudeau said Monday there had been `` stacks of recommendations , of analyses , of reports on measures that can be taken '' to address systemic racism , particularly against Indigenous Canadians .
`` It is a question of picking which of those recommendations we should be moving forward with first , '' Trudeau said .
Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos says the prime minister wants to move `` very quickly '' to dismantle barriers that contribute to systemic racism .
`` And that 's why we 're working with Indigenous leadership and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , working with racialized Canadians to prioritize exactly what things we should do rapidly . ''
The federal government should immediately declare First Nations policing an essential service , rather than just a program , to ensure adequate funding and a legislative base , said Perry Bellegarde , national chief of the Assembly of First Nations .
Bellegarde echoed Trudeau in noting there had been many studies and reviews on justice to draw upon .
The lack of action on the various recommendations is what is `` killing our people , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bellegarde advocates a zero-tolerance policy on excessive use of force .
`` There are things that can happen immediately , short-term , within the existing systems that are there . ''

Treasury Board President Jean-Yves Duclos says the prime minister wants to move "very quickly" to dismantle barriers that contribute to systemic racism.
The government is making modest progress at diversifying the federal public service, but there is more work to do, especially in the senior ranks, Duclos told a media briefing Monday.
More broadly, he said, the government can and should help others remove barriers to progress for Canadians of different racial backgrounds.
Duclos says it's about empowering everyone to see the obstacles that others are facing.
He rhymed off a list of areas, including education, public safety and Indigenous relations, where advances in equity can be made.


nationalobserver--2020-06-16--With focus on policing failures, how can the system better respond to mental-health crises?

When someone broke into her car earlier this month , Meenakshi Mannoe knew the potential consequences of calling police .
The Vancouver resident weighed several questions : Would she get her belongings back ?
Was it even worth the hassle ?
And the tipping point : What good would it ultimately do ?
Ultimately , Mannoe believed it was n't a big deal — she could easily replace her lost portable speaker and first aid kit , and she questioned the impact of calling the cops on someone desperate enough to take them .
`` Is it an inconvenience ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contribute to the over-criminalization of folks , or hyper-policing when I know that people are doing things just to get by , just to survive . ''
The decision was an easy one for Mannoe , well-versed in the myriad systemic forces that underlie day-to-day struggles of many as a campaign staffer with Pivot Legal Society , which examines police accountability , drug policy , homelessness , and sex workers ' rights .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're increasingly facing as anger-fuelled protests draw fresh scrutiny over the prevalence of police brutality and systemic racism facing Black and Indigenous people .
The weekend killing of Rodney Levi near Metepenagiag , N.B.
, — the second Indigenous person to die at the hands of an officer in that province in less than a month — has only intensified calls to defund the police as a part of a holistic approach to re-define public safety and how it 's achieved .
`` From Indigenous communities we regularly hear the sentiment that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mannoe said last week , before Levi 's death .
`` I think this is a vital moment to really reframe what justice looks like and to heed calls from our courts like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission , or the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls ( national inquiry ) and really look at : How do we create culturally safe and responsive Indigenous-led crisis intervention ? ''
The defund movement does n't mean abolishing police — although there are calls for that , too — but rather is an acknowledgment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far-ranging responsibilities it 's incapable of addressing , says Toronto city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam , who will introduce a motion later this month to cut Toronto 's police budget by 10 per cent .
`` In some ways , we have set them up to fail , '' says Wong-Tam , noting calls often involve people in the throes of a mental health crisis or substance abuse .
When someone broke into her car earlier this month , Meenakshi Mannoe knew the potential consequences of calling police .
`` Asking police officers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the doorstep armed with guns and pepper spray , I just do n't think that has given us always the best outcome . ''
Levi was killed Friday night after RCMP say they responded to a complaint about an `` unwanted person '' at a home near Metepenagiag , about 30 kilometres west of Miramichi .
Officers say they were confronted by a man carrying knives , and tried to subdue him with a stun gun .
Levi was ultimately shot by an officer and declared dead in hospital .
Since then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mi'kmaq Nation has said Levi was an invited guest at the home , where he had planned to seek guidance from a church minister .
Then there are the deaths of Chantel Moore , an Indigenous woman in Edmundston , N.B.
, who was shot by police who had come to perform a wellness check , and Regis Korchinski-Paquet , a Black woman who fell from her Toronto balcony after family members called police to her home .
The circumstances around each case have not been disclosed and are being examined by independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they highlight the myriad ways racial bias and mental-health stigma can make any police interaction dangerously fraught .
Especially for someone who is Black , Indigenous or a person of colour , the very presence of an armed officer could aggravate an already delicate situation , says the James R. Johnston chair in Black Canadian studies at Dalhousie University .
`` When you have experiences , for example , in Toronto where Black men are 20 times more likely to be harmed or killed by police than ( white ) people , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be anxious , '' says OmiSoore Dryden .
`` And , you know , we do n't all teach our children , 'Go to police , ' that they will help them if they 're lost or whatever , '' said Dryden .
`` We know not to do that . ''
Dryden says the very inception of policing was rooted in protecting property , which further institutionalized racism by enforcing slavery .
`` It meant in the creation of this country , that those Black people fleeing slavery were captured and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were freed were often trafficked into slavery , even though they were n't slaves , '' she says .
`` For many that uniform is a symbol of harm and abuse and fear .
It is not a symbol for care and kindness and support . ''
Just like the rest of society , police officers are vulnerable to conscious and unconscious biases that can cloud their judgment , says Jennifer Lavoie , an associate professor in criminology at Wilfrid Laurier University .
`` That becomes problematic when you 're a police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involve perceptions of threat or aggression or violence that are attached to specific populations such as BIPOC populations , '' says Lavoie .
`` When you 're approaching and providing services to a person they 're more than their mental health crisis .
It 's important to approach that person holistically . ''
Nevertheless , calling 911 is the only option most people have when faced with a public safety crisis , even when someone is clearly in mental distress , Lavoie says .
Most cities have a patchwork of additional services that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they are inconsistent and not always 24-hours , she notes .
Lavoie would like to see more funding for crisis intervention teams that many police services have across the country .
In Toronto , they 're known as Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams , or MCIT , and involve a mental health nurse and a specially trained police officer .
But they respond only if it 's clear a weapon is not involved or if first-responding officers deems it safe for a nurse to arrive .
Citizens also can not call MCIT directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by demand , noting the force receives roughly 30,000 calls a year related to mental health but that the MCIT only respond to about 6,000 calls a year .
Hamilton 's Crisis Outreach and Support Team , known as COAST , includes a mobile team of a mental health professional and a plain-clothes police officer in an unmarked car , but it , too , is not 24-hours .
`` There is a period of time where they 're not available , and if they 're on call , there 's only so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lavoie says .
In Vancouver , Car 87 teams a police constable with a registered nurse or a registered psychiatric nurse to provide on-site assessments .
Meanwhile , nurses can also help callers to a crisis line and triage situations to Car 87 , ambulance or police .
As part of her research , Lavoie says she 's developed a 40-hour training program being tested with Durham Region police in Ontario that uses scenario-based exercises with actors who portray `` authentic mental health crises . ''
`` That 's the only way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on how to respond to a person in mental health crisis . ''
Former Ottawa cop-turned-professor Greg Brown , of Carleton University 's department of law & legal studies , says police training includes just a cursory overview of mental health conditions but that more robust education is n't the answer .
He 'd like to see a portion of police funds reallocated to some sort of social services department within the force that could respond to such calls , but he 'd also like to see `` more use-of-force training , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He says most police services dedicate 10 to 12 hours a year towards firearms and hand-to-hand fighting skills .
`` We have police officers that are rusty at use-of-force and then you have an incident where they have to use force and they do n't perform properly , '' he says .
`` And then people wonder , 'Why ?
Why does that officer behave like that ?
Are n't they trained ? '
And the answer is , 'Not really . '
'' Wong-Tam would like to see funds diverted to affordable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , recreation youth programs and mental-health crisis support .
She says a 10 per cent budget cut in Toronto would yield $ 122 million .
Mannoe agrees that addressing society 's myriad inequalities would do more to reduce police interactions to begin with , but so , too , would a broader understanding of systemic forces that affect police and society 's ability to hold them accountable .
`` I think people are looking for this kind of big alternative system that 's going to replace police but really it 's just ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people who are in a bad place . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15 , 2020 .

When someone broke into her car earlier this month, Meenakshi Mannoe knew the potential consequences of calling police. The Vancouver resident weighed several questions: Would she get her belongings back? Was it even worth the hassle? And the tipping point: What good would it ultimately do? Ultimately, Mannoe believed it wasn't a big deal — she could easily replace her lost portable speaker and first aid kit, and she questioned the impact of calling the cops on someone desperate enough to take them. "Is it an inconvenience? Absolutely. But I don't want to contribute to the over-criminalization of folks, or hyper-policing when I know that people are doing things just to get by, just to survive." The decision was an easy one for Mannoe, well-versed in the myriad systemic forces that underlie day-to-day struggles of many as a campaign staffer with Pivot Legal Society, which examines police accountability, drug policy, homelessness, and sex workers' rights.
But they're questions she says we're increasingly facing as anger-fuelled protests draw fresh scrutiny over the prevalence of police brutality and systemic racism facing Black and Indigenous people. The weekend killing of Rodney Levi near Metepenagiag, N.B., — the second Indigenous person to die at the hands of an officer in that province in less than a month — has only intensified calls to defund the police as a part of a holistic approach to re-define public safety and how it's achieved. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions "From Indigenous communities we regularly hear the sentiment that people feel over-policed and under-protected," Mannoe said last week, before Levi's death.
"I think this is a vital moment to really reframe what justice looks like and to heed calls from our courts like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (national inquiry) and really look at: How do we create culturally safe and responsive Indigenous-led crisis intervention?" When someone broke into her car earlier this month, Meenakshi Mannoe knew the potential consequences of calling police. The defund movement doesn't mean abolishing police — although there are calls for that, too — but rather is an acknowledgment that law enforcement has ballooned to encompass far-ranging responsibilities it's incapable of addressing, says Toronto city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, who will introduce a motion later this month to cut Toronto's police budget by 10 per cent. "In some ways, we have set them up to fail," says Wong-Tam, noting calls often involve people in the throes of a mental health crisis or substance abuse. "Asking police officers to be the social worker that shows up on the doorstep armed with guns and pepper spray, I just don't think that has given us always the best outcome." Levi was killed Friday night after RCMP say they responded to a complaint about an "unwanted person" at a home near Metepenagiag, about 30 kilometres west of Miramichi. Officers say they were confronted by a man carrying knives, and tried to subdue him with a stun gun. Levi was ultimately shot by an officer and declared dead in hospital.
Since then, Chief Bill Ward of the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation has said Levi was an invited guest at the home, where he had planned to seek guidance from a church minister. Then there are the deaths of Chantel Moore, an Indigenous woman in Edmundston, N.B., who was shot by police who had come to perform a wellness check, and Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a Black woman who fell from her Toronto balcony after family members called police to her home. The circumstances around each case have not been disclosed and are being examined by independent police investigation agencies. But experts say they highlight the myriad ways racial bias and mental-health stigma can make any police interaction dangerously fraught.


nationalobserver--2020-06-16--Senator calls for removal of RCMP boss, saying she doesn't understand racism

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki should resign or be removed to ensure the national police force can properly serve Indigenous communities , a Saskatchewan senator said Monday .
Sen. Lillian Dyck said Lucki has shown recently she does not fully understand systemic racism or have the knowledge and skills be the country 's top policewoman .
The commissioner 's departure would benefit all Canadians , including Mounties , said Dyck , a member of the Progressive Senate Group and of the Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan .
Lucki initially stopped short last week of endorsing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's assessment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian institutions , exhibits systemic racism .
In a sudden reversal Friday , Lucki spoke with regret for not having done so .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks `` During some recent interviews , I shared that I struggled with the definition of systemic racism , while trying to highlight the great work done by the overwhelming majority of our employees , '' she said in a statement .
`` I did acknowledge that we , like others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but I did not say definitively that systemic racism exists in the RCMP .
I should have . ''
`` There are some deep changes we need to make in our institutions , and we need to work with people who want to make those changes , who want to be part of the solution — and I know Commissioner Lucki is one of those , '' he said Friday .
Dyck noted that two years ago Lucki apologized at a hearing of the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women `` for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RCMP '' and promised that the force would do better .
`` It is clear now that she does not possess the knowledge or leadership skills to keep her promise , '' Dyck said in her statement .
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki should resign or be removed to ensure the national police force can properly serve Indigenous communities , a Saskatchewan senator said on Monday , June 15 , 2020 .
`` Canadians and Indigenous women , in particular , deserve to have the best possible commissioner who will be able to initiate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RCMP to keep us safer and protect us from violence . ''
An RCMP spokeswoman said the force `` does not comment on statements provided by individuals . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15 , 2020 .

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki should resign or be removed to ensure the national police force can properly serve Indigenous communities, a Saskatchewan senator said Monday. Sen. Lillian Dyck said Lucki has shown recently she does not fully understand systemic racism or have the knowledge and skills be the country's top policewoman. The commissioner's departure would benefit all Canadians, including Mounties, said Dyck, a member of the Progressive Senate Group and of the Gordon First Nation in Saskatchewan. Lucki initially stopped short last week of endorsing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's assessment that the police force, like all Canadian institutions, exhibits systemic racism. In a sudden reversal Friday, Lucki spoke with regret for not having done so.
"During some recent interviews, I shared that I struggled with the definition of systemic racism, while trying to highlight the great work done by the overwhelming majority of our employees," she said in a statement. "I did acknowledge that we, like others, have racism in our organization, but I did not say definitively that systemic racism exists in the RCMP. I should have." Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Trudeau has expressed confidence in Lucki.
"There are some deep changes we need to make in our institutions, and we need to work with people who want to make those changes, who want to be part of the solution — and I know Commissioner Lucki is one of those," he said Friday. RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki should resign or be removed to ensure the national police force can properly serve Indigenous communities, a Saskatchewan senator said on Monday, June 15, 2020. Dyck noted that two years ago Lucki apologized at a hearing of the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women "for the way we were treated by the RCMP" and promised that the force would do better. "It is clear now that she does not possess the knowledge or leadership skills to keep her promise," Dyck said in her statement. "Canadians and Indigenous women, in particular, deserve to have the best possible commissioner who will be able to initiate and lead the necessary changes in the RCMP to keep us safer and protect us from violence." An RCMP spokeswoman said the force "does not comment on statements provided by individuals."


nationalobserver--2020-06-16--Top Indigenous leader demands zero tolerance for police excessive use of force

The only way to overcome racism in Canada 's policing agencies is to impose systemic change and a zero-tolerance policy aimed at eliminating the excessive use of force , the head of the country 's largest Indigenous organization said Monday .
Perry Bellegarde , national chief of the Assembly of First Nations , spoke with journalists via conference call to express his outrage following a series of violent , and in some cases fatal , encounters between police and Indigenous people across Canada .
`` Police are there to protect and serve , not assault and kill , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got to stop this tragedy of First Nations people getting hurt and/or killed at the hands of police ... .
We know there is racism , both systemic and overt ... .
In order to deal with systemic racism you need systemic change . ''
On Friday night , 48-year-old Rodney Levi was shot dead by a New Brunswick RCMP officer near the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation after the Mounties were called Friday to deal with an `` unwanted person '' at a barbecue .
The RCMP have said a suspect carrying knives was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that failed to subdue him .
He was shot when he charged at officers , police said .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks On Saturday , the chief of the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation , Bill Ward , said Levi had mental challenges but was not a violent man .
The chief said Levi was at the barbecue to seek guidance from a church minister .
On June 4 , 26-year-old Chantel Moore was shot by an officer from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said an officer performing a `` wellness check '' allegedly encountered a woman with a knife .
Moore , from the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation in British Columbia , had moved to the community in northwestern New Brunswick to be closer to her mother and young daughter .
Quebec 's Bureau des enquetes independantes , an independent police watchdog agency , has been called in to investigate both cases in New Brunswick .
The Quebec agency is investigating because no such unit exists in New Brunswick .
When asked if there should be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bellegarde said `` there is going to be a fear and mistrust about police policing police . ''
He said he was in favour of more civilian oversight and the addition of First Nations leadership as a `` part of these investigations '' to ensure transparency .
However , he did not specifically call for a separate investigation .
`` No , I would ask for some civilian or First Nations leadership involvement and inclusion as part of it , '' he said .
`` Unfortunately , right now , that 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The only way to overcome racism in Canada 's policing agencies is to impose systemic change and a zero-tolerance policy aimed at eliminating the excessive use of force , the head of the country 's largest Indigenous organization said on June 15 , 2020 .
The shootings have prompted calls for a separate , independent inquiry and an overhaul of policing in the province , where the minister of Aboriginal affairs has already said there is a problem with systemic racism .
As well , the shootings have become part of a broader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has gained prominence since police in Minnesota were implicated in the death of a Black man during a violent arrest on May 25 .
In Ottawa , Justin Trudeau said it was important for the families of the victims to get answers .
`` My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those who 've died , '' he said .
`` We are working right now with communities to address the first things that need to be done most rapidly . ''
In New Brunswick , Premier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people want to know what went wrong when police encountered Moore and Levi .
`` We are still waiting to learn all of the facts , but the process of beginning to heal and implement real changes can not wait , '' he said , adding that he would be attending a previously scheduled meeting with First Nations chiefs on Wednesday .
`` This must be a time for us as a government to listen , '' the premier said .
Higgs announced his government would not be moving ahead with legislation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sweeping new powers under the Emergency Measures Act to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic .
Among other things , the new law would have given police the power to stop and question people at will .
`` I have heard the calls for dialogue and the concerns of our First Nations chiefs , '' Higgs said , adding that Levi 's death had changed his opinion of the legislation .
Bellegarde made a point of mentioning that Levi was a well-liked individual who was facing challenges .
`` He had some mental health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health crisis , and now he 's dead , '' Bellegarde said .
`` The family has a lot of questions .
The community has a lot of questions . ''
Bellegarde also talked about a recent video showing police in northern Alberta arresting an Indigenous leader in a manner he described as an attack .
The 12-minute dash-cam video shows the violent arrest of Allan Adam , chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation , on March 10 .
`` When you see a second police officer race into the frame and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's excessive use of force , '' Bellegarde said .
`` There was no talking .
There was no trying to de-escalate the situation .
It was a straight attack .
A zero-tolerance policy would send a strong message to all police forces — that it will not be tolerated . ''
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15 , 2020 .

The only way to overcome racism in Canada's policing agencies is to impose systemic change and a zero-tolerance policy aimed at eliminating the excessive use of force, the head of the country's largest Indigenous organization said Monday. Perry Bellegarde, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, spoke with journalists via conference call to express his outrage following a series of violent, and in some cases fatal, encounters between police and Indigenous people across Canada. "Police are there to protect and serve, not assault and kill," he said from Ottawa. "We've got to stop this tragedy of First Nations people getting hurt and/or killed at the hands of police .... We know there is racism, both systemic and overt .... In order to deal with systemic racism you need systemic change." On Friday night, 48-year-old Rodney Levi was shot dead by a New Brunswick RCMP officer near the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation after the Mounties were called Friday to deal with an "unwanted person" at a barbecue. The RCMP have said a suspect carrying knives was jolted with a stun gun, but that failed to subdue him. He was shot when he charged at officers, police said.
On Saturday, the chief of the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq Nation, Bill Ward, said Levi had mental challenges but was not a violent man. The chief said Levi was at the barbecue to seek guidance from a church minister. On June 4, 26-year-old Chantel Moore was shot by an officer from the Edmundston Police Department. Police later said an officer performing a "wellness check" allegedly encountered a woman with a knife. Moore, from the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation in British Columbia, had moved to the community in northwestern New Brunswick to be closer to her mother and young daughter. Billion-dollar land deals in Ontario raise corruption suspicions Quebec's Bureau des enquetes independantes, an independent police watchdog agency, has been called in to investigate both cases in New Brunswick. The Quebec agency is investigating because no such unit exists in New Brunswick.
When asked if there should be an independent investigation aside from the Quebec-based probe, Bellegarde said "there is going to be a fear and mistrust about police policing police." The only way to overcome racism in Canada's policing agencies is to impose systemic change and a zero-tolerance policy aimed at eliminating the excessive use of force, the head of the country's largest Indigenous organization said on June 15, 2020. He said he was in favour of more civilian oversight and the addition of First Nations leadership as a "part of these investigations" to ensure transparency. However, he did not specifically call for a separate investigation. "No, I would ask for some civilian or First Nations leadership involvement and inclusion as part of it," he said. "Unfortunately, right now, that's the existing rules and process." The shootings have prompted calls for a separate, independent inquiry and an overhaul of policing in the province, where the minister of Aboriginal affairs has already said there is a problem with systemic racism. As well, the shootings have become part of a broader international discussion about police brutality and racism, which has gained prominence since police in Minnesota were implicated in the death of a Black man during a violent arrest on May 25.
In Ottawa, Justin Trudeau said it was important for the families of the victims to get answers. "My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those who've died," he said. "We are working right now with communities to address the first things that need to be done most rapidly." In New Brunswick, Premier Blaine Higgs said he understood that many people want to know what went wrong when police encountered Moore and Levi.


nationalobserver--2020-06-16--BP takes $17.5B hit as pandemic shocks fossil fuel industry

Energy company BP is writing down its oil and gas assets by as much as $ 17.5 billion and will review its plans to develop oil wells as the shock to the industry and world demand from the COVID-19 pandemic pushes major producers to consider a faster shift away from fossil fuels .
Chief Executive Bernard Looney said Monday that the pandemic is forcing the company to face the long-term impact on the economy , together with the likelihood of weaker demand for a longer period of time .
The company pledged in February to become a net-zero emissions company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced them to re-consider their assumptions once more .
“ We are also reviewing our development plans , '' Looney said .
“ All that will result in a significant charge in our upcoming results , but I am confident that these difficult decisions – rooted in our net zero ambition and reaffirmed by the pandemic – will better enable us to compete through the energy transition.
” BP said the actions would mean impairment charges and write-offs in the second quarter of between $ 13 billion to $ 17.5 billion after tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly high when the outbreak began , creating a perfect storm for the industry .
With storage facilities filling up , the U.S. price of oil went below zero in April for the first time ever .
• Noam Chomsky on post-Covid-19 society : Trump is worse than Hitler , but the peasants are coming with pitchforks Only a week ago BP announced it would cut 10,000 jobs to reduce costs and adapt to sharply falling oil prices and plummeting global demand .
The announcement makes clear that structural changes already under way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
“ This is the energy transition happening , '' said David Elmes , an energy expert at Warwick Business School .
” The question is who can do it and how fast they can do it . ''
Oil companies are being pushed to move because they intended to use ongoing profits to fund a transition to the future .
But with those profits being squeezed , they need to move faster than they anticipated , forcing them to sprint long before they intended .
Other companies are looking at doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time and money to change , Elmes said .
He cited the example of the Danish company Orsted , a one-time oil company that is now an offshore wind company .
“ Other European firms like Shell , Total and Repsol have declared similar ambitions to BP , '' Elmes said .
” But low prices mean many are struggling . ''
BP has dropped its long-term forecast for Brent crude oil to a range around $ 55 a barrel .
The previous estimate was $ 70 a barrel and the price as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ This is the energy transition happening , '' said David Elmes , an energy expert at Warwick Business School .
” The question is who can do it and how fast they can do it . ''
“ Something like this has been long overdue from BP , '' said Michael Hewson , analyst at CMC Markets , arguing that its dividend is unsustainable .
`` Having seen its sector peer Royal Dutch Shell bite the bullet and cut its dividend a few weeks ago , it would appear that BP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if it wants to reduce its already high debt levels and shore up its balance sheet for the new challenges ahead . ''

Energy company BP is writing down its oil and gas assets by as much as $17.5 billion and will review its plans to develop oil wells as the shock to the industry and world demand from the COVID-19 pandemic pushes major producers to consider a faster shift away from fossil fuels.
Chief Executive Bernard Looney said Monday that the pandemic is forcing the company to face the long-term impact on the economy, together with the likelihood of weaker demand for a longer period of time. The company pledged in February to become a net-zero emissions company by 2050, and the pandemic has forced them to re-consider their assumptions once more.
“We are also reviewing our development plans,'' Looney said. “All that will result in a significant charge in our upcoming results, but I am confident that these difficult decisions – rooted in our net zero ambition and reaffirmed by the pandemic – will better enable us to compete through the energy transition.”
BP said the actions would mean impairment charges and write-offs in the second quarter of between $13 billion to $17.5 billion after tax.
Supply of oil and gas was particularly high when the outbreak began, creating a perfect storm for the industry. With storage facilities filling up, the U.S. price of oil went below zero in April for the first time ever.