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Bill 14 infringes on human rights, says provincial body
The province’s human rights commission is condemning the most recent changes to Bill 14.
The controversial language bill has proposed changes to Quebec’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, reports CBC News.
Designating the use of an official language as a human right is one of the proposed changes.
Commission president Gaétan Cousineau denounced the change saying that official language is not a human right.
Cousineau noted that The Charter of Rights and Freedoms already covers language rights.
He said Bill 14 would propose to replace democratic values with Quebec values.
STORY WRITTEN BY: CHLOE DENEUMOUSTIER
New Zealand legalizes gay marriage
The land that brought the imaginary world of Middle Earth is now the land of very real rights for gay people.
According to Al-Jazeera news, New Zealand’s parliament is the thirteenth to legalize gay marriage and the first in the Asia Pacific.
Observers in a public gallery broke into the local love song Pokarekare Ana in Maori after the seventy seven to forty four vote in favour of the bill.
New Zealand has allowed civil unions since 2005.
The law will no doubt cause ripples in a region that has been slow to adopt gay marriage.
Some states in Australia have considered the move.
The new law will allow couples to adopt children.
The bill will take effect in late August.
STORY WRITTEN BY: DANIEL J. ROWE
QSA bans turbans on soccer pitch
CJLO News - April 18 2013
Hosted by: Catlin Spencer
Stories by: Chloe Deneumoustier, Catlin Spencer & Daniel Rowe
Produced by: Catlin Spencer
CJLO News - April 17 2013
Hosted by: Spoon Jung
Stories by: Aisha Samu, Carlo Spiridigliozzi, Saturn De Los Angeles & Niki Mohrdar
Produced by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi
EI reform has no hidden agenda, says former Bloc leader
Gilles Duceppe's pro-sovereignty views will not be an obstacle on a panel created to exam the impact of employment insurance reforms, proposed by the Conservatives.
According to CBC News, Duceppe said that he will consult with union representatives, experts and chambers of commerce on the impact of the new EI reforms that affect Quebec employees and employers.
Once he has gathered his findings, the commitee will tour the province this fall to reveal the results and table a proposal to the provincial government.
The $1.5 million committee created by the P.Q. has been met with critisicm by the opposition Liberals.
They have said that the committee is a cover-up for the P.Q. so they can tour the province and promote its pro-soverignty agenda at the expense of taxpayers.
Flickr Photo by: convergenciaiunio
Language minister will not back down from Bill 14
Quebec’s language minister is not backing down from her proposed amendments to the Charter of the French Language.
The Montreal Gazette reports the Liberals are accusing Diane De Courcy of not listening to groups opposing Bill 14.
The clause-by-clause study is the next step for Bill 14 where De Courcy says is the best way to measure her listening capacity.
De Courcy wound up in a debate with representatives of the South Shore’s Riverside School Board Tuesday.
The government plans to remove an exemption that allows children of military parents to go to English schools.
The school board believes this will have a profound effect on the schools, staff, and programs.
De Courcy says the debate is on a question of equity.
The Retail Council of Quebec also calls the bill unjustified and excessive and sends a negative message to businesses.
Flickr Photo by: Bambe 1964
STORY WRITTEN BY: AISHA SAMU
Energy Board calls public to rate Enbridge's pipe plan
A call is underway to assess a pipeline’s expansion plan.
The National Energy Board is taking applications from concerned citizens this week to evaluate Enbridge's 9-B pipeline project.
Alberta's oil-and-gas distributor wants to have it carry bitumen from oil-sands operations.
It also wants the line to reverse the current flow and increase capacity.
*Pipeline 9-B is 639 kilometers long and passes thru Montreal, Laval, Toronto and Hamilton.
Ontario residents living on land passing thru by the pipeline filed their applications so far.
They include First Nations people and oil-and-gas industry workers.
But one from Quebec has applied yet.
Yves-François Blanchet is Quebec's Environment Minister.
He said in a report by The Montreal Gazette that the provincial government will do it's own review.
He has yet to provide details.
STORY WRITTEN BY: SATURN DE LOS ANGELES
Manitoba's PST increases to 8%
By: dave.cournoyer
Manitoba’s latest budget reveals plans to increase their PST to 8 per cent. The money gathered from this one per cent increase is planned to go towards infrastructure spending.
Currently, 1 per cent of the province’s PST goes directly into infrastructure funding. With this increase, an additional 1 per cent will be added.
Stan Struthers, Manitoba’s finance Minister said the money will go towards repairing and renewing roads, improving flood prevention infrastructure and increasing capital investments such as hospitals and sports arenas.
The current balanced Budget Legislation would require the NDP government to hold a referendum before the PST could be increased. Struthers plans on changing that, as he believes the province needs to move quickly in order to improve flood prevention infrastructures.
Struthers hopes to have all three levels of government working together in this project.
It is estimated that nearly $277 million will be raised for provincial coffers because of this increase by the next budget. This will contribute to the 1.8 billion dollar investment in infrastructure that is currently planned for the year.
Officials state that on average, this means an extra 300 dollars from the average household per year.
The federal government’s Building Canada Plan offers provinces infrastructure funding if they can match it first. Struthers has stated that Manitoba plans to take advantage of this plan until it expires in 10 years.
Provincial officials state that, after that, the tax increase will be reversed.
Some of the infrastructure improvements Manitoba has planned to improve are portions of the Trans-Canada Highway between portage la Prairie and Highway 16, and the Brandon’s Keystone Centre.
A new recreational multiplex for the Peguis First National will be built, and funds will be allocated to the Selkirk Mental Health Hospital for needed improvements.
Wake-up Call Sleeps In
It looks like we can all sleep in, because the Wake-up Call, your source for local, Canadian, and International indie rock, pop, and punk music, is moving back one hour. You can now hear host Carlo S. from 7:00 to 9:00 on Thursdays. Listen in at 1690AM or www.CJLO.com
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