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Government of Alberta issues job ads to promote keystone XL project
Sunday’s edition of the New York Times featured an ad paid for by the government of Alberta promoting the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project.
According to CBC News, the 30,000 dollar ad is the latest move by Alberta to push its case for the 1,800 kilometre pipeline that would bring oil form Alberta’s oil sands through the U.S. to refineries on the Gulf Coast in Texas for shipment to users all over the world.
The ad reinforced the importance of jobs that the pipeline would create for the American people, as well getting oil from a neighbour country would be “the right choice”.
A spokesperson for the Alberta government stated that the ad was a response to an editorial the New York Times ran last week persuading President Obama to reject the Keystone project.
The president is expected to make his final decision about the pipeline in the coming months.
Flickr Photo by: PremierofAlberta
STORY WRITTEN BY: NIKITA SMITH
Quebec Liberals find their main man
After six months of debates and polls, the Quebec Liberal Party have found their head honcho.
In a report by CBC News, former health minister Phillippe Couillard was elected by PLQ members beating out Raymond Bachand and Pierre Moreau on the first ballot.
Couillard came out of politcal retirement to run for the vacant Liberal leadership seat. He therefore will not be present iun the national assembly, as he doesn't have a seat. He did tell party delegates gathered at the Verdun auditorium on Sunday that he is in no hurry to seek one.
The CAQ's Jacques Dusheneau said that while the provincial Grits have their leader, it still doesn't give them a voice in parliament as an official opposition party, since Couillard doesn't have a seat.
During the long campaign, Couillard's friendship with wanted former MUHC head Dr. Arthur Porter was a worry for his candidacy.
The new leader who replaced former leader Jean Charest, six months after the P.Q. won a minority government, is calling for a party unity and focused part of his victory speech to send a jab to the P.Q.
CJLO News - March 15 2013
Hosted by: Saturn De Los Angeles
Stories by: Carlo Spiridigliozzi, Alyssa Tremblay & Catlin Spencer
Produced by: Catlin Spencer
New kindergarten program for disadvantaged 4 year olds on the horizon
A program is in the works to give children who live in disadvantaged areas the chance to start kindergarten at the age of 4.
According to the Gazette, the P.Q. is introducing Bill 23 to try and curb the dropout rate at high school levels.
Education Minister, Marie Malavoy told the media on Thursday that 1200 children who come from low-income families will be admitted.
This will continue on a yearly basis until all 8000 disadvantaged children from across the province are admitted.
Head of the Quebec daycare federation, Gina Gasparini doesn’t agree with the proposal.
She thinks investing in more 7-dollar-a-day daycare places would be more suitable for low-income families. A daycare centre can offer parents advice as part of their service, something Bill 23 lacks.
The voluntary program would begin in September of this year. The Education department is investing $8 million dollars yearly to start and then $20 million dollars yearly when the program is fully operational.
Flickr Photo by: Parti Québécois (officiel)
Teachers vote in favour of strike action
Life at Concordia University may be getting a little more difficult in the near future.
According to a report by The Link, full-time teachers at the university voted 74 percent in favour of strike action.
About 1000 professors who are being represented by the Concordia University Faculty Association took part in the vote.
The Profs now have the green light to go on strike, provided they give two days’ notice to their employer. With the ability to do so, the union has not clearly stated if that is their intention, however, it is a tactic to restart stalled negotiations.
The university and the CUFA have been in negotiations with the university for fifteen months now. Other unions are negotiating new collective bargaining agreements as well.
Meetings with a conciliator will go ahead as planned for the rest of the month.
Flickr Photo by: Viola Ng
Anti-Police Brutality Protest enters 17th year
Montreal’s annual demonstration against police brutality is expected to take place on Friday evening.
This year marks the 17th edition of the demonstration.
The annual anti-police brutality protest has become infamous for its violence.
Tensions between police and protesters at previous demonstrations have resulted in physical confrontations and mass arrests.
According to CBC News, 226 people were arrested at last year’s protest.
Montreal police are advising people to avoid taking the metro during Friday evening rush hour.
The demonstration is scheduled to begin at St-Urbain and Ontario at 5 p.m.
Flickr Photo by: mcmees24
STORY WRITTEN BY: ALYSSA TREMBLAY
Witness explains corruption scheme at Charbonneau Commission
The latest person to testify at the Charbonneau Commission Wednesday was the former vice president of Genviar François Perreault.
The Montreal Gazette reports Perreault explained exactly how money flowed from Quebec’s largest engineering firm to Union Montreal.
Perreault estimates Genviar passed over $300 000 to Union Montreal between 2004 and 2008.
The firm used registered companies in Quebec who never did any work to transfer the money discreetly.
These companies filed false invoices to Genviar for work and Genviar provided a cheque as payment.
Once the companies cashed the cheque the money would return back to Genviar creating an untraceable trail of money.
Genviar also gave presents to municipal officials during Christmastime.
Perreault testified that contracts would pass to other firms if they did not cooperate with Union Montreal’s fundraiser Berard Trépanier.
Perreault called corruption in Quebec both entrenched and exaggerated.
Testimony continues on Friday.
STORY WRITTEN BY: AISHA SAMU
Citizens protest over P.Q. intention to cut welfare rates
The Quebec government’s planned welfare cuts inspired protests in cities across the province on Wednesday.
CBC reported that hundreds of people held demonstrations in Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières.
They’re upset over incoming changes to the province’s welfare system proposed by the Parti Quebecois.
The PQ recently announced it plans to trim monthly welfare payments to people over 55 and with children under the age of five.
The cuts are expected to take effect on June 1st.
STORY WRITTEN BY: ALYSSA TREMBLAY
Union Montreal received a large kickback, says witness
The former vice-president of major Quebec engineering firm Genivar took to the stand for a second day at the Charbonneau Commission on Wednesday.
François Perreault continued his testimony by revealing how his firm funneled money to the city’s most powerful municipal political party.
From 2004 to 2008 Genivar funneled between $300,000 and $400,000 to Union Montreal, according to the Gazette.
Perreault testified that the scheme included false invoices and using smaller companies as fronts for moving the money.
After a recess, Charles Meunier, who worked for engineering firm BPR, took the stand.
The commission will hear more from Meunier on Friday.
STORY WRITTEN BY: CHLOE DENEUMOUSTIER
Sectarian violence sparks up in Iraq once again
The ugly head of sectarian violence seems ready to rear its ugly head in Iraq once again.
Many think it has already happened.
Tales from both Sunni and Shia communities have rung out in recent weeks.
The UK newspaper the Guardian recalled a series of recent slayings in the country including the former Sunni environment minister.
Those spoken to blame a series of complex coincidences for the current state of events.
A political stalemate since the 2010 elections hasn’t help nor has the apparent marginalization of Sunnis within Iraqi institutions.
STORY WRITTEN BY: DANIEL J. ROWE
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