Canada
Foreign interference bill welcomed but needs work, diaspora groups say - YouTube
The federal government has tabled a bill meant to counter foreign interference, which includes a foreign agent registry and changes to legislation governing CSIS. It comes as pressure piles on Canada to strengthen its measures against alleged meddling into the country’s democratic processes. As David Akin reports on Global National, diaspora groups are welcoming the legislation, but have concerns about its implementation.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder: Top Indian diplomat worries about Sikh activists in Canada
Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh have all been charged with first-degree murder in the June 2023 fatal shooting of Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C.
Canada accusing India's government of being involved in his death has ignited a diplomatic rift between the two countries. On Global National, Eric Sorensen looks at why India says it's worried about Sikh activists in Canada.
Polievre calls corporate lobbyists useless but he still meets them
The registry shows Poilievre’s meetings have been with a variety of groups including companies advancing resource projects, like mining giant Rio Tinto and Woodfibre Management, a firm proposing an LNG export facility near Squamish, B.C., Imperial Oil and Cenovus.
Liberal MP says witnesses are 'full of s--t' on anglicization of Quebec
Drouin, who has described himself as an “ardent Ontario defender” of Quebec’s Charter of the French Language, then explained that as president of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, he has seen that even France is anglicizing: “Do you really think the big problem with Quebec anglicizing is McGill and Dawson College?
Delivery issue: Why Canada Post ‘must change’ to avoid collapse
Canada Post reported a sixth consecutive annual loss in 2023, prompting the Crown corporation to acknowledge its current business model is not working.
TBS secretary updated remote work policy while working from home
“When she was able, she was here (in Ottawa),” the official said, noting that Blewett has been working from her home in Halifax since around Easter. “Her doctors essentially said she can’t travel and now. She’s gotten to the point where she’s actually having to take some leave.”
Office blues: PS sees red over RTO
No one covers the public service like Kathryn May and she's got all the deets here Let’s take a quick look at some of the fallout from last week’s mandatory order for three days a week in the office. The countdown begins. By September, all public servants must be in the office three days a week and executives for four days.
Committee Report No. 19 - HUMA - Implications of Artificial Intelligence Technologies for the Canadian Labour Force
And, in an ironic twist, I've asked the AI Bot Claude-3-Sonnet, to write a brief news story based on the contents of this report from the House of Commons Standing Committee On Human Resources, Skills and Social Development (HUMA). Written by Sonnet; reviewed by Akin:
Canadian MPs Warn of Need to Protect Workers as AI Advances
Canadian lawmakers are sounding the alarm over the need to better protect workers' rights as artificial intelligence technologies become more widespread in workplaces across the country.
A House of Commons committee studying the implications of AI on the Canadian labour force released a report Monday highlighting key concerns and recommendations for the federal government.
The report says AI is expected to significantly change how portions of the workforce carry out daily tasks, with impacts likely felt unevenly across different groups of workers.
"AI's effects are not simply about automation but about the quality of work," said Fenwick McKelvey, an associate professor at Concordia University who provided expert testimony. He warned that AI could reduce workers' autonomy and opportunities while increasing work intensity and related stress.
Among the top issues raised were privacy violations through increased workplace surveillance using AI, biases being perpetuated in AI systems discriminating against certain groups, and a lack of clear regulations governing the ethical use of AI in employment settings.
"Protections must be established before companies undertake large-scale implementation, so that everything possible is done to avoid bringing in systems that cause problems for workers," said Danick Soucy, president of a Canadian union representing public employees in Quebec.
The committee is recommending the federal labour ministry review current legislation to assess its ability to protect diverse workers' rights amid AI's proliferation. It's also calling for a new framework in concert with provinces and worker representatives to support ethical AI adoption by employers.
Another recommendation urges the privacy commissioner to review how AI is impacting Canadian workers' privacy and create enforceable regulations to protect them.
"Canada's current laws and regulations were designed before the existence of AI and ... should be updated to address the unique challenges and opportunities that AI presents," said Gillian Hadfield, chair of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society.
Business groups acknowledge the need to instill public confidence as AI use grows. But they also tout AI's potential to boost productivity and create new types of jobs.
The committee's report lands amid a surge in AI development globally, including the viral release of ChatGPT and other tools that can generate human-like text and imagery.
Fostering Healthy Childhoods: A Foundation for Resilient Generations
Report No. 18 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board: Ensuring the Effectiveness of the Reform Process
Report No. 17 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health
The Provinces
Rainstorm ‘not enough’ to pull Alberta out of drought, expert says
The rain event hitting much of Alberta for several days is well timed and well located but it's not enough to pull Alberta out of drought, experts say.
Manitoba byelection could be close race in normally strong Tory constituency
The Tuxedo seat was vacated on Monday by former premier Heather Stefanson. The Tuxedo seat has historically been a stronghold of the Progressive Conservatives, but in last year’s provincial election, the NDP came within 300 votes of taking the seat as the New Democrats swept to power.
Autre départ: François Legault perd son directeur des relations médias
Manuel Dionne joindra la Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec, ironiquement en négociation avec Christian Dubé et le gouvernement Legault, le 27 mai prochain.
Elsewhere
Joly says Israeli Rafah invasion would be ‘unacceptable,’ urges ceasefire
As Israeli forces take control of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly warns of a 'catastrophic' situation.
Putin’s a ‘Nazi,’ Zelenskyy says as Russia intensifies attacks on energy grid ahead of Victory Day
Russia pummeled Ukrainian energy infrastructure early Wednesday morning, as the Kremlin geared up to celebrate the May 9 Victory Day holiday that traditionally marks the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany, but has more recently become emblematic of the war on Ukraine.
'Canada doosra Pakistan…', MS Bitta’s merciless attack on Justin Trudeau over Khalistan issue
Chairman of All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) Maninderjeet Singh Bitta launched a no-hold-barred attack on Canada over the Khalistan issue. MS Bitta claimed that Canada has become the second Pakistan and if Canada wants to make a Khalistan then Canada should make a Khalistan within Canada itself. A direct reminder that the publisher here -- The Economic Times -- writes the headlines and the excerpt here, not Akin.
An election booth inside a forest in India – for just one voter
Polling officers in Gujarat make a two-day trip by bus on bumpy roads to ensure a Hindu monk could vote.
Hong Kong high court bans protest song
Hong Kong’s appeals court has ruled that a protest song is illegal to sing or play in the city. “Glory to Hong Kong” emerged as an anthem for protesters during the massive anti-government protests in 2019. Judge Jeremy Poon sided in favor of the government in his ruling Wednesday, saying the composer intended for the song to be used as a "weapon."
Media
CBC head spars with Conservative MPs as she testifies about executive bonuses
An appearance by the CEO of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. at a parliamentary committee turned personal Tuesday, even before Catherine Tait faced a barrage of questions from Conservative MPs over executive bonuses. Before Tait's testimony, the public broadcaster published a letter it had sent to the committee chair in March, which accused Conservative MPs of deliberately spreading false accusations about the company and Tait.
World Press Freedom Day 2024: Mounting Threats, Renewed Purpose
Jeffrey Gedmin joins Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins to discuss the global state of press freedom. They cover the challenges that a growing number of journalists face in exile or imprisonment, the U.S. role in upholding freedom of the press, and more.
Reader Notes
This newsletter is curated by David Akin. I'm the chief political correspondent at Global News. The headlines, excerpts, and photos are generated by the publishers of the clipping. The publisher is at the bottom left of the clipping. If I've got a comment, you''ll see that in italics. But if I've generated the headline and the excerpt, you'll see my attribution at the bottom of the item where you otherwise would see the publisher.
Help keep this newsletter coming by donating just $5 a month. Click through to make your monthly donation at Patreon or, if you would prefer to make a one-time donation, send an e-transfer to jda@davidakin.com. Thank you!
Science and tech
Daimler’s driverless semi trucks will hit the road in 2027
The demonstrator is an all-electric version of Daimler’s popular Freightliner Cascadia models. The so-called eCascadia has been fitted with a suite of high-powered, long-range sensors that enable it to “see” its surrounding environment as well as a high-powered computer that can process the sensor data and make navigation decisions.
How NASA is Hacking Voyager 1 Back to Life
NASA engineers managed to diagnose and repair Voyager 1 from 24 billion kilometers away—all while working within the constraints of the vintage technology. “We had some people left that we could rely on [who] could remember working on bits of the hardware,” says project scientist Linda Spilker. “But a lot of it was going back through old memos, like an archeological dig to try and find information on the best way to proceed.”
How to Completely Disappear From the Internet
Want to mask your online identity and shield your data from those who wish to surveil you? Here are all the steps you should take.
The Calendar
- 0930 ET: West Block - The NDP national caucus will meet.
- 0930 ET: 025B West Block - The CPC national caucus will meet.
- 0930 ET: Ottawa - GPC MP Elizabeth May meets with Salvation Army leaders.
- 1000 ET: 135B West Block - Christian Heritage Party Leader Rod Taylor speaks to reporters.
- 1000 ET: 225-A West Block - The LPC national caucus will meet.
- 1030 ET: Ottawa - GPC MP Elizabeth May meets with First Nations' Emergency Services Society of BC officials.
- 1100 ET: 135B West Block - Society of Queer Momentum speaks to reporters.
- 1115 ET: Brantford, ON - Deputy PM and Fin Min Chrystia Freeland and Emergency Preparedness Min Harjit Sajjan meet with first responders and speak to reporters.
- 1130 ET: 135B West Block - Federal public service workers speak to reporters.
- 1200 ET: National Press Theatre - Mental Health Min Ya'ara Saks and LPC MPs Anthony Housefather, Marco Mendicino, Julie Dabrusin, Anna Gainey, Ben Carr and CPC MP Tako Van Popta speak about antisemitism on university campuses.
- 1400 ET: HoC Foyer - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and NDP MP Lori Idlout speak to reporters.
- 1630 ET: 415 Wellington - Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN) | Meeting 107 - Nutrition North Canada. Northern Affairs Min Dan Vandal testifies.
- 1630 ET: 425 Wellington - Veterans Affairs (ACVA) | Meeting 94 - FY25 Main Estimates. Veterans Affairs Min Ginette Petitpas Taylor testifies.
- 1630 ET: 035B West Block - Citizenship and Immigration (CIMM) | Meeting 99 - Drafting letter
- 1630 ET: 315 Wellington - Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) | Meeting 107 - Canada's Approach to Africa
- 1630 ET: 025 West Block - Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) | Meeting 120 - Debate on motion from CPC MP Garnet Genuis
- 1630 ET: 330 Wellington - Industry and Technology (INDU) | Meeting 123 - Development and Deployment of ELYSIS Technology at Rio Tinto and Alcoa Facilities: Innovation Science and Industry Min François-Philippe Champagne testifies.
- 1630 ET: 410 Wellington - National Defence (NDDN) | Meeting 103 - Transparency within the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces
- 1830 ET: Ottawa - Diversity and Inclusion Min Kamal Khera marks Asian Heritage Month.
