Latest news with #Bill104
Montreal Gazette
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Suburban mayors welcome Bill 104 changes
Montreal Politics By Mayors of the Montreal agglomeration's 15 independent municipalities welcomed proposed changes that are part of Bill 104, introduced this week in the National Assembly. In a statement emailed to The Gazette, the Association of Suburban Mayors welcomed the bill, which reduced the city of Montreal's overall weight in the Montreal Metropolitan Community, while retaining a tiebreaker vote. 'This long-awaited reform responds to a recurring demand from suburban municipalities for more equitable and democratic metropolitan governance,' the statement read. 'For several years now, the ASM has been leading a sustained battle to ensure that municipalities can participate equitably in decisions affecting the metropolitan region. Until now, the status quo favoured an excessive concentration of power in the hands of the City of Montreal, to the detriment of other municipalities' voices.' Association co-president Alex Bottausci, mayor of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, added that the citizens of the Montreal agglomeration also deserve redress, as the roughly 250,000 residents 'have no real decision-making rights, nor any real capacity to influence the agglomeration's orientations and, more importantly, its spending, which is entirely under the sole control of the City of Montreal. We hope that the Quebec government will show the same sensitivity and concern for fairness on this matter toward the population of our metropolitan cities.' Bottausci said Bill 104 is a step in the right direction, and his association believes more balanced governance will result in better co-operation between all the representatives of municipalities.
AFP
14-04-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Posts misrepresent Canadian ruling on Sri Lanka civil war remembrance bill
"Supreme Court of Canada says No Genocide in Sri Lanka and determined that the Bill 104 Tamil Genocide Education Week Act was not within Jurisdiction Education under Canada's Constitution," reads part of a Facebook post that Sri Lanka's retired army general Chagie Gallage published March 29, 2025 (archived link). The post includes a screenshot of what appears to be a WhatsApp message linking to the Ontario Centre for Policy Research, which describes itself as a think tank (archived link). Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured March 31, 2025 claims spread elsewhere on Facebook. Local newspapers such as Ceylon Today and The Island Online, as well as several Sinhala-language outlets, also reported the court ruled the Canadian province of Ontario's law was unconstitutional. The claims emerged after the Supreme Court of Canada on March 27 junked an appeal challenging Ontario Bill 104, also known as the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act (archived links here, here and here). Enacted in 2021, the law designated an annual week in May during which "Ontarians are encouraged to educate themselves about, and to maintain their awareness of, the Tamil genocide and other genocides that have occurred in world history" (archived links here). Vijay Thanigasalam, a member of the Provincial Parliament who fled Sri Lanka during the decades-long civil war when he was a child, authored the bill (archived link). The South Asian island nation's drawn-out Tamil separatist war ended in May 2009. More than 40,000 people, mostly Tamil civilians, are estimated to have been killed by government forces in the final months of the war, an allegation Colombo has consistently denied. On March 24, 2025, the British government announced sanctions against Shavendra Silva, former head of Sri Lanka's armed forces, former navy commander Wasantha Karannagoda and former army commander Jagath Jayasuriya (archived link). The Foreign Office said the four were responsible for "serious human rights abuses and violations" during the war. Claims that Canada's highest court said no genocide occurred are . Misinterpreted ruling In its March 27 ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act (TGEWA) as constitutional, upholding a September 2024 decision from a provincial appeals court that said the law "constitutes a valid exercise of Ontario's powers" (archived links here and here). The appellate court said it was not asked to rule if genocide took place in Sri Lanka. "We are not being asked to decide whether the TGEWA is a wise use of government power. Our decision should not be interpreted as such," the court . "Nor are we being asked to decide if a genocide occurred in Sri Lanka. As the application judge emphasized, this case is not about whether a Tamil genocide occurred." The Sri Lankan Canadian Action Coalition said in a March 28, 2025 statement that it acknowledged the Canadian Supreme Court's ruling (archived link). "As the ruling itself clarifies, the Court was not asked to determine whether a genocide occurred in Sri Lanka," the said, adding that it remained "deeply concerned" about the decision's "broader implications for social cohesion in Ontario and ."
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Posts misrepresent Canadian ruling on Sri Lanka civil war remembrance bill
"Supreme Court of Canada says No Genocide in Sri Lanka and determined that the Bill 104 Tamil Genocide Education Week Act was not within Jurisdiction Education under Canada's Constitution," reads part of a Facebook post that Sri Lanka's retired army major general Chagie Gallage published March 29, 2025 (archived link). The post includes a screenshot of what appears to be a WhatsApp message linking to the Ontario Centre for Policy Research, which describes itself as a think tank (archived link). Similar claims spread elsewhere on Facebook. Local newspapers such as Ceylon Today and The Island Online, as well as several Sinhala-language outlets, also reported the court ruled the Canadian province of Ontario's law was unconstitutional. The claims emerged after the Supreme Court of Canada on March 27 junked an appeal challenging Ontario Bill 104, also known as the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act (archived links here, here and here). Enacted in 2021, the law designated an annual week in May during which "Ontarians are encouraged to educate themselves about, and to maintain their awareness of, the Tamil genocide and other genocides that have occurred in world history" (archived links here). Vijay Thanigasalam, a member of the Provincial Parliament who fled Sri Lanka during the decades-long civil war when he was a child, authored the bill (archived link). The South Asian island nation's drawn-out Tamil separatist war ended in May 2009. More than 40,000 people, mostly Tamil civilians, are estimated to have been killed by government forces in the final months of the war, an allegation Colombo has consistently denied. On March 24, 2025, the British government announced sanctions against Shavendra Silva, former head of Sri Lanka's armed forces, former navy commander Wasantha Karannagoda and former army commander Jagath Jayasuriya (archived link). The Foreign Office said the four were responsible for "serious human rights abuses and violations" during the war. Claims that Canada's highest court said no genocide occurred are false. "Based on the available material, there is no evidence to show that the Supreme Court of Canada has said anything about a genocide in (Sri Lanka)," said Kalana Senaratne, a senior lecturer in the University of Peradeniya's law department, in an April 11 email (archived link). In its March 27 ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act (TGEWA) as constitutional, upholding a September 2024 decision from a provincial appeals court that said the law "constitutes a valid exercise of Ontario's powers" (archived links here and here). The appellate court said it was not asked to rule if genocide took place in Sri Lanka. "We are not being asked to decide whether the TGEWA is a wise use of government power. Our decision should not be interpreted as such," the court wrote September 5, 2024. "Nor are we being asked to decide if a genocide occurred in Sri Lanka. As the application judge emphasized, this case is not about whether a Tamil genocide occurred." The Sri Lankan Canadian Action Coalition said in a March 28, 2025 statement that it acknowledged the Canadian Supreme Court's ruling (archived link). "As the ruling itself clarifies, the Court was not asked to determine whether a genocide occurred in Sri Lanka," the nonprofit said, adding that it remained "deeply concerned" about the decision's "broader implications for social cohesion in Ontario and beyond." Gehan Gunatilleke, an attorney specialising in international human rights law and a member of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, agreed (archived links here and here). "The (Supreme Court) appears to have dismissed the appeal, so that would mean the previous order of the Court of Appeal and the judgment of the lower court stand," he told AFP in an April 8 email. "This means the Tamil Genocide Week Act is held to be constitutional. The post that the (Supreme Court) made some statement about there being no genocide in Canada is false."
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seven new laws passed in Kansas, here's what they are
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Governor Laura Kelly gave her final approval this week on another bundle of bills from the Kansas Legislature which are set to become new laws in the near future. Kelly announced in a press release on Thursday, April 3 that she signed off on a number of bills that received support from both sides of the political aisle. The seven bills were described as being technical in nature with emphasis placed on streamlining and clarifying different items. 'I am always looking for ways to make our government more efficient for the people of Kansas,' Kelly said. 'I'm pleased to sign bills into law that do just that.' New 'blackout' style license plates may be coming to Kansas Senate Bill 104 – grants additional flexibility to the Shawnee County Board of County Commissioners to make a Citizens Commission on Local Government, giving local officials the discretion to create such a commission. Senate Bill 77 – streamlines processes by removing state agencies that no longer exist from Kansas Administrative Regulations and establishes standards for public notice for the repeal of certain regulations. Senate Bill 13 – reduces requirements for filings, registrations and licenses certain organizations and businesses must send in to the Kansas secretary of state. House Bill 2222 – requires ignition interlock device manufacturers to pay fees to the State of Kansas for the administration of the Ignition Interlock program. House Bill 2221 – transfers the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment fund from the Kansas Department of Corrections to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, allows for the more efficient administration of the program and easier access to services for Kansans. House Bill 2215 – modifies the definition of public-private partnership to increase the allowable cost-share limit for expenditures by the Kansas Department of Corrections on certain correctional institution construction projects. House Bill 2110 – facilitates the State 911 Board's transition to a state agency by establishing necessary budget funds and provides flexibility to ensure the agency can provide sufficient grant funding to public safety partners. Kansas gov. vetoes two bills, allows for three new laws For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
