Latest news with #Bill21
Montreal Gazette
14-07-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Libman: Quebec remains in Carney's corner, but danger lies ahead
It's been over two months since Mark Carney was elected as our Captain Canada. Most voters felt he was best suited to navigate us through the turbulent waters churned by one very unpredictable U.S. president, with difficult trade negotiations ahead and recurring threats about our sovereignty. Many today would likely agree that he has been earning the confidence granted to him by voters. Carney seems to possess the right temperament and has shown, at least so far, that he can skilfully manoeuvre, plus choose the right words, in the difficult balancing act of dealing with Donald Trump's volatility. Carney's popularity has particularly solidified in Quebec. Despite him being considered an outsider, raised in Edmonton, his Liberals surprisingly dominated this province in the election, with their best result in 45 years. A June 28 Léger poll shows confidence in him has grown, with 58 per cent of Quebecers satisfied with his government. Surprisingly, that number hits 60 per cent among voters of the separatist Parti Québécois and Bloc Québécois. Carney has also bolstered his inner circle with prominent Quebec heavyweights, including Michael Sabia — one of Quebec's most respected business leaders — as incoming clerk of the Privy Council, the head of public service. Marc-André Blanchard, a Montreal lawyer and former ambassador to the United Nations, is his new chief of staff. He named François-Philippe Champagne as finance minister, Mélanie Joly as industry minister, and former MP and justice minister David Lametti as his principal secretary. Premier François Legault, who has been somewhat of a cheerleader for Carney, said after the election that ' Mr. Carney owes one to Quebecers. ' He's delivered so far. But rocky waters lie ahead. While Carney and his inner circle have economic heft and credibility to make the case to Quebecers regarding issues including trade, supply management and pipelines, how will they manage the perilous issues of identity and language? With cases on secularism law Bill 21 and language law Bill 96 winding their way toward the Supreme Court, nationalist opinion leaders who have been rueing Carney's popularity in Quebec are waiting to pounce. Carney has said if these Quebec laws were tested before the Supreme Court, his government would defend the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and intervene. Nationalist Quebecers jumped, as did ministers from the Coalition Avenir Québec government. Carney has been evasive since, suggesting it's the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause — used to shield these laws from most of the charter — that his government would contest, not necessarily the substance of the laws themselves, which many believe clearly infringe on minority and linguistic rights. When push comes to shove, what will Carney do? His Quebec inner circle will undoubtedly want him to avoid riling up the nationalist hornets' nest at all costs. Will he thus completely reverse course and decide not to intervene in these cases, throwing minorities overboard? Another scenario, as he already hinted, would be to formulate opposition to the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause in general — perhaps establishing a more rigorous framework while referring to its uses in Ontario and elsewhere, steering clear of the substance of the Quebec laws. Or maybe he could show some genuine leadership and prowess. Is it too much to expect for our prime minister — while affirming that Quebec values such as secularism and protecting French are important — to argue that the laws in question go too far? Most Quebecers respect Carney, seem willing to listen to him and are receptive to strong leadership and reason. If he is capable enough to navigate his way around the tempestuousness of Donald Trump, steering through the upcoming nationalist storm over his government's intervention in these court challenges should be relatively easy — and an important leadership test of Captain Canada. Robert Libman is an architect and planning consultant who has served as Equality Party leader and MNA, mayor of Côte-St-Luc and a member of the Montreal executive committee. He was a Conservative candidate in the 2015 federal election.
Montreal Gazette
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec report reveals Dawson student admitted to writing messages in private social media group
News A Quebec government report into tensions at two Montreal colleges has revealed new details about hateful messages posted in a social media group, singling out a Dawson student as one of the 'main participants.' The report, published Friday by Quebec's Ministry of Higher Education, noted Dawson CEGEP received an anonymous email on May 9 containing screenshots from a 'social media sharing group' involving students from several institutions. The messages were described in the report as 'hateful, antisemitic, racist, and threatening to various groups.' While the platform is not named in the report, The Gazette understands the group operated on Discord and was known as Med serveur, a private channel for aspiring medical students with more than 1,400 members before it was shut down in May after the messages surfaced. According to the report, Dawson took 'swift action' in response to the anonymous complaint. 'The articles concerning the student were removed from the College's website and a meeting was arranged with the student,' the report observed, alluding to previous unrelated Dawson announcements about the individual. 'During this meeting, he confirmed that he was the author of the messages and provided certain explanations.' The student in question has declined to be interviewed by The Gazette. The report adds while 'some comments are deemed inappropriate,' they did not constitute incitement to 'violence.' Part of the section concerning the student was redacted. It remains unclear what disciplinary measures, if any, were taken. In a statement earlier this year, Dawson confirmed it had completed its internal investigation, but could not disclose the outcome because of student privacy laws. 'We had no awareness of this group before the complaint,' Donna Varrica, Dawson's director of communications, wrote in an email. 'It would be impossible to monitor the use of all social media platforms among a population of nearly 10,000 Dawson students.' The report acknowledges the student's posts would have violated the college's Code of Conduct if they were made in an academic context or explicitly linked to the institution. 'The decision to intervene is difficult,' the report stated, 'because institutions do not have control over everything that is published on the internet. Their only leverage … is when the College's identification (official name) is included in the publication.' The case was part of a broader government investigation into tensions at English-language CEGEPs following the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war. The report, which also reviewed Vanier College, raised concerns about political student groups and the presence of prayer spaces. It recommends clearer guidelines on academic freedom and stricter enforcement of Quebec's secularism law, known as Bill 21. This story was originally published June 28, 2025 at 2:44 PM.
Montreal Gazette
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Drimonis: Drainville says he's fighting for students. School cuts say otherwise
The Coalition Avenir Québec government has repeatedly stated over the past seven years that education is a priority for them, yet it's often been hard to reconcile that rhetoric with the reality on the ground. In the latest blow, Quebec's English school boards and French school service centres were told to slash at least $570 million (some school officials estimate it could be closer to $1 billion) from their budgets. This is in addition to $200 million in budget cuts announced earlier in the school year, which will undoubtedly affect the quality and availability of student services, meal programs, renovations and staff hirings. Even services for students with learning difficulties won't be spared. While school boards, service centres, teachers and parents were busy denouncing the cuts last week, part of the ceiling of a Quebec City elementary school collapsed, poetically representative of the breakdown of our educational system. Quebec's two major education unions, the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ) and the Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE), are decrying the cuts and Education Minister Bernard Drainville's lack of leadership, saying confidence in him 'has been seriously undermined.' The FAE is even calling for Drainville to resign from his post. In response, Drainville lashed out at the FAE, stating on X that he has 'no lessons to learn from a union that deprived our children of school during a five-week strike and that uses its members' money to challenge the government's secularism law.' Two things should be made abundantly clear here. First, teachers' unions have a constitutionally protected right to go on strike and fight for better working conditions, fair salaries and improved resources for students. Quebec teachers do a hard job under increasingly difficult circumstances in a province where teachers' salaries are among the lowest in the country. Their criticism of Drainville's performance isn't invalid because they went on strike. Secondly, the FAE, which represents more than 66,500 teachers across seven Quebec regions, said it joined the fight against Bill 21 in large part because it opposes the government's flippant use of the notwithstanding clause to violate Quebecers' rights. The FAE isn't there to do the minister's bidding or toe any specific government line. Just like the English Montreal School Board, it has not only the right but the obligation to fight against legislation that may compromise students' and teachers' rights and freedoms. It's been tough to watch the CAQ government's unwillingness to acknowledge these cuts are full-blown austerity measures that will affect our educational system and school infrastructure for years to come. That they come on the heels of shocking reports about government financial mismanagement in the SAAQclic and Northvolt portfolios isn't lost on many frustrated Quebecers. Drainville concluded his online post by defiantly stating: 'Schools exist for our children, our students. It is for them that I fight every day.' What kind of fight involves slashing close to $800 million from school budgets to make up for a government's shortfalls while insisting it won't have a significant impact on students or the quality of education they receive? 'Yes, difficult choices will have to be made,' Drainville told reporters last week, 'but the goal is to protect student services as much as possible.' It will not be possible. You can't slash budgets and maintain the same level of services. The CAQ knows this. Back in 2018, François Legault stated: 'We cannot cut education. ... We cannot achieve a balanced budget at the expense of children with learning difficulties.' Seven years later, you apparently can. It takes a lot of brazenness to declare you're fighting for Quebec students while demanding administrators and teachers make 'difficult choices' to find the money to pay for the government's horrendously bad moves in the past few years. If that's Drainville fighting for our kids, I'd hate to see him in action if he chose to fight against them.
Arabian Post
22-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Texas Carves Out Public Bitcoin Reserve
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has enacted Senate Bill 21, empowering the creation of the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, making it the third US state to legislate a formal Bitcoin reserve following Arizona and New Hampshire. For the first time among its peers, Texas will finance this dedicated fund with public money, distinguishing it from Arizona's and New Hampshire's models. Under the terms of SB 21, the reserve will operate independently of Texas's treasury and be managed by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, guided by an advisory committee of crypto investment professionals. Only assets with an average market capitalisation exceeding US $500 billion over two years qualify for inclusion—Bitcoin currently stands alone in meeting that benchmark. The fund's flexibility extends to growth through forks, airdrops, investment returns and public donations, with biennial public disclosures required. Companion legislation, House Bill 4488, shields the reserve from routine transfer into the general revenue fund and ensures its legal continuity regardless of whether it holds Bitcoin by summer 2025. The Senate passed SB 21 by 25 votes to 5, and the House by 9 to 4; the law will take effect on 1 September 2025. ADVERTISEMENT Proponents frame the reserve as a strategic hedge against inflation and economic volatility, aligning with Texas's broader approach to diversify its assets. Senator Charles Schwertner, the bill's author, observed that if the state can invest in gold or land, it should also have the option to invest in Bitcoin—'the best-performing asset of the last 10 years'. Governor Abbott has been a vocal supporter of cryptocurrency integration, remarking last year that Texas was already home to crypto mining and 'should become the crypto capital'. The inclusion of a state fund aligns with his pro-crypto stance and the passage of HB 4488, which he signed shortly after, enhances the law's stability. Texas's approach diverges notably from Arizona and New Hampshire. Arizona's law permits establishment of a reserve but prohibits spending public funds on asset purchases, whereas New Hampshire enables investment through the treasury—but neither allocates separate, publicly funded funds. By committing public funds and creating a segregated structure, Texas establishes a more robust and intentional framework. Financial analysts and policymakers have reacted with a mixture of cautious interest and concern. While some view the move as a progressive diversification strategy, sceptics warn of Bitcoin's price volatility and uncertain long-term value. Reports from the European Central Bank and ECB president have criticised similar shifts by US governments, saying they could undermine monetary sovereignty and disrupt digital euro initiatives. Meanwhile, a February 2025 University of Chicago economist survey found no consensus that borrowing to fund a crypto reserve would be beneficial. Globally, the action has prompted varied governmental responses. Belarus has emphasised crypto mining; South Korea and Switzerland have explicitly rejected adding Bitcoin to central reserves, citing volatility; India has announced it is reassessing its crypto stance in light of global shifts. The legislative milestone occurs amid mounting institutional interest in Bitcoin. Public companies such as MicroStrategy, Marathon Digital and Tesla continue to invest heavily, contributing to a surge in corporate holdings—more than 819,000 BTC held across 223 firms, representing nearly 3.9 per cent of total supply. Notable large-scale investments have included Paris-listed The Blockchain Group's purchase of 182 BTC for US $19.6 million, and Nakamoto Holdings securing US $51.5 million via PIPE funding for further Bitcoin acquisitions.
Hamilton Spectator
12-06-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Putting the spotlight on the agri-food sector for Local Food Week
Ontario celebrated local food and agriculture this past week, protecting the industry, which is at the top of mind, and ensuring a 'strong, self-sufficient food supply chain.' From June 2-8, the province highlighted the nearly $51 billion local agriculture and food industry. Minister of Agriculture Trevor Jones told The Observer that the Foodland Ontario brand is as recognizable as ever. 'We're talking about 85 percent of consumers who recognize the logo and that jingle (good things grow in Ontario), which is good because it is a small marketing investment for huge impact.' He added that the local food week is a chance for consumers to appreciate the 48,000 farms and 5,200 food processors and manufacturers that provide more than 200 different products grown in Ontario. 'Agriculture has always been the bedrock for the economy. It's $51 billion of our economic might through the agriculture and food industry, and a lot of it is exported to the U.S. and worldwide,' said Jones 'Local Food Week, it's the time to kind of laser focus on what our brand is. 'What is Grown in Ontario or made in Ontario?' And to me, it's like it is the global standard for trust and excellence.' The backdrop of tariffs and uncertainty due to the Trump administration has created a newfound patriotism, said Jones, adding the province is watching to see if that shows up at the cash register. There has been a four per cent increase in Canadian goods since January when President Trump was sworn in. Jones noted that may seem inconsequential, but grocery stores rarely see deviations of more than one or two per cent. 'Four per cent is huge as an uptick in people who are consciously looking to buy Ontario and Canada. So, all the little tags, in the low-cost marketing like a maple leaf beside a product, or the Foodland Ontario symbol, people taking steps to buy, that it's having a little bit of disruption, in a positive way, to the marketplace.' The success and further support for the local industry have made the local food week essential to promote the protection of Ontario's agriculture and food industry. Jones likened investing hundreds of millions in risk management tools that give farmers a safeguard in case of an emergency to strategically funding various other sectors, like technology and workforce development. Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) president Drew Spoelstra recently wrote that Local Food Week is also the ideal time to discuss what goes into producing Ontario's many products. 'Local Food Week is also a time to think about what goes into bringing all these fabulous food and farm products to market,' said Spoelstra in a release. 'At the root of it all – pardon the pun – is our farmland. We're lucky to have a lot of it here in Ontario, and it's some of the best in the world, but it's also a critical resource that's under threat.' Guelph MPP and Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner and independent MPP Bobbi Ann Brady recently put forward Bill 21, the Protect Our Food Act. The bill, which proposes a Foodbelt akin to the Greenbelt, would establish the Foodbelt Protection Plan Advisory Committee. The OFA urged all levels of government to use a respectful and balanced land use and plan for a future that keeps local farms thriving while still meeting the growing goals of the country. Sara Wood, an OFA vice president, touched on the importance of preserving a key resource. 'Protecting farmland is a way to ensure that Ontarians and Canadians have food sovereignty. We're one of the very few countries in the world that has food sovereignty and produces enough food to export to other countries that aren't available,' said Wood. 'Local Food Week is a great opportunity to remember that if we continue to pave over farmland and don't preserve farmland, our ability to feed ourselves might not always be there.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
