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Toronto Star
20-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
Eby terminates Downtown Eastside consultancy contract that came under fire
British Columbia Premier David Eby has terminated a consultancy contract to improve conditions in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside that came under fire from critics, who called it a political favour that lacked transparency. Eby's office said in a statement on Tuesday that the debate about Michael Bryant's contract had become a distraction from work to improve the neighbourhood. It said the contract with the consulting company owned by Bryant — a former CEO of Legal Aid BC and Ontario attorney general — ended on Sunday, and Eby later clarified that it was his decision. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'We have a shared dedication towards improving conditions in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and thank him for his work to this point,' the statement said. 'However, debate and discussion around this time-limited contract is distracting from the important work underway.' The statement said the government remained committed to making life better for people who live in the neighbourhood. In a news briefing in Vancouver, Eby said Bryant would receive no severance and he had been paid up to Sunday, an amount in the neighbourhood of $75,000. He said he did not know the circumstances behind the end Bryant's role at Legal Aid BC, which the Opposition B.C. Conservatives have said 'ended abruptly' last year. Eby said his relationship with Bryant began in his Legal Aid BC role, when Eby was attorney general. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Conservatives have attacked Bryant's contract, saying no reporting benchmarks have been disclosed or met. The contract instructing Bryant to develop a 'framework' for co-ordinating services in the neighbourhood was worth up to $325,000, including $25,000 in expenses. Opposition Leader John Rustad said the government had hired Bryant without announcing the contract first, then got rid off him after being caught 'red-handed.' Rustad said the situation showed the 'arrogance of David Eby, thinking that he could just hire anybody he wants, friends, relatives, and get away with it.' He said the hiring and firing of Bryant showed a 'pattern of disrespect' to the public from a government acting without transparency. Rustad said Bryant would not have made any 'difference one way or another' to the problems of the Downtown Eastside. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Shelia Malcolmson has blamed a 'communication problem' between her ministry and the Premier's Office for not having announced Bryant's appointment earlier. Opposition MLA Trevor Halford said last week of Bryant's contract that there were 'no public deliverables, no transparency, and no justification for why this appointment wasn't disclosed.' The contract with Bryant's company, the Humilitas Group, is dated February 12. It says the company is to engage with government and non-government sectors to align Downtown Eastside services with provincial policy objectives. It also says the company is to support development and implementation of 'operational frameworks to address systemic challenges in the DTES.' The contract says the government wishes for a framework to support improvements for the people, public spaces, infrastructure, health care and housing of the DTES. But it says 'the parties acknowledge that the contractor does not warrant that these outcomes will be achieved.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2025.
Borneo Post
03-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Premier: Sarawak ‘open for business' with long-term growth vision
Abang Johari (left) gestures as he speaks during the forum. – Premier's Office photo KUCHING (May 3): Sarawak is now 'open for business', brimming with opportunities that promise mutual benefits for both investors and the state, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. 'What I want to emphasise is that Sarawak has immense potential for future growth. We have stability, and we have a rational populace. 'We also have a clear roadmap with policies that remain consistent regardless of who holds the Premier's Office, extending even beyond 2030,' he said during a Fireside Chat moderated by Lord Jonathan Marland in conjunction with the Sarawak Connect London 2025 Forum yesterday. During the forum, Abang Johari shared his vision for Sarawak's development and called for global collaboration in shaping the state's future, according to a report shared on the Sarawakku Facebook page. The Premier said that with a long-term development plan charted up to 2035, Sarawak is well positioned for sustainable investment. He pointed out that Sarawak seeks strategic partnerships to accelerate innovation, technology adoption and green investment in renewable energy and carbon storage initiatives. 'If you can answer three questions positively – Is there risk? Can you generate profit? Is it sustainable? – then Sarawak is the right place for you,' he assured. Abang Johari said Sarawak has a stable government, long-term vision and openness to international partners, hoping that the visit to London would unlock new opportunities, benefiting both investors and the people of Sarawak. Organised by the state Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment (MINTRED), the Sarawak Connect 2025 Forum convened key UK investors and business communities to explore collaborative ventures. Earlier, Deputy Premier and Minister for MINTRED Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan also spoke at the forum. Among those present were Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki as well as deputy ministers and senior government officials.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ontario's Doug Ford slaps 25% surcharge on US electricity exports in response to Trump tariff threat
Canada's Ontario province slapped a 25% tax on electricity exports to 3 US states, its premier said. It will affect 1.5 million households and companies in Michigan, Minnesota, and New York. Premier Doug Ford said: "Ontario doesn't want this trade war, but we won't back down until it's over." Ontario's premier responded to President Donald Trump's tariff threat by imposing a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to three US states on Monday. The surcharge will affect 1.5 million households and companies in Michigan, Minnesota, and New York, according to a statement from the office of Ontario's Premier. The move is expected to generate as much as $278,000 a day while costing US consumers the same amount. "Until the threat of tariffs is gone for good, Ontario won't back down," Doug Ford said. "We'll stand strong, use every tool in our toolkit, and do whatever it takes to protect Ontario." Ford went further at a press conference in Toronto on Monday, warning: "If the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely." However, the move is somewhat symbolic as New York state obtained less than 5% of its power from Canada in 2023, with Minnesota and Michigan importing even less, Bloomberg reported. Ontario exported 14.6, 14.2 and 12 terawatt hours of electricity to the US between 2021 and 2023, the premier's office said. Earlier this month Trump announced tariffs of 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico, before delaying their imposition by a month. Canada retaliated by imposing 25% tariffs on several US products, initially targeting $30 billion worth of US goods. Unless Trump's tariffs are withdrawn, those tariffs are set to expand to $125 billion in 21 days. Economic uncertainty has rattled financial markets, with Wall Street plunging on Monday after Trump refused to rule out a recession, saying the US is in "a period of transition" in a Sunday interview on Fox News. Ford criticized Trump's tariffs as harmful to US consumers and businesses. "President Trump's tariffs are a disaster for the US economy. They're making life more expensive for American families and businesses," he said. "Ontario doesn't want this trade war, but we won't back down until it's over," Ford said in an X post on Monday. Ontario's Premier's Office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider
