Latest news with #SusanWalsh
Toronto Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
South Africa denies bending the rules to give Musk's Starlink preferential treatment
Published May 27, 2025 • 2 minute read Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition, March 9, 2020, in Washington. Photo by Susan Walsh / AP JOHANNESBURG — South Africa's minister of communications on Tuesday denied accusations that a draft policy watering down Black ownership requirements for tech firms was not proposed to benefit the Starlink business of white South African-born tech billionaire Elon Musk. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Under South African law, foreign-owned companies are required to sell 30% of their subsidiaries to shareholders who are Black, or from other racial groups disadvantaged under the apartheid system of white minority rule, in order to acquire a license. However, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi on Friday proposed easing the requirement, prompting criticism from various political parties. He put forward the directive days after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, when Trump made baseless claims that white South African farmers were being systematically killed. A senior lawmaker, Khusela Diko, questioned the timing of the directive and whether the country was bending over backwards to accommodate Musk's Starlink satellite telecoms business. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On Tuesday Malatsi appeared before Parliament in Cape Town to defend the move and denied suggestions it was introduced specifically for Starlink. Lawmakers questioned whether the directives were correctly opening up the playing field for foreign players or tampering with the government's economic empowerment agenda by catering to Starlink. Musk has repeatedly denounced the Black ownership laws and said on social media that Starlink wasn't able to get a license to operate in South Africa because he was white. South African authorities say Starlink hasn't formally applied. Malatsi said the regulations would allow for more than one new operator to enter the market, boosting competition. 'We are not attempting to open a special dispensation for Starlink or any other company or an individual,' Malatsi told lawmakers, adding that work on the policy direction started around September, and was not prompted by the recent meeting between Trump and Ramaphosa. 'There is no conspiracy on our part with regard to this policy direction,' said the minister. Stakeholders, industry players and the public have been given 30 days to send in submissions and provide comment before the framework is finalized. Olympics Music Canada Columnists Relationships
CBC
25-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Home support should be more accessible for aging residents, says seniors' advocate
Newfoundland and Labrador's seniors' advocate says the province needs to make changes to home support to make it more financially accessible. "In our province, even people on income support, who get home support free when they turn 65, they have to pay a co-pay," Susan Walsh told reporters last week. She added home support is completely free for people over 65 in other provinces. "We know there's many seniors who go ... into personal care homes because they can't afford the co-pay." Walsh recently released a report calling on the province to overhaul seniors' care in the province. Home support in Newfoundland and Labrador is available to those over 65, along with adults or children with disabilities or those who require end of life care, who require assistance with daily living. Walsh says changes need to be made to allow for more people to access care outside of those with a personal care need. She also believes changes could keep more people in their homes. "We have seniors who can't cook for themselves, who are unable to clean their homes, and they don't qualify if they can still bathe themselves, for example. That doesn't make any sense," Walsh said. "What does it take to keep people healthy and home? And that's the way we should be approaching home support." Speaking with reporters outside the House of Assembly on Thursday, Premier John Hogan told reporters allowing seniors to age in their homes is a priority of his government. "If we do manage to keep people at home, it keeps them out of personal care homes. It keeps them out of long-term care homes… it keeps them out of hospitals," Hogan said. Health Minister Krista Lynn Howell says the province is always seeking improvements but did commit to making support more financially accessible. "That's always something that we are working on doing and there are a number of factors that weigh into that," Howell said. "Right now, we've been able to offer significant supports to individuals who need that support in their homes, or in the agencies or personal care homes." However, any legislative change to seniors' care wouldn't happen until at least the fall, as the current House of Assembly sitting closed on Thursday.
CBC
21-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Seniors need better protection from personal care home rate increases, advocate says
Newfoundland and Labrador's seniors' advocate says steps need to be taken to protect seniors from skyrocketing personal care home rates. Susan Walsh highlighted the issue as one of eleven recommendations in a report issued Thursday, pitching the provincial government that seniors face uncertainty in care given how rates have increased. "We saw there a couple of years ago that the rates jumped by over 20 per cent, and there was a public outcry because people couldn't afford [it.] That can't happen, and should not happen," Walsh told reporters last week. "We know we have many seniors in this province who went into personal care homes understanding what their rate would be and then all of the sudden the rates go up. And they are like, 'What do I do now? Where do I go? I can't afford to pay.'" WATCH | Susan Walsh says seniors can't afford their personal care home rates: Seniors' advocate calls for protections against skyrocketing personal care home rates 37 minutes ago Duration 2:00 Walsh's report, which called for a new governance structure surrounding the care of seniors in Newfoundland and Labrador, recommended rental rates for personal care homes not increase more than once a year, and that increases shouldn't exceed the rate of inflation. Residents should also receive no less than four months written notice prior to an increase, she added. "There should be a structured plan whereby the rate is increased to what the system can, you know, accept," Walsh said. Speaking at a housing event on Friday, Seniors Minister John Abbott said the recommendation was discussed as part of a meeting with Walsh following the report's release. He agreed that rising rates are a problem — especially because seniors often have to carefully budget for where they can live. "That's one of the issues, and issues like that, that I want to bring to the cabinet committee on seniors," Abbott said. "What are some best practices? What can we do? And what should we do? So, this is a very live issue and we just got to get working on it." Health Minister Krista Lynn Howell also spoke to the report last week, saying Walsh's recommendation to develop continuum of care legislation and operational standards for personal care homes is underway within government. However, changes aren't expected to be revealed this spring. Walsh's report also called on the province to move senior care from the responsibility of the Department of Health and Community Services to the Department of Seniors. Abbott said the department's mandate is still being finalized, but said he and Howell would be working closely together.
CBC
21-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Seniors' advocate calls for protections against skyrocketing personal care home rates
Newfoundland and Labrador's seniors' advocate is calling for changes to protect seniors from personal care home rate increases. Provincial government ministers agree seniors' care must be reformed, but as the CBC's Mark Quinn reports, they haven't yet committed to following Susan Walsh's recommendations.
CBC
20-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Seniors' Advocate calls for creation of caregivers' network
The Seniors' Advocate says Newfoundland and Labrador's long-term care and personal care home system is broken, and needs a full redesign. As the CBC's Mark Quinn reports, one of Susan Walsh's recommendations is the creation of a caregivers' network.
