Latest news with #francophone
CBC
4 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
'Leading and dividing New Brunswick': New book explores Blaine Higgs's legacy
Blaine Higgs "broke an all-time record" for low levels of support in New Brunswick's francophone ridings in both 2020 and 2024, says Gabriel Arsenault, a Université de Moncton political science professor. Though it may have worked in the short term — Higgs was re-elected premier in 2020 — "in the long term that's not a winnable strategy," said Arsenault, editor of a new book of scholarship on Higgs's legacy. Higgs led the Progressive Conservatives to defeat and lost his own seat in October 2024, when Susan Holt and the Liberals won a majority in the legislature. Arsenault is the editor of The Higgs Years: Leading and Dividing New Brunswick, a collection of 15 essays by academics across Canada who looked back at Higgs's time as premier and his leadership. Arsenault said that the book can also shed light on the most recent federal election because many of the things that led to Higgs downfall were paralleled federally. The book is not only important to New Brunswickers but also to people across the country, Arsenault said, since "New Brunswick is in many ways a microcosm of Canada." New Brunswick is in many ways a microcosm of Canada. - Gabriel Arsenault In the most recent federal election, the Conservative Party would also have won "if it weren't for Quebec," according to Arsenault, because "Quebecers massively voted for the Liberal Party and that really cost him the election." When he was first elected premier, in 2019, Higgs's main promise was to balance the books, Arsenault said: "He was very motivated about that issue and he arguably won the election in 2018 because of that issue." On this front, Higgs was successful every year, even during the pandemic. "It was the only jurisdiction in Canada to do so and, even abroad, I would be hard-pressed to find another jurisdiction who managed to do a surplus during the COVID years." One of Higgs's biggest problems, Arsenault said, was that he tried to appease both sides of a coin but actually remained highly divisive. To manage the province's response to the pandemic, Higgs put together a committee that included the leaders of all parties in the legislature, including those with political views quite different from his own. At the time, Higgs's approval rating "was around 90 per cent," Arsenault said, "which is absolutely phenomenal in a democracy.", This flipped entirely in his second term, when Higgs began to face opposition from his own caucus, and eight of his cabinet ministers stepped down. Arsenault also said that the financial surplus during COVID was not completely due to policy decisions because huge numbers of people were immigrating to New Brunswick from urban centres at the time. "Housing is cheaper in New Brunswick and a lot of people from Ontario moved to New Brunswick, bringing with them their income, their money," Arsenault said. But even if he could claim progress with the province's finances and economy, Higgs was divisive in many ways, said Arsenault, pointing to a French-English divide, the government's relationship with Indigenous peoples, and Policy 713, the province's gender-identity policy for schools. This divisiveness was one of Higgs's biggest problems, and it even caused instability within his own party. Higgs underestimated the number of party members who "are 'small c' conservatives," and "think they have a responsibility to defend minorities." Arsenault said the book is a balanced look at Higgs's legacy. He also said that to form a majority government, the Progressive Conservative Party usually needs to be more moderate or centrist than the Higgs government was.
Daily News Egypt
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Jeune Afrique names Egypt in top 3 of best-performing nations in Africa
Egypt, with an overall score of 49.91 out of 100, has secured a position within the top three best-performing countries in Africa, alongside Morocco (49.17), in a new exclusive ranking by Jeune Afrique. South Africa leads the list of 20 nations with an overall score of 64.79. The ranking was developed by the Jeune Afrique Media Group, through its Jeune Afrique Intelligence Unit, using a unique methodology focusing on governance, innovation, and influence. South Africa tops the ranking with a comfortable lead, its score driven by its industrial power, active diplomacy, high-quality infrastructure, innovation capacity, and an internationally recognised education system. The country ranks first in two of the three analysed dimensions: influence (contributing 16.92 points to its overall score) and innovation (contributing 19.53 points). Its governance dimension contributed 28.33 points. Egypt's second-place performance included a governance score of 23.33, an influence score of 12.04, and an innovation score of 14.53. Morocco, in third, received 27.50 for governance, 9.82 for influence, and 11.85 for innovation. The strategic overview, published by Jeune Afrique following its November list of the 30 most attractive African cities, aims to highlight countries building resilient development trajectories. 'This ranking highlights countries that, beyond short-term crises, are successfully building resilient development trajectories,' said Amir Ben Yahmed, CEO of Jeune Afrique Media Group. 'It's not just about measuring a country's wealth or size, but its ability to achieve sustainable performance across all dimensions.' Beyond the leading trio, the vitality of the anglophone bloc is confirmed, with Botswana (overall score 46.15, including a strong governance contribution of 36.67 points) positioned at 4th. Kenya followed at 5th (45.36), with Mauritius at 6th (43.75). Ethiopia ranked 7th (43.71), Tanzania 8th (43.56, with a governance score of 33.33), and Nigeria 9th (43.14, including an innovation contribution of 13.63 points). Some countries, like Kenya and Ethiopia, benefit from the performance of flagship companies (such as Safaricom and Ethiopian Airlines), a booming digital ecosystem, and a strong geostrategic role. Others, such as Mauritius (governance contribution 32.50) and Botswana, capitalise on institutional stability and economic attractiveness. On the Francophone side, the ranking surprises by the low representation of several economically significant countries. Algeria, for example, is ranked 19th with an overall score of 39.70 (governance 26.25, influence 5.42, innovation 8.04), and Mauritania does not appear in the top 20. After Mauritius, Côte d'Ivoire (10th, overall 42.72; governance 32.50, influence 3.24, innovation 6.97), Tunisia (12th, overall 42.44; governance 24.17, influence 7.30, innovation 10.97), and Senegal (13th, overall 41.39; governance 30.83, influence 4.90, innovation 5.65) achieve the highest scores among francophone countries. While these nations show strong performance in governance and innovation, their international influence still needs to be strengthened, according to the report. The ranking also gives prominence to island nations and low-population countries such as Namibia (15th, overall 40.90), Cape Verde (16th, overall 40.58), and Seychelles (17th, overall 39.91). Seychelles notably achieved the highest governance score in the ranking, contributing 37.08 points to its total. These relatively stable, democratic, and well-governed states leverage their image, diplomacy, and roles as tourism and financial hubs to maximise their influence. Departing from traditional GDP-centric approaches, Jeune Afrique's ranking offers a renewed analytical framework of the continent by deploying a broader methodology. This approach is structured around 25 indicators, grouped into three dimensions, with scores for each dimension weighted to contribute to an overall score out of 100:
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
New Brunswick government to spend $7.35 million on next phase of CCNB renewal project
The Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) is receiving $7.35 million to support the next phase of its Bathurst campus renewal project. 'The contributions CCNB makes to advance New Brunswick are immeasurable, and we are proud to support their efforts to innovate, develop a skilled and agile workforce and build communities,' Jean-Claude D'Amours, acting minister of post-secondary education, training and labour said in a news release. 'This project is consequential for the community, the province and our post-secondary education sector, and we are thrilled to support it.' The money will be provided by the department as part of the 2025-26 budget. The government first announced funding for the initial phase of the project in December 2023. 'This marks another key milestone made possible by the dedication of our teams and valued partners,' said Pierre Zundel, president and CEO of CCNB. 'As we move toward the official opening, our commitment remains stronger than ever; we're focused on delivering training and applied research that shape bright futures and strengthen New Brunswick's francophone communities for generations to come.' A new building on du Collège Street will replace a current building on Youghall Drive as part of the college's plan, as well as modernizing an existing building on du Collège Street, which opened in 1916. CCNB has five campuses and offers nearly 80 programs grouped in seven schools that aim to help meet the needs of the province's labour market. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
National Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Quebec's proposed French-language quotas for streaming giants could spark a constitutional battle
OTTAWA — The Quebec government wants major digital platforms to emphasize and boost access to francophone content and is ready to penalize them if they don't oblige. Article content Article content And it could set up a constitutional battle with the federal government. Article content When the Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications Mathieu Lacombe outlined his government's intentions regarding the streaming giants earlier this week, Peter Menzies thought: 'Oh boy, here we go.' Article content Article content The former vice chair of Telecommunications at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) saw the province —again — acting and asserting powers over what seems to be a federal jurisdiction. Article content Article content Bill 109 would allow the government to set quotas for francophone content such as music, films and television series on streaming platforms like Netflix, Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. Article content 'We can't choose something that isn't offered to us. We can't like something we don't know,' Lacombe said earlier this week. Article content 'Access to our culture, to films, to TV series, to songs in French, it must be easy, it must be simple when we're in Quebec,' he added. Article content If Bill 109 is passed, it would establish the 'quantity or proportion' of original French-language content that must be offered on digital platforms with a default French-language interface. It would also enshrine the right of access to French-language cultural content in the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. Article content Lacombe's argument is based on data that isn't very encouraging for Quebec's cultural sector. Citing government data, Lacombe claims that 92 per cent of young people have difficulty identifying French-language cultural goods available on online platforms. Article content Of the 10,000 most-streamed songs in Quebec in 2023, only five per cent were French-language titles from the province. Not so long ago, in the era of compact discs, Lacombe said, one in two sales was by a Quebec artist. Currently, among the 50 most-streamed songs online in Quebec, there is only one song in French. Article content 'The challenges facing our cultural businesses are numerous, from audience renewal to ensuring adequate funding,' said Eve Paré, the executive director for l'Adisq, an association representing more than 200 companies in the music industry. Article content 'This is a clear symbol that the Quebec government has taken note of the situation prevailing in our industry,' she added. Article content So the government is adopting a firm approach, including quotas. Lacombe wouldn't say what they were, but they would be determined through regulations. If the law is not respected, individuals and companies could face administrative sanctions up to $15,000 and criminal sanctions up to $300,000.
National Post
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
Quebec to set French-language content quotas on streaming platforms
QUEBEC — The Quebec government has tabled a bill to force streaming giants such as Netflix and Spotify to boost access to French-language content. Article content Article content The bill would allow the government to set quotas for francophone music, films and television series on streaming platforms. It would also require platforms to ensure francophone content is more prominent and easier for consumers to find. Article content Article content Quebec Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe described the bill on Wednesday as an attempt to preserve a francophone culture that is increasingly threatened by the streaming giants. Article content Article content 'We can't choose something that isn't offered to us. We can't like something we don't know,' he told reporters at a press conference in Quebec City. 'And access to our culture, to films, to TV series, to songs in French, it must be easy, it must be simple when we're in Quebec.' Article content He said that of the 10,000 most-streamed songs in Quebec in 2023, only five per cent were French-language titles from the province. Article content The legislation, tabled Wednesday morning in the provincial legislature, would enshrine in the Quebec charter of human rights and freedoms the right to access French-language cultural content. Article content It would also allow the government to establish the 'quantity or proportion' of original French-language content that must be offered on digital platforms. Lacombe said those quotas would be determined through regulations, and refused to say how much francophone content Quebec would like to see. Article content Article content Companies would face fines if they fail to comply with the new rules. Article content Article content The bill would also require digital platforms to register with the Quebec government and ensure their default interface is in French. However, it would not apply to digital platforms whose main purpose is to offer Indigenous content. Article content He said he hopes the bill will encourage the digital giants to spend more in Quebec. 'I would be very happy to see that,' he said. 'There are two sources of supply for companies like Netflix, like Disney, like Amazon Prime: they can buy the rights to series that have already been produced … or they can order original material.'
