Latest news with #lockdowns
CBC
5 days ago
- General
- CBC
Conditions at Windsor-area jail are leading to reduced sentences
Overcrowding and lockdowns at the South West Detention Centre are resulting in inmates receiving more credit for time served, according to legal professionals in Windsor. CBC's Jennifer La Grassa investigated and spoke with lawyer Patricia Brown.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Working from home not to blame for dip in productivity, Australian report says
The national shift to working from home is not to blame for the sharp drop in productivity in the wake of the pandemic, the Productivity Commission says. A new report by the PC examines causes for the brief productivity 'bubble' during the height of the Covid-19 health crisis and its subsequent collapse, finding that the whiplash was driven in large part by the sharp drop in working hours through the lockdowns, followed by a surge in hours worked as the economy roared back to life. Alex Robson, the PC's deputy chair, said the 'pandemic was a rollercoaster for productivity, but we are now back to the stagnant status quo'. The PC report finds that Covid-19 did not fundamentally alter the country's productivity, including one of the lasting societal shifts: the big lift in Australians working from home. Before the pandemic, 11% of working age Australians reported they worked from home at least once a week, and a similar proportion said they worked from home on all or most days of the week. During lockdowns in September, a lower 9% worked from home at least once a week, but the share working most or all days at home had jumped to 31%. By April 2022, most restrictions had been lifted, leaving a higher 18% working at least one day at home, and 27% most or all days. And in August last year, an Australian Bureau of Statistics survey showed 36% of employed Australians reported they usually worked from home. Despite fears that workers would slack off at home, the PC report said the research suggested hybrid working had not dragged on productivity, although 'studies suggest that fully remote work during the pandemic was likely to be detrimental to productivity'. 'Workers do not need to be in the office full-time to experience the benefits of in-person interactions. As a result, hybrid work (working some days remotely and some days in the office) tends to be beneficial to productivity, or at least, is not detrimental to productivity,' the report said. Studies show working from home lifts job satisfaction, and that employees were willing to sacrifice 7-8% of their pay in return for the additional flexibility and to avoid long commutes, the PC said. 'Remote work also reduces breaks and sick-days, and results in less distractions, all of which are typically found to be beneficial for productivity.' Less experienced workers, however, could lose out by not having in-person access to more skilled colleagues, the report said. Reinvigorating the economy's flagging dynamism is a priority for the newly reelected Albanese government, after Labor's first three years back in power were dominated by a once-in-a-generation surge in consumer prices. In a speech to the Australian Business Economists on Wednesday, Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy said 'finding ways to improve productivity growth has proved elusive over the past two decades'. 'Australia's 20-year average productivity growth has declined from 1.8% to 0.8% over that period,' Kennedy said. Kennedy said the government's competition reforms, including a $900m federal fund to incentivise states and territories to undertake pro-competition reforms, and removing state-based licensing requirements for skilled workers such as electricians were steps in the right direction. 'Pursuing a least-cost approach to reducing emissions will be a key productivity challenge for Australia,' he said, as he backed expanding the safeguard mechanism, which sets baseline carbon emissions targets for the country's biggest emitters.
CBC
6 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Overcrowding, lockdowns inside this Windsor-area jail are so persistent, it's leading to reduced sentences
Overcrowding and frequent lockdowns due to short staffing: These are some of the conditions at the South West Detention Centre that led to a lighter sentence of a Windsor man charged with gun trafficking. In March, Lawrence Davis was sentenced to seven years in jail after he was found guilty on gun-related charges. Davis was charged in December 2021 after he got into an argument with a man in a vehicle at a parking lot near Tecumseh Road East and Forest Glade Drive. The heated argument turned into a gunfight — one man died, while Davis was shot in the shoulder and treated in hospital. Without being able to prove whether Davis acted out of self-defence, first degree murder and attempted murder charges were dismissed. But in the publicly available decision related to Davis's probation breaches and gun-related charges, the judge says he considered the conditions the man faced during his pre-sentence custody at the South West Detention Centre (SWDC). Those conditions included multiple lockdowns and sleeping three people to a two-person cell. Courts are able to take these factors into consideration under what is known as Duncan's Credit — the credit is not a defined number of days or months, but rather a mitigating factor. While it isn't anything new, some experts say its use points to persistent problems in Ontario's correctional system. Lawyer says 'harsh' conditions are common in area jail Patricia Brown, Davis's lawyer, told CBC News that she always tries to inform the court of the poor conditions people face in jails. And since COVID-19, she says she's been detailing these conditions more often. "I'm raising the concerns before justices so they can realize that the accused person, although they were not yet convicted or sentenced or found guilty ... [was] in harsh conditions," she said. In Davis's case, she said there were three people in his two-person cell for 523 of the 803 days he was at SWDC. According to the decision, Davis was assigned the floor mattress on "some of these days," but it notes that the arrangements on paper aren't always what actually take place. Davis also experienced a total of 109 lockdowns — on top of the usual lockdowns in place daily from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Seventy-seven of the lockdowns he experienced were due to "insufficient staffing," the decision notes. "When you think of yourself and your space is crowded, you're dealing with someone that may not be [cleaning] themself properly ... you're frustrated, they're frustrated, they're in a tight quarter ... all of those are factors that you consider can create a frustrating atmosphere that can be potentially dangerous," said Brown. "It can cause inmates to act out on each other, it makes it unsafe for even employees." She stresses that this sort of environment is especially difficult for people who have addiction or mental health issues. Jail operating over and above capacity Overcrowding and frequent lockdowns are common problems, says Katrina Digiacinto, president of Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 135, which represents staff at the facility. Though the jail is meant to hold 315 people, Digiacinto says right now they have closer to 400 inmates. Crowding tends to elevate tensions, leading to more violence toward staff and other inmates, she said. But unless the employer approves it, Digiacinto says they can't just bring in more staff. "If the employer was more willing to increase the staff per shift, we would experience fewer lockdowns," she said. Right now, she says they could use an extra 20 staff members to handle a full day and night shift. Ontario's ministry of the solicitor general did not return a request for comment. But in previous stories about overcrowding at South West Detention Centre, the ministry said it recognizes the need for modernization in corrections and is investing $500 million for new staff and infrastructure projects. It has also said it is aware of "capacity pressures" at SWDC. 'Rethink' entire system: corrections reform expert Longstanding issues are driving these problems, says Howard Sapers, who led a two-year independent review on Ontario's correctional system in 2016. That review led to three reports that included 167 recommendations. Sapers says despite the commitment to make improvements, "things haven't gotten any better, in fact they've deteriorated since I did that work." When asked whether these conditions violate someone's charter rights, Sapers said "absolutely." But he said these issues are allowed to persist because even though there's "lots of policies, lots of laws" there is no "absolute prohibition." When a person is charged and a judge declines to release them on bail, "that person is then dropped off at the door of a local provincial jail, and the jail doesn't really have the ability to say, 'we're simply too crowded,'" Sapers said. While he says there's a lot that needs to change to fix these problems, he says it's not about building more jails or hiring more correctional officers. "It's rethinking how it is we use pretrial custody, what the purpose of a correctional centre should be," he said, adding these changes would need to involve everyone from police all the way to the mental healthcare system. For Brown, the lawyer in Windsor, she agrees. Speaking generally — it's not about bigger jails, but rather making changes to the bail system, she says.
News.com.au
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘What's Melbourne got going for it nowadays?': Betoota Advocate editor roasts Victorian capital
Australia's 'most liveable city' has become a shell of its former self that is 'haemorrhaging cultural capital' — and 'everyone can see it except for them', one commentator claims. Betoota Advocate editor Clancy Overell shared a harsh take-down of Melbourne on LinkedIn on Monday, mocking the Victorian capital's 'unwarranted sense of national importance'. 'Poor old Melbourne really hasn't recovered from those lockdowns have they,' Overell wrote. 'When your city is actually that ugly, you kind of need a thriving night-life to make up for the fact you don't have a harbour or beach. Even the majestic Brown Snake that winds and sparkles its way through Brisbane city is an asset to the Queensland economy, despite the fact that it is extremely tidal and floods like every five years. 'But what's Melbourne got going for it nowadays? A comedy festival that prioritises the niche-est subcultures that ever existed on Smith Street? A flash casino? I don't even think they claim they have the best coffee anymore. 'One thing I will give them is that their pubs are all right. But if that's your biggest strength, it's usually a sign of a cultural deficit. 'The AFL is a hell of an experience, but it's better at the Gabba or SCG anyway. Polo in Portsea? I dunno. A car race for rich Europeans? 'The fact remains, the city is covered in 'For Lease' signs because their once world-renowned hospitality operators have been driven into bankruptcy by a manipulated commercial real estate market that relies on unsustainably high rental yields (Ponzi scheme). 'The 'Most Livable City' is haemorrhaging the cultural capital that they once boasted after decades of masterfully navigating the intersection of sport, arts and dining. 'At this point, all that Channel 9/CFMEU drama is the most interesting thing about the place. 'A Toronto-style 'Vacant Properties Tax' would be a good place to begin. Maybe they need to encourage more immigration from Greece or Italy again. Maybe they need to stop mythologising their schizophrenic weather patterns and focus on the night-life. 'They've lost their spark. And everyone can see it except for them. 'This is not a criticism of regional Victoria. This unwarranted sense of national importance is purely a Melbourne phenomena. The Goulburn Valley's canned fruit industry plays a far bigger role in the lives of non-Victorians. 'Melbourne really needs to get it's act together before they start measuring their d***s in a federal cabinet reshuffle. 'This isn't 'Power Without Glory' — it's more like 'Power without Relevance'. What do you people really have to offer? Maybe focus on that.' A number of locals agreed with the sentiment. 'As a born and raised Melburnian you pretty much nailed this and ngl it's sad,' PR executive Felicia Coco wrote. 'Idk maybe if we keep taxing small biz to death it will get better? But one thing we do have going for us is the burgeoning tag/s**tgraff movement … it's giving halfway-house core. Vacant-and-vandalised is the new booked-and-busy.' Another added, 'Ooof this hits hard.' It comes after business leaders and politicians gathered at a symposium last week to discuss how to prepare for an influx of another 3.5 million people into Melbourne over the next three decades, as the population swells to nine million. '[2050 Melbourne] is one where a nurse can afford to live close to work,' Premier Jacinta Allan told the gathering. 'Where a student from overseas can feel part of our society, where people starting a business can connect with the world around them.' Among the 'big ideas' put forward were 'green bridges' full of plants and shrubs connecting skyrise buildings to keep people off the street, and 'chatty benches' around the city where people can sit and talk to strangers, the Herald Sun reported. But experts have warned that the city is already struggling to cope with the roughly two million extra residents added this century, leaving doubts about how it will manage the millions more coming. 'The huge challenges of population growth aren't in the distance,' said Bob Birrell, president of The Australian Population Research Institute (TAPRI). 'They are here with us.' More congestion, a greater strain on infrastructure, higher demand for housing, an increase in cost-of-living and a decline in liveability are all on the cards, Dr Birrell warned. The nation's capital cities grew by a combined 427,800 people in the 2024 financial year, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data, marking a 2.4 per cent increase. Melbourne led the charge, adding 142,600 people to its population in just 12 months, followed by Sydney at 107,500 people. Net overseas migration accounted for the overwhelming majority of growth. While economists largely welcome Australia's booming population, which contributes strongly to the country's fiscal stability, it comes at a cost. 'A rapidly growing population requires a huge infrastructure build,' Dr Birrell said. 'Unfortunately, Victoria doesn't have a great track record when it comes to infrastructure.' The state is already facing an uphill battle in delivering the needs of Melburnians today, spending hundreds of billions of dollars on crucial projects. Some of them are either delayed or over budget — or both. The state is forking out about $26 million a day in interest repayments on a staggering $188 billion worth of debt. MacroBusiness chief economist Leith van Onselen said Melbourne was quickly transforming into 'Hellbourne'. 'All Melburnians have felt the negative consequences of this population explosion,' he wrote. 'Infrastructure has become overburdened, congestion has increased, and housing quality has deteriorated as Melburnians have been squeezed into shoebox apartments or postage-stamp-sized lots on the urban fringe. 'What planet are these dills living on? There are no plans to develop the necessary infrastructure and services to cope with the projected 3.5 million population influx. 'Policymakers merely want to cram more people in and turn Melbourne into the megacity, Hellbourne.'
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
NPR reporter says she was censored by boss during Covid lockdowns
Advertisement An NPR reporter says she was censored by a boss at the public radio network after suggesting they report on anti-lockdown proposals during COVID. Meghna Chakrabarti, host of On Point, said earlier this week that she wanted to do a show on the Great Barrington Declaration in 2020 as the pandemic raged. The declaration dismissed most lockdown and social distancing measures as superfluous. But Chakrabarti says an unnamed boss shut the idea down. 'There was a point in time where I wanted to actually do a show on the Great Barrington Declaration,' the NPR longtimer revealed. 'I wanted to do a very just a rigorous analysis... [and] try to bring some evidence to scrutinize it [either] positively or negatively... 'There was one person in particular that was a colleague of mine, who just said, we cannot talk about it,' she said of the declaration. 'That even talking about it in a rigorous objective manner is spreading misinformation. 'I'll never forget that,' she continued - leading Zweig to remark: '[The] hairs on the back of my neck just stood up.' 'But this person is someone I deeply respect and admire, and their decisions are top notch, highly, highly intelligent,' Chakrabarti went on to explain. '[But] I wanna bring up this story,' she asserted. 'I wanna bring up this story specifically because fear.' Chakrabarti did not name her colleague, but discussed the incident during a chat with New York journalist David Zweig about the harmful effects of lockdowns five years on. Zweig, Chakrabarti's guest, has written extensively on the US' COVID-19 response for publications for like Atlantic, New York Magazine, and The New York Times . His coverage has been critical, framing the closures of public schools and other social distancing measures as 'one of the worst American policy failures in a century'. Chakrabarti said she was troubled by school closures during fall 2020, around the time three doctors created the Great Barrington Report, which was slammed by most in the liberal media. She then brought up how figures like Francis Collins - the then director of the National Institutes of Health - 'wanted to squash the declaration' perhaps prematurely, on the basis it was 'a bad idea.' Penned by Harvard's Martin Kulldorff, Oxford's Sunetra Gupta, and the NIH's Jay Bhattacharya it preached the notion of 'focused protection', and that those most at risk of dying should only undergo measures to be kept safe - no one else. Collins, 75, left his post in December 2021, and Anthony Fauci - a figure who also framed the well-cited open letter as 'nonsense and very dangerous' - resigned a year later. Both played integral roles in the US government's widely ridiculed pandemic response, which Chakrabarti said created 'political pressures' in NPR's newsroom. She added how the anecdote proved Americans, at the time, could not have 'certain conversations', as fears permeated during the pandemic's early days. Many have since accused members of the media of perpetuating that fear - all at the behest of the federal government. World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus - who still holds his position - bashed the herd immunity concept proposed in the Great Barrington Declaration as 'scientifically and ethically problematic.' David Nabarro, a special envoy of the health agency, claimed lockdowns could only be avoided 'if governments [first] impose some reasonable restrictions like social distancing and universal masks and install test and trace strategies.' Such a response - the one the government ultimately went with - has since been questioned by a steady stream of scientists. Others have slammed the government's decision-making process at the time, saying it negatively affected healthy citizens who were at lesser risk of infection. 'Herd immunity against COVID-19 should be achieved by protecting people through vaccination,' the WHO continues to maintain on its website. '[N]ot by exposing them to the pathogen that causes the disease.'
