BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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Third recall petition against Alberta politicians comes up short, another withdrawn
A third recall petition against a member of Alberta’s legislature has failed, while another has been withdrawn. Casey Klein says her campaign against United Conservative Party backbencher Nolan Dyck gathered just over 1,000 signatures, roughly 10 per cent of what was needed by Thursday’s deadline. Klein, a resident of Grande Prairie, about 460 kilometres northwest…
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Grassroots wave reshaping local politics in Rural Manitoba
A growing grassroots movement in East St. Paul and other Manitoba communities is drawing more residents into municipal politics, as controversial regional decisions spark concern about local autonomy and transparency. Residents who had never attended council meetings are now organizing, sharing information and pushing elected officials to consult the public before committing to major regional…
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N.B. deficit grows to record-setting $1.3 billion
Finance Minister Rene Legacy said the province’s deficit has grown to $1.3 billion amid higher spending in health care and social development. Total revenue is projected to be $372.1 million lower than budgeted, largely driven by lower corporate income tax and personal income tax revenue, as well as lower Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) revenue. It…
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Researchers find gaps in environmental impact assessments of mining projects
A new report from Dalhousie University shows flaws in the environmental review process for mining operations in Canada, with researchers finding that data for 20 per cent of the projects they reviewed was incomplete or missing entirely from public records. The report collected all available environmental impact assessments on mining projects dating back to 1974…
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Health critic asks if fire marshal fined hospitals for overcrowding
Severe overcrowding in hospital emergency rooms has led to a startling allegation in New Brunswick’s legislature. Bill Hogan, the Progressive Conservative opposition’s health critic, asked during question period last week whether the fire marshal had fined any hospitals for overcrowding. Health Minister John Dornan said he knew nothing about it. “It was brought to my…
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‘The City has the power and refuses to use it,’: St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe misleads public about GM site
About 75 residents filled the Grantham Optimist Club on Wednesday evening for a two-hour open-mic town hall hosted by St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe and Port Dalhousie councillors Bruce Williamson and Marty Mako. The meeting, open to residents from across the city, was intended as an informal chance to raise questions and share concerns directly…
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Government expects fewer questions on foreign aid from weakened NDP: briefing note
A Global Affairs Canada briefing note suggests the department expects fewer questions going forward in the House of Commons about possible cuts to foreign aid from the much-reduced NDP caucus. A June briefing note released under access-to-information law shows the department sought to stop accepting applications for foreign aid programs prioritized by the Trudeau government,…
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Data stored in Canada can be subject to foreign courts, government paper warns
A new government white paper on digital sovereignty says Ottawa can’t maintain full control over its data if its data storage supplier is subject to the laws of another country. It warns the federal government can only maintain full legal control if it delivers the service itself, or uses service providers that operate completely under…
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Who is Zico Kolter? A professor leads OpenAI safety panel with power to halt unsafe AI releases
If you believe artificial intelligence poses grave risks to humanity, then a professor at Carnegie Mellon University has one of the most important roles in the tech industry right now. Zico Kolter leads a 4-person panel at OpenAI that has the authority to halt the ChatGPT maker’s release of new AI systems if it finds…
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PM Carney was advised to push back on Trump if provoked in April call, memo shows
Prime Minister Mark Carney was counselled to push back during an April call with Donald Trump if the U.S. president revived his complaints about border security, fentanyl from Canada or low defence spending, a newly released memo shows. Federal officials prepared the internal memo to guide Carney’s conversation with Trump following the Liberal party’s April…
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Court says Border Patrol official won’t have to brief judge on Chicago-area immigration sweeps
CHICAGO (AP) — An appeals court ruled in favor of the Trump administration Friday and stopped a judge from trying to get daily updates from a Border Patrol official about the government’s immigration crackdown in the Chicago area. The court said the order from U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis put her “in position of an…