Podcasts about Legislative assembly

Today we were thrilled to welcome Premier Danielle Smith of Alberta. Premier Smith was elected in October 2022 and previously served as MLA for Highwood and as Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta's Legislative Assembly. Most recently, she was President of the Alberta Enterprise Group. Before re-entering politics, Premier Smith spent several years as a talk radio host and has a diverse background spanning media, public policy, and business. As Premier, she has prioritized economic growth, energy development, and the defense of provincial jurisdiction. It was our honor to host the Premier for an insightful conversation on recent developments in Alberta and across Canada, the future of Canadian energy, and the evolving U.S.-Canada energy partnership. In our conversation, we explore Canada's historical energy policy challenges, including tensions between federal and provincial jurisdiction over natural resources, and Alberta's vast oil and gas endowment. Premier Smith discusses shifting federal attitudes and growing recognition that national energy policy needs rebalancing and also outlines Alberta's recent legislation aimed at streamlining energy project approvals and restoring international investment confidence. We discuss the need for durable, cross-party support to ensure long-term infrastructure investment, Alberta's experience with Keystone XL, the risks posed by sudden policy reversal, and the recent surge in proposals for AI datacenters in Alberta. Premier Smith shares her perspective on the two sides of Prime Minister Carney (the pragmatic banker versus the GFANZ advocate), the history and impact of international campaigns to defund Canada's oil sands, and Alberta's “all of the above” approach to energy abundance. We examine Canada's lagging economic growth relative to other developed countries, the hope for a shift back to a growth-oriented mindset toward energy development, and the potential for U.S.-Canada pipeline collaboration, particularly if projects are structured to reduce political risk by involving U.S. companies. We cover Canada's LNG development, including the first shipment from Kitimat and growing momentum in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Quebec, natural gas's long-term role as both a transition and destination fuel, the importance of integrating with the U.S. pipeline network, the need to resolve U.S.-Canada tariff disputes to unlock investment and advance cross-border energy partnerships, and more. As mentioned, the letter from Canadian energy CEOs to the Prime Minister, “Build Canada Now: An Urgent Plan to Strengthen Economic Sovereignty,” is linked here. Premier Smith's list of nine priorities for Alberta presented to the Prime Minister linked here. We greatly enjoyed the discussion and appreciate Premier Smith for joining. Mike Bradley kicked off the show with commentary on U.S. markets, noting that both bond and equity markets were being negatively impacted by the rise in the 30-year bond yield above 5%. Despite June CPI printing slightly below expectations, U.S. bond yields moved higher on Tuesday. He added that June PPI, set to be reported on Wednesday, could pave the way for a rate cut at the September FOMC meeting if it too prints below expectations. On the crude oil market front, WTI price has pulled back ~$2/bbl (to $66.50/bbl) this week. Oil traders were hopeful that President Trump would impose new sanctions on Russian oil (as high as 500%), but he instead proposed a 50-day wait period before imposing a 100% sanction increase. Turning to energy equities, he highlighted that SLB will kick off Oil Services Q2 reporting on Friday, with the other Big 3 OFS names and pressure pumpers reporting

fWotD Episode 2993: Manitoba Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Tuesday, 15 July 2025, is Manitoba.Manitoba is a province of Canada at the longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's fifth-most populous province, with a population of 1,342,153 as of 2021. Manitoba has a widely varied landscape, from arctic tundra and the Hudson Bay coastline in the north to dense boreal forest, large freshwater lakes, and prairie grassland in the central and southern regions.Indigenous peoples have inhabited what is now Manitoba for thousands of years. In the early 17th century, English and French fur traders began arriving in the area and establishing settlements. The Kingdom of England secured control of the region in 1673 and created a territory named Rupert's Land, which was placed under the administration of the Hudson's Bay Company. Rupert's Land, which included all of present-day Manitoba, grew and evolved from 1673 until 1869 with significant settlements of Indigenous and Métis people in the Red River Colony. Negotiations for the creation of the province of Manitoba commenced in 1869, but deep disagreements over the right to self-determination led to an armed conflict, known as the Red River Rebellion, between the federal government and the people (particularly Métis) of the Red River Colony. The resolution of the conflict and further negotiations led to Manitoba becoming the fifth province to join Canadian Confederation, when the Parliament of Canada passed the Manitoba Act on 15 July 1870.Manitoba's capital and largest city is Winnipeg, the sixth most populous municipality in Canada. Winnipeg is the seat of government, home to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the Provincial Court. Four of the province's five universities, all four of its professional sports teams, and most of its cultural activities (including Festival du Voyageur and Folklorama) are located in Winnipeg. The city has an international airport as well as train and bus stations; a Canadian Forces base, CFB Winnipeg, operates from the airport and is the regional headquarters of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:17 UTC on Tuesday, 15 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Manitoba on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Ivy.

A model of a migrant boat with more than a dozen life-size mannequins has been placed on top of a loyalist bonfire in Co. Tyrone. All of the mannequins are dark-skinned and wearing life jackets. Below the boats, placards read: “Stop the boats. Veterans before refugees.”Matthew O'Toole is the Member of the Legislative Assembly for South Belfast and the Social Democratic and Labour Party's Leader of the Opposition at Stormont. He joins Kieran to discuss.Image: @GildernewColm on Twitter

This week on rabble radio, we're sharing a clip from our June Off the Hill political panel. In this panel, our distinguished guests — Eriel Deranger, Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action; Clayton Thomas-Müller, author and activist; Sabrina Grover, political strategist and communications expert; former NDP MPP Joel Harden; and rabble's own parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg — explore the implications of Prime Minister Mark Carney's commitment to making Canada “an energy superpower.” The discussion delves into how this vision intersects with Indigenous sovereignty, pipeline development and Canada's climate commitments. About our guests  Eriel Tchekwie Deranger is a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), executive director/founder of Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) and 2024 winner of the global Climate Breakthrough award. Eriel is active in international Indigenous rights advocacy movements participating in various boards and UN bodies. Her work focuses on Indigenous rights, climate justice  and intersectional movements. She is recognized for her role as spokesperson for her community in the international Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign.  Prior to this she was a Specific Land Claims and Treaty Land Entitlement Researcher for the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations. Eriel has written for various magazines and publications; featured in documentary films including Elemental (2012); and is regularly interviewed for national and international media outlets. Clayton Thomas-Müller is a member of the Treaty #6 based Mathias Colomb Cree Nation also known as Pukatawagan located in Northern Manitoba, Canada. He has campaigned in and out of Canada, to support Indigenous Peoples to defend their territories against the encroachment of the fossil fuel industry. He is an award winning film director, media producer, organizer, facilitator, public speaker and bestselling author. His book, Life in the City of Dirty Water, was a national bestseller and a CBC Canada Reads finalist. Sabrina Grover is an experienced political, advocacy and communications professional with an expertise in the international development and global health and nutrition sectors. Grover served as the campaign manager for the Mark Sutcliffe Campaign for Mayor in Ottawa, and in 2021 Sabrina ran as the Federal Liberal Candidate for Calgary-Centre. She also sits on the board of several organizations including the Public Affairs Association of Canada, the Sled Island Music Festival and HomeSpace where she primarily supports stakeholder relations and building partnerships with government and private sector partners. She's also a frequent political commentator on CBC Calgary, CTV Power Play and the Vassy Kapelos Show. Joel Harden is a lifelong community organizer who represented Ottawa Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2018 to 2025 as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party. During his time at Queen's Park, Harden served as the party's Critic for Transit and Active Transportation, where he championed accessible, affordable, and sustainable public transit solutions across the province. Karl Nerenberg is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, working in both English and French languages. He is rabble's senior parliamentary reporter. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

It's been a big month in Canadian politics. With the election of Prime Minister Mark Carney and the rollout of his new cabinet, there's a lot to unpack. While the Liberals and Conservatives surged at the polls, smaller progressive parties like the NDP and the Greens saw their support take a hit — raising big questions about what comes next for progressive politics in Canada.   That was the topic of this month's Off the Hill panel. We looked at what lies ahead — both on and off Parliament Hill — for the NDP and the Green Party. How can progressives keep pushing key policies forward? And how do we organize and stay active in a political landscape that's shifting toward the centre? This month we were joined by Mike Morrice, former Green Party MP for Kitchener Centre; Joel Harden, former Ontario NDP MPP and federal candidate in Ottawa Centre; poet, educator, and activist El Jones; and Karl Nerenberg, rabble.ca's senior parliamentary reporter. About our guests  After being elected as the first-ever Green MP in Ontario, Mike Morrice served as a Member of Parliament from 2021 to 2025 Ontario's first Green MP, championed disability rights, climate action, and housing affordability. He pushed for the Canada Disability Benefit, fair housing policy, and corporate tax reforms. Morrice also advocated for electoral reform and a windfall tax on fossil fuel profits to fund climate and affordability solutions. Before politics, he founded Sustainable Waterloo Region and Green Economy Canada. Joel Harden is a lifelong community organizer who represented Ottawa Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2018 to 2025 as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party. During his time at Queen's Park, Harden served as the party's Critic for Transit and Active Transportation, where he championed accessible, affordable, and sustainable public transit solutions across the province.  El Jones is a poet, author, journalist, professor and activist living in Halifax. She is the author of Abolitionist Intimacies (2022) and Live from the Afrikan Resistance! (2014). Karl Nerenberg is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, working in both English and French languages. He is rabble's senior parliamentary reporter. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. 

Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC (born 2 March 1948) is an Australian former politician who served as the 43rd Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999, Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party from 1982 to 1989 and from 1991 to 1999, and the Member for Burwood from 1976 to 1999. He is currently a media commentator. He was previously the president of the Hawthorn Football Club, from 2005 to 2011 and again from 2017 to 2022. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national mental health advocacy organisation. Early life The son of Kenneth Munro Gibb Kennett (1921–2007), and Wendy Anne Kennett (1925–2006; née Fanning), he was born in Melbourne on 2 March 1948. He attended Scotch College; and, although an unexceptional student academically, he did well in the school's Cadet Corps Unit. He also played football (on the wing) for the school.  His failure to rise above the middle band academically almost led him to quit school in Fourth Form (Year 10 – 1963), but he was persuaded to stay on. His Fifth and Sixth Forms were an improvement, but he was still described in school reports as "[a] confident and at times helpful boy. Sometimes irritates. Sometimes works hard" (1964), and "[a] keen, pleasant, though sometimes erratic boy" (1965). After leaving school, Kennett was persuaded by his father Ken to attend the Australian National University in Canberra, but lost interest and left after one year of an economics degree. He returned to Melbourne and found work in the advertising department of the retail giant Myer – kindling an interest for advertising that would one day earn him his living. Kennett's life in the regular workforce was cut short when, in 1968, he was conscripted into the Australian Army.[9] Kennett was selected for officer training and graduated third in his class from the Officer Training Unit, Scheyville (OTU), near Windsor, New South Wales, outside Sydney. He was posted to Malaysia and Singapore as Second Lieutenant, commander of 1st Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR). This military career (and his earlier experience in the Scotch College Cadet Corps) has been noted by many biographers as an essential formative influence on the adult Kennett's character. His sense and regard for hierarchical loyalty, punctuality, and general intolerance of dissent or disobedience may be traced to this period. Kennett returned to civilian life in 1970, reentering a divided Australian society, split by the Vietnam War, of which Kennett was a firm supporter. Having returned to Myer, Kennett became impatient with his work, and so with Ian Fegan and Eran Nicols, he formed his own advertising company (KNF) in June 1971. Thereafter, in December 1972, Kennett married Felicity Kellar, an old friend whom he had first met on a Number 69 tram on the long trips to school. Their first son was born in 1974, followed by a daughter and two more sons. Political career Kennett was elected as a Liberal Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Burwood in 1976, having had an interest in local politics since the early 1970s.[14] His preselection for the seat reportedly irritated then Premier Dick Hamer, who disliked Kennett's campaigning style, and had endorsed the sitting member, Haddon Storey. However, by 1981, Kennett was promoted to Cabinet as Minister for Housing and Minister of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. He was one of several younger MPs whom Hamer promoted to Cabinet in a bid to renew his government. Kennett retained his post when Hamer was replaced as Liberal leader and Premier by Lindsay Thompson in June of that year. Following the defeat of the longstanding Liberal government in 1982, Kennett was the leading candidate to replace Thompson despite being the youngest member of the outgoing government. On 26 October, he was elected leader of the Liberal Party and hence Leader of the Opposition. He took an aggressive posture against the Cain government, and was often criticised for his "bull-in-a-china-shop" style and his anti-government rhetoric. Under his leadership, the Liberals were heavily defeated by Labor in 1985. Afterwards he faced a challenge to his leadership of the party from Ian Smith. Kennett survived easily, but increasingly, he was seen as an erratic and unapproachable leader. He faced two more challenges to his leadership in 1986 and 1987. In 1987, in one notable incident Kennett referred to the Federal Liberal leader John Howard as a 'cunt' in a mobile telephone conversation with Howard rival Andrew Peacock. The car-phone conversation damaged both Howard and Kennett politically, but aided Peacock in his push to return as Federal Liberal leader (1989). Toward the end of its second term the Cain government had lost support and the Liberals were expected to win the 1988 election. The Liberal vote indeed rebounded strongly – they won a majority of the two-party vote – however much of this margin was wasted on landslide majorities in their heartland. As a result, the Liberals took only one seat from Labor in the capital, and were left four seats short of a majority. Failing to become premier, Kennett was again criticised within his own party, and in 1989 he was deposed in favour of a little-known rural MLA, Alan Brown. Kennett's performance during his first stint as Liberal leader is a matter of debate. Economou sees his 1985 and 1988 election campaigns as weak, while Parkinson believes he was a significant asset in pushing the Labor government of John Cain in several key seats. First term as premier Kennett publicly pledged never to attempt a return to the Liberal leadership. However, when Brown proved unable to challenge the government effectively, he allowed his supporters to call a spill in 1991. Brown realised he didn't have enough support to keep his post and resigned, allowing Kennett to retake the leadership unopposed. With Victoria facing billions of dollars of debt, Kennett was seen as "Premier-in-waiting" from the moment he retook the leadership. Cain had resigned a year earlier in favour of Deputy Premier Joan Kirner, who was unable to regain the upper hand despite being personally more popular than Kennett. The Liberals' advantage was strengthened by an important decision taken during Brown's brief tenure as leader—negotiating a Coalition agreement with the National Party. The Liberals and Nationals have historically had a strained relationship in Victoria; they had sat separately for most of the second half of the 20th century. It had been believed that Kennett had been denied victory in 1988 due to a large number of three-cornered contests in rural seats. The Coalition went into the October 1992 state election as unbackable favourites, having been ahead in opinion polling by large margins for almost two years. They stoked the voters' anger with a series of "Guilty Party" ads, targeting many Labor ministers and highlighting concerns in their portfolios. In the second-largest defeat that a sitting government has ever suffered in Victoria, the Coalition scored a 19-seat swing, attaining a 16-seat majority in the Legislative Assembly. The Liberals won 52 seats, enough for a majority in their own right. Nevertheless, Kennett supported his coalition partner, retaining the Nationals in his cabinet. State school closures In the first three years of office, funding for public schools and the Department of Education was substantially reduced. 350 government schools were closed, including every Technical High School ("Tech") in Victoria, and 7,000 teaching jobs eliminated. The Tech School closures had a widespread, delayed effect two decades later when a skilled labour shortage in the state was declared by the government, attributable largely to the generation of children who were denied a trade-focused high school education, significantly reducing the number of school leavers commencing trade apprenticeships. The few who did so were insufficient to counterbalance the number of retiring tradespeople in the coming years. This directly resulted in the number of Skilled Migrant (subclass 190) visas being made available each year increasing to 190,000 from 2012 and an active campaign to entice migrants with trade qualifications to Victoria. Public transport Other controversial moves included the sacking of 16,000 public transport workers in a major technological upgrade of the system, and the initiation of a major scheme for privatisation of state-owned services, including the electricity (SECV) and gas (Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria) utilities, the ambulance service, as well as several prisons and other minor services. The sale of the Totalisator Agency Board raised $609 million. Between 1995 and 1998, $29 billion of state assets in gas and electricity alone were sold to private enterprise (for statistics, see Parkinson, Jeff, 1999) In the wake of these changes, investment and population growth slowly resumed, though unemployment was to remain above the national average for the duration of Kennett's premiership. While the benefits to the State budget figures were indisputable in the short term, the social and longer-term economic cost of the Kennett reforms have been questioned by many commentators, academics and those who suffered economically through the period of reform. This campaign of privatisations and cutbacks led to governmental acts of privatisation by splitting up Melbourne's rail (Hillside, Bayside, V/Line and West Coast Rail) and tramways (Yarra and Swanston) or budget-cutting becoming popularly known as being "Jeffed". He also cut back many regional rail services including The Vinelander (ran to Mildura, services later restored to Maryborough as a regular V/Line service in 2011) and services to Leongatha, Bairnsdale (returned in 2003), Dimboola (services later returned to Ararat in 2004). The largest public protest in Melbourne since the Vietnam War Moratorium occurred on 10 November 1992, with an estimated 100,000 people marching in opposition to the retrenchment of many workers and the large State budget cutbacks. Kennett was undeterred by this protest, and famously commented that though there were 100,000 outside his office at Parliament that day, there were 4.5 million who stayed at home or at work. High-profile capital works projects This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) The Kennett government also embarked on a series of high-profile capital works projects, such as the restoration of Parliament House, construction of a new $250 million Melbourne Museum and IMAX theatre, and a new $130 million Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Other projects included a $160 million expansion of the National Gallery of Victoria; $100 million for refurbishment of the State Library of Victoria; $65 million for a new Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC); and $130 million for the construction of a new civic square on the site of the old Gas and Fuel Buildings, to be known as Federation Square. The relocation of the Formula 1 Grand Prix from Adelaide in 1993 was a particular coup for Kennett, who had worked hard with his friend Ron Walker, the Chairman of the Melbourne Major Events Company, helped deliver Melbourne the hosting rights for the event from Adelaide in 1993. The most controversial project of the Kennett era was the $1.85 billion Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex, a gambling and entertainment centre on Melbourne's Southbank. Initial plans for a casino had been made under the Labor government, however the tendering process and construction occurred under Kennett. A$2 billion project to redevelop Melbourne's derelict Docklands area to include a new football stadium was also undertaken, in addition to the large CityLink project, a project resurrected from the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan, aimed at linking Melbourne's freeways, easing traffic problems in the inner city, and reducing commuting times from the outer suburbs to the CBD. Macedonian name dispute Kennett speaking at a event In the mid-1990s, Premier Kennett backed the Greek position over the Macedonian question in his attempts to shore up local electoral support. Kennett's stance gained him supporters from the Melburnian Greek community, whereas he was referred to as "Kennettopoulos" by the Macedonian community. At Kennett's insistence, his state government in 1994 issued its own directive that all its departments refer to the language as "Macedonian (Slavonic)" and to Macedonians as "Slav Macedonians". Reasons given for the decision were "to avoid confusion", be consistent with federal naming protocols toward Macedonians and repair relations between Macedonian and Greek communities. It was accepted that it would not impact the way Macedonians self identified themselves. The decision upset Macedonians, as they had to use the terms in deliberations with the government or its institutions related to education and public broadcasting. The Macedonian Community challenged the decision on the basis of the Race Discrimination Act. After years of litigation at the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), the Federal Court and High Court, previous judicial rulings were upheld that found Kennett's directive unlawful as it caused discrimination based on ethnic background and was struck down from usage in 2000. Second term as premier Kennett's personal popularity was mostly average to high through his first term, though that of the government as a whole went through peaks and troughs. Without a by-election in the previous four years, the 1996 state election shaped up as the first test of the 'Kennett Revolution' with the electorate. The Coalition was expected to win a second term at the 30 March election, albeit with a somewhat reduced majority. At the federal election held four weeks earlier, while Labor was heavily defeated, it actually picked up a swing in Victoria. However, to the surprise of most commentators, the Coalition only suffered a two-seat swing, allowing it to retain a comfortable 14-seat majority. The Coalition actually picked up modest swings in Melbourne's outer suburbs, which have traditionally decided most state elections. Several negative trends (for the Liberals) were obscured somewhat by the euphoria of victory. The government's sharp cuts to government services were particularly resented in country Victoria, where the Liberals and Nationals held almost all the seats. The loss of the Mildura seat to independent Russell Savage was an indication of this disaffection, and when in February 1997 independent Susan Davies was elected to the seat of Gippsland West, this trend seemed set to continue. However, the verdict of many was that the 'Kennett Revolution' was far from over – indeed it was seemingly set in stone with the opening of the Crown Casino in May 1997. Kennett's profile continued to grow as he became a major commentator on national issues, including urging the new government of John Howard to introduce tax reform, and actively opposing the rise of the One Nation Party of Pauline Hanson. In this last case, Kennett did not shy away from criticising the media, but also the decision of the Howard government to not actively oppose Hanson's agenda. Kennett was influential in Melbourne bidding for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Three cities initially expressed interest in hosting the event; Melbourne, Wellington and Singapore. Singapore dropped out before its bid was officially selected by the Commonwealth Games Federation, leaving only two candidate cities. In the weeks prior to the announcement of the 2006 host, Wellington withdrew its bid, citing the costs involved with matching the bid plan presented by Melbourne, which became the default host without members of the Federation going to vote. The government lost ground over the next few years, with high-profile disagreements with the Director of Public Prosecutions Bernard Bongiorno, and Auditor-General Ches Baragwanath fuelling criticism of Kennett's governmental style. Kennett's perceived antipathy to Baragwanath led to 1997 legislation to restructure the office of the Auditor-General and set up Audit Victoria. While Kennett promised the independence of the office would be maintained, many saw his government's actions as an attempt to curb the Auditor-General's power to criticise government policy. Widespread community debate and substantial public dissent from Liberal MPs and Party members ensued, with MLA Roger Pescott resigning from Parliament at the height of the debate; citing his disagreement with this Bill and Kennett's style in general. The Liberal Party lost the by-election in Mitcham. Further scandals involving the handling of contracts for the state emergency services response system damaged the credibility of Kennett in 1997–1998, while rural dissent continued to grow. Personal difficulties also began to affect Kennett and his family. The strains of public life led to a trial separation between Felicity and Jeff in early 1998 (patched up by the end of the year), while earlier in Kennett's first term, public scrutiny had led to the forced sale of the KNF Advertising Company, despite all Kennett's involvement having been transferred to his wife's name. There were rumours in 1998 that Kennett might retire from politics; these were mostly centred around Phil Gude, his party deputy. These eventually came to nothing. In July 1998, Liberal MP Peter McLellan, Member for Frankston East, resigned from the party in protest over alleged corrupt Liberal Party Senate preselection, changes to WorkCover and the auditor-general's office. Again, Kennett failed to pick up the warning signs of declining support for his style of leadership. Labor leader John Brumby took care to capitalise on each of Kennett's mistakes over this period, though his absences in rural electorates were misunderstood by many Labor MPs, and led to his replacement by Steve Bracks in early 1999. Bracks, who came from Ballarat, was popular in rural areas and was seen as a fresh alternative to Brumby, who nevertheless remained a key figure in the shadow Cabinet. 1999 election loss Despite Bracks' appeal, Kennett entered the 1999 election campaign with a seemingly unassailable lead, and most commentators and opinion polls agreed that the Coalition would win a third term. However, in a shock result, the Coalition suffered a 13-seat swing to Labor. While there was only a modest swing in eastern Melbourne, which has historically decided elections in Victoria, the Coalition suffered significant losses in regional centres such as Ballarat and Bendigo. ABC elections analyst Antony Green later said that when he first saw the results coming in, it looked so unusual that he thought "something was wrong with the computer." Initial counting showed Labor on 41 seats and the Coalition on 43; a supplementary election had to be held in Frankston East following the death of sitting independent Peter McLellan. The balance of power rested with three independents-Russell Savage, Susan Davies and newly elected Craig Ingram. Negotiations began between the Coalition and the three independents. While Kennett acceded to all but two of their demands, his perceived poor treatment of Savage and Davies in the previous parliament meant that they would not even consider supporting a Coalition minority government headed by Kennett. On 18 October, two days after Labor won the supplementary election in Frankston East, the independents announced they would support a Labor minority government. The agreement entailed Labor signing a Charter of Good Government, pledging to restore services to rural areas, and promising parliamentary reforms. Kennett's supporters urged the Coalition to force a vote of 'no confidence' on the floor of the parliament in a last-ditch effort to force Savage, Davies and Ingram to support Kennett. However, with the Liberals divided on Kennett's future role, Kennett retired from all of his offices, saying he wished to have no further involvement in politics. Labor won the ensuing by-election in Burwood. Rumoured returns to politics Following the Liberals' second successive defeat in the 2002 election, rumours began that Kennett was planning a comeback to politics. The issue came to a head in May 2006 after the sudden resignation of Kennett's successor, Robert Doyle, when Kennett announced he would contemplate standing in a by-election for Doyle's old seat of Malvern and offering himself as party leader. His stance was supported by Prime Minister John Howard, who rated him as the party's best hope to win the November 2006 state election. But within 24 hours Kennett announced he would not return to Parliament rather than running against Ted Baillieu, whom Kennett had been grooming for the top post since 1999. John Howard was reported to have been "embarrassed" by having publicly supported Kennett before his decision not to re-enter politics. In 2008, it was rumoured that Kennett was planning to stand for Lord Mayor of Melbourne. Despite endorsing future Lord Mayor John So in the 2001 mayoral elections, Kennett was quoted as saying "I think the city is ready for a change". Kennett claimed he had been approached by "a range of interests" to run for the position, but in the end did not do so. Former Liberal leader Robert Doyle ultimately won the election. 2020: Indigenous voice to government On 15 January 2020, it was announced that Kennett would be one of the members of the National Co-design Group of the Indigenous voice to government. Life after politics Kennett at the 2018 VFL Grand Final In 2000, Kennett became the inaugural chairman of beyondblue (the National Depression Initiative), a body that was largely formed by the efforts of the Victorian State Government. On 24 June 2008, he announced that he would be stepping down from his role at beyondblue at the end of 2010. This did not happen. After 17 years as the chair of beyondblue, he stood down in 2017, handing the reins to former PM Julia Gillard. He stated "beyondblue is part of my DNA, outside my family, it has been my most important role. Kennett has previously served on the boards of Australian Seniors Finance, a reverse mortgage company, and SelecTV, which was a satellite television group. Kennett has said in an interview that he rarely thinks about the media or "bloody history", though he regrets the "disastrous" introduction of the Metcard ticketing system for trains and trams. Kennett angered gay rights groups in July 2008 when he supported the Bonnie Doon Football Club in their sacking of trainer Ken Campagnolo for being bisexual; and compared homosexuality to pedophilia. Anti-discrimination campaigner Gary Burns pursued an action in the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal against Kennett for making the following statement: "The club felt that once this had been pointed out and you had this gentleman there who was obviously close to young men – massaging young men – it ran an unnecessary risk, and that's why it decided it was best that he not perform those duties again. So the club was trying to do the right thing," The case was dropped due to Gary Burns' lack of funds to pursue the case. Hawthorn FC presidency On 14 December 2005, Kennett was made president of Hawthorn Football Club, taking over from Ian Dicker. Following the exit of the St Kilda Football Club from the Tasmanian AFL market in 2006, Kennett was president when the Hawthorn Football Club negotiated a five-year sponsorship deal with the Tasmanian state government. The sponsorship deal was worth an estimated $12 million for which the Tasmanian government bought naming rights to the club's guernsey, and the HFC committed to playing an agreed number of pre-season and four regular season "home games" at York Park.[56] Kennett was instrumental in Hawthorn's 2007 5-year business plan titled "five2fifty", the core idea being that in the next five years the club will target to win 2 premierships and have fifty thousand members. As part of the plan, the football club wants to be seen as the most professional club in the AFL, and places great emphasis on the welfare of the people associated with the club. Following Hawthorn's 2008 AFL Grand Final victory over Geelong, Kennett claimed that the Cats "lacked the mentality to defeat Hawthorn", this being in reference to the Cats' inability to counter-attack the running game of the Hawks in the aforementioned Grand Final. Kennett's comments led to the subsequent eleven-match losing streak for Hawthorn against Geelong becoming known as the "Kennett curse". He stepped down at the end of his second three-year term in 2011, he also changed the club's constitution so that presidents could only serve two 3-year terms. Second stint Kennett at an AFL Women's match in 2023 In what Fox Footy described as a "stunning return",[59] Kennett was announced as the president of the Hawthorn Football Club on 4 October 2017 following the sudden resignation of the incumbent president Richard Garvey. Garvey had taken criticism on the hiring and later sacking of club CEO Tracey Gaudry. Kennett subsequently appointed Justin Reeves as the club's new CEO. On 4 October 2017 he announced that he would serve the position for a full 3-year term. Soon after his re-appointment, Kennett and the club released a vision statement outlining the future of the club up to 2050. The first five-year strategic plan titled 'Dare to be Different' will drive the club's priorities from 2018 to 2022. Kennett said: "Hawthorn we aren't ones to sit back and wait, we work hard to achieve and deliver exciting results, on and off the field. Our vision for our strategic plan, "Dare to be Different", encapsulates this as we continue to strive for excellence. "We have set ourselves some ambitious targets but all are within our grasp if we continue to innovate, grow and forge new frontiers within the AFL industry." On 6 July 2021, Kennett and the Hawthorn board announced that they would not be renewing head coach Alastair Clarkson's contract following its expiry at the conclusion of the 2022 AFL Premiership season. It was announced that Box Hill Hawks and Hawthorn development coach, former player Sam Mitchell had been chosen by Kennett and the board to become the Hawthorn coach at the end of Clarkson's reign. Chairman of The Original Juice Company On 12 December 2022, The Original Juice Company announced that it would appoint Kennett as Chairman and Non-Executive Director. Honours In the Australia Day Honours of 2005, Kennett received Australia's then highest civilian honour, when he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). The honour was for "service to the Victorian Parliament and the introduction of initiatives for economic and social benefit, to business and commerce, and to the community in the development of the arts, sport and mental health awareness strategies." In May 2000, he was also awarded an honorary doctorate – DBus (Honoris Causa) – by the University of Ballarat. Media work For a brief period during 2002, Kennett was a radio presenter for Melbourne station 3AK, continuing an interest in mass communication which was also a feature of his premiership. Since 2010, Kennett has been a regular contributor to Neil Mitchell's 3AW radio program every Thursday, as a social commentator. On 28 March 2013 it was announced that Kennett had joined the Seven television network as national political commentator which will involve him appearing on breakfast show Sunrise every Tuesday and on Seven news as required. On 12 February 2017 Jeff Kennett engaged ex-Seven West Media employee on Twitter over leaked documents potentially breaching the company's own gag order on Amber Harrison.  

Nina was elected to the Legislative Assembly in November 2022, and is the Parliamentary Secretary for Education. She previously served as a member of the Legislative Council from 2018-22, where she... LEARN MORE The post Saturday 17th, May, 2025: Richard Keane – CEO, Living Positive Victoria & Nina Taylor-ALP, State Member, Albert Park appeared first on Saturday Magazine.

For hundreds of years, people have been pondering the power of information. In this past season of Cities 1.5, we've seen examples of cities from around the world who are using data and the lived experiences of their inhabitants to create policies that support healthier lives for people and planet: from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to Tokyo, Japan, to Princeton, Canada. But while history - and our own conversations on this podcast - prove that knowledge is powerful…it isn't always easy to come by. For the final episode of Cities 1.5 season 5, David meets two knowledge and dissemination specialists who speak with him about the importance of data and information for climate action and what other ingredients are key to effective communications about global heating. Featured guests:Katie Walsh, Head of Climate Finance for Cities, States, and Regions at CDPAndrea Learned, climate influence catalyst and strategistLinks:Leviathan by Thomas HobbesCities are responsible for over 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions - World BankGlobal Covenant of MayorsEarth Positive Action - CDPCities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance ForumGlobal Snapshot Report 2024 - CDPParis Climate AgreementCHAMP - C40Andrea Learned's Green Biz article on the five Ls of Twitter leadershipLiving Change podcastBike Talk podcastBowinn MA, Canadian politician elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 2017Album: Joy as an act of resistanceSustainable Development Goal 11 - United NationsIf you want to learn more about the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy, please visit our website: https://jccpe.utpjournals.press/ Cities 1.5 is produced by the University of Toronto Press and Cities 1.5 is supported by C40 Cities and the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy. You can sign up to the Centre newsletter here. https://thecentre.substack.com/ Our executive producers are Calli Elipoulos and Peggy Whitfield. Produced by Jess Schmidt: https://jessdoespodcasting.com/ Edited by Morgane Chambrin: https://www.morganechambrin.com/ Music is by Lorna Gilfedder: https://origamipodcastservices.com/

What does ‘woke' actually mean? Guest: Dr. Valerie Fridland, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Nevada and Author of “Like, Literally, Dude” Which federal party has the most viable health care plan? Guest: Lindsay Hadden, Applied Health Services Researcher, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar, and a Principal Investigator for the Health Systems Research Lab at SFU Can burger sales predict the new Prime Minister? Guest: Chris Geib, Manager at Burger Heaven in New Westminster What would living on Mars do to the human body? Guest: Dr. Kelly Weinersmith, Adjunct Faculty in the BioSciences Department at Rice University and Author of “City on Mars” Should the US ban artificial food dyes? Guest: Dr. Kathleen Melanson, Nutritional Scientist at the University of Rhode Island Why does BC need to reform its Police Act? Guest: Adam Olsen, Member of the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act and Former Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saanich North Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does BC need to reform its Police Act? Guest: Adam Olsen, Member of the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act and Former Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saanich North Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 22 - the Water Crisis in Northern Ontario Indigenous Communities with Sol Mamakwa What - In Canada, there is a water crisis on many Indigenous communities. There are 35 Long-Term Boil Water Advisories in Indigenous communities across Canada, as well, as of March 18, 2025, there were 29 short-term drinking water advisories in place in First Nations communities south of 60, excluding those in the British Columbia region. Join Keepers of the Water as we explore the Water Crisis in Northern Ontario Indigenous Communities with Sol Mamakwa, a Member of Provincial Parliament for the Kiiwetinoong riding in Ontario. Who - In episode 22 we hear from Sol Mamakwa, a Member of Provincial Parliament for the Kiiwetinoong riding and is the Official Opposition Critic for Indigenous and Treaty Relations. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 2018 and is the first MPP to be elected for this riding. The Kiiwetinoong riding was created prior to the Ontario election in 2017, and the population is 68 percent Indigenous, making it the only riding in Ontario with a majority Indigenous population. Sol is a Kingfisher Lake First Nation member and a resident of Sioux Lookout. His first language is Oji-Cree, and he strongly advocates for Indigenous language protection, equity in healthcare and education, and treaty rights. Music - 'Phase Shift' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

Derek Fildebrandt talks to Randy Hillier, former MPP of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, on the recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision to overturn a lower court ruling that had dismissed his case.

Host - Sharon Hurd;Seg 1 & 2 - Kiel Giddens, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia,Seg 3 to 5 - Anna Duff, Community Futures

rWotD Episode 2892: G. Narayanasamy Naidu Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia’s vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Friday, 4 April 2025 is G. Narayanasamy Naidu.G. Narayanasamy Naidu Kamma was an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly from Mayuram constituency as an Indian National Congress candidate in 1957, and 1962 elections. He was one of the two winners in 1957 election, the other being P. Jayaraj from Congress party. He was elected as an Indian National Congress candidate from Aduthurai constituency in 1952 election.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:53 UTC on Friday, 4 April 2025.For the full current version of the article, see G. Narayanasamy Naidu on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Danielle.

Meeting of The Legislative Assembly March 27th 2025 AUDIO by FITV

Acknowledgement of Country//News Headlines//Avery Howard, Vice President of the Australian Unemployed Workers' Union (AUWU) and JobSeeker recipient, speaks with us on the 5th anniversary of the COVID-19 supplement about the drastic and immediate impact that it had to alleviate poverty for nearly a million people across so-called Australia. The Morrison Government's subsequent decision to end the supplement plunged welfare recipients back into poverty, sparking widespread condemnation by anti-poverty activists. The AUWU, Anti-Poverty Network South Australia, Antipoverty Centre, Anti-Poverty Network Queensland, and Nobody Deserves Poverty are commemorating the anniversary with a press conference today at Parliament House, as well as an online event on Monday the 24th of March reflecting on the impacts of the COVID-19 supplement and its significance for welfare recipients.//Last Saturday the 15th of March, a vigil was held outside the State Library of Victoria on the anniversary of the Christchurch mosque massacre in 2019, honouring the 51 lives lost in this tragedy. We hear singing and words of cross-community solidarity shared at the rally by Jasmine, Zari, and other members of the local Māori community, with speakers introduced by MC Sara Baarini.//We hear a speech by Nina, a member of Formerly Incarcerated Girls Justice Advocates Melbourne (FIGJAM), at the snap action for Poccum's Law held on Parliament steps this past Tuesday the 18th of March to condemn the Victorian Labor Government's new ‘tough on crime' bail bill. Nina was introduced by Maggie Munn, proud Gungarri advocate, who is the First Nations Justice advocate at Human Rights Law Centre. During the rally, attendees learned that the Bail Amendment (Tough Bail) Bill 2025 passed the Legislative Assembly with only three votes against. The bill inserts significant restrictions to bail access and has been widely condemned by Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, the community legal sector, family violence prevention organisations and youth support organisations for its regressive approach that will increase rates of incarceration for both children and adults in Victoria. Read the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Services' 'Bail Saves Lives: Poccum's Law is the Way Forward' statement here, and Flat Out's media statement on the bail laws here.//Dr James Martin is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Director of the Bachelor of Criminology at Deakin University. He's a leading researcher in the field of black markets, cybercrime, and the dark web illicit drug trade, as well as a Tobacco Harm Reduction Advisor for Harm Reduction Australia. In this interview, Dr Martin breaks down where law enforcement clashes with proven harm reduction approaches, how the dark web functions, and lays out australia's approach to vaping. He also discusses what's going on with vaping regulations, enforcing this law, changing societal perceptions of nicotine, and moral panics.//

On this weeks program Chris talks to Mark Donnellon from Streets People Love Hobart about how they created the group, what actions they've taken since December 2024, how the campaign grew from passionate debate about improving Collins Street, showing community support for active transport in nipuluna Hobart, being guided by their fun-loving mascot, Perci the Platypus, supporting Hobart City Councils Argyle and Campbell Street bicycle connections and getting people involved with a public meeting about the Collins Street improvement trial on Tuesday 25 March at 5.30pm at City Hall, 57-63 Macquarie Street.Local news includes the Victoria Parliament finally tabling the final report of the inquiry into vulnerable road users that was tabled in the Legislative Assembly last year, you can read the report here, especially Recommendation 31: 'The Department of Transport and Planning continue to promote the installation of protected bike lanes in inner and middle Melbourne'. Most of the recommendations are supported 'in principle' which is fairly lukewarm response to be honest. Critical Mass Boroondara is coming up on Friday 28 March, Yarra and Boroondara need a new river crossing! Infrastructure Victoria has just released their 30 year plan, and it supports a cycling link from the city through to the Hawthorn - Box Hill trail. This link would need a new pedestrian and cycling bridge between Richmond and Hawthorn.And don't forget to sign our petition: Don't risk our safety in 2025 - tell Yarra Council not to remove safe cycling lanesProgram musicKing Stingray, Camp dogCamp Cope, How to socialise friends and influence people

Today's poem features a simple but satisfying sleight of hand. Happy reading.Richard Henry Horne (1802-1884), poet, was born on 31 December 1802 at Edmonton, near London, the eldest of three sons of James Horne (d.1810), quarter-master in the 61st Regiment; his grandfather was Richard Horne, secretary to Earl St Vincent. Richard was brought up at the home of his rich paternal grandmother and attended John Clarke's School where John Keats was also a pupil. In April 1819 Horne entered Sandhurst Military College but left in December 1820. In 1823 after reading Shelley's Queen Mab, he decided to become a poet.In 1825 Horne sailed as midshipman in the Libertad to fight for Mexican independence. After two years in America he returned to London, where in 1833 he published his first book Exposition of the False Medium and Barriers Excluding Men of Genius from the Public. In the next decade he published three poetic dramas, contributed prolifically to literary magazines, edited the Monthly Repository in 1836-37 and served on the royal commission on child employment in factories in 1841. His most famous year was 1843 when he published his epic Orion at a farthing a copy to show his contempt for public taste. It ran to six editions in a year and made him a celebrity. During the Irish famine he was correspondent for the Daily News. In 1847 he married Catherine, daughter of David Foggo.In 1852 Horne faced a crisis: his marriage was failing; he was impoverished; he was discontented in his work on Charles Dickens's Household Words; and he was torn between the practical and poetic sides of his nature. Tempted by dreams of fortune on the Australian goldfields and a chance to escape, Horne arrived at Melbourne in September. He soon became commander of the private gold escort and in 1853 assistant gold commissioner at Heathcote and Waranga. He was erratic in both posts and was dismissed in November 1854. By 1855 his English ties were severed, his wife having requested a formal separation. In Melbourne he became clerk to (Sir) Archibald Michie, and lived with a Scottish girl; their son, born in 1857, died after seven months. In September 1856 as a radical Horne contested Rodney in the Legislative Assembly but lost. As a commissioner of sewerage and water supply in 1857 when Melbourne's new reservoir was under public attack, he did little to appease the critics. By 1860 he was again unemployed and living at St Kilda with a female companion. He was well known at Captain Kenney's swimming baths, lectured at Mechanics' Institutes on 'The Causes of Success in Life' and failed to win the Belfast (Port Fairy) seat. He helped to found the Tahbilk vineyard on the Goulburn River. In 1862-63 the Royal Literary Fund assisted him.In June 1863 Horne was made warden of the Victorian Blue Mountain goldfield near Trentham: 'my Siberia'. Again he began to write seriously and found tranquillity. On visits to Melbourne he held court at Henry Dwight's bookshop, and became friendly with George Gordon McCrae and Marcus Clarke. In 1864 he published a lyrical drama, Prometheus the Fire-Bringer, and in 1866 for the Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition a masque, The South Sea Sisters; it contained a rhythmic representation of an Aboriginal corroboree which brought acclaim. In 1867 he celebrated the arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh with a cantata, Galatea Secunda, signing himself Richard Hengist Horne, the name by which he was henceforth known. In Australia he produced no significant poetry but some good prose: Australian Facts and Prospects(London, 1859), and an essay, 'An Election Contest in Australia' in Cornhill, 5 (1862). Disillusioned, he sailed in June 1869 for England where he became a literary doyen, producing many new works all artistically worthless. His poverty was relieved in 1874 by a government pension, and he died at Margate on 13 March 1884.-bio via Australian Dictionary of Biography This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

pWotD Episode 2850: Rekha Gupta Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 498,111 views on Wednesday, 19 February 2025 our article of the day is Rekha Gupta.Rekha Gupta (born 19 July 1974) is an Indian politician from Delhi who will be serving as 9th Chief Minister of Delhi from 20 February 2025. She is fourth woman to hold this office. Gupta is Member of Legislative Assembly from Shalimar Bagh and previously served as General Secretary and President of Delhi University Student Union, belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party, She is also Member of National Executive and General Secretary of Delhi state unit of the party.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 03:27 UTC on Thursday, 20 February 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Rekha Gupta on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Joanna.

State elections for WA happen every 4 years on the second Saturday in March so be prepared! Here's a handy explainer about how filling in the ballot for the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council works, what the two chambers are, and a brief explanation to the changes made after the previous election.Learn more about WA elections and find your local candidates at https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/ Support the channel on patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/AuspolExplainedLike Auspol Explained on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Auspol-Explained-107892180702388Auspol Explained would like to acknowledge the Whadjuk Nyoongar people and their Elders as the owners and custodians of the Land that the episode was recorded and edited on. This Land was stolen and never ceded. It always was and always will be Aboriginal Land.

pWotD Episode 2839: 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 311,571 views on Saturday, 8 February 2025 our article of the day is 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election.The 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections were held in Delhi on 5 February 2025 to elect all 70 members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. The counting of votes and declaration of result took place on 8 February 2025.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won in 48 out of 70 seats, thus winning the Delhi assembly elections after 32 years. The incumbent Aam Aadmi Party, which was in power for the previous ten years, lost the election, with several prominent leaders and cabinet ministers including national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Somnath Bharti, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Durgesh Pathak losing their seats. The Indian National Congress did not win any seats for the third straight election, although it increased its vote share compared to the last election.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:29 UTC on Sunday, 9 February 2025.For the full current version of the article, see 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Aditi.

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Brian interviews George Smitherman. George is a former Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in the 2010 municipal election. He is is one of Canada's most distinctive and impactful politicians in the past decades. George Smitherman will talk about the Liberal Leadership contest, Trump tariffs and Canada.

In this episode of 'Talking Couch Potatoes,' hosts Matt and Mel welcome special guest, Lisa Baker, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, and a strong advocate for animal welfare, LGBTQIA+ rights, climate action and the empowerment of women and vulnerable communities worldwide. Lisa shares her journey into politics, highlighting early challenges and incredible achievements. Her dedication to social justice and animal welfare is evident as she discusses her ventures into greyhound welfare reform and the establishment of the WA Parliamentary Friends of the Greyhound group. Lisa also speaks about her passion for the future of food, focusing on alternative proteins as a sustainable complement to animal-based diets. Despite facing criticism and pushback, Lisa emphasizes the importance of remaining in the room to influence policy and create positive change. A fascinating interview with a truly inspiring local hero for Free The Hounds. Dont miss it!! Learn more about Lisa's new project on the Future of Food here https://www.youtube.com/@lisabakerfutureoffood

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down with Canada's Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, Dan Williams. They discuss how Canada became the epicenter of the world's opioid crisis, the federal approach that only enables further addiction, the demoralization of Canadians as the country's future continues to destabilize, and the efforts needed to right the ship — before it is too late. Dan Williams was sworn in as the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction on June 9, 2023. He was first elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Peace River on April 16, 2019, and was reelected on May 29, 2023. Minister Williams has been tasked with implementing Alberta's mental health and addiction strategy, known as the Alberta Recovery Model. This policy model focuses on the fact that recovery is possible, no matter what addiction or mental health challenge someone may face. Under his leadership, Alberta is building 11 recovery communities across the province, a record-breaking expansion to long-term addiction treatment. He has connected with communities, First Nations, and families dealing with the addiction crisis. Alberta has now established a new mental health and addiction agency, Recovery Alberta, which is funded and overseen by the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction. The province, under Minister Williams, is also investing in mental health services, especially for children and youth. Partnerships with service providers are expanding services across the entire province and connecting families with the mental health support they need. This episode was filmed on October 31st, 2024.  | Links | For Minister Dan Williams: On X https://x.com/DanWilliamsAB On Youtube https://youtube.com/@danwilliamsab?si=b5IvXW7t-XHDo285 On Facebook https://m.facebook.com/DanWilliamsPeaceCountry/

Sally Housser grew up in Newfoundland, but she's about to take her seat in Saskatchewan's Legislative Assembly after an election win earlier this week. She joined us on the line to talk about it.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals hears arguments in Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians v. North Dakota Legislative Assembly, No. 23-3697, on October 22, 2024. The case is consolidated with Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians v. North Dakota Legislative Assembly, No. 24-1171.

Turtle Mountain Chippewa v. N. Dakota Legislative Assembly

pWotD Episode 2729: Lidia Thorpe Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 190,378 views on Monday, 21 October 2024 our article of the day is Lidia Thorpe.Lidia Alma Thorpe (born 1973) is an Aboriginal Australian independent politician. She has been a senator for Victoria since 2020 and is the first Aboriginal senator from that state. She was a member of the Australian Greens until February 2023 when she quit the party over disagreements concerning the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and became a leading figure in the "progressive No" campaign for the Voice referendum in October 2023. She had also served as the Greens' deputy leader in the Senate from June to October 2022.Thorpe has previously been a member of the Victorian Parliament. On winning the Northcote state by-election on 18 November 2017 she became the first known Aboriginal woman elected to the state's parliament and served as the member for the division of Northcote in the Legislative Assembly from 2017 to 2018.Thorpe has received media attention for her support of the Blak Sovereign Movement and her criticism of the legitimacy of Australian political institutions, which she views as stemming from colonialism.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:20 UTC on Tuesday, 22 October 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Lidia Thorpe on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Nicole.

pWotD Episode 2716: 2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly election Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 199,549 views on Tuesday, 8 October 2024 our article of the day is 2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly election.The 2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly elections were held in Haryana on 5 October 2024 to elect all 90 members of the Haryana Legislative Assembly.The tenure of the 14th Haryana Assembly was slated to end on 3 November 2024. In the previous Assembly elections held in October 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party and formed a coalition government with Jannayak Janta Party. Before the elections, Nayab Singh Saini of the BJP was the incumbent Chief Minister.The schedule of the election was announced by the Election Commission of India on 16 August 2024. The ballots were counted and the results were declared on 8 October 2024. A majority of the exit polls predicted a victory for the Indian National Congress-led alliance. However, contrary to the predictions, the BJP again emerged as the single largest party, winning 48 seats, enough for a majority, although the popular vote totals between the two were close, differing by less than one percentage point.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:40 UTC on Wednesday, 9 October 2024.For the full current version of the article, see 2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly election on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Salli.

fWotD Episode 2686: John Rolph Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Wednesday, 11 September 2024 is John Rolph.John Rolph (4 March 1793 – 19 October 1870) was a Canadian physician, lawyer, and political figure. As a politician, he was considered the leader of the Reform faction in the 1820s and helped plan the Upper Canada Rebellion. As a doctor, he founded several medical schools and incorporated new teaching techniques and medical procedures into his lectures. However, his actions against rival medical schools decreased public confidence in the ability of medical professionals to regulate themselves.Rolph grew up in Thornbury, Gloucestershire, and was educated in medicine and law. He immigrated to Upper Canada in 1813 and lived on his father's farm in Port Talbot, where he practised law and medicine concurrently and opened a medical school called the Talbot Dispensary. In 1824, Rolph was elected to the Parliament of Upper Canada and returned to England to petition the Colonial Office to allow the naturalization of American citizens in Canada. He was elected as an alderman to Toronto's first city council, though he resigned after his council colleagues did not select him to be the city's mayor. William Lyon Mackenzie persuaded Rolph to support the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837. When the rebellion began, Rolph did not join the rebels at their headquarters and the Lieutenant Governor appointed him as his emissary to deliver the government's offer of a truce. Rolph fled to the US after the rebellion and focused on practising and teaching medicine. The Canadian government granted him amnesty and he returned to Canada in 1843, later creating a new medical institution called the Rolph School in Toronto. In 1851 he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and focused on his political career; upon the formation of the Morin-MacNab administration three years later, Rolph's priority returned to running his school. He retired as dean of his medical school in 1870 and died later that year after suffering a stroke.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:01 UTC on Wednesday, 11 September 2024.For the full current version of the article, see John Rolph on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Amy.

Episode 62: Ontario Lumber Kings - John Egan Up until recently, I'd always thought that anyone who cared about Algonquin Park human history was already familiar with J. R. Booth and so never put any energy into building an episode around his life experiences. However, last summer I stumbled upon a 2018 biography by Michael McBane on John Egan.. In so doing, I discovered a whole new aspect of lumbering in the Ottawa Valley that I knew nothing about. The end result is this multi-part series about two of the most well-known of the Ottawa Valley Lumber Kings, namely John Egan and J. R. Booth. In my view both are tightly connected in history because as you all know J.R, Booth made his fortune by buying at auction Egan's timber limits in 1867. In this episode I'll focus on the life of John Egan. I think though I have no proof that, though of different generations, Booth may have seen Egan as a role model in the lumber industry The musical interlude for this episode is called Below a Towering Pine and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Breaking Through the Mist CD. It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming. Key References: Michael McBane's John Egan: Pine & Politics in the Ottawa Valley, published in 2018 H. T. Douglas'1969 talk to the Gatineau Valley Historical Society called An Irishman in Canada: John Egan R. Morgan's 1926 article in the Ottawa Journal History of the Early Ottawa Stephen Banks' A Polite Exchange of Bullets: The Duel and the English Gentlemen 1750-1850, published in 2010 Debates of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada 1849 John McGregor‘s British America published in 1832 Roderick MacKay's Sprits of the Little Bonnechere 2nd Edition, published in 2016 David Lee's Lumber Kings and Shantymen, published in 2006 Dictionary for Canadian Biography, - John Egan search term Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Ancestors, 2020 discussion Robert Grace's The Irish in Quebec: An Introduction to the Historiography, published in 1993

Across the world, interest for universal social protection mechanisms has skyrocketed, in particular following the pandemic and its transversal effects on the poor, vulnerable and not so vulnerable populations. Social assistance mechanisms such as child benefits or elderly pensions have already had a history of encompassing the entire group with universal mechanisms in some countries; however, universal basic income (UBI) schemes are still in the stage of theoretical and policy discussion, without having been set up. In this context, Brazil is an interesting case: in 2004, Brazil adopted a law that establishes a “Renda Básica de Cidadania” (Basic citizenship income). That effort was pushed by its rapporteur, Mr. Eduardo Matarazzo Suplicy, who was a senator at the time and a vigorous UBI advocate to this day. In this podcast episode, we will talk about how the Basic citizenship income came to be, the possible advantages of adopting an UBI, the main challenges and what lessons have been learned with the recent discussions on the theme. For our Quick Wins segment, we are joined by Jurgen de Wispelaere, discussing his recently launched publication at the International Social Security Review, a Specia Issue called ‘Emergency basic income: Distraction or opportunity'. Meet our guests: Eduardo Suplicy, State Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo Jurgen De Wispelaere, IPR Policy Fellow, Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath   Episode Resources: Publication: Special Issue: Themed double issue: Emergency basic income: Distraction or opportunity

The massive wildfire near Jasper keeps growing .The fire, thought to be the largest in the near 117-year history of Jasper National Park, continues to burn out of control and increased in size to cover an area of 39,000 hectares. The lingering question is: 'Why and how did this happen? GUEST : Douglas Todd Loewen ECA MLA is a Canadian politician and the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Central Peace-Notley. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jordan Peterson sits down with the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith. They discuss Bill C-59, the detrimental effects of the Green Party, the destruction of Canada's wealth by Justin Trudeau, and the modern message of the Conservative Party. Danielle Smith is a proud Albertan. As leader of the governing United Conservative Party, she was sworn in as the 19th Premier of Alberta on October 11, 2022. She represents the riding of Brooks-Medicine Hat in the Legislative Assembly. Ms. Smith has had a lifelong interest in Alberta public policy, finding the right balance between free enterprise and individual freedom, and the role of government.  - Links - For Premier Danielle Smith: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielleSmithAB/ LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/abdaniellesmith Info Page: https://www.alberta.ca/premier.aspx

Canadian journalist Nora Loreto reads the latest headlines for Friday, May 17, 2024.TRNN has partnered with Loreto to syndicate and share her daily news digest with our audience. Tune in every morning to the TRNN podcast feed to hear the latest important news stories from Canada and around the world.Find more headlines from Nora at Sandy & Nora Talk Politics podcast feed.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcastReferenced articles:Story 1 - Edmonton police say that have evidence that a serial killer operated in the 1970s. He's dead. Story 2- Speaker of Sk's Legislative Assembly tears up membership card and makes serious allegations of harassment against the incoming speaker. Story 3 - Loblaw agrees to voluntarily sign the Grocery Code of Conduct. Walmart is still holding out. Story 4 - Half of telcos in Canada are not compliant in alllowing people to make complaints on their websites. Story 5 - Phoenix rose from the ashes only to be finally killed. Story 6 - Mahamet Deby has been elected president in Chad though election watchers are concerned about how free and fair the process was. Story 7 - 700,000 Palestinians flee Northern Gaza as Israel lays seige again to the region and also prepares for ground invasion in the south.

Daily News for May 17, 2024Story 1 - Edmonton police say that have evidence that a serial killer operated in the 1970s. He's dead. Story 2- Speaker of Sk's Legislative Assembly tears up membership card and makes serious allegations of harassment against the incoming speaker. Story 3 - Loblaw agrees to voluntarily sign the Grocery Code of Conduct. Walmart is still holding out. Story 4 - Half of telcos in Canada are not compliant in alllowing people to make complaints on their websites. Story 5 - Phoenix rose from the ashes only to be finally killed. Story 6 - Mahamet Deby has been elected president in Chad though election watchers are concerned about how free and fair the process was. Story 7 - 700,000 Palestinians flee Northern Gaza as Israel lays seige again to the region and also prepares for ground invasion in the south. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melanie Mark, also known by her Nisga'a name Hli Haykwhl Ẃii Xsgaak, is a difference-maker who believes strongly that the changes we need to inspire and support future generations, require all of us to get on board and paddle together. Elected in 2016, Melanie Mark, is the first First Nations woman Member of the Legislative Assembly in British Columbia's history, representing the riding of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant. During the 41st Parliament, she was appointed as the Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. Today, Melanie remains the only First Nations woman to have served in cabinet and served as Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. Melanie is Nisga'a, Gitxsan, Cree and Ojibway. She was born and raised in East Vancouver and has deep roots in Northern B.C. and Manitoba. Melanie is unapologetically passionate about social, environmental and economic justice; and she entered politics to disrupt the status quo. Within two months as Minister, she paved a new path by creating the first provincial tuition waiver program for youth from the foster-care system and removed all fees for adults accessing Adult Basic Education. She is most proud of her work as Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, namely supporting Indigenous teachers and language fluency, and in 2018 launching the world's first Indigenous Law program at the University of Victoria. Melanie firmly believes that education is the great equalizer and often says, "a rising tide, lifts all canoes." Melanie's work is inspired by her daughters Maya and Makayla and the desire for them to have greater access to education and opportunities as they grow up. Family is very important to Melanie, and her time with Maya, Makayla, and her extended family keeps her grounded and motivated. Melanie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Simon Fraser University. She holds a Criminology Diploma from Douglas College/Native Education College and an Advanced Executive Certificate from Queen's School of Business.

Karnataka elects 28 members to the Lok Sabha and is considered a crucial swing state (to borrow a term from American politics) in the forthcoming elections as the INDIA Alliance is hoping to make major gains here. But if history is any indicator, then the BJP has an advantage. In the past four parliamentary elections since 2004, the BJP has managed to win more seats than the Congress. In the elections of 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019, the BJP won 18, 19, 17 and 25 seats respectively. In the 2019 elections, the BJP, riding on a national wave that favoured the reelection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, secured a staggering 51.7 percent of the vote share in Karnataka. The lone independent MP who was elected also subsequently extended her support to the BJP which means that the party now has 26 seats in Karnataka. While the electoral history of the past two decades favours the saffron party as Karnataka gets ready to vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7, the Indian National Congress is hoping to regain its past glory in Karnataka. The party which won a thumping majority in the Legislative Assembly elections last year is banking on two issues; its successful implementation of its five guarantees and the injustice done to the State in the devolution of funds from the Union government. The panel that has been curated carefully will discuss whether Karnataka will follow the same pattern that it has set in place from the past 20 years of preferring the BJP or will it witness a change and provide a boost to the INDIA Alliance. The panel will also dwell on other salient themes such as why Karnataka remains an outlier in south India as far as support to the BJP is concerned and the significance of the BJP's alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular). Leading up to the elections, both the main parties in the fray have witnessed factional wrangles accompanying the selection of candidates while they have also been accused of perpetuating dynastic politics. In this episode of BIC Talks, Professor of Public Policy & Governance, Azim Premji University - A Narayana; Senior Journalist at The Hindu - Rishikesh Bahadur Desai and Senior Journalist at The News Minute - Pooja Prasanna are in conversation with Journalist, Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in April 2024. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favorite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible and Amazon Music.

Independent MPP Sarah Jama refused to remove her Keffiyeh in Ontario's Legislative Assembly, leading to her being banned from participating. Host Alex Pierson is joined by Rahim Mohamed, a political columnist National Post, The Line, and the Calgary Herald on why MPP Jama is clearly making this a political issue, and why we shouldn't even humour it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When an MLA talk-sings a song in the Legislative Assembly...this show has a responsibility to undertake. So when Yellowknife Deputy Mayor Garett Cochrane follows suit during a council meeting...well, you all know what's coming.

In February 2020, Nayib Bukele's dramatic entrance into the Legislative Assembly marked a turning point. Amidst his consolidation of authority, Ivette Toledo, a mother searching for her missing children, makes a courageous defiance against a system that revictimizes her search and her children. This symbolizes a pivotal moment in El Salvador's history, where the voice of the oppressed begins to challenge the grip of power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.Greetings, all you intrepid Herle Burly-ites! Great day on the pod because we've got a Premier in the house! And not just a run of the mill, pick-any-one-of-10 Provincial Premiers … but one whose voice represents a part of the country I've long wanted to learn more about myself.Premier R.J. Simpson of the Northwest Territories is our guest today!Premier Simpson is a lawyer by training. He was first elected in 2015, representing Hay River North, to the 18th Legislative Assembly. Acclaimed for a 2nd term in 2019, Mr. Simpson served in Cabinet as Minister of Education, Culture and Employment, Minister of Justice, and Government House Leader. Just last December, after winning re-election a 3rd time, he was chosen by his MLA colleagues to serve as the 14th Premier of the Government of Northwest Territories.So today, a primer of sorts on the Northwest Territories. What are its key issues? Provincial and Territorial distinctions? What are the key components of, and health of, the economy? And then, the Territories' relationship with the Feds. What does the Federal government do, or not do, for the Northwest Territories. How relevant is the national debate to the region? Finally, we'll get the Premier's take on most of the major contemporary issues: Climate Action and the Carbon Tax. Healthcare. Affordability and Housing. Education and Reconciliation.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Alex Pierson speaks with Selina Robinson, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Former B.C. minister of post-secondary education, who recently resigned from the B.C. NDP caucus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ontario Canada's government is all in on nuclear technology as it stakes out a global leadership position in small modular reactors (SMRs). In this episode of Grid Talk, host Marty Rosenberg talks with Todd Smith who is the Ontario Energy Minister.Rapid population and economic growth, coupled with the province's long reliance on nuclear technology, prompted its decision to pursue SMRs. “We felt very comfortable in moving forward with the technology we'd chosen which is a 300-megawatt boiling water reactor from GE Hitachi,” said Smith. “We're partnering with U.S. Technologies on this and other U.S. and international partners to develop the first-of-the-kind SMR, small modular reactor, here in Ontario.”“It's baseload power, it's there when you need it, it's there and able to be relied on 365 days a year.”The province expects to add five million residents over the next decade.“That's going to require a lot of electricity.” Todd Smith has been the Ontario Energy Minister since June of 2021. Smith has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for more than a decade. He is a graduate of Loyalist College.

The Alberta Premier has a UCP leadership election this year, and apparently she needs transphobic voter support more than she cares about keeping the government out of classrooms and kids' pronouns. And invitations for Nazis, cancellations for Jews - we analyze the shameful takedown of NDP MLA Selina Robinson and try to figure out where exactly the line for cancellable offence is.Correction (Feb. 8, 2024): This episode originally described Susan Kim as a member of British Columbia's Legislative Assembly, suggested that Premier David Eby allowed her to continue in her role after she apologized for casting doubt on the use of sexual violence by Hamas. Kim is in fact a Victoria city councillor who added her name to a late-October open letter that made reference to “the unverified accusation that Palestinians were guilty of sexual violence.” While Municipal Affairs Minister Anne Kang called on Kim to apologize (which she subsequently did), and declined to call for Kim's resignation, Premier Eby himself did not weigh in.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Jess Schmidt (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Guest: Rachel Matlow Further reading: Danielle Smith's “Preserving Choice for Children and Youth” announcement video on XOpinion: Danielle Smith's sex-ed policy changes are putting all Alberta teenagers at risk - John Ibbitson, The Globe and MailThe influence of conventions in the SCC's decision re: Ford's ministerial mandate letters - Emmett MacfarlaneJoni Mitchell performs at Grammys, 50 years after 1st win - CBC News Sponsors: Douglas, Squarespace, Ecojustice, oxio, Article, Athletic Greens, BetterHelp, Canva, Peloton If you value this podcast, Support us! You'll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You'll also get our exclusive newsletter, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you'll be a part of the solution to Canada's journalism crisis, you'll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we talk about Bukele, Naboa, and the war on gangs.We also discuss emergency powers, authoritarianism, and the cocaine trade.Recommended Book: Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-StaceTranscriptNayib Bukele is the 43rd president of El Salvador, and he's an unusual leader for the country in that he's young—born in 1981, so just 42 years old, as of the day I'm recording this—and in that he's incredibly popular, having maintained an approval rating of around 90% essentially since he stepped into the presidency back in 2019.He's also unusual, though, for his policies.He has, for instance, made the crypto-asset Bitcoin legal tender in the country, buying up a bunch of them using government funds, developing a crypto wallet for citizens to use for storing and paying for things with their own digital assets, and he even announced the construction of what he called a bitcoin city, which would be built at the base of a volcano and would use geothermal energy to mine bitcoin, which basically means powering a bunch of powerful computers using the energy produced by the geothermal activity in that region.That gamble hasn't turned out as planned—Bitcoin has experienced a resurgence in recent months as some governments have passed somewhat favorable policies, including the SEC's recent decision to allow the sale of Bitcoin ETFs to everyday investors in the US—but he bought into the asset when the prices were high and lost a lot of the government's money on the gamble; it was estimated in late 2023 that El Salvador has lost something like 37% of the money it invested in this way, equivalent to around $45 million; though that's based on external estimates as the country doesn't provide transparent figures on this matter, so it could be more or less than that.Bukele has also caused a stir with his freewheeling approach to politics, which some local and international organizations have labeled authoritarian, as he's shown no compunction about trampling democratic norms in order to get things he wants done, done, and that has included sending soldiers into the Legislative Assembly to pressure them into approving a loan necessary to militarize the National Civil Police force, he and his party booted the Supreme Court's justices and the country's attorney general in an act that has been described as an autogolpe, or self-coup, a move by which the president takes full authoritarian control of his country while in power, he instigated widespread arrests and allowed all sorts of police abuses during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, and he and his party have been accused of all manners of corruption—though the attorney general who was investigating twenty such instances of corruption was fired, as I mentioned, so there's no longer any watchdog in the country keeping tabs on him and his cronies as they seemingly grab what they can— and that's led to a shift in the country's corruption perception index ranking, dropping it to 116 out of 180 ranked countries in 2022, with a score of 33 out of 100, higher being better on that latter figure; for comparison, that puts it on equal footing, according to this index's metrics, with Algeria, Angola, Mongolia, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Zambia.All of which is to say, after taking control of El Salvador, Bukele has rapidly reinforced his position, grabbing more of the reins of power for himself and firing or disempowering anyone who might be in the position to challenge the increasingly absolute power he wields.Despite all this, as I mentioned, though, he is incredibly popular, and the primary reason for this popularity seems to be that he has aggressively gone after gangs, and that has apparently dropped the homicide rate in the country precipitously, from around 103 murders per 100,000 people in 2015 down to just 17.6 per 100,000 in 2021; and the government has said it fell still further, down to half that 2021 that number, in 2022.So while there's reason to question the accuracy of some of these numbers, because of the nature of the government providing them, the reality on the ground for many El Salvadorans is apparently different enough, in terms of safety and security and fear, that everyone more or less just tolerates the rapid rise of a 40-something dictator because he's a dictator who is killing or jailing the bad guys who, until he came into power, functioned as a second, even more corrupt and violent government-scale power in the country.This crackdown has come with its own downsides, if you care about human rights anyway, as there are abundant allegations that Bukele's government is using this war against the gangs as an excuse to scoop up political rivals and other folks who might challenge his position, as well—basically, some of the killed and imprisoned people aren't actually gang members, but because of the scale of the operation, this is overshadowed by all the actual gang members who are also arrested.This effort has rapidly earned El Salvador the distinction of having one of the largest prisons in the world, which holds about 40,000 prisoners; a necessary investment because, as of early January 2024, more than 75,000 people who have been accused of having gang connections have been arrested as part of this effort, and as of 2023, El Salvador had the highest incarceration rate in the world, arresting people three-times as fast as the also notoriously arrest-happy United States.What I'd like to talk about today is a recent series of happenings in Ecuador, and why some analysts are wondering if this might point at a spread of Bukele's approach to dealing with gangs—with all its associated pros and cons.—In November of 2023, Ecuadorians elected a 36-year-old president named Daniel Naboa who ran on a promise to reform the country's prisons, which have in recent years become vital to the country's gang-run drug trade.In 2016 the government of Colombia signed a peace deal with the FARC, a guerrilla group that was at fighting odds with the government for more than 50 years, and that led to a period of relative stability in Colombia, but led to the opposite in Ecuador, which until that moment had been fairly peaceful, most of the gang stuff happening in neighboring Colombia.But the FARC entering a state of peace and the consequent end of their de facto monopoly on cocaine trafficking from Colombia into Ecuador, where a lot of the drug is shipped around the world from Ecuadorian ports, caused a flare-up in violence as local, previously connected but relatively small groups, rose up to fill the power-vacuum.So Mexican and Colombian cartels and the Albanian mafia and other local gangs that were tied to various aspects of the FARC-led cocaine network in the region were all suddenly scrambling to grab what they could grab, and Ecuador's road infrastructure, its use of the US dollar as its official currency, and its lack of visa requirements for foreign nationals made it a highly desirable location for building out assets for producing and shipping drugs, especially cocaine, globally.The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and a drop in oil prices, oil being Ecuador's main legal export, amplified this rush, as a slew of now job-less and prospect-less young people were funneled into various gangs, these gangs being the only real economic opportunities in town, and over the past few years this has created a state of near-constant inter-gang warfare, which in turn sparked a series of prison massacres in 2020 carried out by competing gangs.In the wake of those massacres, gangs more or less took over about a fourth of the country's prisons, using them as bases of operation for their drug- and inter-gang-warfare related efforts.The country's president from 2007 through 2017 did a pretty good job of keeping gang activity in Ecuador to a minimum by basically allowing gangs to become cultural institutions and leaving them alone, so long as they stopped with all the violence. But this hands-off policy was part of why the government was unprepared when things went sideways beginning in 2016 and even more so in 2020.Ecuador's social safety net fell apart in the wake of that peaceful coexistence period, as well, and organized crime was able to accumulate more wealth and influence than the government in many regards, because of how lucrative the drug trade was becoming, which allowed it to fill in some of the blanks left by those diminished safety nets and the government's new austerity policies.This also allowed them to insinuate themselves throughout the government, grabbing control of some of the country's mega prisons, but also a whole lot of military-grade weaponry and people in positions of power throughout the justice system.Entire regional governments have been captured by local gang leaders, a whole generation of youths has been incorporated into their ranks, and though the previous president, before Naboa, seemed to understand the growing issue with gangs in the country, he was unable to do much to fight them and his meager efforts in that direction were defeated before they could be implemented: possibly, allegedly at least, because some members of his inner-circle were co-opted by the Albanian mafia and other local gangs.So Naboa coming into power was both a big deal and not a big deal: big in that he seems keen to do something about these gangs and their violence from the get-go, but less big in that other politicians have tried and failed to do the same, and there's a good chance his efforts will fail just as completely as those that came before.Then, in the wake of Naboa's formal ascension into office, during which he reiterated his vow to respond to the threat of these gangs with violence is necessary, and following several months of political assassinations, the blowing up of bridges and the killing and kidnapping of prison guards and police officers, on January 7, 2024 a drug lord nicknamed Fito who leads the Los Choneros gang escaped from prison, ostensibly because of Naboa's intended prison reforms, and the fact that until this point he'd been sort of running his gang from the prison where he was technically detained.A series of riots shook-up prisons across the country, a bunch of guards were taken hostage and a bunch of other inmates escaped, as well. Some more bombs went off, too, creating a general sense of carnage across Ecuador.President Naboa announced that the country was now in a state of internal armed conflict, sent the military into the streets and the prisons to search for Fito and to reestablish order, and 22 gangs were officially classified as terrorist organizations.A few days later, on January 9, a group of masked, gun-wielding men attacked a local TV station and broadcast, live, their taking the station staff hostage, telling viewers that they were doing so because the government was trying to mess with the mafias.The government announced they arrested 13 suspects in that TV station attack, and that they freed those and other hostages that were taken across the country, but the big outcome of that attack and that general carnage that surrounded it is that Naboa announced a state of emergency and a declaration of war on the gangs operating in the country.This state of emergency is scheduled to last for 60 days, and grants the government additional, temporary powers meant to help them combat heavily armed and well-connected gangs.But there's some concern that this temporary suspension of some people's rights and the ability to go hard and brutal against these gangs, bringing the full force of the country's police and military to bear against them, might end up being less of a temporary thing and more of an initial justification for a new status quo in which the government wields more, and more absolute power so they can do difficult things, but at the expense of human rights in the country.And folks worry about this because something similar was done, and seems to have worked really well, by some measures at least, in El Salvador.Officials from across the political spectrum, far-left to far-right and everything in between, from Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, and Chile have publicly expressed admiration for the model that's working, for some value of "working," in El Salvador, at times suggesting or outright saying they would like or intend to replicate the so-called "Bukele Plan" in their own countries.The sense here, amongst some analysts who know the region and the players well, is that the popularity Bukele enjoys is desirable for politicians, and so far it's the only proven way to deal with gangs that are this powerful: you have to grab all the power, do away with human rights, and basically just go completely sociopathic against them, giving everyone the sense that the government is the biggest and most violent beast around, not the gangs, and anyone who steps out against the government will be killed or imprisoned for doing so.This sort of approach, of course, often leads to what's sometimes euphemistically called "democratic backsliding," and in this case what's sometimes called "hustle-bro populism" serves as a foot in the door toward outright dictatorial, if very popular rule.And there's no shortage of concern from the international community, in particular, but also political opposition within these countries, that the presence of strongman leaders, no matter how popular they are, will degrade the rule of law and democratic norms in these countries, which in turn often leads to corruption, more violence—justified by gesturing at the common enemy of the people, in this case, at this moment, the gangs—and that then goes on to justify all sorts of other abuses, as well.The big issue here, though, is that most of the other attempts to control this gang problem in South and Central America—which in this part of the world is fueled by the drug trade, and thus, secondarily, by wealthier countries—those attempts haven't worked. And this approach, though flawed in many ways, does seem to work.And people living in El Salvador, thus far at least, seem to be willing to suffer those negative consequences if it will make their day to day lives less dangerous and violence-prone.What we're seeing in this relative success of what we might think of as an illiberal democratic model in Central America, then, isn't the traditional issue of a populism-powered, corrupt politician grabbing control, because not having a powerful and popular dictator who's willing to use violence in this way in control would seem to be, in some ways at least, worse.And that would seem to represent a failure of the many alternatives that have been tried and proposed, and the entities—including the world's many liberal democracies—that continue to support them.There's a chance these not-uncommon variables and outcomes spark a wave of Bukele lookalikes through Latin America, then, though it's also possible that Bukele's own antics will catch up with him, and he, like many authoritarians throughout history, will crumble under his own weight and ambition before his movement can expand and really take off.It may also be that this model isn't replicable, is an El Salvador-specific thing, or that politicians like Naboa will figure out a way to make use the concept on a temporary basis, serving as a more traditional version of the dictator, taking on more power in order to put the whammy on the gangs, but then beneficently stepping aside, handing that power back in order to reassert the primacy of democracy; it's not a common outcome, but it's possible.There's no way to know which way things will go yet, but we'll probably have a better sense in a few months, when this state of emergency in Ecuador is set to lapse, and other leaders throughout the region will have had the chance to assess the benefits of a shorter-term play, and will thus have a more complete sense of how to structure their platform and pitch for the many elections being held throughout the region in 2024.Show Noteshttps://www.cfr.org/blog/surge-crime-and-violence-has-ecuador-reelinghttps://www.americasquarterly.org/article/ecuadors-crisis-a-long-road-ahead/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvadoran_gang_crackdownhttps://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/incarceration-rates-by-countryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayib_Bukelehttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/7/could-el-salvadors-gang-crackdown-spread-across-latin-americahttps://archive.ph/49KLphttps://www.democratic-erosion.com/2022/10/14/el-salvador-is-objectively-becoming-safer-but-at-what-cost-to-democracy/https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/nayib-bukeles-growing-list-of-latin-american-admirers/https://archive.ph/S78X5https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/10/ecuadors-narco-gang-violence-a-timeline-of-the-recent-crisishttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/14/ecuador-prison-staff-held-hostage-by-inmates-all-freedhttps://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuador-cracks-down-prisons-restore-order-after-hostage-crisis-2024-01-14/https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-09-02/two-years-of-bitcoin-in-bukeles-el-salvador-an-opaque-experiment-with-a-little-used-currency.htmlhttps://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2022 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Article: https://www.realnewsnow.com/reporter-to-hunter-what-kind-of-crack-do-you-normally-smoke-mr-biden/ Hunter Biden, son of US President, Joe Biden, unexpectedly showed up in the nation's legislative halls on a recent Wednesday, culminating in a flurry of activity as journalists flocked around him. It happened during a House Oversight Committee assembly, where his appearance quickly became the day's breaking news. His abrupt decision to leave the facility post-event saw a frenzy of inquiries being hurled towards him, as news specialists scrambled to garner a reaction. Hunter's legal counsel, Abbe Lowell, endeavored to bring a sense of calm among the crowd, assuring them that his client would address their queries, should they provide him the space to speak on his behalf. The melodrama was palpable amid the crowd of reporters, each trying to outdo the other in terms of securing the prized response from the star of the day, Mr. Biden himself. As can be expected, the Oversight Committee assembly was equally intense, with frayed tempers and soaring passions evident at nearly every turn. Representative Nancy Mace of North Carolina took center stage in the jousting of words between the opposing sides. Mace left no stone unturned to question the reasoning behind Hunter's sudden appearance at the hearing, asserting that his presence warranted an explanation. Amid the disagreement ensuing from her dialogue, Hunter's legal counsel found himself in an active spar with Mace, a testament to the unwavering determination on both ends. This tension-filled scenario saw Biden making an abrupt departure from the heated proceeding. Commenting on his hasty exit, Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene did not mince words, prompting her to voice out her disappointment by labelling him as 'a coward'. This judgement didn't go unnoticed and resulted in a dramatic wrap-up as Greene continued her commentary on Biden's sudden vacating of the venue. Her stern words resonated with her fellow conservative audience, demonstrating her commitment to her values and political stance. Throughout the dramatic proceedings of the hearing, there was one undeniable fact - Hunter Biden had become the focal point of the event, attracting the spotlight in a legislative assembly typically characterized by rigid decorum and measured exchanges. His unexpected presence not only stunned the assembly but also arguably turned it into an emotionally-charged discourse. Each parties' representative fiercely protected their political interests, reflecting the classic dynamics of our nation's controversial political landscape. Events like these only underline the fervor of the country's diverse political climate, where polarized views lead to fiery debate sessions and grave accusations are thrown into the mix, often leading to sensational media coverage. The dialogue on this day was a reminder of how these exchanges of viewpoints contribute to shaping nationwide discourses and inform the democratic dialogue. It served as a display of passion, commitment and also the battle of political wills that inform such discussions. Indeed, this incident focused on Hunter Biden can be seen as a microcosm of the ongoing political tension prevalent in our nation today, further highlighting the divide that exists between political ideologies. Nevertheless, one thing remains clear - that in the chaos and disparity of opinions, the process of voicing concerns and anxieties, of questioning and being questioned, remains integral to the functioning of our democracy. And so, these events, much like this recent spotlight on Hunter Biden, while stirring extensive media coverage and nationwide debates, are an inherent part of our nation's Democratic discourse, reflecting the political diversity and vibrancy alive within the United States today. Follow RNN on Social Media Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealNewsNowApp/ X Twitter: https://twitter.com/realnewsapp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realnews/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@realnewsnowapp TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realnewsnowapp Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@RealNews Video: https://youtu.be/snuDM3Qssnk Real News Now PodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dear listeners, before we start today's show, a quick announcement. Today we have published the ninth episode of our podcast series, The Early Childhood Project. Indian Express in collaboration with the Bernard van Leer Foundation (BvLF), has brought you this 10 part series where our host, Anuradha Varma speaks to experts, parents, and caregivers about the critical development of children, and how to lay the foundation for good health and learning, in later childhood and adulthood. In the latest episode, we hear from the talented actor and devoted mom, Soha Ali Khan, to discuss the unique challenges of raising children in a post-Covid world. So don't miss out on the episode, and the series which is available on our website indianexpress.com and everywhere you get your podcasts.Now, on with the show.This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It's the 19th of December and here are the headlines.49 Lok Sabha MPs, including NC leader Farooq Abdullah, Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram and NCP Supriya Sule were suspended for disrupting House proceedings today. With this, a total of 141 MPs have now been suspended in this Winter session of the Parliament – 95 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha. Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm today as Opposition MPs continued their protests over their suspension and pressing for a statement from PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach. The Bombay High Court allowed an appeal filed by Gautam Navlakha. He is the accused in the Elgaar Parishad case and had challenged an order of a special NIA court which rejected his bail application in April this year. On the request of NIA, the HC stayed implementation of its order by three weeks for central agency to approach the Supreme Court. Navlakha, who was arrested on April 14, 2020, has been incarcerated since then; and has been under house arrest in Navi Mumbai since Supreme Court order of November last year. The first session of the 16th Madhya Pradesh Assembly witnessed controversy regarding a portrait of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru being replaced with that of Dr B R Ambedkar. Congress leaders said that while installing an Ambedkar portrait was a welcome move, the removal of Nehru's amounted to a “conspiracy of the BJP to change history”. Government officials said the portrait had been removed because it was in bad condition, and that later it was decided to install an Ambedkar portrait there.Former chief minister of Chhattisgarh Raman Singh was elected as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly today. Outgoing speaker and present Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant moved the proposal for the election of Singh as the Speaker and former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as well as other MLAs gave their mandate to the BJP leader.Over a 100 people have been killed in China after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck two northwestern provinces of the country Monday night. Local authorities said that as many as 105 people have been killed and 397 injured in Gansu province, while in neighbouring Qinghai province, 13 people have been killed and 182 injured.The epicentre of the quake was in Jishishan county.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

Coco and her special guest Femi Oluwole pore over the bin fire that was the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Was Sunak strengthened or weakened by the whole HS2 fiasco - and what was the thinking behind wheeling out his wife for a surprise appearance? With the likes of Braverman, Truss - and even Farage - being feted by the party faithful, Coco and Femi discuss the party's lurch to the right. Plus Femi on playing real-life Pokemon Go in Manchester…only with Tory Ministers.What's it like for the people of Northern Ireland to be without a functioning government for the last 18 months? The SDLP's Matthew O'Toole explains the real world effects of the collapse of power sharing - including on the country's drinking water. He also tells us why being in Stormont right now is like being on the set of The Shining.Plus Femi has some tips for budding activists, and reflects on the personal toll of putting himself in the firing line by calling out Brexit lies. You can find Coco and Femi's Hero and Villain of the week on our social media channels.Pod Save the UK is a Reduced Listening production for Crooked Media. Contact us via email: PSUK@reducedlistening.co.ukWhatsApp: 07514 644 572 (UK) or + 44 7514 644 572Insta: https://instagram.com/podsavetheukTwitter: https://twitter.com/podsavetheukTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@podsavetheukFacebook: https://facebook.com/podsavetheukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/podsavetheworld Guests:Femi Oluwole, journalist, political commentator and content creator Matthew O'Toole, SDLP member of the Legislative Assembly for South Belfast, and Leader of the Opposition in the Northern Ireland AssemblyUseful links:Find Femi on X: @Femi_Sorry / or YouTube: FemiFind Cariuma x Lovett Or Leave It at crooked.com/storeAudio credits:@Femi_SorryConservatives