On Monday, MLAs debated a motion brought forward by DUP MLA Pam Cameron calling on Education Minister Peter Weir to explore the introduction of mandatory autism training for all teachers and classroom assistants.
Mandatory autism training call
In proposing the motion, Ms Cameron, the chairperson of the all-party group on autism at Stormont, said the move was supported by the Ulster Teachers’ Union, the National Association of Teachers and the National Education Union.
MLAs supported an amendment to Ms Cameron’s motion by Green Party MLA Rachel Woods calling on the Education Minister “to introduce mandatory autism training for all trainee teachers, teachers and classroom assistants”.
Ms Woods said: “All of the teachers’ unions in Northern Ireland support the introduction of mandatory autism training.”
During the debate, a number of other MLAs also made similar statements.
SDLP MLA Colin McGrath said all the teacher unions supported it, while Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw said: “The teaching unions are very much in favour of mandatory autism training.”
DUP MLA Gary Middleton MLA also said: “All the teachers’ unions in Northern Ireland support the introduction of mandatory autism training.”
However, in their subsequent letter to party whips, which has been seen by BBC News NI, the NITC said that four of the five teaching unions had not called for the mandatory training.
‘Undermines public confidence’
The Ulster Teachers’ Union (UTU) has previously said it supports the introduction of training.
However, the NITC also represents the NASUWT, the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), the National Education Union (NEU) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT).
“It is not the case that all teacher unions support the call for the immediate introduction of mandatory autism training,” said the NITC letter.
“The Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council (NITC) – which represents the five recognised unions in Northern Ireland – has not made this call; nor have four of our member unions.
“Making claims such as this is bad politics and undermines public confidence in our political system.”
The letter also called on parties to meet unions on the matter.
There is no indication as to when the mandatory training will be introduced, or what form it will take.
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme, Justin McCamphill, from NASUWT, said “the issue is that nobody can define what mandatory autism training is”.
“If it’s simply ‘this is mandatory and you must provide it’ and nothing is put in place, in terms of funding it and getting experts in front of teachers to deliver the training, then it simply won’t work,” he said.
He said the debate “should have been about calling on the education minister to reduce the cuts to schools”, in particular “the withdrawal of resources from special educational needs children over the last five years”.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
