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New Brunswick Liberals pledge overhaul of recruitment for health professionals

Published

1 hour ago

September 24, 2024

ST. STEPHEN, N.B. – New Brunswick’s Liberals are pledging to overhaul the way the province recruits health professionals should the party win the Oct. 21 provincial election.

Leader Susan Holt, campaigning Tuesday in St. Stephen, N.B., said the party would change the compensation model for doctors and increase the number of residency spaces for doctors in training.

The Liberal plan also promises to streamline the process for recognizing the credentials of foreign-trained doctors and other health professionals.

Though she released few other details, Holt said 10 additional physician training seats at Dalhousie University in Halifax would cost $430,000 each year.

“We need to innovate in how we recruit health-care professionals,” Holt said. “A centralized departmental model that continues to focus on vacancies instead of health-care professionals hasn’t worked.”

She said the recruitment plan includes calling on local communities and health professionals to help with presenting offers that might appeal to individual doctors and other health professionals.

“When we identify a health professional that wants to practise in New Brunswick, we find the role that fits them — we don’t try to fit them into our box,” Holt told reporters.

“We need to make sure we are tailoring our offer to what the health-care professionals want to do to be here, and we have to employ a team of people to do it.”

Holt said the Liberal recruitment program would also do a better job of tracking the number of job offers and how professionals are being identified.

“It’s about getting out there and aggressively head hunting the talent that we want,” she said. “We need to supercharge our recruitment process because we are losing the recruitment battle with other provinces.”

The latest announcement adds to previous Liberal commitments to establish at least 30 new community care clinics to help cut primary care wait-times and a program to provide retention payments to nurses.

On Monday, Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs promised to reduce health-care wait-times by expanding the scope of practice of nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, paramedics and pharmacists.

But the party did not provide details, saying it would work with medical professionals and their governing bodies to “evaluate all scopes of practice.”

Meanwhile, Higgs did not have any campaign events scheduled for Tuesday. A party official confirmed he spent the day preparing for a televised leaders debate on Wednesday night.

Higgs, who is seeking a third term in office, is expected to square off against Holt and Green Party Leader David Coon.

CBC TV will begin broadcasting the debate at 6 p.m. ADT from the Empress Room at the Capitol Theatre in Moncton. The event will also be carried live to an online audience cbc.ca.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2024.

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Saskatchewan report says proposed federal oil and gas cap would cause economic damage

Published

3 seconds ago

September 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

REGINA – A report from a tribunal appointed by the Saskatchewan Party government says a proposed federal emissions cap and methane regulations would cause severe economic damage.

The tribunal report, struck by Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre, says the mandates would reduce oil and gas production and cause government revenue losses of $43 billion by 2050.

It also says up to 34,000 people would lose their jobs by that year.

The federal draft regulations have proposed a ceiling on oil and gas emissions to slow the effects of climate change.

The rules would require industry to cut emissions by 35 to 38 per cent of 2019 levels by 2030.

The report says the requirements won’t reduce global emissions, and it argues oil production will ramp up in other countries if Canada imposes a cap.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2024.

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Conflicts that Divide Us from Our Senses. (Common and Practical)

Published

7 seconds ago

September 24, 2024

Harry Miller

Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Ukraine and the Middle East are experiencing historic events, a culmination of cultural, political, social and religious differences that have created problems with no reasonable solutions. As observers we tend to pick sides, those who are right and wrong, those who appear to be acting in a defensive manner, and those aggressors needing to face righteous justice-vengeance. Whose right and whose wrong? Ethically both sides to these horrible events have the right and responsibility to take action against the other. Injustices have been felt by all involved. We need to make sense of their gut instincts and reactions and try to understand why they do what they do.

Understanding what aggression and defensive postures do will help. Knowing that these events are not simply acts of individuals but something coming from the very essence of their cultural, political and religious roots. Sure killing innocents is wrong, but the other side did so often, so justification is placed. A doctrine of justification has been set ever since Israel was born. Remember Palestine, as part of the British Empire was shared by all involved, often in a peaceful environment. Then European and North American Shame and guilt allowed this territory to be taken by the future Israelis. Jewish terrorism against Britain forced the issue without any consideration of the non-Jews who resided in this land. Ideas of theft and expropriation of lands and property became the basis for future mistrust, jealousy and hate toward the Israelis. Well-founded if you think about it. Someone takes your home away and drives you off. You’ll be pissed right? From that moment onward Israel’s people became surrounded by various nations both jealous and angered because the wealthiest nations in the world supported Israel but not them. Israel has been in defensive mode ever since with a well-trained and armed national force ready at a drop of the dime to go into action.

Palestinians have been middlemen lying between their foe and their allies and other superpowers ready to inflict chaos in Israel and their ally’s lands whenever possible. Both sides see their cause to be just, moral and supported by their Deity. Each side knows what is right and wrong. Both sides see peace, and unity of their people and community as a prize worth fighting for, and the old adage remains “The ends justify the means”. So mini invasions happen, rockets fly and strike civilian targets, snipers shoot children, nations allow thousands to die unnecessarily and pagers explode killing many innocents.

Amoral behaviour is widespread among all combatants and every tool to strike at the other is used. Reporters are killed, hospitals, schools, and places of worship are bombed, and people standing in line for food are machinegunned. Immorality is a powerful byproduct of conflict. Being virtuous is left to victims and bystanders outside of the conflict. Citizens on both sides attempt to bring about peace only to be ignored, arrested and often killed by their own side. The dichotomy of being right or wrong is not considered as the singular goal of winning the conflict lingers. The ultimate choice between doing right or wrong lies within all their hands, and it is their responsibility to make ethical decisions that align with their values and principles.

All those involved be they Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, Egyptian, Saudi, Lebanese, Iranian or the Super Powers must make a choice that will truly challenge them to the core. They need to set aside their mistrust, greed, hatred and jealousy and be what they always claim themselves to be, peace loving, democratic, religious, moral and civilized nations and special interest groups. Never has there been a time when a group of people can achieve the unachievable. To be selfless, forgiving, tolerant and charitable to others, even those they oppose. Socrates said, “The greatest way to live with honour in this world is to be what we pretend and claim to be”. We all know that hypocrisy is prejudice with a halo. Each group player’s cause is seen to be the right one.

“Everyone thinks about changing the world, but no one seems to think about changing themselves” Yes this was said by a great writer and thinker, Leo Tolstoy. A simple equation right? Cannot change the other guy, their goals and expectations, so change yours. Be true to yourself. If you are a democratic-minded person, who supports the rights of individuals to their life, home, land and ultimately happiness, be that person. Set aside all anger, historical and practical hate. After all, only those who build and create are close to God and Divine Mercy.

Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca

News

Canada, U.S. to negotiate Beaufort Sea boundary dispute

Published

13 mins ago

September 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – Canada and the United States say they have created a task force to negotiate a boundary dispute in the Arctic.

The two countries have a long-standing dispute over a section of the Beaufort Sea, disagreeing over a treaty dating from 1825.

The countries say in a statement the task force will work on resolving overlapping claims over the area, which is north of Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

Late last year, the U.S filed a continental shelf claim with a United Nations agency that includes a large chunk of the Beaufort Sea floor that Canada also seeks to control.

Canada and the U.S. say negotiations will begin this fall and will work toward a final agreement that will provide clarity on the boundaries.

Both countries have put a growing focus on the Arctic as a result of increasing strategic competition in the region.

The statement says the task force’s work will include “meaningful engagement with state, territorial, and Indigenous partners.”

It says the agreement will consider “the responsible conservation and sustainable use of Arctic resources for the mutual benefit of Americans and Canadians, including Indigenous Peoples.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Set. 24, 2024.

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