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Politics At The Golden Globes: Despite Ricky Gervais’ Pleas and Put-Downs, Stars Still Speak Out – Deadline

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Ricky Gervais implored celebrities at the Golden Globes to please, don’t make those political speeches.

“You know nothing about the real world,” he said. “Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.”

The response from many in the crowd: Ignore him.

This Globes didn’t have biting awards-show moments like Meryl Streep’s 2017 call-out of Donald Trump’s behavior or Robert De Niro’s 2018 Tony Awards utterance of “F*ck Trump.” But the ceremony was heavily political, touching on the escalating situation with the U.S. and Iran, the urgency of pro-choice politicians in office and the 2020 presidential election. Most frequently mentioned were the devastating Australia fires, as some industry figures connected them to climate change.

Despite Gervais’ put-downs, politics was inevitable. When the world is a tinderbox, how can they ignore what is going on outside the room?

“I’m so grateful to be here and celebrate this, but I also know tonight, January 5th, 2020, we’re not going to look back on this night in the history books,” said Patricia Arquette, accepting the supporting actress award for The Act. “We will see the country on the brink of war, the United States of America. A president tweeting out a threat of 52 bombs including cultural sites; young people risking their lives traveling across the world; people not knowing if bombs are going to drop on their kids’ heads. And the continent of Australia is on fire.”

Such figures as Ellen DeGeneres, Cate Blanchett and Pierce Brosnan also mentioned their concern of the raging fires in Australia, while Russell Crowe, a winner for Showtime’s The Loudest Voice, tied the disaster to climate change in a prepared message read by Jennifer Aniston.

“We need to act based on science, move our global workforce to renewable energy and respect our planet for the unique and amazing place it is,” said Crowe, who was not present. Laura Dern, a winner for Marriage Story, made an even more generalized reference to the need for global unity.

Some winners steered away from the headlines while identifying the topical importance of awards recognition.

Ramy Youssef, winner for his Hulu series Ramy, said, “We made a very special show about an Arab Muslim family living in New Jersey, and this means a lot, to be recognized at this level.”

But as the night went on, politics seeped into acceptance speeches, as winners felt obliged to use the platform to speak out.

Michelle Williams, winner for Fosse/Verdon, devoted her speech to the necessity of preserving a woman’s right to choose.

“So women 18 to 118, when it’s time to vote, please do so in your own self-interest,” she said. “It’s what men have been doing for years, which is why the world looks so much like them. But don’t forget we are the largest voting body in this country. Let’s make it look more like us.”

And even though the mentions of Trump were fleeting, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see the show a target of one of his tweets. After all, the president who was praised on Sunday evening was not him but his predecessor, Barack Obama. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, accepting for Fleabag, said, “Personally I would like to also thank Obama for putting us on his list. As some of you may know, he’s always been on mine.” Meanwhile, Jared Harris, accepting for Chernobyl, said that the movie’s central question is, what is the cost of lies? “That question becomes more relevant with each day’s news cycle.”

As audiences for award shows have eroded in recent years, Trump and Republicans have been quick to blame the decline on excessive moralizing on the part of liberal Hollywood. There probably are a number of reasons for the decline — whether it be the lack of crowd-pleasers among the nominees, the change in viewing habits toward streaming or simply a cluttered universe of kudofests.

But some GOP strategists expressed a bit of surprise that Gervais at least addressed their gripes. Matt Whitlock, senior adviser to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, tweeted out Gervais’ comments and the word, “Whoa.”

In his opener, Gervais called out hypocrisy of celebrities moralizing at a time when so many work for corporate behemoths like Apple, Amazon and Disney. “If ISIS started a streaming service, you know you all would call your agents,” Gervais quipped.

Then he uttered an expletive to make his point.

Golden Globes TV Review: Ricky Gervais’ Return Flounders On Night Of Big Wins For ‘1917’, ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’, ‘Succession’ & ‘Fleabag’

In retrospect, there was just no way that the Globes would be a politics-free zone. Not in this time of Trump. Not with what is happening in the world. And not with what the attendees were being fed at their tables.

Joaquin Phoenix, accepting for Joker, thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for recognizing the link between animal-based foods and climate change, as the dinner menu included only plant-based foods.

He then mentioned the fires raging in Australia and said, “It’s great to vote, but sometimes we have to take that responsibility on ourselves and make changes and sacrifices in our own lives.”

Then, he hit on one of the right’s most frequent targets for Hollywood hypocrisy: the use of fuel-guzzling private planes.

“We don’t have to take private jets to Palm Springs for the awards,” he said.

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‘Disgraceful:’ N.S. Tory leader slams school’s request that military remove uniform

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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says it’s “disgraceful and demeaning” that a Halifax-area school would request that service members not wear military uniforms to its Remembrance Day ceremony.

Houston’s comments were part of a chorus of criticism levelled at the school — Sackville Heights Elementary — whose administration decided to back away from the plan after the outcry.

A November newsletter from the school in Middle Sackville, N.S., invited Armed Forces members to attend its ceremony but asked that all attendees arrive in civilian attire to “maintain a welcoming environment for all.”

Houston, who is currently running for re-election, accused the school’s leaders of “disgracing themselves while demeaning the people who protect our country” in a post on the social media platform X Thursday night.

“If the people behind this decision had a shred of the courage that our veterans have, this cowardly and insulting idea would have been rejected immediately,” Houston’s post read. There were also several calls for resignations within the school’s administration attached to Houston’s post.

In an email to families Thursday night, the school’s principal, Rachael Webster, apologized and welcomed military family members to attend “in the attire that makes them most comfortable.”

“I recognize this request has caused harm and I am deeply sorry,” Webster’s email read, adding later that the school has the “utmost respect for what the uniform represents.”

Webster said the initial request was out of concern for some students who come from countries experiencing conflict and who she said expressed discomfort with images of war, including military uniforms.

Her email said any students who have concerns about seeing Armed Forces members in uniform can be accommodated in a way that makes them feel safe, but she provided no further details in the message.

Webster did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At a news conference Friday, Houston said he’s glad the initial request was reversed but said he is still concerned.

“I can’t actually fathom how a decision like that was made,” Houston told reporters Friday, adding that he grew up moving between military bases around the country while his father was in the Armed Forces.

“My story of growing up in a military family is not unique in our province. The tradition of service is something so many of us share,” he said.

“Saying ‘lest we forget’ is a solemn promise to the fallen. It’s our commitment to those that continue to serve and our commitment that we will pass on our respects to the next generation.”

Liberal Leader Zach Churchill also said he’s happy with the school’s decision to allow uniformed Armed Forces members to attend the ceremony, but he said he didn’t think it was fair to question the intentions of those behind the original decision.

“We need to have them (uniforms) on display at Remembrance Day,” he said. “Not only are we celebrating (veterans) … we’re also commemorating our dead who gave the greatest sacrifice for our country and for the freedoms we have.”

NDP Leader Claudia Chender said that while Remembrance Day is an important occasion to honour veterans and current service members’ sacrifices, she said she hopes Houston wasn’t taking advantage of the decision to “play politics with this solemn occasion for his own political gain.”

“I hope Tim Houston reached out to the principal of the school before making a public statement,” she said in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Saskatchewan NDP’s Beck holds first caucus meeting after election, outlines plans

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REGINA – Saskatchewan Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck says she wants to prove to residents her party is the government in waiting as she heads into the incoming legislative session.

Beck held her first caucus meeting with 27 members, nearly double than what she had before the Oct. 28 election but short of the 31 required to form a majority in the 61-seat legislature.

She says her priorities will be health care and cost-of-living issues.

Beck says people need affordability help right now and will press Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government to cut the gas tax and the provincial sales tax on children’s clothing and some grocery items.

Beck’s NDP is Saskatchewan’s largest Opposition in nearly two decades after sweeping Regina and winning all but one seat in Saskatoon.

The Saskatchewan Party won 34 seats, retaining its hold on all of the rural ridings and smaller cities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Nova Scotia election: Liberals say province’s immigration levels are too high

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HALIFAX – Nova Scotia‘s growing population was the subject of debate on Day 12 of the provincial election campaign, with Liberal Leader Zach Churchill arguing immigration levels must be reduced until the province can provide enough housing and health-care services.

Churchill said Thursday a plan by the incumbent Progressive Conservatives to double the province’s population to two million people by the year 2060 is unrealistic and unsustainable.

“That’s a big leap and it’s making life harder for people who live here, (including ) young people looking for a place to live and seniors looking to downsize,” he told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.

Anticipating that his call for less immigration might provoke protests from the immigrant community, Churchill was careful to note that he is among the third generation of a family that moved to Nova Scotia from Lebanon.

“I know the value of immigration, the importance of it to our province. We have been built on the backs of an immigrant population. But we just need to do it in a responsible way.”

The Liberal leader said Tim Houston’s Tories, who are seeking a second term in office, have made a mistake by exceeding immigration targets set by the province’s Department of Labour and Immigration. Churchill said a Liberal government would abide by the department’s targets.

In the most recent fiscal year, the government welcomed almost 12,000 immigrants through its nominee program, exceeding the department’s limit by more than 4,000, he said. The numbers aren’t huge, but the increase won’t help ease the province’s shortages in housing and doctors, and the increased strain on its infrastructure, including roads, schools and cellphone networks, Churchill said.

“(The Immigration Department) has done the hard work on this,” he said. “They know where the labour gaps are, and they know what growth is sustainable.”

In response, Houston said his commitment to double the population was a “stretch goal.” And he said the province had long struggled with a declining population before that trend was recently reversed.

“The only immigration that can come into this province at this time is if they are a skilled trade worker or a health-care worker,” Houston said. “The population has grown by two per cent a year, actually quite similar growth to what we experienced under the Liberal government before us.”

Still, Houston said he’s heard Nova Scotians’ concerns about population growth, and he then pivoted to criticize Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for trying to send 6,000 asylum seekers to Nova Scotia, an assertion the federal government has denied.

Churchill said Houston’s claim about asylum seekers was shameful.

“It’s smoke and mirrors,” the Liberal leader said. “He is overshooting his own department’s numbers for sustainable population growth and yet he is trying to blame this on asylum seekers … who aren’t even here.”

In September, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said there is no plan to send any asylum seekers to the province without compensation or the consent of the premier. He said the 6,000 number was an “aspirational” figure based on models that reflect each province’s population.

In Halifax, NDP Leader Claudia Chender said it’s clear Nova Scotia needs more doctors, nurses and skilled trades people.

“Immigration has been and always will be a part of the Nova Scotia story, but we need to build as we grow,” Chender said. “This is why we have been pushing the Houston government to build more affordable housing.”

Chender was in a Halifax cafe on Thursday when she promised her party would remove the province’s portion of the harmonized sales tax from all grocery, cellphone and internet bills if elected to govern on Nov. 26. The tax would also be removed from the sale and installation of heat pumps.

“Our focus is on helping people to afford their lives,” Chender told reporters. “We know there are certain things that you can’t live without: food, internet and a phone …. So we know this will have the single biggest impact.”

The party estimates the measure would save the average Nova Scotia family about $1,300 a year.

“That’s a lot more than a one or two per cent HST cut,” Chender said, referring to the Progressive Conservative pledge to reduce the tax by one percentage point and the Liberal promise to trim it by two percentage points.

Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Houston announced that a Progressive Conservative government would make parking free at all Nova Scotia hospitals and health-care centres. The promise was also made by the Liberals in their election platform released Monday.

“Free parking may not seem like a big deal to some, but … the parking, especially for people working at the facilities, can add up to hundreds of dollars,” the premier told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

— With files from Keith Doucette in Halifax

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