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Shooting victims’ families want to ensure inquiry recommendations followed
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TRURO, N.S. — Families of victims of Nova Scotia’s mass shooting called Wednesday for an oversight committee to ensure the recommendations coming out of the public inquiry into the tragedy won’t be ignored.
In his final submissions to the inquiry, Tom Macdonald, the lawyer for the brother of victim Sean McLeod, said the committee should include a small group that tracks whether the inquiry’s recommendations are followed.
Macdonald said it should include representatives of the provincial and federal governments and the RCMP as well as an advocate for families. It would be led by a single “implementation czar” who would hold the federal and Nova Scotia governments to account.
The lawyer said the murders of McLeod and his wife Alanna Jenkins in West Wentworth, N.S., on the second day of the rampage, along with the 20 other people — including a pregnant woman — killed on April 18-19, 2020, should prompt lasting reforms.
“Two years from now you may have totally different leadership at the RCMP, a different minister of public safety, maybe a different government, and these (recommendations) are too important to be left to the ups and downs of change,” said Macdonald.
He said there was “voluminous” evidence of the policing shortfalls, including confusion over which staff sergeant was overseeing the initial response, poor knowledge of local geography and an “unacceptable delay” in warning the public of an active shooter driving a replica police vehicle.
Jane Lenehan, who represents the family of Gina Goulet, said the Mounties’ image of reliability in Nova Scotia was gone, despite the bravery of some individual officers during the mass shooting.
“The vision and mystique of the red serge, that comforting and reassuring belief in the RCMP, has been shattered,” she said.
Goulet was the 22nd victim, dying at her home on the outskirts of Shubenacadie, N.S., almost 13 hours after the first murder. The gunman was killed by police half an hour later at a gas station in Enfield, N.S.
Lenehan said her clients were disturbed by the poor relationship between the RCMP and local police forces, and noted that police testified during the inquiry the relationship has only worsened.
She reminded the commissioners of an email exchange between Truro police Chief David MacNeil and RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather that began slightly before 10 a.m. on the second day of the killings, when MacNeil offered “any support” needed. Leather replied that the RCMP believed it had the suspect pinned down and said he’d be “in touch.”
In his testimony before the commission, Leather, the head of criminal operations, said he was too busy to follow up, adding that MacNeil should have contacted a lower-ranking RCMP officer closer to the scene.
Lenehan told the commissioners “this kind of bureaucratic response may make sense to the RCMP, but it made no sense to the families.”
“This exchange was an important one to my clients, as the perpetrator was able to drive through Truro, unimpeded, about 15 minutes after it occurred,” she told the commissioners. Goulet was killed after that.
She said the commissioners should recommend requirements for co-operation between police forces.
The lawyer also called for a permanent moratorium on the auctioning of decommissioned police vehicles, saying it wasn’t worth the risk to public safety. She added the RCMP could instead sell the vehicles for scrap metal and parts.
Steve Topshee, a lawyer whose firm represents the families of victims Lillian Campbell, Aaron Tuck, Jolene Oliver and Emily Tuck, also raised the need for a system to ensure the inquiry’s recommendations are followed.
He said that if there are no reforms, it raises the question of whether the province should continue to contract with RCMP for rural policing.
During a short afternoon session, the inquiry was urged to make strong recommendations to address gender-based and domestic violence.
The commission had previously heard that the killer’s rampage was preceded by an assault on his spouse, Lisa Banfield. Evidence gathered indicated he had used coercive tactics against her throughout their 19-year relationship, as well as against other women.
Lawyer Jamie Goodwin spoke on behalf of a coalition of advocacy and support organizations such as women’s shelters. He said the commission needs to use its platform to call out the “false dichotomy” between public and private violence.
“We cannot make sense of the murders of April 2020 without understanding the perpetrator’s history of family, gender-based and intimate partner violence,” Goodwin said.
— By Michael Tutton in Halifax with files from Keith Doucette.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2022.
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Ontario Legislature keffiyeh ban remains, though Ford and opposition leaders ask for reversal – CBC.ca
Keffiyehs remain banned in the Ontario Legislature after a unanimous consent motion that would have allowed the scarf to be worn failed to pass at Queen’s Park Thursday.
That vote, brought forth by NDP Leader Marit Stiles, failed despite Premier Doug Ford and the leaders of the province’s opposition parties all stating they want to see the ban overturned. Complete agreement from all MPPs is required for a motion like this to pass, and there were a smattering of “nos” after it was read into the record.
In an email on Wednesday, Speaker Ted Arnott said the legislature has previously restricted the wearing of clothing that is intended to make an “overt political statement” because it upholds a “standard practice of decorum.”
“The Speaker cannot be aware of the meaning of every symbol or pattern but when items are drawn to my attention, there is a responsibility to respond. After extensive research, I concluded that the wearing of keffiyehs at the present time in our Assembly is intended to be a political statement. So, as Speaker, I cannot authorize the wearing of keffiyehs based on our longstanding conventions,” Arnott said in an email.
Speaking at Queen’s Park Thursday, Arnott said he would reconsider the ban with unanimous consent from MPPs.
“If the house believes that the wearing of the keffiyeh in this house, at the present time, is not a political statement, I would certainly and unequivocally accept the express will of the house with no ifs, ands or buts,” he said.
Keffiyehs are a commonly worn scarf among Arabs, but hold special significance to Palestinian people. They have been a frequent sight among pro-Palestinian protesters calling for an end to the violence in Gaza as the Israel-Hamas� war continues.
Premier calls for reversal
Ford said Thursday he’s hopeful Arnott will reverse the ban, but he didn’t say if he would instruct his caucus to support the NDP’s motion.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Ford said the decision was made by the speaker and nobody else.
“I do not support his decision as it needlessly divides the people of our province. I call on the speaker to reverse his decision immediately,” Ford said.
PC Party MPP Robin Martin, who represents Eglinton–Lawrence, voted against the unanimous consent motion Thursday and told reporters she believes the speaker’s initial ruling was the correct one.
“We have to follow the rules of the legislature, otherwise we politicize the entire debate inside the legislature, and that’s not what it’s about. What it’s about is we come there and use our words to persuade, not items of clothing.”
When asked if she had defied a directive from the premier, Martin said, “It has nothing to do with the premier, it’s a decision of the speaker of the legislative assembly.”
Stiles told reporters Thursday she’s happy Ford is on her side on this issue, but added she is disappointed the motion didn’t pass.
“The premier needs to talk to his people and make sure they do the right thing,” she said.
Stiles first urged Arnott to reconsider the ban in an April 12 letter. She said concerns over the directive first surfaced after being flagged by members of her staff, however they have gained prominence after Sarah Jama, Independent MPP for Hamilton Centre, posted about the issue on X, formerly Twitter.
Jama was removed from the NDP caucus for her social media comments on the Israel-Hamas war shortly after Oct. 7.
Jama has said she believes she was kicked out of the party because she called for a ceasefire in Gaza “too early” and because she called Israel an “apartheid state.”
Arnott told reporters Thursday that he began examining a ban on the Keffiyeh after one MPP made a complaint about another MPP, who he believes was Jama, who was wearing one.
Liberals also call for reversal
Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie also called for a reversal of the ban on Wednesday night.
“Here in Ontario, we are home to a diverse group of people from so many backgrounds. This is a time when leaders should be looking for ways to bring people together, not to further divide us. I urge Speaker Arnott to immediately reconsider this move to ban the keffiyeh,” Crombie said.
Stiles said MPPs have worn kilts, kirpans, vyshyvankas and chubas in the legislature, saying such items of clothing not only have national and cultural associations, but have also been considered at times as “political symbols in need of suppression.”
She said Indigenous and non-Indigenous members have also dressed in traditional regalia and these items cannot be separated from their historical and political significance.
“The wearing of these important cultural and national clothing items in our Assembly is something we should be proud of. It is part of the story of who we are as a province,” she said.
“Palestinians are part of that story, and the keffiyeh is a traditional clothing item that is significant not only to them but to many members of Arab and Muslim communities. That includes members of my staff who have been asked to remove their keffiyehs in order to come to work. This is unacceptable.”
Stiles added that House of Commons and other provincial legislatures allow the wearing of keffiyehs in their chambers and the ban makes Ontario an “outlier.”
Suppression of cultural symbols part of genocide: MPP
Jama said on X that the ban is “unsurprising” but “nonetheless concerning” in a country that has a legacy of colonialism. “Part of committing genocide is the forceful suppression of cultural identity and cultural symbols,” she said in part.
“Seeing those in power in this country at all levels of government, from federal all the way down to school boards, aid Israel’s colonial regime with these tactics in the oppression of Palestinian people proves that reconciliation is nothing but a word when spoken by state powers,” she said.
Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, said on X that it is “deeply ironic” on that keffiyehs were banned in the Ontario legislature on the 42nd anniversary of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“This is wrong and dangerous as we have already seen violence and exclusion impact Canadians, including Muslims of Palestinian descent, who choose to wear this traditional Palestinian clothing,” Elghawaby said.
Arnott said the keffiyeh was not considered a “form of protest” in the legislature prior to statements and debates that happened in the House last fall.
“These items are not absolutes and are not judged in a vacuum,” he said.
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Health Canada sperm donation rules changing for gay men – CTV News
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
The policy change would remove the current donor screening criteria, allowing men who have sex with men to legally donate sperm for the first time in more than 30 years, as part of the anonymous donation process.
This update comes after CTV News first reported last year that a gay man was taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of the policy on the basis that it violates the right to equality in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
According to an email Health Canada sent stakeholders informing them of the upcoming amendments to the federal directive, “sperm donors will instead be asked gender-neutral, sexual behaviour-based donor screening questions,” more in-line with the 2022 change made by Canadian Blood Services to its donation policy.
However, instead of entirely eradicating restrictions for gay and bisexual men, lawyer Gregory Ko – whose client, Aziz M., brought the case – cautioned that Health Canada will continue to bar donations from those who have had new or multiple partners in the last three months, based on rules regarding anal sex. CTV News has agreed to protect the full identity of Aziz M. out of concerns for his privacy.
Ko said while the update is an important milestone, his client intends to maintain his challenge against the Health Canada directive, “and the continued discrimination contained in this latest revision.”
“Based on our understanding of the science, there is no scientific justification for screening criteria that continues to discriminate on the basis of sexual activity and sexual orientation, since the testing and quarantine protocols already in place allow sperm banks to detect relevant infections and exclude such donations,” Ko said.
Currently, a Health Canada directive prohibits gay and bisexual men from donating sperm to a sperm bank for general use, unless they’ve been abstinent for three months or are donating to someone they know.
For example, it stops any gay man who is sexually active from donating, even if they are in a long-term monogamous relationship.
Under the “Safety of Sperm and Ova Regulation,” sperm banks operating in Canada must deem these prospective donors “unsuitable,” despite all donations being subject to screening, testing and a six-month quarantine before they can be used.
While the directive does not mention transgender or non-binary donors, the policy also applies to individuals who may not identify as male but would be categorized as men under the directive.
It’s a blanket policy that the Toronto man bringing the lawsuit said made him feel like a “second-class citizen,” and goes to the heart of the many barriers that exist for LGBTQ2S+ Canadians looking to have children.
When CTV News first reported on the lawsuit, Health Canada and various federal ministers said they would be “exploring” a policy change, citing the progress made on blood donation rules.
The update comes following “the consultations held in August 2023 and January 2024,” according to Health Canada.
This is a breaking news story, more to come…
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