Politics

Thousands gather in New Zealand to protest government’s Indigenous policies

Published

10 months ago

December 6, 2023

Right-leaning coalition has pledged to review affirmative action and remove references to treaty with Maori people.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in New Zealand to express opposition to the new government’s policies towards Indigenous people.

Protesters gathered in front of the parliament and on motorways on Tuesday after the minor Te Pati Maori party called for nationwide demonstrations against the newly elected right-leaning government.

The protests coincided with the opening session of New Zealand’s 54th parliament, following elections in October that ended six years of governance by the centre-left Labour Party.

In a breach of protocol, Te Pati Maori, which holds six seats in parliament, swore oaths of allegiance to the upcoming generation and the Treaty of Waitangi, a colonial-era founding document between the British and the Maori people, before pledging allegiance to King Charles.

The new National Party-led coalition has pledged to review positive discrimination policies, change the names of some departments from the Maori language to English and strip legislation of references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

“This is not a protest, this is an activation,” Te Pati Maori co-leader Rawiri Waititi told protesters in Wellington.

“Make our voices heard, let our voices fly and be proud to be who we are today.”

New Zealand police said two people involved in the demonstrations had been arrested and there had been disruption to traffic in a number of cities, including the largest city Auckland.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon, who is in coalition with the libertarian ACT New Zealand and populist New Zealand First, described the protesters’ criticism of his government as “pretty unfair”.

“The reality is we’ve been in government for a week,” he told reports. “We are going to get things done for Maori and non-Maori.”

David Seymour, the leader of ACT New Zealand, accused Te Pati Maori of being more interested in “divisive theatrics” than providing solutions for Indigenous people.

“New Zealanders elected a government that will treat people equally, regardless of their race,” Seymour said in a post on X.

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Politics

New Brunswick election candidate profile: Green Party Leader David Coon

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

FREDERICTON – A look at David Coon, leader of the Green Party of New Brunswick:

Born: Oct. 28, 1956.

Early years: Born in Toronto and raised in Montreal, he spent about three decades as an environmental advocate.

Education: A trained biologist, he graduated with a bachelor of science from McGill University in Montreal in 1978.

Family: He and his wife Janice Harvey have two daughters, Caroline and Laura.

Before politics: Worked as an environmental educator, organizer, activist and manager for 33 years, mainly with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.

Politics: Joined the Green Party of Canada in May 2006 and was elected leader of the New Brunswick Green Party in September 2012. Won a seat in the legislature in 2014 — a first for the province’s Greens.

Quote: “It was despicable. He’s clearly decided to take the low road in this campaign, to adopt some Trump-lite fearmongering.” — David Coon on Sept. 12, 2024, reacting to Blaine Higgs’s claim that the federal government had decided to send 4,600 asylum seekers to New Brunswick.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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Politics

New Brunswick election profile: Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

FREDERICTON – A look at Blaine Higgs, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick.

Born: March 1, 1954.

Early years: The son of a customs officer, he grew up in Forest City, N.B., near the Canada-U.S. border.

Education: Graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1977.

Family: Married his high-school sweetheart, Marcia, and settled in Saint John, N.B., where they had four daughters: Lindsey, Laura, Sarah and Rachel.

Before politics: Hired by Irving Oil a week after he graduated from university and was eventually promoted to director of distribution. Worked for 33 years at the company.

Politics: Elected to the legislature in 2010 and later served as finance minister under former Progressive Conservative Premier David Alward. Elected Tory leader in 2016 and has been premier since 2018.

Quote: “I’ve always felt parents should play the main role in raising children. No one is denying gender diversity is real. But we need to figure out how to manage it.” — Blaine Higgs in a year-end interview in 2023, explaining changes to school policies about gender identity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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Politics

Climate, food security, Arctic among Canada’s intelligence priorities, Ottawa says

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – The pressing issues of climate change and food security join more familiar ones like violent extremism and espionage on a new list of Canada’s intelligence priorities.

The federal government says publishing the list of priorities for the first time is an important step toward greater transparency.

The government revises the priorities every two years, based on recommendations from the national security adviser and the intelligence community.

Once the priorities are reviewed and approved by the federal cabinet, key ministers issue directives to federal agencies that produce intelligence.

Among the priorities are the security of global health, food, water and biodiversity, as well as the issues of climate change and global sustainability.

The new list also includes foreign interference and malign influence, cyberthreats, infrastructure security, Arctic sovereignty, border integrity and transnational organized crime.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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