Monthly Archives: February 2022

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New Yorks Democrat-controlled Legislature released the first look Sunday night at what the states proposed congressional district lines could look like for the next 10 years.

Staten Islands district, which it shares with part of Brooklyn, would shift from more conservative areas, like Dyker Heights and Bath Beach, to more liberal areas like Park Slope and Sunset Park, according to the map from the New York Legislative State Task Force on Demographic Research and Apportionment.

The district covering Staten Island, New Yorks 11th Congressional, has been one of the nations most closely watched. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) took over the seat last year after defeating former Rep. Max Rose in 2020 with 53.1% of the vote.

For most of the last decade, the seat was reliably Republican, but in 2018, Rose defeated former Republican Rep. Dan Donovan.

Rose, who grew up in Park Slope, has declared his candidacy for the 2022 election, and is expected to face off against fellow Democrats, Brittany Ramos-DeBarros and Dr. Komi Agoda-Koussema, in the June primary.

Map shows what New York's 11th Congressional District has look like since 2012. (Courtesy: LATFOR)

At the national level, the new statewide map could lead to Democratic gains in New Yorks House of Representatives delegation that would help offset their expected losses in states like Texas and Florida.

Locally and at the state level, Republican Party officials fired back at the map proposal calling it an effort to silence conservative voices in whats become an overwhelmingly Democratic state.

Anthony Reinhart, chairman of the Staten Island Republican Party, likened the map to cancel culture, due to Staten Island conservatives continuous lack of conformity with their liberal counterparts around the city.

We see this for precisely what it is - an attempt by those who brought us rising crime and high taxes to subvert the voices of Staten Islanders by tying our borough to [former Mayor Bill de Blasios] Park Slope. he said.

Clearly political shenanigans are at play to silence our voices. We will not be silenced. We will not be canceled. We will come out stronger than ever to re-elect Congresswoman Malliotakis.

New York Republican Party Chairman Nick Langworthy said the party is reviewing possible legal challenges to what he described as an effort to gerrymander the state. Gerrymandering is a political strategy in which district lines are drawn to benefit a particular group.

These maps are the most brazen and outrageous attempt at rigging the election to keep Nancy Pelosi as speaker, he said.

Voters spoke loud and clear in rejecting their partisan power grab last year and in 2014, but Democrats are circumventing the will of the people. They cant win on the merits so theyre trying to win the election in a smoke-filled room rather than the ballot box.

A representative for the Staten Island Democratic Party did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication, and the state party has yet to issue a statement on the proposed lines that could be voted on as soon as this week.

State Senator Michael Gianaris (D-Queens), who chairs the legislative redistricting task force, told the New York Times that they did the best they could with a flawed system.

This is a very Democratic state, lets start there. Its not surprising that a fairly drawn map might lead to more Democrats getting elected, he said.

The task force will also redraw district lines for the State Assembly and Senate, but has yet to release those proposals on its website. City Council districts are drawn during a separate local process.

In 2014, New Yorkers passed a ballot proposal that created the New York Independent Redistricting Commission (NYIRC) in an effort to limit the politics involved with the process that takes place after every decennial U.S. Census.

However, the 10-member commission broke down on partisan lines, and failed to find a compromise on how district lines should be drawn. The group never even submitted a unified set of maps after a series of public testimony hearings around the state.

The process shifted to the Legislature earlier this month after lawmakers chose not to adopt any of the NYIRC-proposed maps, and for the first time in decades a single party, Democrats, have complete control over both of New Yorks legislative chambers and its governors mansion.

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Proposed NYC congressional map would shift S.I. district into more liberal parts of Brooklyn - SILive.com

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The federal government will also reintroduce its controversial Broadcasting Act update, known as Bill C-10, 'very soon.' They haven't said if any changes will be made

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The Liberal government is preparing to reboot its controversial broadcasting bill, the online streaming act, which it unsuccessfully attempted to pass last Parliament as Bill C-10, even as it plans within days totable legislation to force big social media platforms like Facebook and Google to share revenue with news publishers.

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Liberal government House Leader Mark Holland told reporters Monday that a bill for the streaming act, which would subject internet companies to government regulation much as broadcasters are, will be presented very soon. When asked about the news-compensation legislation, Holland said that you should expect to see this bill in the coming days.

The mandate letter for Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, released in December, directs him to introduce legislation to require digital platforms that generate revenues from the publication of news content to share a portion of their revenues with Canadian news outlets.

The letter said the legislation should follow the Australian approach, which imposes bargaining rules for publishers and online platforms. The bills biggest targets are Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and Google. Both companies strongly opposed the Australian law when it was introduced.

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The Broadcasting Act update, which sets up the CRTC to begin regulating online companies like Netflix, drew strong opposition in the last Parliament when the government removed an exemption for user-generated content. Critics charged that was a violation of free expression rights, and though the Liberals then limited the CRTCs power over social media content, that wasnt enough to alleviate free speech concerns.

While the government managed to pass the bill through the House of Commons at the last minute, with the support of the Bloc and NDP, C-10 hit a wall in the Senate when senators refused to fast-track it.

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The Conservatives have already signalled their opposition to its re-introduction. In a Jan. 19 letter to Rodriguez, Conservative heritage critic John Nater asked the government not to bring the legislation back. Bill C-10 is so deeply flawed and controversial that it would not be in the interests of Canadians to reintroduce it, Nater wrote.

Holland declined to say whether the re-introduced bill will include any changes to address free speech concerns. The minister will be speaking to that when it is presented in terms of any changes that might be present in the bill, he said.

The news compensation bill and the legislation previously known as C-10 were two parts of a trio of online regulation bills the Liberals promised to introduce within 100 days, following last falls federal election.

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The third piece of that is the online harms bill, aimed at terrorist content, content that incites violence, hate speech, intimate images shared non-consensually and child sexual exploitation. But the draft legislation was lambasted in a consultation by experts, Google and even research librarians, who warned the government in written submissions the plan would result in the blocking of legitimate content and lead to censorship.

The mandate letter for Rodriguez then told him to continue working on developing that legislation, noting it should be reflective of the feedback received during the recent consultations.

When he was asked whether that legislation will also be introduced shortly, Holland said Monday there will be more information regarding online harms very soon.

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Liberals to reboot controversial C-10, along with bill forcing digital giants to pay for news - National Post

The minister is even more scathing, describing you as a fraud and a complete psycho. Does this exchange surprise you? And what do you think that it tells us?

Mr Morrison responded cautiously to the surprise question.

Well, I dont know who youre referring to or the basis of what youve put to me. But I obviously dont agree with it, and I dont think that is my record, Mr Morrison responded.

Journalist Peter van Onselen during Prime Minister Scott Morrisons address to the National Press Club in Canberra on Tuesday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

After the alleged exchange was revealed, Ms Berejiklian said she did not remember the messages.

I understand there has been some commentary today concerning myself and the PM. I have no recollection of such messages, she said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

Let me reiterate my very strong support for Prime Minister Morrison and all he is doing for our nation during these very challenging times. I also strongly believe he is the best person to lead our nation for years to come.

Van Onselen said Scott Morrison will be looking at his cabinet ministers, wondering which one of them the former NSW premier spoke to, suggesting the unnamed Liberal could be one of Mr Morrisons close federal colleagues.

The NSW Liberal party has been embroiled in a series of factional disputes, with the state executive last week rejecting a motion that would have used special powers to endorse sitting MPs and protect government members from preselection challenges.

Its not the first time the allegedly frosty relationship between the Liberal leaders has been exposed. Last year The Sydney Morning Herald reported Ms Berejiklian went as far as to tell a colleague Mr Morrisons behaviour was evil after the Prime Ministers office phoned political reporters in a background effort to discredit her over the vaccine rollout last year.

But Ms Berejiklian said, dont believe what you read and said she was on good terms with Mr Morrison.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during his address to the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra on Tuesday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Late last year, the Prime Minister led an appeal for the former state premier to run for the federal seat of Warringah, telling reporters in Sydney at the time shed be a great candidate for the independent-held seat. Ms Berejiklian ruled out the idea days later.

Ms Berejiklian stepped down from her role as premier after the states corruption watchdog announced she was to be the subject of an inquiry.

A survey of voters published last week indicates the Coalition could be in trouble ahead of the upcoming federal election. Primary vote support for the Coalition has fallen from 39 to 34 per cent from November to January. The federal election is expected to be held in May, the announcement of which is expected in March.

The primary vote results in the exclusive Resolve Political Monitor showed an increase in Labors core support from 32 to 35 per cent, putting Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese in a strong position ahead of the election.

Another poll conducted for The Australian showed Mr Morrisons approval rating has fallen to its lowest level since March 2020, when he faced attacks over his handling of the bushfire crisis.

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A complete psycho: Claim that Gladys Berejiklian and Liberal slammed PM in texts - Sydney Morning Herald

The Liberal Democrats are targeting Tory MPs representing the Blue Wall in the Southern shires demanding they submit a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson or face being sacked by the public.

Senior Conservatives including former Prime Minister Theresa May, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and the Justice Secretary Dominic Raab are among 54 MPs singled out by the campaign.

The seats have been selected because Savanta ComRes polling conducted by the Lib Dems shows that a third (32 per cent) of those who voted Conservative at the last election are now less likely to support a Conservative candidate if they back Boris Johnson to be Prime Minister.

It comes after the Tories lost to the Lib Dems in Chesham and Amersham over its planning reforms, and the ultra safe seat of North Shropshire following the sleaze scandal.

The campaign will see letters sent to each of the 54 Tory MPs, telling them: The power is in your hands. Either you sack Boris or the public sack you.

Digital ads will also be targeted at the MPs, with a mocked up letter of no confidence waiting to be signed and sent to 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady.

The letter from Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper reads: As an MP representing a constituency in the heart of the Blue Wall, I know just how much anger there is at Boris Johnsons antics.

You are currently supporting a Prime Minister who shows utter contempt for the office he holds. You are dragging the British public along in this soap opera and causing pain for all those who lost loved ones in the pandemic.

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Liberal Democrats target Blue Wall Tory MPs calling on them to sack Boris, or be sacked by public - iNews

Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart brought that concern to the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board

Obtaining information about what happened in an emergency, such as a wildfire or flood, may not be easy to come by as it once was.

An area MLA told the Thompson-Nicola Regional district board at a recent meeting that people seeking information following emergencies are being directed to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Act process.

However, as part of updates to that act, the provincial government has added a new fee to those filing requests for information. The fee is $10 per request, double that of a federal FOI inquiry, though some First Nations groups will be exempt from paying the fee, according to the provincial government.

Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart of the BC Liberal Party said Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone has asked for proactive disclosure during emergencies and wildfires.

For citizens who are simply looking for information, this is a barrier and a very confusing process for them, Tegart said.

We were extremely disappointed that the government would not look at an amendment that would encourage people and allow them to get information that is public information.

Minister of Citizens' ServicesLisa Beare has said the reason the $10 fee was implemented was due to a large increase in the number of FOI requests being handled by government employees.

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BC Liberal MLA: New FOI fee could hamper those seeking information during emergencies - Kamloops This Week

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The Queensland premier's director-general Rachel Hunter will probe serious allegations the former top public servant was forced to mislead parliament for two years. Former state archivist Mike Summerell says then Housing Minister Mick de Brenni told him in 2018 that he no longer had independence from the department. Mr Summerell said he was then forced to remove sections from his annual reports that were "embarrassing or damaging to the government", and if he didn't, they would be altered anyway before being tabled in parliament. Mr de Brenni says he's "not aware of any wrongdoing" during his time as housing minister. "If any public servant has evidence of wrongdoing they should and are obliged to take it up with the relevant authority," the energy minister said in a statement. Mr Summerell also said he felt pressured to leave his role in May after current Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch offered him a three-month extension on his five-year contract. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has ordered her own department's director-general Rachel Hunter to probe the allegations. She says Mr Summerell had a legal obligation to report his concerns to the Crime and Corruption Commission at the time. "Let the director-general have a look at these issues," Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Tuesday. "But as I said, with serious allegations the public service know their code of conduct, and they know where to send serious allegations, and that is to the CCC." The premier refused to say whether she asked Ms Enoch about telling parliament last year that Mr Summerell had chosen not to renew his contract. The former archivist said after the 2018 meeting with Mr de Brenni, he was told to remove all references to his probe into an email scandal involving Transport Minister Mark Bailey from his annual report. When he later refused to change his annual reports to "make the government look good", they were tabled by Mr de Brenni with any controversial sections removed. "For 2 years I was directed to create misleading annual reports to parliament by DHPW senior officials with as far as I am concerned only one objective - don't say anything that could be embarrassing or damaging to the government," Mr Summerell said in a statement to News Corp. The former archivist said "misleading parliament" was a major issue for him, and that "I don't believe at all that my experiences were unique". "People need to know how little respect this government has for the integrity of the public record, transparency and accountability," Mr Summerell said. Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli called for the premier to sack Mr de Brenni and Ms Enoch. He said the issues could only be resolved by proper inquiry into government integrity and Mr Bailey should also stand aside while that probe occurs. "The premier has no other choice but to launch a full royal commission into the integrity inferno burning her government to a crisp," Mr Crisafulli told reporters. Katter's Australian Party and Greens MPs back an integrity inquiry after the resignations of Queensland Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov and Crime and Corruption (CCC) chairman Alan MacSporran. Like Mr Summerell, Dr Stepanov has also complained of "interference" in her role, with the CCC probing an allegation that the Public Service Commission confiscated a laptop from her office and later deleted its contents without her knowledge or consent last year. Australian Associated Press

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The Queensland premier's director-general Rachel Hunter will probe serious allegations the former top public servant was forced to mislead parliament for two years.

Former state archivist Mike Summerell says then Housing Minister Mick de Brenni told him in 2018 that he no longer had independence from the department.

Mr Summerell said he was then forced to remove sections from his annual reports that were "embarrassing or damaging to the government", and if he didn't, they would be altered anyway before being tabled in parliament.

Mr de Brenni says he's "not aware of any wrongdoing" during his time as housing minister.

"If any public servant has evidence of wrongdoing they should and are obliged to take it up with the relevant authority," the energy minister said in a statement.

Mr Summerell also said he felt pressured to leave his role in May after current Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch offered him a three-month extension on his five-year contract.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has ordered her own department's director-general Rachel Hunter to probe the allegations.

She says Mr Summerell had a legal obligation to report his concerns to the Crime and Corruption Commission at the time.

"Let the director-general have a look at these issues," Ms Palaszczuk told reporters on Tuesday.

"But as I said, with serious allegations the public service know their code of conduct, and they know where to send serious allegations, and that is to the CCC."

The premier refused to say whether she asked Ms Enoch about telling parliament last year that Mr Summerell had chosen not to renew his contract.

The former archivist said after the 2018 meeting with Mr de Brenni, he was told to remove all references to his probe into an email scandal involving Transport Minister Mark Bailey from his annual report.

When he later refused to change his annual reports to "make the government look good", they were tabled by Mr de Brenni with any controversial sections removed.

"For 2 years I was directed to create misleading annual reports to parliament by DHPW senior officials with as far as I am concerned only one objective - don't say anything that could be embarrassing or damaging to the government," Mr Summerell said in a statement to News Corp.

The former archivist said "misleading parliament" was a major issue for him, and that "I don't believe at all that my experiences were unique".

"People need to know how little respect this government has for the integrity of the public record, transparency and accountability," Mr Summerell said.

Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli called for the premier to sack Mr de Brenni and Ms Enoch.

He said the issues could only be resolved by proper inquiry into government integrity and Mr Bailey should also stand aside while that probe occurs.

"The premier has no other choice but to launch a full royal commission into the integrity inferno burning her government to a crisp," Mr Crisafulli told reporters.

Katter's Australian Party and Greens MPs back an integrity inquiry after the resignations of Queensland Integrity Commissioner Nikola Stepanov and Crime and Corruption (CCC) chairman Alan MacSporran.

Like Mr Summerell, Dr Stepanov has also complained of "interference" in her role, with the CCC probing an allegation that the Public Service Commission confiscated a laptop from her office and later deleted its contents without her knowledge or consent last year.

Australian Associated Press

Originally posted here:

Hunter to probe Qld archivist allegations - Daily Liberal