Clement wants to cut public servants’ sick days to five | Ottawa Citizen

2014/09/13 Leave a comment

Nice euphemism “most transformative:”

Bureaucrats offered Clement various options on how to overhaul the plan and the proposal he selected was considered the “most transformative.” It also shows how willing the government is to wage a major battle with unions in the run-up to the 2015 election.

The creation of a short-term disability plan is not part of negotiations as such. But the number of sick days and ability to roll over unused days is enshrined in contracts and must be re-negotiated.

The fate of banked sick leave was a big question hanging over this round of bargaining. Public servants can’t cash in their unused sick leave when they retire and many leave with weeks or months in their banks.

The government had commissioned an actuarial valuation of the $5.2 billion in banked leave, which determined bureaucrats would only use about $1.4 billion worth of the unused leave. That $1.4 billion, recorded as a liability on the government’s books, will disappear if banked sick leave is abolished.

Many hoped Clement would allow some, if not all, to be carried over so employees could dip into their credits for extra leave if they needed more than the new five-day threshold. Canada Post did this when it revamped its sick leave.

Banked sick leave provides flexibility in case of longer illness or catastrophic illness such as cancer (which helped me tremendously).

While there was abuse, and thus some need to tighten up, it does seem Canada Post found a way to do so while preserving some flexibility.

Clement wants to cut public servants’ sick days to five | Ottawa Citizen.

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Salafist patrol sparks new debate on Islam in Germany

2014/09/13 Leave a comment

German Islamist extremists cross over the line by having a “Salafist patrol” like the Mutaween in Saudi Arabia or the Pasdaran in Iran (less active now):

The “PR gag by a group of young hooligans” has blurred the “clear definition between extremism and religion,” warned Aiman Mazyek, the head of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany ZMD. The activists are doing all Muslims in Germany a disservice, he said, adding that many young extremists had long bowed out of Muslim society.

“They say, this is a mollycoddled Islam, we want to go the hard way,” Mazyek said – and suggested fighting Islamism with Islam.

Strengthen the mainstream and support Muslim organizations, he urged. “Unfortunately, the current political climate doesn’t indicate that that has been understood,” the ZMDs Secretary General told DW. “Instead, were being marginalized, which in turn strengthens the radical fringes.”

On September 19, Muslims across Germany have the opportunity to demonstrate for peace and against extremism. Under the motto “Muslims stand up against hatred and injustice”, the four leading German Islam organizations are calling for solemn vigils and peace demonstrations in seven German cities.

Salafist patrol sparks new debate on Islam in Germany | Germany | DW.DE | 10.09.2014.

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Citizenship Act Coming Into Force Provisions

2014/09/12 Leave a comment

From CIC’s newsletter, details of which provisions have come into force:

Provisions from Bill C-24 that came into force immediately upon Royal Assent included:

  • fast-tracking citizenship applications for members of the Canadian Armed Forces;
  • improving clarity on the first generation limit on citizenship for those born abroad;
  • enabling children born abroad to serving Crown servants to pass citizenship on to their children born or adopted abroad;
  • and streamlined decision-making for issuing discretionary grants  under section 54.

Provisions in the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act that came into force on August 1, 2014, included:

  • the new decision-making model for citizenship applications;
  • various measures to improve efficiency of the application process;
  • and a new judicial review and appeals process.

Other provisions will come into force on a date to be determined by the Governor in Council

E-newsletter.

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Aga Khan Museum will prove to be of historic significance: Siddiqui

2014/09/12 Leave a comment

Look forward to visiting it during one of our visits to Toronto:

The museum was planned for London but ran into bureaucratic hurdles. The Aga, spiritual leader of Shiite Ismaili Muslims, could have located it anywhere — in Europe, which is where he lives and works France and Switzerland or Africa or Asia which is where much of his nearly $1 billion development and cultural work is done or the United States. He chose Canada instead as a tribute to our pluralism and also to make a contribution to it “in the best way possible.”

England’s loss is Canada’s gain.

This is no ordinary museum.

  • It has not cost Canadian taxpayers a penny.
  • It is an architectural jewel, inspired by great Islamic structures and taking its inspiration from the Qur’anic theme of light, “God is the Light of the Heavens and the Earth,” light that basks all humans equally, and that lights up the heart and soul, etc.
  • It uses the familiar geometric patterns of Muslim lands to let in all the light possible. But it has no minarets and no huge domes.

“His Highness did not want this building to use overtly Islamic forms or references,” reveals architect Fumihiko Maki of Japan. “He wanted to have a modern building appropriate to its context.” References to Islam are “sublimated.”

Aga Khan Museum will prove to be of historic significance: Siddiqui | Toronto Star.

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‘Stateless’ Ottawa-born man loses bid for citizenship

2014/09/12 Leave a comment

Latest update on the Budlakoti case.

In the end, keeping him in limbo rather than acknowledging his statelessness and regularizing his status, while reinforcing the overall Government messaging on fraud, is likely to be more costly, in terms of ongoing legal appeals and that he cannot work:

Budlakoti had no idea he wasn’t an official Canadian citizen until May 2010 when he ran afoul of the law. He was sentenced to three years in prison for weapons and cocaine trafficking, and ordered deported in December 2011 based on what federal officials deemed his “serious criminality.”

But India rejected him. Indian officials said Budlakoti is not a citizen and have refused Canada’s request to issue him travel documents.

It means that Budlakoti continues to live under the restrictive terms of a federal deportation order that can’t be enforced. He must report every month to the Canada Border Services Agency and live with his family. His other family members, including his parents, are all Canadian citizens.

For his part, Budlakoti contends he is effectively stateless: living in a legal limbo without health care, social services or employment opportunities.

‘Stateless’ Ottawa-born man loses bid for citizenship | Ottawa Citizen.

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Helmetless motorcycling isn’t a human right: Cohn

2014/09/12 Leave a comment

Short and to the point:

For observant Sikhs, wearing a turban is a religious obligation.

But there is no human right to drive a motorcycle without a helmet — no matter how dehumanizing gridlock gets in Toronto.

Helmetless motorcycling isn’t a human right: Cohn | Toronto Star.

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Multiculturalism is our culture – Editorials – The Moose Jaw Times Herald

2014/09/12 Leave a comment

For those who don’t know, Moose Jaw is a small city of some 33,000 people in Saskatchewan, west of Regina, which has about a 4 percent aboriginal population and less than 3 percent visible minority population.

Yet open to accommodation and supportive of multiculturalism:

But imagine if we were newcomers to a city in a foreign country. We have our beliefs, yet in this new place their beliefs are different. We would feel more welcomed if that city, that culture, gave us a time and place to express our beliefs and still be a part of the community.

Just imagine if the roles were reversed. Whose side would we take then? Everyone wants to fit in. We all move to different places for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s for work. Sometimes it’s for family. Sometimes it’s to escape horrible conditions in our home country. Sometimes, maybe it’s simply time to try something new.

Whatever our reason, the most fair we can be is to accommodate every side and hear every voice. This includes the majority and the minority. The women and children-only swim is only for an hour once a month. It’s not a big change to accommodate.

Of course integration is important. No matter our culture, we’re better off united as a community. We need to be united and embrace our multiculturalism. That is an undeniable fact.

However, allowing some consideration to the so-called outsiders and their different beliefs and values, is the best way to show that we are not forcing anyone to change who they are or what they believe. It’s the best way to show that we are a friendly and open place where anyone of any culture is welcome.

Multiculturalism is our culture – Editorials – The Moose Jaw Times Herald.

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9 Ugly Lessons About Sex From Big Data | TIME

2014/09/11 Leave a comment

Interesting example of big data and some reminders that we are not yet living in a post-racial society:

5. According to Rudder’s research, Asian men are the least desirable racial group to women…On OkCupid, users can rate each other on a 1 to 5 scale. While Asian women are more likely to give Asian men higher ratings, women of other races—black, Latina, white—give Asian men a rating between 1 and 2 stars less than what they usually rate men. Black and Latin men face similar discrimination from women of different respective races, while white men’s ratings remain mostly high among women of all races.

6. …And black women are the least desirable racial group to men.Pretty much the same story. Asian, Latin and white men tend to give black women 1 to 1.5 stars less, while black men’s ratings of black women are more consistent with their ratings of all races of women. But women who are Asian and Latina receive higher ratings from all men—in some cases, even more so than white women.

8. Your Facebook Likes reveal can reveal your gender, race, sexuality and political views.A group of UK researchers found that based on someone’s Facebook Likes alone, they can tell if a user is gay or straight with 88% accuracy; lesbian or straight, 75%; white or black, 95%; man or woman, 93%; Democrat or Republican, 85%.

9 Ugly Lessons About Sex From Big Data | TIME.

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Tim Uppal, Multiculturalism Minister, Victim Of Racist Incident

2014/09/11 Leave a comment

Good that Uppal, Minister of State for Multiculturalism, was public about it.

StatsCan report on police-reported hate crimes doesn’t capture these kinds of incidents (Chart of the Day: Hate crimes – Five-Year Trends):

Uppal’s parents immigrated to Canada from India before he was born. He suggested to the Sherwood Park News last July that his personal background made him uniquely suited to the multiculturalism file.

“Growing up, I’ve had this opportunity to live this life of having a culture that I’m very proud of and [I] get to practice that culture, but at the same time being a Canadian kid. Playing ice hockey, and watching normal western movies and that type of thing,” he told the paper.

“I think all of that will help contribute to my new role.”Uppal, who always sports a bright, Tory-blue turban, also spoke out in the House of Commons last year about the proposed Quebec Charter of Values put forward by the former Parti Quebecois government of Pauline Marois. The controversial bill sought to ban public workers in the province from wearing “overt” religious symbols, including Sikh turbans, Muslim headscarves and Jewish kippas.

“My parents were welcomed when they immigrated to Canada, and now I have three beautiful Canada-born children,” he said.

“We are a proud Canadian family. A Canadian is no less a Canadian because they wear a cross, a kippa, Star of David or a turban.”

Tim Uppal, Multiculturalism Minister, Victim Of Racist Incident.

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Skilled immigrants face hurdles in finding jobs, government report says

2014/09/11 Leave a comment

More on foreign credential recognition and some of the barriers, some legitimate (i.e., Chinese legal training and experience does not prepare one to practice in Canada), others, such as Canadian experience, are more of a grey area.

The challenge of learning the culture and language of general social interactions likely takes some time:

The participants — including doctors, pharmacists and engineers — said language barriers and requirements for Canadian experience on some job postings pose the biggest problems.

They said they suspected that Canadian experience requirements were “a coded way for employers to favour the Canadian-born,” the report said.

The participants also pointed to a lack of Canadian connections or networks and “difficulty in general social interactions due to language and cultural differences.”

The participants didn’t feel the issue of formal recognition of credentials was a major barrier to employment. There were also differences of opinion on the value of foreign credentials, depending on the participants country of origin.

“Many Chinese participants believe their training and work experience from China are of limited use in Canada because they feel that everything in China is so radically different from Canada that there is no way it could be applicable,” the report read.

“It was noted that a law degree from China in no way prepares anyone to practise law in Canada.”

A spokesman for Employment Minister Jason Kenney said the government commissioned the study in order to determine why skilled immigrants had trouble finding work. He added that the Tories plan to unveil initiatives soon aimed at tackling the problems.

“It’s a big priority for the fall,” said Nick Koolsbergen.

Skilled immigrants face hurdles in finding jobs, government report says – Politics – CBC News.

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