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May 1 2023

One deal. Sudanese stuck. Uncool blue.

May 1, 2023
David Akin's Roundup
Clippings of #cdnpoli, #media, and #tech content aimed at those with an interest in Canadian politics and policy. And sometimes Canadian postage stamps.
The 31st general election in Alberta should get underway today. There will be many days to vote in advance polls but the polls will close for good on May 29. 
Canada
The Public Service Alliance of Canada has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Treasury Board covering more than 120,000 federal government workers across the country. Strike action continues for 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency workers. [CP]
A national-security source... said the MP [that China] targeted was Conservative MP Michael Chong and that Zhao Wei, a Chinese diplomat in Canada, was working on this matter. 
Mr. Chong said he had no knowledge of this. He said he has relatives in Hong Kong. He was hit with sanctions by China in March, 2021, after sponsoring the parliamentary motion on genocide and has been careful not to contact his relatives since. [Globe and Mail]
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says there will be an announcement "in the not-too-distant future" that will address not just bail but other investments to law enforcement. [Global]
From the provinces

Take Back Alberta, a movement built on anger at COVID-19 restrictions, is organized and raising eyebrows about its leader’s claimed kinship with the Premier. [Globe and Mail]

Manitoba's Premier has announced her government will contribute $30 million to expand an intensive care unit at a Winnipeg hospital. [CP]
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Elsewhere
Sudanese stuck as passports locked in abandoned Western embassies
Sudanese visa applicants trapped in a war zone after Western diplomats evacuated Khartoum without returning passports. [Al Jazeera]

The industry has largely recovered, but cancellations and delays have persisted—affecting millions of passengers. Generally, cancellations and delays in late 2021 were due to factors that were within an airline's control, such as airplane maintenance or lack of crew. [U.S. Government Accountability Office]
Iran’s Parliament voted Sunday to fire the country’s industries minister over alleged mismanagement amid widespread dissatisfaction with the government. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said 162 of 272 lawmakers present voted in favor of dismissing Reza Fatemi Amin. [AP]
Media

Once a coveted status symbol, Twitter’s verification badge — which can be purchased for a monthly fee — is no longer fashionable, according to some users. [NYT]
Ask them about the impact the news media has on democracy, and Americans are likelier to say it's doing more harm than good. A new poll finds that nearly three-quarters of Americans say the news media is increasing political polarization, and only a slim majority says they have some degree of confidence in the media's ability to report the news fairly.  [AP]
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Issued this day ...
Issued this day in 1995: Sc #1546: Canadian Flag. Design: Stuart Bradley Ash, Katalin Kovats and Philip Unger. Photographs: Bill Brooks and J.A. Kraulis.
Marks the 30th anniversary of the the maple leaf design of the Canadian flag.

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