News
1. McNeil proud of his indifference
Stephen McNeil. Photo: Halifax Examiner
“Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil says he stands by his government’s record on domestic violence after a former staffer said the Liberals turned their back on her when she was assaulted by a party staffer — her partner,” reports Marieke Walsh for Global.
Walsh asked McNeil about an article that appeared in The Coast, in which reporter Maggie Rahr interviewed the former Liberal staffer, Michelle Coffin, who had been assaulted by her then-boyfriend, then-Liberal-communications-manager Kyley Harris. In The Coast article, Coffin said she was never contacted by McNeil or other party officials, and that Labi Kousoulis told her that McNeil had “called all of the women’s organizations and asked what they thought, and they unanimously said that he should be rehired.” That claim was false. (I interviewed Rahr for last week’s Examineradio podcast.)
Continues Walsh:
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, McNeil said he hasn’t read the article and he wasn’t briefed on it but he “knew the story was out.”
“I didn’t read that story,” McNeil said. “But I can tell you I stand by the record of our government.”
[…]
Asked if he was concerned by the allegations in the article McNeil said: “I don’t know what the allegations are, this story has been before the courts, the courts have made a decision.”
2. Tidal research money
The tidal turbine as it was being moved through Halifax Harbour. Photo: Halifax Examiner
“The federal government will bolster a project aimed at addressing challenges in harnessing the crushing tides of the Bay of Fundy and beyond to create renewable energy, Canada’s natural resources minister said Thursday,” reports the Canadian Press:
Jim Carr said the federal government will contribute $1 million to the project led by the Offshore Energy Research Association, which will look at current knowledge gaps in tidal power.
[…]
Offshore Energy Research Association executive director Stephen Dempsey said the challenges include addressing tidal power’s unknown environmental impacts.
[…]
Among the other areas that will be explored are how technology could reduce the costs associated with tidal power.
3. Opioids for pets
“The association representing Nova Scotia’s veterinarians wants to find a way to keep pet owners from using opioids prescribed for their animals,” reports Angela MacIvor for the CBC:
Veterinarians can dispense whatever drugs they feel are appropriate for treating animals, and the registrar of the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association calls the current lack of controls a “loose brick” in the medical system.
“There’s no limitation or restriction on the drugs that a veterinarian can write a script for,” said Dr. Frank Richardson.
The available drugs for pets include fentanyl and hydromorphone.
4. Violence
A 23-year-old man was shot on Duffus Street last night at around 7:30pm. Police say the man is in stable condition. Police don’t know if the incident is related to another shooting on Duffus Street earlier this week.
Noticed
I’m working on an extensive news article that requires a few more hours of my time to complete. It’s a Friday in the summer, and there’s not much else going on, news-wise. So, I could either spend the next hour and a half looking for ever more elusive stories to link to, or I could jump right to working on my own news article. I’ll do the latter, and make this an extremely abbreviated Morning File. If all goes well, I’ll publish the article later today.
Government
No public meetings.
On campus
Dalhousie
Thesis Defence, Biology (Friday, 9am, Room 3107, Mona Campbell Building) — PhD candidate Jenni-Marie Ratten will defend her thesis, “The Diversity, Distribution and Potential Metabolism of Non-Cyanobacterial Diazotrophs in the North Atlantic Ocean.”
Dogs! Ponies! (Friday, 10am, Room B310, B Building, Sexton Campus) — prez Richard Florizone’s travelling road show continues.
In the harbour
The seas around Nova Scotia, 7:30am Friday. Map: marinetraffic.com
5am: Brotonne Bridge, container ship, arrives at Fairview Cove from Fos Sur Mer, France
7am: Nolhanava, ro-ro cargo, arrives at Pier 41 from Saint-Pierre
7:15am: Skogafoss, container ship, arrives at Pier 42 from Argentia, Newfoundland
11am: Brotonne Bridge, container ship, sails from Fairview Cove for New York
11:30am: Tomar, car carrier, sails from Pier 27 for sea
Noon: Skogafoss, container ship, sails from Pier 42 for sea
6pm: Nolhanava, ro-ro cargo, sails from Pier 41 for Saint-Pierre
Footnotes
I’ll be out of commission for most of the day.
MacNeil got his majority. He couldn’t give a rat’s ass about anything else. He won, screw common decency.
Ain’t democracy in Nova Scotia something else?
I agree with you, sadly. Mr McNeil has demonstrated his low opinion of us over and over again – in word, attitude and deed.
… and indeed a slight majority the voters have vindicated him.
Shouldn’t it be “then-Liberal-communications-manager?” (I’m a hyphen-nerd!)
one of my dogs had stomach surgery, and was given a fentanyl patch. It was surgically stapled to her side..
Do veterinarians make enough to grow rich? If not, I have an idea…
Also, grossly-overcompensated “consultants” are the norm elsewhere in the Commonwealth, apparently. Most, according to the comments in this article, are American: https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2017/06/consultants-taking-taxpayers-cleaners/
It’s just another reason to hate the self-serving giant at your doorstep.
MacNeil should be happy, absolutely nothing bad can come of half the population refusing to engage with the democratic process in an election where more or less every riding was somewhat competitive. Nothing, nothing, nothing bad. Nothing bad at all http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/11/politics/popular-vote-turnout-2016/index.html
Labi Kousoulis lied about the Liberal’s stance on forestry clearcutting, then lies again stating that he “called all of the women’s organizations and asked what they thought, and they unanimously said that he should be rehired.”
How honourable!