Sunday, March 27, 2022

Trudeau unveils Canada’s international proof-of-vaccination for COVID-19

 https://globalnews.ca/news/8286078/covid-coronavirus-vaccine-passport-certificate-federal-travel/?fbclid=IwAR38SUC6Pv8aLGNht93lIxTvfo4Y3ULJNLHrX-hTK3xj8XF9B9pBf0lZ_NE

Trudeau unveils Canada’s international proof-of-vaccination for COVID-19

“I’m happy to confirm that all provinces and territories have confirmed that they will be moving forward with a standardized national proof of vaccination,” Trudeau said, speaking to reporters.

READ MORE: Blair ‘very confident’ federal vaccine passport coming by U.S. border reopening on Nov. 8

He added that Saskatchewan, Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and all three territories have put this national standard into use.

Click to play video: 'Canada lifts blanket travel advisory on non-essential travel'Canada lifts blanket travel advisory on non-essential travel
Canada lifts blanket travel advisory on non-essential travel – Oct 22, 2021

That’s because the new national standard uses the provincial vaccine certificate as its framework. If you’ve already downloaded that provincial proof of vaccination document and it has the federal seal of approval in the top right corner, the government says you should be all set.

“You can download it into your phone, you can print it out, you can ask for a copy by mail if you don’t have those capacities, but you are now able to show proofs of vaccination immediately in all those provinces, and all other provinces have agreed and are working hard to come online,” he said.

The vaccine passport will have a common look and feel across the country, according to officials, including a “Canada” wordmark in the top corner.

Canadians will be able to use the proof of vaccination system both within Canada and for international travel, the officials said.

While the Canadian government’s webpage about the passport system reminds Canadians to “avoid non-essential travel,” should you choose to, this certificate should be uploaded into the ArriveCAN app for your return to Canada.

However, “this proof does not guarantee you entry to another country,” the webpage reads.

“Before you travel, you must check the rules of your destination country and the countries you transit through,” it explains.

“Provinces and territories may also ask you to use this proof to access non-essential services.”

READ MORE: Canada getting 2.9M COVID-19 shots for kids ‘shortly’ after approval

If you’ve already downloaded the proof of vaccination certificate with the “Canada” wordmark on the top right corner and your vaccination status hasn’t changed, you won’t need to download anything new, according to the website.

Regardless, Canadians should “be sure to bring a digital and paper copy with you when you travel.”

Officials said the proof of vaccination system also complies with the SMART Health Card standard, which uses technology that will allow officials to verify and authenticate the information without giving access to any other health or identity information.

The system is also supposed to be tamper-proof, the officials added, as it detects any changes to the document after it has been issued.

Click to play video: 'Federal government unveils standardized COVID-19 vaccine passport for international travel'Federal government unveils standardized COVID-19 vaccine passport for international travel
Federal government unveils standardized COVID-19 vaccine passport for international travel – Oct 21, 2021

The government worked “very closely” with airlines to ensure the certificate will also be “seamless” to verify, Trudeau said.

“It will be a step, for the vast majority of people, at the virtual check-in where they simply have to scan their QR code, and they will get a boarding pass that is clearly marked upon it ‘vaccination approved’ So there is no actual slowdown,” he said.

“It’s a single extra step on check in, in a digital way, but it will not be overly onerous for anyone in the process.

He added that when airline employees check the name and the gate number on the boarding pass, there will also be a “green check mark or whatever it is” that will tell them the vaccination requirements have been met.

Canadians who are travelling will have to show ID alongside their proof of vaccination certificate, according to the government’s website.

“Your name and date of birth will be checked against your other ID, such as your passport or status card,” it said.

“Your proof of vaccination and your passport or status card are separate documents and are not digitally connected. Your Canadian passport or status card does not contain vaccination information.”

READ MORE: Doctors sound alarm over COVID-19 vaccine exemptions: ‘We have ethics’

Whether businesses choose to request ID alongside the vaccine certificates is up to them and the provinces where they’re located, according to Alexander Cohen, the press secretary for Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino.

“That’s entirely up to either the provinces or the individual business…because our role in this is creating something for international (use),” Cohen said.

Cohen added that he doesn’t foresee Canadian travellers running into any issues using these certificates on the global stage.

“We expect that it’s going to be accepted by all countries,” he said.

“Right now, every country that is accepting generally for travelers or visitors is accepting all proof of vaccination.”

Reaction rolls in to certificate rollout

Both industry and public health voices are applauding this latest step in vaccine certification. Beth Potter, who is the President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, said the proof of vaccination system is “really good.”

“You’re not going to have to juggle,” Potter said.

“You know that you’ve got your vaccine certification, proof from whatever province or territory in Canada, and you can use it whenever you travel. And I think that’s fantastic.”

The one thing Potter was worried about seeing was a patchwork of systems across the country, she said.

“Not every business owner around the world may know where New Brunswick is or where the Yukon is,” she said.

“But they do know Canada, and so having that unifier, I think it’s incredibly important.”

Click to play video: 'New Brunswick premier says proof-of-vaccination QR system on track to come mid-November'New Brunswick premier says proof-of-vaccination QR system on track to come mid-November
New Brunswick premier says proof-of-vaccination QR system on track to come mid-November – Oct 21, 2021

A public health expert also agreed that the latest vaccine certification development is a welcome one. Julia Zarb, who is a professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, said the new certificate is “helpful.”

“It standardizes a template, a recognizable look and feel,” she said.

“There is a logo on it that is consistent across the board.”

While the certificate isn’t available in every single province just yet, Zarb said things are headed in the right direction.

“We need to get standardization, but it’s not something that will happen overnight, and anybody who’s worked in technology for a long time can tell you it’s never happened overnight, and we’ve had a lot of bumps and bruises trying to go down the road of thinking it might,” Zarb explained.

“So, I guess, be patient.”

READ MORE: Ontarians can begin downloading QR codes for COVID-19 vaccine passport based on birth month

Potter said she’s hopeful that the implementation of this national system will be smooth.

“It’s free and it’s simple to use. So we’re hoping that this will be a relatively painless move,” she said.

“You know, as long as the vaccine is required, we wanted to make sure that the system that was put in place was one that is simple to understand, simple to use, but not onerous on the business owners and on the business employees.”

As for Canadians considering travel, Potter said she hopes this will give them that extra push.

“It’s getting safer to travel all the time, and proof of vaccination certification is another tool in everyone’s toolbox that they can use to feel confident that they can travel safely,” she said.

“We encourage Canadians to really start thinking about that next trip, whether it’s for leisure or for business travel, and to get back out there and explore our great country.”

— With files from Global News’ Crystal Oag

Invest in the Digital Assets Transformation h

 Invest in the Digital Assets Transformation          https://www.vaneck.com/us/en/blogs/digital-assets/dapp-invest-in-the-digital-assets-transformation/

 

Invest in the Digital Assets Transformation

April 14, 2021

Read Time 2 MIN

 

The digital transformation is underway. In recent years, digital assets have started to mature, evidenced by increased global adoption by both retail and institutional investors. Against this backdrop, we believe that companies involved in the digital transformation of the global economy represents a long-term structural growth opportunity that is becoming more and more accessible to investors.

What Are Digital Assets?

The term “digital assets” encompasses a broad range of technology and applications, commonly referred to as blockchain or distributed ledger technology. Digital assets can take a variety of forms, and are not just limited to cryptocurrencies.

What Are Digital Assets?

Companies at the Forefront of the Digital Asset Transformation

The companies involved in the digital transformation are distinctly different from digital assets themselves. Digital transformation companies may range from digital asset mining to hardware to exchanges that facilitate the trading of digital assets.

Digital Asset Companies at the Forefront of the Digital Transformation

Digital transformation companies may engage in only one of these business lines, or they may engage in multiple, depending on their goals, capabilities and focus within the broader digital transformation space. Below are two quick examples to illustrate how different companies are generating digital transformation-related revenues.

Square* (SQ), the top weighted payment gateway company in the MVIS Global Digital Assets Equity Index, helps sellers start, run and grow their businesses. Investors and consumers can purchase cryptocurrency on Square’s popular CashApp. According to SEC filings, Square “recognizes revenue when customers purchase bitcoin and it is transferred to the customer’s account.” In 2020, that amounted to $4.57 billion in bitcoin-related revenues, an increase of 785% from the year before.1

Voyager Digital(VYGR) focuses on enabling users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies across multiple exchanges in one account. According to SEC filings, Voyager “offers investors, developers and platform providers a fully functional suite of APIs and mobile apps to allow anyone the ability to invest, earn and secure multiple types of digital assets.” As of March 31, 2021, Voyager had over $2.4 billion in assets under management and 270,000 funded accounts.2

Digital Transformation Companies Reflect a Structural Growth Opportunity

The opportunity set of publicly traded, pure-play digital transformation companies is still young, but has grown in both size and revenues over the last few years. Despite underlying volatility in digital assets themselves, many publicly traded companies are investing heavily in new business lines to position themselves favorably as digital asset usage and adoption continues to accelerate.

The Growth of Publicly Traded Digital Transformation Companies (2012 – 2020)

The Growth of Publicly Traded Digital Transformation Companies (2012 - 2020)

Source: VanEck. Revenues and market caps reflect pure-play digital asset companies as defined by MVIS and included in the composition of the MVIS Global Digital Assets Equity Index on 3/31/21. See important disclosures and index descriptions at end.

The digital transformation opportunity set currently has fewer listed companies compared to more mature industries. However, we believe that as digital assets use cases and adoption grow over time, these early-mover companies may benefit, and that more digital transformation companies will go public.

 

Presidential Documents Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets Executive Order 14067 of March 9, 2022

 Blogger note:  A long read of What is going on ..What is happening and how FAST Also see for a quick overview https://www.coinfirm.com/blog/whs-executive-order-on-digital-assets/

You can read it al right HERE :  https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-03-14/pdf/2022-05471.pdf


Page 1

Executive Order 14067 of March 9, 2022
Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets

 
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. Advances in digital and distributed ledger technology
for financial services have led to dramatic growth in markets for digital
assets, with profound implications for the protection of consumers, investors,
and businesses, including data privacy and security; financial stability and
systemic risk; crime; national security; the ability to exercise human rights;
financial inclusion and equity; and energy demand and climate change.
In November 2021, non–state issued digital assets reached a combined market
capitalization of $3 trillion, up from approximately $14 billion in early
November 2016. Monetary authorities globally are also exploring, and in
some cases introducing, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
While many activities involving digital assets are within the scope of existing
domestic laws and regulations, an area where the United States has been
a global leader, growing development and adoption of digital assets and
related innovations, as well as inconsistent controls to defend against certain
key risks, necessitate an evolution and alignment of the United States Govern-
ment approach to digital assets. The United States has an interest in respon-
sible financial innovation, expanding access to safe and affordable financial
services, and reducing the cost of domestic and cross-border funds transfers
and payments, including through the continued modernization of public
payment systems. We must take strong steps to reduce the risks that digital
assets could pose to consumers, investors, and business protections; financial
stability and financial system integrity; combating and preventing crime
and illicit finance; national security; the ability to exercise human rights;
financial inclusion and equity; and climate change and pollution.
Sec. 2. Objectives. The principal policy objectives of the United States with
respect to digital assets are as follows:
(a) We must protect consumers, investors, and businesses in the United
States. The unique and varied features of digital assets can pose significant
financial risks to consumers, investors, and businesses if appropriate protec-
tions are not in place. In the absence of sufficient oversight and standards,
firms providing digital asset services may provide inadequate protections
for sensitive financial data, custodial and other arrangements relating to
customer assets and funds, or disclosures of risks associated with investment.
Cybersecurity and market failures at major digital asset exchanges and trading
platforms have resulted in billions of dollars in losses. The United States
should ensure that safeguards are in place and promote the responsible
development of digital assets to protect consumers, investors, and businesses;
maintain privacy; and shield against arbitrary or unlawful surveillance, which
can contribute to human rights abuses.
(b) We must protect United States and global financial stability and mitigate
systemic risk. Some digital asset trading platforms and service providers
have grown rapidly in size and complexity and may not be subject to
or in compliance with appropriate regulations or supervision. Digital asset
issuers, exchanges and trading platforms, and intermediaries whose activities
may increase risks to financial stability, should, as appropriate, be subject
to and in compliance with regulatory and supervisory standards that govern
traditional market infrastructures and financial firms, in line with the general...

 


 

How the Liberals and New Democrats made a deal to preserve the minority government

 

From: CBC Politics: Minority Report <info@newsletters.cbc.ca>
Date: Sun., Mar. 27, 2022, 7:02 a.m.
Subject: Minority Report: Red-orange alliance
 


CBC News

View in browser

Minority Report


Sunday, March 27, 2022
 

The Rideau room where it happened
 

A historic deal is set to see Justin Trudeau remain in the prime minister's office until at least 2025 in exchange for progress on key policies, if all goes to plan for the Liberals and NDP. The CBC's Aaron Wherry, Rosemary Barton, David Cochrane and Vassy Kapelos break down how the agreement came to be and how it might shake out.

Then, digital writer Christian Paas-Lang puts this deal into historical context, looking back at previous minority parliaments and how this one will stack up — should the deal last.

Ryan Maloney

How the Liberals and New Democrats made a deal to preserve the minority government

Aaron Wherry, Rosemary Barton, David Cochrane and Vassy Kapelos

The residence at 7 Rideau Gate — a 19th-century home nestled between Rideau Hall and 24 Sussex in Ottawa's New Edinburgh neighborhood — is typically used as Canada's official guest house for visiting dignitaries and foreign leaders.

On March 14, an otherwise uneventful Monday in the nation's capital, it was also where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh came to a historic agreement between their parties during a three-hour meeting.

By the following Sunday, their officials had worked out the final wording of a tentative agreement. At 4 p.m. the next day, a note from the Privy Council Office alerted cabinet ministers to a cabinet meeting abruptly scheduled for that evening at 7:15 p.m. Liberal MPs were told of a virtual caucus meeting at 8:30 p.m., while NDP MPs were called to their own meeting for 8:45 p.m.

In those meetings, Liberals and New Democrats were let in on this week's big surprise, first reported by the CBC's Vassy Kapelos shortly after 9 p.m. on March 21: a confidence-and-supply agreement that would allow the Liberals to govern with NDP support until 2025, contingent on the implementation of a negotiated list of policies and priorities.

READ: How the Liberal-NDP agreement will work and what it might mean for Canadians

The key to making the deal work in practice might be found in the agreement's second sentence: "To ensure coordination on this arrangement, both Parties commit to a guiding principle of 'no surprises.'"

The deal itself should not have come as a complete surprise. Initial discussions between senior Liberals and New Democrats happened after last fall's election; Maclean's broke news of those conversations in October.

But those early talks did not deliver anything concrete and the conversation was more or less put aside.
 

'We just needed a little break'


"There was no animosity. We just needed a little break," a senior Liberal source with direct knowledge of the talks, speaking on condition they not be named, told the CBC this week.

Unlike similar confidence-and-supply agreements in Ontario, British Columbia and the Yukon — which came about very quickly after elections — there was no great urgency to the negotiations between Trudeau and Singh. The Liberal minority government was relatively secure and found the support it needed to pass several measures before the House of Commons adjourned in December.

Still, reports of possible collaboration were greeted enthusiastically in November by Erin O'Toole, who was still hanging on as Conservative leader. Faced with his own problems, O'Toole condemned what he described as a Liberal-NDP "coalition."

MORE: Everything we know about the Liberal-NDP dental care proposal

But unlike the negotiations between Jack Layton's NDP and Stephane Dion's Liberals in the feverish fall of 2008, these Liberal-NDP talks do not appear to have considered a coalition government at any point.

"We want to be independent enough to be able to be critical. We want to be able to oppose and to call for more," an NDP source, speaking on condition they not be named, said this week.

The discussions picked up again in the new year. As the Canadian Press reported this week, a phone call between Trudeau and Singh after the birth of Singh's daughter in January helped to get the ball rolling again.

Those discussions involved a small number of advisers — Trudeau's chief of staff Katie Telford and senior adviser Jeremy Broadhurst for the Liberals, Singh's chief of staff Jennifer Howard and NDP national director Anne McGrath for the New Democrats.

 
[image of the Liberal MP Randeep Sarai in the House of Commons]

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, left, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, prepare for the start of the federal election English-language Leaders debate in Gatineau, Que., on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

The NDP source said that maintaining a tight circle lowered the likelihood of further leaks. Due to the pandemic, most of the discussions happened by phone or video conference.

The bulk of the deal seems to have come together in the last two weeks. An NDP source said the party wanted to have an agreement in place in time to influence the government's spring budget.

A Liberal source said that, as the March 14 discussion was concluding, news was also breaking of a NATO leaders' summit scheduled for Brussels this week. That meant a deal needed to be completed quickly if it was to be announced before the prime minister departed.

According to the Liberal source, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was kept in the loop and other cabinet ministers were consulted about aspects that touched on their departments.
 

Agreeing on the 'blindingly obvious'


NDP officials reached out to people involved in the confidence-and-supply agreements signed in British Columbia in 2017 and Yukon in 2021. A Liberal source acknowledged that the B.C. deal was an important reference point. At least three of the primary negotiators also had firsthand experience — McGrath, Telford and Broadhurst were involved in the coalition talks in 2008.

The Liberal source argued that while the government was able to get its most important pieces of legislation through a divided House of Commons in the last Parliament, the process was so time-consuming that other bills — like those on conversion therapy and justice reform — fell by the wayside, even though the government knew it had the votes it needed.

"We don't have to see eye-to-eye on everything but can we at least find a way on the things that are blindingly obvious that we agree on?" the Liberal source said, explaining the motivation for a deal.

READ: Conservative interim leader accuses Liberals of 'power grab' after Trudeau makes a deal with the NDP

Then 2022 began and brought with it unforeseen events — an anti-vaccine mandate convoy protest occupying downtown Ottawa, followed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Those events consumed more of the government's time. But the Liberal source also suggested that global turmoil was increasing the pressure on progressive politicians to show they had answers to concerns about the cost of living.

While the convoy was bringing O'Toole's time as Conservative leader to an end, it apparently was showing the Liberals and New Democrats that they could work with each other. While the NDP offered qualified approval in public for the government's use of the Emergencies Act to end the convoy protest, the two sides were speaking behind the scenes about the law's deployment and the Liberals coordinated briefings with government officials to answer the NDP's questions.
 

Building 'relationships'


An NDP source said the two parties worked together in a "very mature way" after the invocation of the Emergencies Act and were "honest and forthright" with each other.

"There was more contact between the leaders in discussions about how to deal with it," the source said in an interview. "And I think that helped build the relationships at the leader and staff level that helped us have these discussions [about an accord]."

While Trudeau and Singh clashed directly and sometimes fiercely during last fall's election, there was significant overlap in the parties' broad priorities on affordable housing, health care, climate change and reconciliation.

WATCH: The political strategy, implications of the Liberal-NDP deal | At Issue

But the two parties couldn't agree on everything. Electoral reform was raised but dropped when it became clear the two sides weren't willing to abandon their preferred alternatives — proportional representation for the NDP, a ranked ballot for the Liberals. Instead, under the heading of "making democracy work for people," the Liberals and NDP agreed to revive a series of proposals for making it easier to vote.

Singh's NDP proposed expanding dental care in the 2019 and 2021 elections and the Trudeau government referred to dental care in its throne speech after the 2019 election, but the pandemic soon consumed all attention. The new accord became an opportunity to get something done.

 

Thursday, March 17, 2022

ABSTENTION ? Do your own research, should you or should you not ... abstain from voting?

 Bloggers note: Do your own research, should you or should you not ...  abstain from voting
 

 Abstention - Wikipedia

Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote (on election day) or, in parliamentary procedure, ...

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Why people choose not to vote in elections - CNBC

https://www.cnbc.com › 2020/10/30 › why-people-choos...

Nonvoters: Who They Are, What They Think - Pew Research ...

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Apr 9, 2020The media and political class's depiction of abstention as a byproduct of class and racial privilege is a lie.