Latest news with #NRP
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Budget cap amounts to ‘defunding of the police,' warns NRP chief
Capping next year's budget increase at 3.5 per cent for Niagara Regional Police 'would mean taking away officers from the front line,' warns Chief Bill Fordy. Police services board members have approved a timeline for developing the 2026 budget, scheduling the NRP to meet with Niagara Region's budget review committee on Sept. 4, followed by a presentation of a board-approved operating budget on Nov. 27. Fordy and board members, however, were at a loss on how they could limit spending next year to fall within the guidance for Niagara's agencies, boards and commissions, set by the regional councillors in May. Meeting that target would cut roughly 50 front-line officers from the NRP's ranks, said a report presented to the police board Thursday. 'At a time when the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada are actively investing in public safety, a 3.5 per cent guidance essentially amounts to a defunding of the police,' Fordy told board members. He said the NRP opted to delay implementation of several critical program changes last year in an effort to reduce the impact on its 2025 budget. 'What that means for 2026 is we must now include the full cost of those programs in our base budget, before even considering any service enhancements,' he said. 'As it stands today, the base budget needed to maintain our current level of service is eight per cent. That is just to keep pace, not to grow or to improve.' And cutting 4.5 per cent from the base budget requirement 'would mean taking away officers from the front line,' he added. 'It not only reduces our current service level, it eliminates our opportunity to consider strategic sustainable growth.' Board member Kevin Gibson, too, was at a loss as to how the board could achieve the guidance from regional council. He said the Region and the increasing cost of law enforcement 'are at total odds to each other, totally going in opposite directions.' St. Catharines regional Coun. Laura Ip, a police board member. Board member Laura Ip, a St. Catharines regional councillor, said although 'property taxes should be kept to an affordable rate as much as is possible,' austerity budgets of the past are still having an impact on the upper-tier municipality. 'For a lot of years, they kicked the can down the road,' she said. 'I think it's bad process and planning for council to select an arbitrary number and direct staff to make decisions that make it work.' She said the Municipal Act requires regional council to maintain the financial integrity of the municipality, and 'selecting arbitrary numbers like this' does not do that. 'Trying to hit this number means loss of service, loss of programs, loss of staff. There is no other way to achieve this number,' she said. Ip said many of the councillors who voted to support the budget cap 'have never come to a budget meeting with solutions for how to reduce the tax rate.' 'I don't know how we possibly achieve this,' she said. 'It's impossible. We will not be able to do this.' The board's vice-chair, Nyarayi Kapisavanhu said the police service is also entering collective bargaining next year, and the 3.5 per cent cap 'will not align with anticipated collective agreements that are coming.' Fordy said several regional councillors have shared their concerns about underfunding police services. 'This concern is echoed at the provincial level. During last year's Toronto mayoral race, Premier Doug Ford was unequivocal in his position, speaking out regarding those who support defunding the police — reiterating that strong, visible policing is essential to ensuring safe communities and public confidence,' Fordy said. 'That's the very crux of this conversation. I'm not certain council fully realized that the 3.5 per cent guidance effectively does what those very statements warned against. 'It not only reduces our current service level — it eliminates any opportunity to consider strategic, sustainable growth.' Fordy said significant investments are also being made in public safety by the federal government, 'particularly to counter the so-called Trump effect, reinforcing proactive enforcement and strengthening our borders.' 'We are working more closely than ever with our provincial and federal partners to ensure effective, visible and co-ordinated enforcement,' he said. 'Yet at the same time, our municipal level is giving direction that would reduce the service we are able to provide to our community.' Fordy said the 3.5 per cent cap 'does not reflect the realities of a growing and increasingly complex policing environment.' 'It's possible that in setting the 3.5 per cent target, council did not fully anticipate the impact on mandated services and front-line policing. While we understand the complexity of budget planning, public safety leaves little room for error,' he said. 'Intended or not, this direction pushes us toward service reductions that run counter to provincial and federal investments in policing.' Fordy said he hopes regional councillors reconsider their decision, 'not just for the service, but for the safety of all who live, work and visit Niagara.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Tiu confident of higher rice, corn output in Q2 of 2025
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Sunday expressed confidence in a better performance for Philippine agriculture in the second quarter of 2025. Citing improved weather conditions and government interventions ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the DA is expecting a significant rise in rice and corn output. 'Given the latest production forecasts from the Philippine Statistics Authority, we're hopeful this quarter will build on the momentum we saw at the start of the year,' Tiu Laurel said in a statement. 'But we must not let our guard down. We are doubling down on efforts to increase food production while boosting farmer incomes.' According to the DA, after slowing to a growth of 0.5 percent in the first quarter of 2024 due to El Niño, the agriculture sector rebounded by 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2025, similar to the growth rate posted in the first quarter of 2023. The latest PSA projections estimates palay output to reach 4.36 million metric tons in the second quarter, up 13 percent from the same period in 2024. DA said this is also slightly higher than the April forecast of 4.34 million MT. The increase is driven by both expanded harvest area—up 9.2 percent to 972,730 hectares—and improved yields, projected at 4.48 MT per hectare, from 4.32 MT in 2024. The DA said rice production has benefited from 'favorable weather, increased government support through the National Rice Program (NRP), Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), and stronger palay procurement by the National Food Authority (NFA).' The NFA currently buys palay between P18 and P24 per kilo. For corn production, based on standing crops as of May 1, the PSA projects second-quarter output at 1.487 million MT—an increase of 27 percent from 2024. Harvest area is set to expand by 16 percent to 402,690 hectares. Tiu Laurel also credited contract farming initiatives and sustained irrigation support from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) that empowers farmers for the projected better performance. Rice and corn production as major contributors to crop production, which accounts for around 57 percent of the country's agricultural output. —RF, GMA Integrated News
Hamilton Spectator
05-06-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Welland motorcyclist dies in Beamsville crash
A 34-year-old Welland man died Wednesday evening after crashing his motorcycle in Beamsville. Just after 8:30 p.m., emergency responders were called to King Street between Lincoln Avenue and Stradelbauer Drive. Niagara Regional Police said the man was riding a grey Kawasaki Ninja. He died at the scene. King Street was closed for several hours, reopening at about 5:15 a.m. Thursday. The investigation by the NRP collision reconstruction unit is continuing. Police are asking anyone who was in the area with cellphones, closed-circuit video recordings or dash camera footage between 8-8:30 p.m. to review their footage and contact police if they see anything related to the investigation. Anyone with information is asked by police to call 905-688-4111 , option 3, ext. 1009367. Information can be submitted anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or going to . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hans India
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Record 19.58 pc cast ballots on first day of early voting for South Korean presidential election
Seoul: An all-time high of 19.58 per cent of South Korean voters cast their ballots on Thursday on the first day of early voting for the upcoming presidential election to elect the successor to former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted over his failed martial law bid. The two-day early voting began at 3,568 polling stations nationwide earlier in the day. The official election is slated for next Tuesday. More than 8.69 million out of 44,391,871 registered voters, or 19.58 per cent, cast their ballots from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Election Commission. It marked the highest first-day turnout since nationwide early voting was introduced in 2014, Yonhap news agency reported. The figure is 2.01 percentage points higher than the corresponding turnout for the previous presidential election held in 2022, which stood at 17.57 per cent. Democratic Party (DP) candidate Lee Jae-myung cast his ballot in Seoul, while People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo voted in the city of Incheon earlier in the day. Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative New Reform Party (NRP) and Kwon Young-kook of the minor Democratic Labor Party also voted. "The insurrection can only be truly overcome through the active participation of our citizens in the election," Lee said after casting his ballot with young voters, stressing that voting is the most powerful way to exercise one's sovereignty. He also explained that casting his vote alongside young voters reflects his hope for South Korea to "return to an era led by the youth." After the vote, Lee continued campaigning across several districts in Seoul, including Gangdong, Songpa, Seocho, and Gwanak. The capital area, where half of the country's population resides, is considered a key battleground. Meanwhile, Kim voted with his daughter in Incheon's Gyeyang district, the constituency of his DP rival. "If you don't vote, there's no hope for this country," Kim said, warning that voting for his DP rival will "take away freedom". The PPP's campaign committee said Kim's decision to vote in his rival's constituency reflects his determination to "turn the tide" in Lee's political stronghold. During his campaign stop, Kim also visited Freedom Park in Incheon, west of Seoul, and paid tribute to the statue of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who led the pivotal Incheon Landing Operation in 1950 that helped turn the tide of the 1950-53 Korean War. He urged voters to cast their ballots during the early voting period or on election day. The NRP's Lee cast his early vote in Dongtan, his home constituency, before heading to Pangyo 2nd Techno Valley in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, and other districts to appeal to university students and the young population. Kwon voted in the southern city of Yeosu. Currently, six hopefuls are vying for the presidential office. The latest poll on the presidential election, published Wednesday, showed the DP's Lee in the lead at 49.2 per cent, followed by Kim of the PPP with 36.8 per cent. Lee Jun-seok came in third with 10.3 per cent support. The single five-year term of the next President will begin immediately following the election.
Korea Herald
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
People Power Party hints at ending talks with minor party's Lee on candidacy merger
The People Power Party on Wednesday hinted at ending its efforts to merge candidacies with minor New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok through negotiations, saying the phase of such talks seems to be over. PPP presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo has tried to persuade the NRP's Lee to field a single candidate to better challenge Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, the campaign's front-runner. However, the NRP's Lee has declared he would not drop his candidacy until Election Day and the two-day early voting period for the June 3 vote will begin on Thursday. "The candidacy unification issue no longer seems to be something that can be resolved by mechanically setting a deadline," PPP spokesperson Shin Dong-wook told reporters. "The stage where we can resolve this through negotiations and contact has already passed," Shin said, while appealing to the NRP candidate to consider the broader national interest. A poll by Realmeter released earlier in the day showed the DP's Lee leading with 49.2 percent -- more than the combined support for Kim at 36.8 percent and Lee Jun-seok at 10.3 percent. Despite mounting pressure from the PPP, Lee Jun-seok has remained firm in his decision to continue his campaign, effectively setting a three-way race that could divide conservative votes. Conservatives are enduring a challenging election, which was triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster from office over his botched martial law declaration in December. (Yonhap)
