#senateofcanada — Public Fediverse posts

Some Canadians are counting down the days till Christmas. Some are counting the nights till Hanukkah. But in the Senate, we're counting down the sitting days until we receive Bill C-4, which will, among many other things, exempt federal political parties from provincial privacy law. At QP today, I had questions. I think anyone who cares about privacy rights will want to listen. https://youtu.be/ZB501otrMwQ?si=jbJj626Pcd7P47U9 #BillC4 #C4 #cdnpoli #SenateofCanada #LCJC #privacy #BillC2 #BillC8 #BillC12 #privacy

Some Canadians are counting down the days till Christmas. Some are counting the nights till Hanukkah. But in the Senate, we're counting down the sitting days until we receive Bill C-4, which will, among many other things, exempt federal political parties from provincial privacy law. At QP today, I had questions. I think anyone who cares about privacy rights will want to listen. https://youtu.be/ZB501otrMwQ?si=jbJj626Pcd7P47U9 #BillC4 #C4 #cdnpoli #SenateofCanada #LCJC #privacy #BillC2 #BillC8 #BillC12 #privacy

Some Canadians are counting down the days till Christmas. Some are counting the nights till Hanukkah. But in the Senate, we're counting down the sitting days until we receive Bill C-4, which will, among many other things, exempt federal political parties from provincial privacy law. At QP today, I had questions. I think anyone who cares about privacy rights will want to listen. https://youtu.be/ZB501otrMwQ?si=jbJj626Pcd7P47U9 #BillC4 #C4 #cdnpoli #SenateofCanada #LCJC #privacy #BillC2 #BillC8 #BillC12 #privacy

Some Canadians are counting down the days till Christmas. Some are counting the nights till Hanukkah. But in the Senate, we're counting down the sitting days until we receive Bill C-4, which will, among many other things, exempt federal political parties from provincial privacy law. At QP today, I had questions. I think anyone who cares about privacy rights will want to listen. https://youtu.be/ZB501otrMwQ?si=jbJj626Pcd7P47U9 #BillC4 #C4 #cdnpoli #SenateofCanada #LCJC #privacy #BillC2 #BillC8 #BillC12 #privacy

Some Canadians are counting down the days till Christmas. Some are counting the nights till Hanukkah. But in the Senate, we're counting down the sitting days until we receive Bill C-4, which will, among many other things, exempt federal political parties from provincial privacy law. At QP today, I had questions. I think anyone who cares about privacy rights will want to listen. https://youtu.be/ZB501otrMwQ?si=jbJj626Pcd7P47U9 #BillC4 #C4 #cdnpoli #SenateofCanada #LCJC #privacy #BillC2 #BillC8 #BillC12 #privacy

@Captainobservant The whole report is indeed online. You can find it here: https://sencanada.ca/en/info-page/parl-44-1/agfo-critical-ground/ #AGFO #SoilHealth #CriticalGround #SenateofCanada #cdnpoli

What does it mean to be loyal to the soil? Come meet three of Alberta’s most passionate advocates for soil health and regenerative agriculture - farmer Shorty Fensky, soil scientist Yamily Zavala and environmental advocate Kim Cornish, as we talk on the eve of the Western Conference on Soil Health and Grazing. https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/alberta-unbound/id1511810939 #AlbertaUnbound #SenateofCanada #AGFO #Edmonton #yeg #Alberta #cdnpoli #soil #SoilHealth #agriculture #RegenerativeAgriculture

As a journalist, I thought I knew what it meant to dig up good dirt. Turns out I didn’t know where the really good dirt was! https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/paula-simons-all-the-dirt-on-why-soil-matters-so-much-and-why-its-at-risk #AGFO #soil #soilhealth #Alberta #SenateofCanada #Canada #Edmonton #EdmontonJournal #climatechange #agriculture

I sometimes post links to Senate speeches, as well as links to my podcast, #AlbertaUnbound. I chitter chatter about everything from soil health to wildfires, communications policy, transportation policy, and legal and constitutional affairs. There are also occasional photos of my dog. #introduction #WelcometoMastodon #SenateofCanada #Canada #yeg #Edmonton #cdnpoli #soil #wildfires

And here, if you are intrigued, is a link to our press conference this morning, which was covered live on CPAC. (Note to my American friends - CPAC in Canada means something QUITE different than it does south of the border.) https://www.cpac.ca/headline-politics/episode/senate-committee-presents-report-on-canadian-soil-health--june-6-2024?id=fad0cd6a-8d94-488f-9af0-205940cab697 #AGFO #SenateofCanada #Canada #SoilHealth #Soil #yow #Ottawa #RegenerativeAgriculture

I am so very proud to share Critical Ground, our Senate study of soil health in Canada, which was released this Thursday morning. If you care about the food you eat. If you care about climate change. If you care about environmental and physical health. If you care about Canada's future. This report should be essential reading. https://sencanada.ca/en/info-page/parl-44-1/agfo-critical-ground #AGFO #SenateofCanada #Canada #cdnpoli #SoilHealth #SoilHealthMatters #soil #SoilBiology #agriculture #ClimateChange #FAO

Thursday morning, our Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee will release our major report on soil health and preservation. It’s called Critical Ground, and I hope it will be a call to action on many fronts. To whet your appetite - my preview column, written for Alberta Views. https://albertaviews.ca/the-real-dirt-land/ #SenateofCanada #cdnpoli #AGFO #Alberta #abpoli #Canada

On Thursday April 18, I had the chance to follow up on this question, during a meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, as we held hearings as part of our new study on wildfires in Canada. Here's that exchange. https://youtu.be/OXQEXdt-oPo?si=MZeYE6LsgdyWpK6j #SenateofCanada #wildfires #Alberta #FoxLake #AGFO #LittleRedRiverCreeNation #ISC #PeaceRiver #BCHydro

In QP this week, I asked the government about the crisis on the Little Red River Cree Nation. The community of Fox Lake was hard hit by wildfire last summer; 1000 people are still displaced, but it's been next to impossible to bring in rebuilding supplies or modular homes, because B.C. Hydro repeatedly flooded out the town's ice bridges across the Peace River. Here are my question to the government: https://youtu.be/vRZ2d3C1owc?si=Uf19R_7zllroq9_J #FoxLake #LittleRedRiverCreeNation #wildfire #Alberta #SenateofCanada

In the basement of the Tory Building this morning, to speak to undergrad Poli Sci students about the Senate. Being back on the University of Alberta campus makes me feel 19 again - until I realize 40 years have passed since then! #SenateofCanada #UAlberta #UniversityofAlberta #Edmonton #yeg #Alberta #cdnpoli #Canada #abpse

I flew to Washington DC Thursday afternoon for a series of meeting related to my work as deputy chair of the Senate agriculture committee. Since it’s my first visit to DC, I squeezed in a little sightseeing too. #SenateofCanada #AGFO #Canada #WashingtonDC #Alberta #abgov #cdnpoli #SouthDakota

I spent my afternoon at West Haven School in Leduc, speaking to Grade 9 students about the history and role of the Senate. At the end of our conversation, one of the bigger, tougher looking boys asked me for a hug. I think he may have been taking the mickey - but I hugged him anyway. Next thing I knew, a whole bunch of them asked for hugs! So hugs they got. A reminder that even the gruffest looking teens need a little hug now and then. #Alberta #Leduc #BlackGold #SenateofCanada

The Senate is back in session today after the summer recess - and I had a chance to ask one of the first question in QP. I sought to draw attention to the devastating impact of the Paskwa fire on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, and to ask about federal support for the community. Here's my exchange with Senator Marc Gold, the government representative. https://youtu.be/S7t2PMc_060 #SenateofCanada #cdnpoli #Alberta #FoxLake #wildfire #FoxLakeFire #Canada

As I go to bed...thought I'd share this lovely and generous story about the Senate Agriculture committee's recent trip through south-central Alberta. https://www.mountainviewtoday.ca/olds-news/senators-tour-olds-college-for-report-on-soil-health-7484470 #AGFO #soilhealth #SenateofCanada #soil #Olds #Alberta #cdnpoli #agriculture

(And apologies for the abrupt shift from soil health posts to posts about communications policy. But I am both deputy chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, and a member of the Standing Senate Committee on Transportation and Communications. So I care about soils. And transportation policy. And communications laws. It makes for an eclectic Mastodon feed, interspersed with pictures of my dog.) #AGFO #TRCM #SenateofCanada #cdnpoli #sorryabouthat

A few more photos from our final day touring Alberta to study soil health. We spent the morning at the Olds College of Agriculture and Technology, learning about smart farming and precision agriculture. Then we visited rancher Doug Wray, near Irricana, who is at the “bleeding edge” of regenerative ag innovation in Alberta. #SenateofCanada #AGFO #Calgary #Alberta #soil #soilhealth #regenerativeagriculture #OldsCollege

Our next stop was the farm of Kevin Auch, the head of Pulse Canada. With the help of strategic irrigation and regenerative agricultural techniques, from no-till to intercropping, he is bringing in harvests of yellow peas, chickpeas, flax and wheat on very dry land with sandy soil. #SenateofCanada #AGFO #Alberta #soil #SoilHealth #pulses

Most of the South Porcupine Ranch has never been ploughed or planted. It is pristine prairie grassland. With proper grazing techniques, it is a fantastic carbon sink. Even in a painfully dry year, the topsoil is moist and rich. #SenateofCanada #AGFO #Alberta #soil #soilhealth #grasslands https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/senate-committee-members-studying-soil-across-canada-stop-in-southern-alberta-1.6541761

Allow me to share a few photos from our Senate agriculture committee tour of southern Alberta today. This morning, we visited the South Porcupine Ranch near Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, and Kevin Auch’s dry land pulse farm near Carmengay, to learn about their regenerative farming practices. What a privilege. #SenateofCanada #AGFO #Alberta #cdnpoli #soil #SoilHealth #regenerativeagriculture

Arrived in Calgary early this evening, in time for a stroll in Prince’s Island Park. An early start tomorrow, as we set out on a major road trip through southern Alberta to visit ranchers and dry land farmers, as part of our Senate soil study. #SenateofCanada #AGFO #Calgary #Alberta #yyc #Soil #SoilHealth #princesislandpark #yycDT

Our Senate soil study continues, with literal field trips. On Monday, we visited the Kernan Research Farm at the University of Saskatchewan, where the Dean of Agriculture, Dr. Angela Bédard-Haughn, spoke to us about the uniqueness of prairie soils, the legacy of glaciation, and the importance of native grasslands. #AGFO #SenateofCanada #Saskatoon #UniversityofSaskatchewan #soil #soilhealth #saskatchewan

Today, I visited the labs of Dr. Derek MacKenzie, a soil researcher with the University of Alberta, to learn about his work in soil analysis and his ideas for ways to connect academic research to the practical work of farming. Such important context for our Senate soil study. #SenateofCanada #AGFO #Edmonton #yeg #soil #soilhealth #UniversityofAlberta #ualberta

@nyctea Indeed. The Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry is conducting a major in-depth study of soil health in Canada - focussed on strategies to encourage regenerative agriculture, natural carbon sequestration, protection of arable land, and the coherent sharing of data. https://sencanada.ca/en/sencaplus/news/senate-soil-study-grows-deep-roots-as-it-uncovers-key-themes/ #SenateofCanada #AGFO #soil #soilhealth

I spent an inspiring, fascinating day in Westlock County, being toured though the AltRoot compost project by partners Brian Wonnacott and Colby Hansen. Together, they run a large commercial compost operation next to the Westlock landfill. Then Colby, working with research scientists, tries out different formulations of compost and other fertilizers, and tracks crop yields on his test farm. Fascinating fodder for our Senate soil study. #SenateofCanada #AGFO #soil #soilhealth #compost #Westlock

Bill C-282 is making headlines, even while the Senate is on summer break. https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2023/08/16/a-very-flawed-bill-senators-raise-concerns-about-blocs-supply-management-bill/395100/ #AGFO #SenateofCanada #cdnpoli #Canada #Alberta #abpoli #CUSMA #USCMA

All hat. No cattle. Thanks, Calgary, for a wonderful afternoon. And thanks to the Canadian Cattle Association Youth Council for such a great opportunity to speak with and to your members. #Calgary #yyc #CBIC2023 #AGFO #SenateofCanada

I drove down to Calgary this morning, where I’m giving a presentation at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference, speaking to young farm leaders about our Senate soil study. Lucky enough to win this T-shirt in a little contest, too. #AGFO #SenateofCanada #Calgary #yyc #Beef #Agriculture #CBIC2023 #Alberta

Leaving Rome this morning, grateful to all the leaders in regenerative agriculture who shared their wisdom with our delegation from the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. It was a busy work week, without much time for sightseeing. But we slipped in a few sights where we could! #Rome #AGFO #CuriaJulia #RomanSenate #SpanishSteps #Colosseum #SenateofCanada

On Sunday, the dynamic secretary general of the World Farmers’ Organization took our Senate delegation on a tour of Rome’s farmers’ market, near the Circus Maximus. We met with farmers and producers, and ate fresh caught mussels and local watermelon. Here’s a tiny taste of what we saw. #Rome #truffles #CampagnaAmica #AGFO #SenateofCanada #farmersmarket #WorldFarmersOrganization #WFO #soil #soilhealth #regenerativefarming

The Global Soil Partnership assembly is over. But our adventures continue. Today we toured the Maccarese Farm, one of the oldest and largest dairy farms in Italy - which grows all its own forage using smart farming techniques & turns its manure into biogas. #GlobalSoilPartnership #FAO #SenateofCanada #AGFO #soil #soilhealth #Rome #Maccarese #Benetton

@freezenet I’m looking forward to two fascinating hearings. (I missed the first hearing last week, because I was in Guelph, wearing my hat as deputy chair of the Ag committee. And our second hearing was bumped by C-11 shenanigans in the Chamber.) #C18 #OnlineNews #SenateofCanada (that photo’s somewhat outdated - that’s the old Chamber, closed for renovations for three years now. You need a photo of our current Red Chamber. No gargoyles. And bad carpet.)

This week, we began second reading debate of Bill C-18, which would compel Google & Facebook, the two largest websites, which capture 80 % of Canadian ad revenues, to underwrite operating costs of Canadian newsrooms. I spent 30 years as a journalist. I am passionate saving local news. But this? This is the wrong response. Watch and/or listen as I explain why. https://youtu.be/Sw44rJS2TTw #C18 #BillC18 #onlinenews #Google #Facebook #SenateofCanada #SenCa #cdnpoli #yeg #Edmonton #EdmontonJournal

If you would rather read than watch....here is the link to the text of my 3rd reading speech on Bill C-11, which regulated online streaming services. Pay attention to the amendments we made at committee. It is the significantly amended bill on which we will vote tonight. https://sencanada.ca/en/senators/simons-paula/interventions/597108/14#hID #BillC11 #C11 #SenateofCanada #SenCa #cdnpoli #Canada #onlinestreaming #OTT #socialmedia