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Poilievre Says’ Trudeau’s Radical Emissions Agenda Will Cost Truckers $250,000 Each
![Poilievre Says' Trudeau's Radical Emissions Agenda Will Cost Truckers $250,000 Each Trudeau's Emissions Agenda](https://www.vornews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Trudeaus-Emissions-Agenda.jpg)
Four Liberal MPs have joined Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in expressing displeasure with Justin Trudeau’s widely panned program to replace older trucks serving the Port of Vancouver.
The Rolling Truck Age Program aims to phase out trucks older than 12 years to improve air quality and community health.
The Trudeau government-controlled Vancouver Fraser Port Authority put the onus on independent owners and operators to replace the vehicles, which would cost truckers more than $250,000 each.
Truckers who Trudeau verbally and financially attacked during the truck convoy expressed concerns about high costs, claiming that existing vehicles already meet emissions standards and that global supply-chain issues complicate the transition.
The Port of Vancouver will not be permitted to operate vehicles over 12 years old, which Poilievre says is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “latest attack on working-class people.”
Although the program’s main focus is emissions, the port authority specifically mentions older, diesel-powered trucks as a significant source of PM2.5 particulate matter, highlighting cancer-causing concerns even though all trucks meet Federal and Provincial emissions standards.
The port authority began working with the commercial trucking sector to develop the program in 2012, and after “extensive engagement with industry and relevant stakeholders,” the port authority announced in 2015 that the program would go into effect in February 2022.
However, due to a request from Canada’s Minister of Transportation, Omar Alghabra, the move was postponed until September 2022 and then again until April 2023.
If implemented, approximately 20% of trucks — more than 350 — that transport cargo to and from ports will be prohibited. A new or lightly used rig can cost well over $200,000.
Last year, the United Truckers Alliance declared that the delayed program represents “impending doom.” “by imposing a significant financial burden on container truckers, raising concerns about additional supply chain delays in an already underperforming port.
“The approximately 1,700 trucks unfairly targeted by the RTAP represent less than 2% of BC’s licensed commercial trucks, who face none of the same punitive emissions standards,” the UTA stated.
The United Truckers Alliance also notes that the Port of Vancouver increased its coal export volume by 19% in 2021, highlighting that the amount represents approximately 79,267,906 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, which is equivalent to the emissions from 17,079,795 gas-powered passenger vehicles driven for a year.
“This is the same kind of attack on our working class that Trudeau has been carrying out since he became Prime Minister,” “Poilievre stated in a video posted to social media on Thursday.
“Ports are exclusively federal jurisdiction, and he is the federal prime minister, so he is responsible,” added the Conservative leader.
Meanwhile, Liberal MP Randeep Sarai says he has met with truckers who have complied with the new measures but still find them unreasonable and are concerned about having to replace more vehicles from their fleets in the future.
Sukh Dhaliwal, Parm Bains, and John Aldag, Liberal MPs, have expressed dissatisfaction with a heavily criticized program by Liberal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.
According to a September news release from the Port of Vancouver, approximately 80% of the port’s 1,800 container trucks have complied with the new requirement.
The port also stated that once trucks built before 2009 are removed, it expects to save approximately 15,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year, including 575 tonnes of smog-forming nitrogen oxide and 37 tonnes of carcinogenic particulate matter.
Opponents of the program say they are still waiting for a meeting with the port authority.
“We are prepared to have a pleasant conversation with the Port of Vancouver,” said Gagan Singh, the United Truckers Association spokesperson representing Vancouver-area operators.
However, Trudeau’s Transport Minister, who is in charge of the port, has lost truckers’ “trust,” he claims. “People no longer have faith in them.”
Singh stated that the group wants Transport Canada to intervene and mediate its members’ discussions with the agency.
Alghabra’s spokesperson said he spoke with the Port of Vancouver about the issue.
“Minister Alghabra has written to the port twice, requesting that they work with the trucking industry to find a solution regarding the program to ensure the recovery of our supply chains in the face of labor shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the press secretary Nadine Ramadan.
The port of Vancouver’s governing body is independent of government and is led by a board of directors comprised of port users and representatives from all three levels of government. The federal government has no authority over its policy.
The Vancouver port authority did not respond to a comment request before the deadline.
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Britain Must Be Ready for War in 3 Years, Warns New Army Chief
The new head of the Army has stated that Britain must be prepared to fight a war within three years.
Gen Sir Roland Walker has issued a warning about a variety of risks in what he calls a “increasingly volatile” environment.
However, he stated that war was not inevitable and that the Army had “just enough time” to prepare to prevent conflict.
He stated that the Army’s fighting capacity would be doubled by 2027 and tripled by the end of the decade.
Gen Walker warned that the Britain was under threat from a “axis of upheaval” in his first speech as Prime Minister on Tuesday.
Among the primary concerns confronting the Britain in the next years, as noted by the general in a briefing, is an enraged Russia, which may seek vengeance on the West for helping Ukraine, regardless of who wins the war.
He stated: “It doesn’t matter how it finishes. I believe Russia will emerge from it weaker objectively – or completely – but still very, very dangerous and seeking some form of retaliation for what we have done to assist Ukraine.”
Britain’s Government Defence Review and Military Challenges
He also warned that China was determined to retake Taiwan, and Iran was likely to seek nuclear weapons.
He stated that the threats they posed may become particularly acute in the next three years, and that these countries had formed a “mutual transactional relationship” since the war in Ukraine, sharing weaponry and technology.
However, he stated that the path to conflict was not “inexorable” if the UK re-established credible land troops to assist its deterrent strategy for avoiding war.
In his speech, he described his force of slightly over 70,000 regular troops as a “medium-sized army” and made no direct call for additional resources or men.
However, he pushed the British Army to adapt swiftly, focussing on technology such as artificial intelligence and weaponry rather than numbers.
His ultimate goal is for the Army to be capable of destroying an opponent three times its size.
This would entail firing quicker and farther, he said, aided by lessons learnt from the Ukraine war.
The general’s speech at the Royal United Services Institute land warfare conference comes only one week after the government began a “root and branch” defence review to “take a fresh look” at the challenges facing the armed services.
Defence Secretary John Healey launched the assessment, describing the existing status of the armed forces as “hollowed-out” and stating that “procurement waste and neglected morale cannot continue”.
According to the most recent Ministry of Defence (MoD) numbers from April 2024, the Britain’s regular Army forces total 75,325 troops (excluding Gurkhas and volunteers).
That figure has been declining in recent years, as recruiting has failed to match retention. The previous Conservative administration lowered the planned headcount from 82,000 to 72,500 by 2025.
Members of the NATO military alliance have agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence by 2024, but several countries are unlikely to fulfil this goal.
The Britain presently spends 2.3% of its GDP on defence. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously stated that the defence review will include a “roadmap” for increasing this to 2.5%, however he has yet to provide a date for this promise.
Source: BBC
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Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
PARIS — Katie Ledecky is looking for clean Olympic races. On Wednesday, Hope had pretty much reached her limit.
The American swimmer hopes to add to her six gold medals as she competes in the 400, 800, and 1,500 meters at the Paris Games. Her program starts with the heavy 400 on Saturday, featuring Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
The 27-year-old Katie is competing in her fourth Summer Olympics, but the first since a doping scandal involving almost two dozen Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned chemical before the Tokyo Games — yet were permitted to compete with no consequences. The controversy has raised serious worries regarding the effectiveness of anti-doping initiatives.
Katie Ledecky | Vogue Image
“I hope everyone here is going to be competing clean this week,” Ledecky claimed. “But what truly counts is, were they training cleanly? Hopefully this has been the case. Hopefully, there has been worldwide testing.”
The International Olympic Committee has expressed concern over the ongoing US investigation into possible doping by Chinese swimmers. While awarding the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday, the IOC urged Utah officials to do whatever they could to stop the FBI investigation.
“I think everyone’s heard what the athletes think,” Katie added. “They seek transparency. They want more answers to the remaining questions. At this point, we are here to race. We are going to race whoever is in the lane next to us.
“We are not paid to conduct the tests, so we trust those who follow their regulations. That applies both today and in the future.
Katie Ledecky | ESPN Image
Katie Ledecky Hopes For Clean Races At Paris Olympics In The Aftermath Of The Chinese Doping Scandal
SOURCE | AP
News
London Heatwave Alert: High Temperatures Set to Soar to 29C Next Week
As the summer holidays begin, London may experience an official heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 29 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office predicts a long period of sunny and dry weather for London after a soggy spring and summer.
After a cloudy day on Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach 27C on Sunday, with lots of sunlight.
On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures are forecast to peak at 29 degrees Celsius. Monday is forecast to offer more sunlight, while Tuesday may see some gloomy weather.
Temperatures are expected to remain in the high 20s next week, with lows of approximately 18C.
According to the Met Office, a heatwave is “an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity.”
In the United Kingdom, a heatwave is proclaimed when daily temperatures meet or surpass a certain level for at least three consecutive days.
In London, the heatwave threshold is 28 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office reported that the UK is experiencing hotter and wetter weather on average due to climate change.
The UK experienced its warmest May and April on record this year, despite damp and dismal conditions in many areas.
According to the Met Office’s State Of The UK Climate 2023 report published on Thursday, the UK experienced historic levels of extreme weather last year.
In the United Kingdom, 2023 was the second warmest year on record, bringing storms, flooding, strong heatwaves, and rising sea levels; only 2022 was warmer.
It was 0.8°C higher than the average from 1991 to 2020, and 1.66°C higher than the 1961 to 1990 average.
However, 2023 will be a “cool year” in comparison to 2100, based on the planet’s warming trajectory.
The government’s plan to adapt to the hazards presented by climate change is currently being challenged in the High Court by campaigners who allege the Tory administration’s July 2023 National Adaptation Programme (NAP) fails to adequately address 61 concerns.
Source: The Standard
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