Category: Canada

MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s agricultural policies are falling short of health and sustainability goals

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kathleen Kevany, Professor, Sustainable Food Systems, Dalhousie University

Oct. 16 marks World Food Day, a global initiative drawing attention to the “right to foods for a better life and a better future.” However, Canada’s food and agricultural policies are falling short of this objective.

Canada’s current agricultural policies are not serving the well-being of the public. Canada’s agricultural program payments and subsidies are not aligned with the government’s dietary guidelines and health goals.

Very few agriculture investments go to the production of fruits and vegetables, even though Canadians under-consume them. Instead, financial support overwhelmingly goes to feed crops, agricultural export crops and foods high in saturated fat. This is particularly troubling, given the rise of food and lifestyle diseases in Canada, such as diabetes, obesity, coronary heart disease and high cholesterol.

The health-care costs of diet-related diseases from not meeting the dietary guidelines are at least two per cent of all health-care costs in Canada, with some estimates putting it as high as 19 per cent. Agricultural policy is not just about food; it influences health, the economy and the environment.

Climate change and agriculture

Trying to address greenhouse gas emissions without paying attention to agriculture is like heating your home while not ensuring doors and windows are closed. Agriculture is a big contributor to Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.

As climate change intensifies, bringing more frequent and severe wildfires, droughts, floods, and heat domes , agriculture is being impacted. Instability in weather patterns threatens regional and global social stability and may require Canada to rethink the dominant role of international trade in shaping its current agricultural policies.

Read more:
How to fight climate change in agriculture while protecting jobs

Government policies that largely support input-intensive crops and animal agriculture contribute significantly to methane and nitrous oxide emissions and global warming.

Despite these concerns, Canada is not investing strategically or sufficiently in agriculture. Despite $12.5 billion dollars in annual agricultural supports, a surprising portion of Canadian farmers continue to financially struggle to survive. According to the National Farmers Union:

“Over the last three decades, the agribusiness corporations that supply fertilizers, chemicals, machinery, fuels, technologies, services, credit, and other materials and services have captured 95 per cent of all farm revenues, leaving farmers just five per cent.”

In 2016, 66 per cent of all farms in Canada were in the revenue class of $10,000 to $249,999. On average, these farms had expenses exceeding their revenue by a large margin.

While Canada spends a large share of its budget on addressing the negative outcomes of how we produce and consume food, there remain greater opportunities for investing in preventive measures that promote a healthier, more sustainable food system. Canada’s 20th century agriculture policy regime is woefully insufficient for the challenges of the 21st century.

Solutions to the crisis

Transforming our food systems will help to avert devastating climate change and ecological devastation. Many Canadian farmers are already leading the way by incorporating principles of sustainability into their practices. And the good news is that healthy diets are also environmentally sustainable.

Food outlets and school cafeterias can play a role in reducing inefficiencies in the food system, like food waste, and improving sustainability by promoting healthy eating. To make this happen, schools need more resources and autonomy to counter misinformation about food and position Canadians for success by making healthy choices attractive.

Read more:
How schools and families can take climate action by learning about food systems

Many Canadians support local, bioregional food systems as an alternative to anonymous, transnational food systems. However, these local initiatives are not enough on their own to meet our health, community vitality and environmental goals.

To truly make an impact, local food movements must be part of a larger, co-ordinated effort supported by policies that align agricultural production with healthy diets.
A new approach to food policies that considers them from a holistic perspective, beyond GDP, and respects farmers while creating food systems based on the One Planet and One Health frameworks is needed.

It’s important to recognize that farmers are not only just business operators; they are our neighbours, and are integral to our communities. Supporting them with better policies and giving everyone equitable access to nourishing and sustainable foods will ensure a healthier, more resilient future for all Canadians.

Canada needs to provide stronger support for family farms practising agroecologically sound production methods. Government programs that support greater production and purchasing of grains, fruits and vegetables for direct human consumption are also needed. These initiatives would reduce Canada’s reliance on imports of these critical foods.

In addition, federal and municipal governments should strengthen and broaden Canada’s bioregional food systems while also fostering the growth of small- and medium-sized food businesses. It’s also important to reduce the political and market power of oligopolies in Canada’s food system.

A call for change

None of these changes can happen without moving beyond the current, outdated productionist model that views agriculture in isolation and relies on the belief that only global-industrial food systems can feed the world.

In fact, smaller-scale agroecological farmers operating in bioregional food systems are key. Achieving our broader societal goals means thinking of food through agriculture, human health and environmental sustainability lenses.

Canada needs a new vision of agriculture that connects health and environment goals with sustainable diets and prosperous family farming. This vision must prioritize nutritious diets, human and environmental health, and the overall well-being of society beyond profits, market share and food exports. Also it must be formed collectively by decision-makers, farmers, food processors, community groups and the public.

In Canada, governments, organizations and citizens must work together to create a food system vision for Canada, much like Food Secure Canada’s Resetting the Table process previously did.

Further collaboration among agriculture, environment and health professionals can arise from these efforts, as can be seen with Canada’s National School Food program, which is aligning local farmers and suppliers of local options to meet Canada’s Food Guide. This is also an opportunity for Canada’s Food Policy Advisory Council to gain greater influence in shaping policy.

Just as calls for health-care reform often focus on improving services, Canadians have the right to expect better outcomes from agricultural subsidies. By prioritizing economic, environmental and public health sustainability, Canada can ensure its agricultural policy is fit for its 21st-century food system.

Kathleen Kevany received funding from Protein Industries Canada. She is an advisor to Farm to Cafeteria Canada.

Howard Nye receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. He is a board member and research lead for Canadians for Responsible Food Policy.

Mark Kent Mullinix receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Government of British Columbia, various foundations

Talan B. Iscan is a project lead and receives funding from MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance at Dalhousie University. He is a board member with the Halifax Cycling Coalition, a non-profit.

– ref. Canada’s agricultural policies are falling short of health and sustainability goals – https://theconversation.com/canadas-agricultural-policies-are-falling-short-of-health-and-sustainability-goals-239560

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Stifel Financial Schedules Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results Conference Call

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) will release its third quarter 2024 financial results before the market opens on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. The company will host a conference call to review the results at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time that same day. The conference call may include forward-looking statements.

All interested parties are invited to listen to Stifel Chairman and CEO Ronald J. Kruszewski by dialing (866) 409-1555 and referencing participant ID 7408307. A live audio webcast of the call, as well as a presentation highlighting the company’s results, will be available through Stifel’s website, http://www.stifel.com. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay of the broadcast will be available through the above-referenced website beginning approximately one hour following the completion of the call.

Stifel Company Information
Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifel’s broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, including its Eaton Partners and Miller Buckfire business divisions; Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.; and Stifel Independent Advisors, LLC; in Canada through Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc.; and in the United Kingdom and Europe through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited. The Company’s broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank and Stifel Bank & Trust offer a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Company’s website at http://www.stifel.com. For global disclosures, please visit https://www.stifel.com/investor-relations/press-releases.

Stifel Investor Relations Contact
Joel Jeffrey, Senior Vice President
(212) 271-3610 direct
investorrelations@stifel.com

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Iranian Cyber Actors’ Brute Force and Credential Access Activity Compromises Critical Infrastructure Organizations

News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team

Summary

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE), the Australian Federal Police (AFP), and Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory to warn network defenders of Iranian cyber actors’ use of brute force and other techniques to compromise organizations across multiple critical infrastructure sectors, including the healthcare and public health (HPH), government, information technology, engineering, and energy sectors. The actors likely aim to obtain credentials and information describing the victim’s network that can then be sold to enable access to cybercriminals.

Since October 2023, Iranian actors have used brute force, such as password spraying, and multifactor authentication (MFA) ‘push bombing’ to compromise user accounts and obtain access to organizations. The actors frequently modified MFA registrations, enabling persistent access. The actors performed discovery on the compromised networks to obtain additional credentials and identify other information that could be used to gain additional points of access. The authoring agencies assess the Iranian actors sell this information on cybercriminal forums to actors who may use the information to conduct additional malicious activity.

This advisory provides the actors’ tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs). The information is derived from FBI engagements with entities impacted by this malicious activity.

The authoring agencies recommend critical infrastructure organizations follow the guidance provided in the Mitigations section. At a minimum, organizations should ensure all accounts use strong passwords and register a second form of authentication.

Download the PDF version of this report:

For a downloadable list of IOCs, see:

Technical Details

Note: This advisory uses the MITRE ATT&CK^® for Enterprise framework, version 15. See the MITRE ATT&CK Tactics and Techniques section in Appendix A for a table of the actors’ activity mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques.

Overview of Activity

The actors likely conduct reconnaissance operations to gather victim identity [T1589] information. Once obtained, the actors gain persistent access to victim networks frequently via brute force [T1110]. After gaining access, the actors use a variety of techniques to further gather credentials, escalate privileges, and gain information about the entity’s systems and network. The actors also move laterally and download information that could assist other actors with access and exploitation.

Initial Access and Persistence

The actors use valid user and group email accounts [T1078], frequently obtained via brute force such as password spraying [T1110.003] although other times via unknown methods, to obtain initial access to Microsoft 365, Azure [T1078.004], and Citrix systems [T1133]. In some cases where push notification-based MFA was enabled, the actors send MFA requests to legitimate users seeking acceptance of the request. This technique—bombarding users with mobile phone push notifications until the user either approves the request by accident or stops the notifications— is known as “MFA fatigue” or “push bombing” [T1621].

Once the threat actors gain access to an account, they frequently register their devices with MFA to protect their access to the environment via the valid account:

In two confirmed compromises, the actors leveraged a compromised user’s open registration for MFA [T1556.006] to register the actor’s own device [T1098.005] to access the environment.
In another confirmed compromise, the actors used a self-service password reset (SSPR) tool associated with a public facing Active Directory Federation Service (ADFS) to reset the accounts with expired passwords [T1484.002] and then registered MFA through Okta for compromised accounts without MFA already enabled [T1556] [T1556.006].

The actors frequently conduct their activity using a virtual private network (VPN) service [T1572]. Several of the IP addresses in the actors’ malicious activity originate from exit nodes tied to the Private Internet Access VPN service.

Lateral Movement

The actors use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) for lateral movement [T1021.001]. In one instance, the actors used Microsoft Word to open PowerShell to launch the RDP binary mstsc.exe [T1202].

Credential Access

The actors likely use open-source tools and methodologies to gather more credentials. The actors performed Kerberos Service Principal Name (SPN) enumeration of several service accounts and received Kerberos tickets [T1558.003]. In one instance, the actors used the Active Directory (AD) Microsoft Graph Application Program Interface (API) PowerShell application likely to perform a directory dump of all AD accounts. Also, the actors imported the tool [T1105] DomainPasswordSpray.ps1, which is openly available on GitHub [T1588.002], likely to conduct password spraying. The actors also used the command Cmdkey /list, likely to display usernames and credentials [T1555].

Privilege Escalation

In one instance, the actors attempted impersonation of the domain controller, likely by exploiting Microsoft’s Netlogon (also known as ”Zerologon”) privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2020-1472) [T1068].

Discovery

The actors leverage living off the land (LOTL) to gain knowledge about the target systems and internal networks. The actors used the following Windows command-line tools to gather information about domain controllers [T1018], trusted domains [T1482], lists of domain administrators, and enterprise administrators [T1087.002] [T1069.002] [T1069.003]:

Nltest /dclist
Nltest /domain_trusts
Nltest /domain_trusts/all_trusts
Net group “Enterprise admins” /domain
Net group “Domain admins” /domain

Next, the actors used the following Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query in PowerShell [T1059.001]to search the AD for computer display names, operating systems, descriptions, and distinguished names [T1082].

                                           $i=0
                                           $D= [System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory.Domain]::GetCurrentDomain()
                                           $L='LDAP://' . $D
                                           $D = [ADSI]$L
                                           $Date = $((Get-Date).AddDays(-90).ToFileTime())
                                           $str = '(&(objectcategory=computer)(operatingSystem=*serv*)(|(lastlogon>='+$Date+')(lastlogontimestamp>='+$Date+')))'
                                           $s = [adsisearcher]$str
                                           $s.searchRoot = $L.$D.distinguishedName
                                           $s.PropertiesToLoad.Add('cn') > $Null
                                           $s.PropertiesToLoad.Add('operatingsystem') > $Null
                                           $s.PropertiesToLoad.Add('description') > $Null
                                           $s.PropertiesToLoad.Add('distinguishedName') > $Null
                                           Foreach ($CA in $s.FindAll()) {
                                                         Write-Host $CA.Properties.Item('cn')
                                                         $CA.Properties.Item('operatingsystem')
                                                         $CA. Properties.Item('description')
                                                         $CA.Properties.Item('distinguishedName')
                                                         $i++
                                           }
                                           Write-host Total servers: $i

Command and Control

On one occasion, using msedge.exe, the actors likely made outbound connections to Cobalt Strike Beacon command and control (C2) infrastructure [T1071.001].

Exfiltration and Collection

In a couple instances, while logged in to victim accounts, the actors downloaded files related to gaining remote access to the organization and to the organization’s inventory [T1005], likely exfiltrating the files to further persist in the victim network or to sell the information online.

Detection

To detect brute force activity, the authoring agencies recommend reviewing authentication logs for system and application login failures of valid accounts and looking for multiple, failed authentication attempts across all accounts.

To detect the use of compromised credentials in combination with virtual infrastructure, the authoring agencies recommend the following steps:

Look for “impossible logins,” such as suspicious logins with changing usernames, user agent strings, and IP address combinations or logins where IP addresses do not align to the user’s expected geographic location.
Look for one IP used for multiple accounts, excluding expected logins.
Look for “impossible travel.” Impossible travel occurs when a user logs in from multiple IP addresses with significant geographic distance (i.e., a person could not realistically travel between the geographic locations of the two IP addresses during the period between the logins). Note: Implementing this detection opportunity can result in false positives if legitimate users apply VPN solutions before connecting into networks.
Look for MFA registrations with MFA in unexpected locales or from unfamiliar devices.
Look for processes and program execution command-line arguments that may indicate credential dumping, especially attempts to access or copy the ntds.dit file from a domain controller.
Look for suspicious privileged account use after resetting passwords or applying user account mitigations.
Look for unusual activity in typically dormant accounts.
Look for unusual user agent strings, such as strings not typically associated with normal user activity, which may indicate bot activity.

Mitigations

The authoring agencies recommend organizations implement the mitigations below to improve organizations’ cybersecurity posture based on the actors’ TTPs described in this advisory. These mitigations align with the Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPGs) developed by CISA. The CPGs, which are organized to align to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, are a subset of cybersecurity practices, aimed at meaningfully reducing risks to both critical infrastructure operations and the American people. These voluntary CPGs strive to help small- and medium-sized organizations kick-start their cybersecurity efforts by prioritizing investment in a limited number of essential actions with high-impact security outcomes. Visit CISA’s Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals for more information on the CPGs, including additional recommended baseline protections.

Review IT helpdesk password management related to initial passwords, password resets for user lockouts, and shared accounts. IT helpdesk password procedures may not align to company policy for user verification or password strength, creating a security gap. Avoid common passwords (e.g. “Spring2024” or “Password123!”).
Disable user accounts and access to organizational resources for departing staff [CPG 2.D]. Disabling accounts can minimize system exposure, removing options actors can leverage for entry into the system. Similarly, create new user accounts as close as possible to an employee’s start date.
Implement phishing-resistant MFA [CPG 2.H]. See CISA’s resources Phishing-Resistant Multifactor Authentication and More than a Password for additional information on strengthening user credentials.
Continuously review MFA settings to ensure coverage over all active, internet-facing protocols to ensure no exploitable services are exposed [CPG 2.W].
Provide basic cybersecurity training to users [CPG 2.I] covering concepts such as:
- Detecting unsuccessful login attempts [CPG 2.G].
- Having users deny MFA requests they have not generated.
- Ensuring users with MFA-enabled accounts have MFA set up appropriately.
Ensure password policies align with the latest NIST Digital Identity Guidelines.
- Meeting the minimum password strength [CPG 2.B] by creating a password using 8-64 nonstandard characters and long passphrases, when possible.
Disable the use of RC4 for Kerberos authentication.

These mitigations apply to critical infrastructure entities across sectors.

The authoring agencies also recommend software manufacturers incorporate secure by design principles and tactics into their software development practices to protect their customers against actors using compromised credentials, thereby strengthening the security posture of their customers. For more information on secure by design, see CISA’s Secure by Design webpage and joint guide.

Validate Security Controls

In addition to applying mitigations, the authoring agencies recommend exercising, testing, and validating organization security programs against the threat behaviors mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK for Enterprise framework in this advisory. The authoring agencies recommend testing your existing security controls inventory to assess how they perform against the ATT&CK techniques described in this advisory.

To get started:

Select an ATT&CK technique described in this advisory (see Table 1 to Table 12).
Align your security technologies against the technique.
Test your technologies against the technique.
Analyze your detection and prevention technologies’ performance.
Repeat the process for all security technologies to obtain a set of comprehensive performance data.
Tune your security program, including people, processes, and technologies, based on the data generated by this process.

The authoring agencies recommend continually testing your security program, at scale, in a production environment to ensure optimal performance against the MITRE ATT&CK techniques identified in this advisory.

Contact Information

Organizations are encouraged to report suspicious or criminal activity related to information in this advisory to:

CISA via CISA’s 24/7 Operations Center [report@cisa.gov or 1-844-Say-CISA (1-844-729-2472)] or your local FBI field office. When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment used for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact.
For NSA cybersecurity guidance inquiries, contact CybersecurityReports@nsa.gov.

Disclaimer

The information in this report is being provided “as is” for informational purposes only. The authoring agencies do not endorse any commercial entity, product, company, or service, including any entities, products, or services linked within this document. Any reference to specific commercial entities, products, processes, or services by service mark, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the authoring agencies.

Intrusion events connected to this Iranian group may also include a different set of cyber actors–likely the third-party actors who purchased access from the Iranian group via cybercriminal forums or other channels. As a result, some TTPs and IOCs noted in this advisory may be tied to these third-party actors, not the Iranian actors. The TTPs and IOCs are in the advisory to provide recipients the most complete picture of malicious activity that may be observed on compromised networks. However, exercise caution if formulating attribution assessments based solely on matching TTPs and IOCs.

Version History

October 16, 2024: Initial version.

Appendix A: MITRE ATT&CK Tactics and Techniques

See Tables 1–12 for all referenced actors’ tactics and techniques in this advisory. For assistance with mapping malicious cyber activity to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, see CISA and MITRE ATT&CK’s Best Practices for MITRE ATT&CK Mapping and CISA’s Decider Tool.

*Table 1: Reconnaissance*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Gather Victim Identity Information	T1589	The actors likely gathered victim information.

*Table 2: Resource Development*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Obtain Capabilities: Tool	T1588.002	The actors obtained a password spray tool through an open-source repository.

*Table 3: Initial Access*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Valid Accounts	T1078	The actors used password spraying to obtain valid user and group email account credentials, allowing them access to the network.
Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts	T1078.004	The actors used accounts hosted on Microsoft 365, Azure, and Okta cloud environments as additional methods for initial access.
External Remote Services	T1133	The actors exploited Citrix systems’ external-facing remote services as another method for gaining initial access to the system.

*Table 4: Execution*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell	T1059.001	The actors used PowerShell commands to maintain and expand access.

*Table 5: Persistence*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Account Manipulation: Device Registration	T1098.005	The actors used PowerShell commands to maintain and expand access.
Modify Authentication Process	T1556	The actors used a public facing Active Directory Federation Service (ADFS) domain to reset the passwords of expired accounts.
Modify Authentication Process: Multi-Factor Authentication	T1556.006	The actors used an MFA bypass method, such as Multi-Factor Authentication Request Generation, providing the ability to modify or completely disable MFA defenses.

*Table 6: Privilege Escalation*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Exploitation for Privilege Escalation	T1068	The actors attempted impersonation of the domain controller likely by exploiting CVE-2020-1472, Microsoft’s Netlogon Privilege Escalation vulnerability.
Domain or Tenant Policy Modification: Trust Modification	T1484.002	The actors leveraged a public-facing ADFS password reset tool to reactivate inactive accounts, allowing the actor to authenticate and enroll their devices as any user in the AD managed by the victim tenant.

*Table 7: Defense Evasion*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Indirect Command Execution	T1202	The actors attempted impersonation of the Domain Controller likely by exploiting CVE-2020-1472, Microsoft’s Netlogon Privilege Escalation vulnerability.

*Table 8: Credential Access*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Brute Force: Password Spraying	T1110.003	The actors targeted applications, including Single Sign-on (SSO) Microsoft Office 365, using brute force password sprays and imported the tool `DomainPasswordSpray.ps1`.
Credentials from Password Stores	T1555	The actors used the command `Cmdkey /list` likely to display usernames and credentials.
Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets: Kerberoasting	T1558.003	The actors performed Kerberos Service Principal Name (SPN) enumeration of several service accounts and received Rivest Cipher 4 (RC4) tickets.
Multi-Factor Authentication Request Generation	T1621	The actors sent MFA requests to legitimate users.

*Table 9: Discovery*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Remote System Discovery	T1018	The actors used LOTL to return information about domain controllers.
Permission Groups Discovery: Domain Groups	T1069.002	The actors used LOTL to return lists of domain administrators and enterprise administrators.
Permission Groups Discovery: Cloud Groups	T1069.003	The actors used LOTL to return lists of domain administrators and enterprise administrators.
System Information Discovery	T1082	The actors were able to query the AD to discover display names, operating systems, descriptions, and distinguished names from the computer.
Account Discovery: Domain Account	T1087.002	The actors used LOTL to return lists of domain administrators and enterprise administrators.
Domain Trust Discovery	T1482	The actors used LOTL to return information about trusted domains.

*Table 10: Lateral Movement*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Remote Services: Remote Desktop Protocol	T1021.001	The actors used Microsoft Word to open PowerShell to launch RDP binary mstsc.exe.

*Table 11: Collection*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Data from Local System	T1005	The actors downloaded files related to remote access methods and the organization’s inventory.

*Table 12: Command and Control*
Technique Title	ID	Use
Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols	T1071.001	The actors used `msedge.exe` to make outbound connections likely to Cobalt Strike Beacon C2 infrastructure.
Ingress Tool Transfer	T1105	The actors imported a tool from GitHub and used it to conduct password spraying.
Protocol Tunneling	T1572	The actors frequently conduct targeting using a virtual private network (VPN).

Appendix B: Indicators of Compromise

See Tables 13 to 15 for IOCs obtained from FBI investigations.

*Table 13: Malicious Files Associated with Iranian Cyber Actors*
Hash	Description
1F96D15B26416B2C7043EE7172357AF3AFBB002A	Associated with malicious activity.
3D3CDF7CFC881678FEBCAFB26AE423FE5AA4EFEC	Associated with malicious activity.

Disclaimer: The authoring organizations recommend network defenders investigate or vet IP addresses prior to taking action, such as blocking, as many cyber actors are known to change IP addresses, sometimes daily, and some IP addresses may host valid domains. Many of the IP addresses provided below are assessed VPN nodes and as such are not exclusive to the Iranian actors’ use. The authoring organizations do not recommend blocking these IP addresses based solely on their inclusion in this JCSA. The authoring organizations recommend using the below IP addresses to search for previous activity the actors may have conducted against networks. If positive hits for these IP addresses are identified, the authoring organizations recommend making an independent determination if the observed activity aligns with the TTPs outlined in the JCSA. The timeframes included in the table reflect the timeframe the actors likely used the IPs.

*Table 14: Network Indicators*
IP Address	Date Range
95.181.234.12	01/30/2024 to 02/07/2024
95.181.234.25	01/30/2024 to 02/07/2024
173.239.232.20	10/06/2023 to 12/19/2023
172.98.71.191	10/15/2023 to 11/27/2023
102.129.235.127	10/21/2023 to 10/22/2023
188.126.94.60	10/22/2023 to 01/12/2024
149.40.50.45	10/26/2023
181.214.166.59	10/26/2023
212.102.39.212	10/26/2023
149.57.16.134	10/26/2023 to 10/27/2023
149.57.16.137	10/26/2023 to 10/27/2023
102.129.235.186	10/29/2023 to 11/08/2023
46.246.8.138	10/31/2023 to 01/26/2024
149.57.16.160	11/08/2023
149.57.16.37	11/08/2023
46.246.8.137	11/17/2023 to 01/25/2024
212.102.57.29	11/19/2023 to 01/17/2024
46.246.8.82	11/22/2023 to 01/28/2024
95.181.234.15	11/26/2023 to 02/07/2024
45.88.97.225	11/27/2023 to 02/11/2024
84.239.45.17	12/04/2023 to 12/07/2023
46.246.8.104	12/07/2023 to 02/07/2024
37.46.113.206	12/07/2023
46.246.3.186	12/07/2023 to 12/09/2023
46.246.8.141	12/07/2023 to 02/10/2024
46.246.8.17	12/09/2023 to 01/09/2024
37.19.197.182	12/15/2023
154.16.192.38	12/25/2023 to 01/24/2024
102.165.16.127	12/27/2023 to 01/28/2024
46.246.8.47	12/29/2023 to 01/29/2024
46.246.3.225	12/30/2023 to 02/06/2024
46.246.3.226	12/31/2023 to 02/03/2024
46.246.3.240	12/31/2023 to 02/06/2024
191.101.217.10	01/05/2024
102.129.153.182	01/08/2024
46.246.3.196	01/08/2024
102.129.152.60	01/09/2024
156.146.60.74	01/10/2024
191.96.227.113	01/10/2024
191.96.227.122	01/10/2024
181.214.166.132	01/11/2024
188.126.94.57	01/11/2024 to 01/13/2024
154.6.13.144	01/13/2024 to 01/24/2024
154.6.13.151	01/13/2024 to 01/28/2024
188.126.94.166	01/15/2024
89.149.38.204	01/18/2024
46.246.8.67	01/20/2024
46.246.8.53	01/22/2024
154.16.192.37	01/24/2024
191.96.150.14	01/24/2024
191.96.150.96	01/24/2024
46.246.8.10	01/24/2024
84.239.25.13	01/24/2024
154.6.13.139	01/26/2024
191.96.106.33	01/26/2024
191.96.227.159	01/26/2024
149.57.16.150	01/27/2024
191.96.150.21	01/27/2024
46.246.8.84	01/27/2024
95.181.235.8	01/27/2024
191.96.227.102	01/27/2024 to 01/28/2024
46.246.122.185	01/28/2024
146.70.102.3	01/29/2024 to 01/30/2024
46.246.3.233	01/30/2024 to 02/15/2024
46.246.3.239	01/30/2024 to 02/15/2024
188.126.89.35	02/03/2024
46.246.3.223	02/03/2024
46.246.3.245	02/05/2024 to 02/06/2024
191.96.150.50	02/09/2024

*Table 15: Devices*
Device Type	Description
Samsung Galaxy A71 (SM-A715F)	Registered with MFA
Samsung SM-G998B	Registered with MFA
Samsung SM-M205F	Registered with MFA

MIL OSI USA News –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI Canada: NFB and Telefilm Canada to share office space in Halifax, promoting synergy and benefiting the industry

Source: Government of Canada News

As of November 4, the National Film Board of Canada and Telefilm Canada will be sharing the office space currently occupied by the NFB production team at 5475 Spring Garden Road in downtown Halifax.

October 10, 2024

As of November 4, the National Film Board of Canada and Telefilm Canada will be sharing the office space currently occupied by the NFB production team at 5475 Spring Garden Road in downtown Halifax. Sharing space will promote synergy between the two organizations and benefit Atlantic Canadian filmmakers, partners and producers, who will be able to meet with Canada’s two main federal film agencies under one roof.

Quotes

“The NFB has been a presence in Atlantic Canada and Acadia for more than 50 years, and we are loudly and clearly re-affirming our commitment to the region. From the idea to the screen, our teams are here to identify projects and receive proposals for animation and documentary films, supporting directors and co-producers, and developing marketing and distribution strategies. Our goal is to ensure that stories from this wonderful region are told and shared with Canadians across the country,” said Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB.

“Stimulating and supporting the region’s film industry is a priority for Telefilm Canada,” said Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO, Telefilm Canada. “This objective guided the development of our Atlantic Strategy, which we recently unveiled. Our goal is to create and provide opportunities that strengthen expertise and stimulate creative and financial competitiveness across the sector’s entire value chain. So this announcement is very much in line with our desire to strengthen our commitment, reflecting Telefilm’s spirit of collaboration with key players in the ecosystem.”

The NFB and Telefilm in Atlantic Canada

The NFB has been a presence in Atlantic Canada for more than 50 years and remains rooted in the region as a producer and co-producer.

Telefilm is proud to unveil its 2024-2027 Atlantic Strategy, developed for and with Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island industry professionals. Learn more here:

Telefilm Canada unveils its 2024-2027 Atlantic Strategy for the region’s cinema industry | Telefilm Canada

About the NFB

Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 7,000 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.

About Telefilm Canada

As a Partner of Choice, Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation dedicated to the success of Canada’s audiovisual industry, fostering access and excellence by delivering programs that support cultural resonance and audience engagement. With a lens of equity, inclusivity and sustainability, Telefilm bolsters dynamic companies and a range of creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual coproduction treaties to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2012, the Talent Fund raises private donations which principally support emerging talent.

– 30 –

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Backgrounder: Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative
Source: Government of Canada News

The new Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative provides supplemental support to organizations helping workers and local communities affected by an unforeseen economic event, including mass layoffs of an exceptional nature.

A mass layoff is defined by:
- 50 or more employees permanently laid off in one establishment in one community during a four-week period;
- significant job loss impact (as a proportion of the community’ s labour force); and
- challenging local labour market conditions, making it difficult for affected workers to transition to new jobs.
Objectives
The objectives of this initiative are to:
- bring together community-based organizations, employers, training providers and others to develop a community workforce plan that identifies impacted workers, local employers looking to hire, and the skills required to meet demand.
- help workers develop the skills needed to transition to new jobs through training and work experiences; and
- support employers to fill jobs in demand.
Application Process
Eligible organizations can apply through a two-phased process.

An expression of interest phase: Only organizations that meet the criteria in this phase will be invited to submit an application.

An application phase: The Department will assess other criteria at the application phase. An invitation to apply does not guarantee success.

Applications will be accepted between October 16, 2024 and March 31, 2025. The call may close earlier if funding has been fully committed.

MIL OSI Canada News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Tribunal Continues Finding—Carbon steel welded pipe from Pakistan, Philippines, Türkiye and Vietnam

Source: Government of Canada News

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal today continued its finding made on February 15, 2019, in inquiry NQ-2018-003, concerning the dumping of carbon steel welded pipe from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Türkiye (excluding those goods exported by Erbosan Erciyas Boru Sanayii ve Ticaret A.S.) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Ottawa, Ontario, October 16, 2024—The Canadian International Trade Tribunal today continued its finding made on February 15, 2019, in inquiry NQ-2018-003, concerning the dumping of carbon steel welded pipe from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Türkiye (excluding those goods exported by Erbosan Erciyas Boru Sanayii ve Ticaret A.S.) and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The Tribunal found that the expiry of the finding was likely to result in injury. As such, the Tribunal continued its finding. The Canada Border Services Agency will therefore continue to impose anti-dumping duties on this product.

The Tribunal is an independent quasi-judicial body that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Finance. It hears cases on dumped and subsidized imports, safeguard complaints, complaints about federal government procurement and appeals of customs and excise tax rulings. When requested by the federal government, the Tribunal also provides advice on other economic, trade and tariff matters.

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada invests in retraining opportunities for workers

Source: Government of Canada News (2)

Today, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, while hosting Workforce Summit 2024 in Montreal, announced the launch of the Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative call for proposals. This $30 million fund will be provided to projects that bring together community-based organizations, that provide new skills training opportunities for workers.

October 16, 2024 (Gatineau, Quebec) Employment and Social Development Canada

When communities are hit with mass layoffs, the long-term impacts of unemployment affect everyone. As economies grow and change, there needs to be supports in place to help workers transition into new opportunities.

That is why today, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, while hosting Workforce Summit 2024 in Montreal, announced the launch of the Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative call for proposals. This $30 million fund will be provided to projects that bring together community-based organizations, that provide new skills training opportunities for workers.

The Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative is part of the Government’s response to significant job losses impacting a community and provides funding to address exceptional situations. This initiative will help bolster community resilience by complementing existing programs and services to help displaced workers transition into new jobs.

Interested organizations can apply by first submitting an expression of interest. Organizations that meet the criteria in the expression of interest will be invited to submit a full application. Applications will be accepted between October 16, 2024, and March 31, 2025. The call may close earlier if funding has been fully committed. For more information, please consult the Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative webpage.

“Local leaders know their communities best. That’s why we created the Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative; to give local leaders what they need to support workforce planning and help displaced workers find work. That’s how we’re empowering communities to address labour challenges, drive innovation and create good paying jobs across the country.”

– Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault

Alice Hansen
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
alice.hansen@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Goodman & Company, Investment Counsel Inc. Announces Resignation of Co-Lead Portfolio Manager to Investment Funds
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Goodman & Company, Investment Counsel Inc. (the “Manager”) announces that Emily Griffiths, Vice President and Portfolio Manager has resigned from the Manager effective today. Ms. Griffiths was the co-lead Portfolio Manager for the following funds:
- CMP 2023 Resource Limited Partnership
- Dundee Resource Class
Mr. Matthew Goodman will continue as the Portfolio Manager until the completion of the previously announced sale of the investment management business to Next Edge Capital Corp.

About the Manager
The Manager is a subsidiary of Dundee Corporation (TSX:DC.A). The Manager is a registered portfolio manager and exempt market dealer across Canada, and a registered investment fund manager in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.

About CMP
CMP™ is a pioneer in flow-through investing, with a history dating back to when flow-through shares were first introduced by the federal government. Since its creation in 1984, CMP has successfully raised and invested over $3.1 billion in companies active in exploration and development efforts across Canada. When combined with the flow-through limited partnerships of Canada Dominion, the two form the largest flow-through investing platform in Canada, raising a combined total of more than $4.4 billion in assets throughout their history.

For more information, contact our Customer Relations Centre at 1.866.694.5672 or visit http://goodmanandcompany.com/.

The MIL Network –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI: Willis Lease Finance Corporation Announces Timing of Third Quarter 2024 Earnings and Conference Call

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

COCONUT CREEK, Fla., Oct. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) (“WLFC”) plans to announce its financial results for the third quarter 2024 before the opening of Nasdaq on Monday, November 4, 2024.

WLFC plans to hold a conference call with members of WLFC’s executive management team on Monday, November 4, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time to discuss its third quarter 2024 results. Individuals wishing to participate in the conference call should dial: US and Canada (888) 632-5004, International +1 (646) 828-8082, wait for the conference operator and provide the operator with the Conference ID 512645. A digital replay will be available two hours after the completion of the conference call. To access the replay, please visit our website at http://www.wlfc.global under the Investors section for details.

A copy of the press release and an earnings supplement will be posted to the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website, http://www.wlfc.global prior to the call.

Willis Lease Finance Corporation

Willis Lease Finance Corporation leases large and regional spare commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and aircraft to airlines, aircraft engine manufacturers and maintenance, repair, and overhaul providers worldwide. These leasing activities are integrated with engine and aircraft trading, engine lease pools and asset management services through Willis Asset Management Limited, as well as various end-of-life solutions for engines and aviation materials provided through Willis Aeronautical Services, Inc. Additionally, through Willis Engine Repair Center^®, Jet Centre by Willis, and Willis Aviation Services Limited, the Company’s service offerings include Part 145 engine maintenance, aircraft line and base maintenance, aircraft disassembly, parking and storage, airport FBO and ground and cargo handling services.

CONTACT: Scott B. Flaherty

Executive Vice President &
Chief Financial Officer

sflaherty@willislease.com

561.413.0112

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arts – NEW ZEALAND-CANADIAN JAZZ TRUMPETER LEX FRENCH UNVEILS HIS NEW ALBUM

Source: Eric Alper

NEW ZEALAND-CANADIAN JAZZ TRUMPETER LEX FRENCH UNVEILS HIS NEW ALBUM: IN THE WORLD’S FIRST SUMMER. OUT NOW VIA JUSTIN TIME/NETTWERK

LISTEN HERE: https://lexfrench.ffm.to/intheworldsfirstsummer

October 4, 2024 – Today, New Zealand-Canadian jazz trumpeter Lex French is proud to release his debut album, In the World’s First Summer, out now via Justin Time/Nettwerk. Traces of Miles Davis can be heard throughout the eight-song release, as French cites the seminal jazz trumpeter among his many inspirations. He also takes cues from poetry and paintings that add to the album’s artful nature. Listen to In the World’s First Summer on all digital retailers (here https://lexfrench.ffm.to/intheworldsfirstsummer )

Lex explains in his own words: “In the World’s First Summer is a setting of James K. Baxter’s poem On the Death of Her Body, while Colour Grid is inspired by Paul Klee’s painting New Harmony. Falling Up was a tune that floated around in my head for about 5 years before I figured out how to write it down and keep the spirit of the song intact. A number of the other pieces–Nana, Going Home, V’la L’bon Vent–are arrangements of folk songs from different traditions, while Huancavelica is a new composition inspired by such a tune. My arrangements of these songs are attempts to make sense of this music that reaches through time, and still manages to tell our stories. Bye Bye Blackbird brings us back to Miles and the end of his first quintet with John Coltrane… check out the version on Live from the Olympia and you’ll see the first glimmerings of his second quintet off in the distance, the same glimmering light that reached through time from 1967 to 1999, grabbed hold of me and never let go.”

LISTEN & SHARE LEX FRENCH’S ‘IN THE WORLD’S FIRST SUMMER’ HERE:

https://lexfrench.ffm.to/intheworldsfirstsummer

‘In the World’s First Summer’ marks the debut recording of New Zealand-Canadian jazz trumpet player Lex French on the Justin Time label. Hailed by Radio Canada jazz critic Stanley Pean as “an extraordinary trumpeter”, he is fast becoming a bright star on the Canadian jazz scene, and is a highly in-demand composer and arranger.

This project takes inspiration from Miles Davis’s seminal second quintet in its approach, a group that has influenced so many musicians over the last 50 years. “When I was about 16 years old, in 1998 or ’99, I bought a copy of Miles Davis’1967 album, Miles Smiles,” says French, “and was immediately captivated. Ever since that first listen, I’ve wanted to lead a group that followed in the footsteps of Miles’s seminal second quintet. His quintet was a band that prioritised communication and improvisation, embraced lush and open harmonic soundscapes, and above all, placed the spirit of spontaneity at the center of everything. In order to play with such spontaneity and open lines of communication, it is important that each musician in the group is an exceptional musician in their own right. François Bourassa (piano), Morgan Moore (bass), and Jim Doxas (drums) are all improvising musicians of the highest order who can bring their individual and personal approaches to the music but also function as members of the group in order to create a whole that is great than the sum of its parts.”

Track List:

1. Colour Grid

2. Bye Bye Blackbird

3. Falling Up

4. Lullaby (Nana)

5. Huancavelica

6. In the World’s First Summer

7. Going Home

8. V’la l’bon Vent.

CONNECT WITH LEX FRENCH: https://lexfrenchmusic.com/

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Ministers LeBlanc and Virani to co-host the FPT Ministers Responsible for Justice and Public Safety Meeting
Source: Government of Canada News

Media advisory

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, will co-host the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Ministers responsible for Justice and Public Safety meeting, alongside R.J. Simpson, Premier of the Northwest Territories.
The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, will co-host the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Ministers responsible for Justice and Public Safety meeting, alongside R.J. Simpson, Premier of the Northwest Territories.

Media will have an opportunity to capture b-roll footage (cameras only, no audio).

Date:
Thursday, October 17, 2024

Time:
8:45 a.m. (MDT)

Location:
Katimavik Meeting Room
The Explorer Hotel
4825 49 Avenue
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Note for media:
- Media representatives must arrive 30 minutes in advance of the event to sign-in and present photo ID and credentials. Photo ID must be visible at all times.
Contacts

Gabriel Brunet
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
819-665-6527
gabriel.brunet@iga-aig.gc.ca

Chantalle Aubertin
Deputy Director, Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
613-992-6568
Chantalle.Aubertin@justice.gc.ca

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
media@ps-sp.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Department of Justice Canada
613-957-4207
media@justice.gc.ca

MIL OSI Canada News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s medical cannabis system changed but didn’t disappear after recreational legalization

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Michael J. Armstrong, Associate Professor, Operations Research, Brock University

When Canada legalized recreational cannabis use on Oct. 17, 2018, there were concerns about the potential impacts. Would it trigger greater cannabis use, boost economic growth or otherwise affect the country’s health, safety and finances?

Patients already using cannabis legally for medical purposes were especially concerned. They worried that recreational legalization might prompt physicians to stop authorizing cannabis treatments. Or that cannabis producers would abandon the small medical market to pursue the larger recreational one.

After recreational legalization, the medical cannabis system did see declines. Between June 2018 and December 2022, the number of registered patients fell 32 per cent, while product sales fell 29 per cent. Some people thought the medical cannabis system had failed or become obsolete.

As someone who studies the business aspects of cannabis legalization, I wondered about these issues, too. It wasn’t clear how patients, producers or health-care providers would react to recreational legalization. Legal medical use itself had only become accessible a few years earlier.

Accessing medical cannabis

Canada began allowing medical use of cannabis in 1999. But it remained difficult to get until regulations changed during 2014-15.

The new rules allowed any physician to authorize patients to use cannabis. Those patients could then register to buy products online from licensed cannabis producers. Online orders could not exceed a 30-day supply.

(Instead of buying cannabis products, some patients grew their own plants instead. My research hasn’t examined that.)

Under this new procedure, the number of patients registering to buy cannabis soared. They grew from 7,914 in June 2014 to 330,344 in June 2018, nearly one per cent of Canada’s population.

However, registration levels differed greatly between provinces. In June 2018, registrations represented almost three per cent of Alberta’s population, versus only 0.1 per cent of Québec’s.

Interestingly, less than half of registrants bought medical cannabis in any given month. Perhaps they simply didn’t need the full dose. Or maybe they found it too expensive, inconvenient or ineffective.

June 2018 was also when the federal government passed its new cannabis legislation. The law took effect in October 2018, when recreational sales of dried cannabis and cannabis oils began. After initial product shortages were overcome, recreational cannabis sales grew rapidly as more stores opened, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumer choice expanded in December 2019 when edibles and vapes became available.

This is where my new study came in. I analyzed government data on patients’ use of Canada’s medical cannabis system between 2017 and 2022. This included how many patients registered, how often they placed orders, and how much cannabis they bought.

Evolving system usage

I found that as soon as parliament passed the new cannabis law, medical registrations began slowing down, despite recreational legalization still being four months away.

But the response differed noticeably between provinces. For example, registrations kept growing steadily in Québec but plummeted rapidly in Alberta. Other provinces were in between.

My data doesn’t say why those changes occurred. Perhaps Alberta, with its copious cannabis clinics, had many patients only mildly interested in using cannabis medically. Conversely, maybe Québec was still catching up with other provinces on medical use.

When recreational sales started in October 2018, patient registrations seemed unaffected. Their average purchase sizes didn’t change either. But they bought medical cannabis slightly less often.

This might have been due to retail convenience. At that time, medical producers and recreational stores were selling similar products: dried cannabis and cannabis oils. So, perhaps some patients started topping up their supplies occasionally at recreational stores but saw no reason to leave the online medical system completely.

When edibles and other processed products began selling in December 2019, registrations dropped further. But the patients who remained bought medical cannabis slightly more often and in increasingly larger quantities.

Product selections might explain this patient split. Perhaps producers with good edible products retained their customers and received larger orders from them. Conversely, maybe medical producers offering few edibles lost their patients to the recreational shops and their vast product assortments.

In summary, Canada’s medical cannabis system experienced big changes after recreational legalization. But it didn’t disappear.

Will other countries see similar outcomes if they allow recreational cannabis?

A changing world

In Europe, for example, The Netherlands is experimenting with recreational sales. Meanwhile, Germany has legalized recreational use but not retail sales. Will those countries experience medical cannabis changes like Canada did?

Conversely, some countries barely tolerate even medical use. It is very difficult to legally obtain medical cannabis in the United Kingdom, for example, much like in Canada 20 years ago. And France has only conducted a few medical cannabis trials.

Other countries, like Australia and New Zealand, are somewhere in between. They’re seeing rapid growth in legal medical use and illegal recreational use, but haven’t legalized recreationally. That’s roughly where Canada was 10 years ago.

Will Canada’s medical and recreational cannabis experiences make these other countries more interested in legalization, or less? Either way, I hope they can learn from our experiences as they chart their own cannabis paths.

Michael J. Armstrong does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Canada’s medical cannabis system changed but didn’t disappear after recreational legalization – https://theconversation.com/canadas-medical-cannabis-system-changed-but-didnt-disappear-after-recreational-legalization-240796

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Four National Film Board of Canada documentaries showcased at DOC NYC. Intimate non-fiction storytelling from the NFB, Canada’s Oscar-winning public film producer.
Source: Government of Canada News (2)

Four award-winning National Film Board of Canada (NFB) produced and co-produced documentaries will be featured at DOC NYC in New York City, from November 13 to December 1, 2024.
October 10, 2024 – Toronto – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Four award-winning National Film Board of Canada (NFB) produced and co-produced documentaries will be featured at DOC NYC in New York City, from November 13 to December 1, 2024.

America’s largest documentary film festival, DOC NYC will host the NYC premieres of two NFB co-produced feature docs:
- A Mother Apart (Oya Media Group/NFB) by Laurie Townshend accompaniesBrooklyn-based Jamaican-American poet and LGBTQ+ activist Staceyann Chin as she re-imagines the essential art of mothering—having been abandoned by her own mother;
- 40 years after vanishing from public view, a trailblazing trans soul singer finally gets her second act in Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story (Banger Films/NFB) by Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee, executive produced by Elliot Page.
The festival will also present the US premieres of two NFB shorts:

Directors will be in attendance at the festival. All four films will be streaming at DOC NYC following their in-person premieres, with online screenings geo-restricted to the United States.

More about the films

Come As You Are section
November 18, 2024, 6:00 p.m., Village East by Angelika
November 19, 2024, 12:30 p.m., Village East by Angelika

A Mother Apart by Laurie Townshend (89 min)
Producers: Alison Duke and Ngardy Conteh George (Oya Media Group); Justine Pimlott (NFB)
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/a-mother-apart
- How do you raise a child when your own mother abandoned you? In a remarkable story of healing and forgiveness, Staceyann Chin, renowned for performances in Def Poetry Slam and hit solo shows like MotherStruck!, radically re-imagines the essential art of mothering. In seeking her elusive mother—a trail that leads to Brooklyn, Montreal, Cologne and, finally, Jamaica—Staceyann and her daughter forge a new sense of home.
- Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary, Best First Feature Award and Best Canadian Feature Award at the Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival, Toronto.
- Laurie Townshend is a Toronto-based filmmaker, writer and educator. Her films centre on the human capacity to transform small acts of courage into quiet revolutions, as seen in the dramatic short The Railpath Hero (2013, TIFF Black Star Series), the unscripted series Human Frequency Streetdocs (2014) and the award-winning short doc Charley (2016).
Sonic Cinema section
November 19, 2024, 6:45 p.m., Village East by Angelika
November 20, 2024, 4:00 p.m., Village East by Angelika

Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story by Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee (99 min)
Produced by Amanda Burt, Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen (Banger Films); Michael Mabbott; Justine Pimlott (NFB)
Executive produced by Scot McFadyen, Sam Dunn, Chanda Chevannes (NFB), Anita Lee (NFB), Elliot Page and Matt Jordan Smith (PAGEBOY Productions), Martin Katz, Nia Long and CJ Mac
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/any-other-way-jackie-shane
- A star is reborn. With an outsize stage presence that eclipsed R&B greats like Etta James and Little Richard, soul singer Jackie Shane was the real deal. Jackie boldly carved a new path as one of music’s trailblazing Black trans performers—but on the edge of stardom, why did she suddenly leave the spotlight?
- Any Other Way won the Out in the Silence Award at the Frameline International LGBTQ+ Film Festival in San Francisco, the Audience Award for Best Music Documentary at the Nashville Film Festival, and the DGC Special Jury Prize – Canadian Feature Documentary at Hot Docs, where it was also a Top 10 Audience Favourite.
- Toronto filmmaker Michael Mabbott’s features The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico (Best Canadian First Feature Award) and Citizen Duane both premiered at TIFF. His first documentary, Music Lessons, premiered at Hot Docs.
- Lucah Rosenberg-Lee is a Toronto speaker, entrepreneur and filmmaker specializing in documentary and LGBTQ+ content. He has produced and directed a variety of projects including Passing and For Nonna Anna, which have screened at TIFF, Inside Out and Sundance.
Shorts: Our Bodies section
November 16, 2024, 11:15 a.m., Village East by Angelika
November 17, 2024, 9:30 p.m., Village East by Angelika

Am I the skinniest person you’ve ever seen? by Eisha Marjara (22 min)
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/am-i-the-skinniest-person-youve-ever-seen
Producers: Joe Balass (Compass Productions); Ariel Nasr (NFB)
- “Hey, let’s go on a diet together.” As kids in a small Quebec town, Eisha and Seema were more than sisters, they were soul mates, and a joint diet offered a shared sense of purpose. But their carefree project would take a dark turn, pushing Eisha to the very brink of death. Consumed by anorexia, she found herself battling her own fragile body—stranded between childhood and adulthood. Decades later, Eisha revisits her past in an exquisitely crafted work of auto-ethnography, evoking her unusual youth with aching lyricism.
- The film has garnered the Betty Youson Award for Best Canadian Short Documentary at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, a short-films qualifying festivalfor the 97th Academy Awards.
- Montreal filmmaker Eisha Marjara has made several award-winning films, including Locarno’s Prix de la Semaine de Critique winner Desperately Seeking Helen. Venus (2017), a dramatic comedy, won the EDA Award for Best Feature at the Whistler Film Festival and Best Feature Film at Cinequest, among other accolades. Eisha also authored the acclaimed young adult novel Faerie and is in post-production on her next feature, Calorie.
Hairy Legs by Andrea Dorfman (17 min)
Producers: Liz Cowie and Rohan Fernando
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/hairy-legs
- At the age of 13, deciding not to shave her legs led Andrea Dorfman to question and ultimately defy society’s expectations. With charm, warmth and humour, Dorfman’s film Hairy Legs captures the universality of girls exploring gender, curiosity and freedom as they evolve from spending exuberant, carefree days on their bicycles to facing and challenging stereotypes.
- Winner of the Diversity Award (Film) at the Spark Animation Festival in Vancouver and an Honourable Mention – DGC Award for Best Canadian Animation at the Ottawa International Animation Festival.
- Halifax filmmaker Andrea Dorfman has written and directed many award-winning documentaries, features and animated films, including the NFB-produced Flawed (2010), Big Mouth (2012) and feature doc The Girls of Meru (2018). Dorfman’s video collaborations with poet-musician Tanya Davis, How to Be Alone (2010) and How to Be at Home (2020), became YouTube sensations.
– 30 –

Stay Connected

Online Screening Room: nfb.ca
NFB Facebook | NFB Twitter | NFB Instagram | NFB Blog | NFB YouTube | NFB Vimeo
Curator’s perspective | Director’s notes

About the NFB
Lily Robert
Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
C.: 514-296-8261
l.robert@nfb.ca

MIL OSI Canada News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: US festival premiere of Torill Kove’s Mikrofilm/NFB animated short Maybe Elephants. SoCal audiences get three chances in October to see Oscar winner’s latest.
Source: Government of Canada News

Oscar winner Torill Kove’s new Mikrofilm/National Film Board of Canada animated short Maybe Elephants makes its much-anticipated US debut this month at three southern California film fests: the Newport Beach Film Festival (Oct. 17–24), Animation Is Film (Oct. 18–20) and AFI FEST in Los Angeles (Oct. 23–27).
October 15, 2024 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada

Oscar winner Torill Kove’s new Mikrofilm/National Film Board of Canada animated short Maybe Elephants makes its much-anticipated US debut this month at three southern California film fests: the Newport Beach Film Festival (Oct. 17–24), Animation Is Film (Oct. 18–20) and AFI FEST in Los Angeles (Oct. 23–27).

Maybe Elephants marks the fourth collaboration of the NFB and Norway’s Mikrofilm AS with Montreal-based animator Torill Kove—a stellar run of animation excellence over two decades, encompassing three Academy Award-nominated shorts, including her 2007 Oscar winner, The Danish Poet.

A playful and loving autobiographical homage to family, adolescence and the therapeutic power of memories, however unreliable, Maybe Elephants reunites the cast of Kove’s previous Oscar nominee, Me and My Moulton.

“I see this film as a sequel to my 2015 short Me and My Moulton, which was a semi-biographical snapshot of my family in the 1960s, when my sisters and I were under 10 years old and my parents were young and hip. In Maybe Elephants, I’m revisiting the same family. I think everybody has at least one important story. It can be catastrophic, like a war, or romantic. Maybe Elephants is my story, and it goes like this: we were a happy family and then our parents left us,” says Torill Kove.

Maybe Elephants arrives in the US after a world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France and its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, which was followed by an Official Selection in the Narrative Short Film Competition at the Ottawa International Animation Festival.

The Spark Animation festival in Vancouver, British Columbia (Oct. 31–Nov. 3), is presenting its Lifetime Achievement Award to Torill Kove in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field of animation, and honouring Maybe Elephants with its Canadian Film Prize.

Maybe Elephants by Torill Kove (Mikrofilm/NFB, 16 min 43 s)
Producers: Lise Fearnley (Mikrofilm), Maral Mohammadian (NFB), Tonje Skar Reiersen (Mikrofilm)
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/maybe-elephants
- In the ’70s, three rebellious teenage daughters, a restless mother, a father struggling with potatoes, and maybe some elephants, find themselves in bustling Nairobi—and the family will never be the same.
- Narrated by Torill Kove, the film wraps rich nostalgia around memories of eventful family trips, timeless teen antics and those inevitable moments of adolescent epiphany—bursting with wit, a joyful colour palette and an energetic soundscape.
- Maybe Elephants was made with the collaboration of several Kenyan Canadians who played the roles of Kenyan characters and with whom Kove consulted on Swahili language and Kenyan culture.
- Torill Kove is a Norwegian-born filmmaker and animator living in Canada. Three of her films (including My Grandmother Ironed the King’s Shirts and Me and My Moulton) have been nominated for Academy Awards, with The Danish Poet, narrated by Liv Ullmann, winning the coveted golden statue in 2007. Kove’s films are known for her expressive designs and playful and poignant autobiographical themes.
– 30 –

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About the NFB
Lily Robert
Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
C.: 514-296-8261
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MIL OSI Canada News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How the invasive spiny water flea spread across Canada, and what we can do about it

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sam Lucy Behle, PhD Student, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT)

Across the tranquil waters of Canada’s vast network of lakes and rivers, a quiet invader is on the move. The spiny water flea, Bythotrephes cederströmii, is a microscopic predator that is forever altering the ecological fabric of aquatic habitats in Canada.

Originally from Eurasia, Bythotrephes casts a long shadow over the ecosystems it invades. Its presence in Canadian waters represents an ongoing ecological challenge, one that intertwines the fate of native species with the spectre of climate change.

Our lakes: their secrets and challenges, is a series produced by La Conversation/The Conversation.

This article is part of our series Our lakes: their secrets and challenges. The Conversation and La Conversation invite you to take a fascinating dip in our lakes. With magnifying glasses, microscopes and diving goggles, our scientists scrutinize the biodiversity of our lakes and the processes that unfold in them, and tell us about the challenges they face. Don’t miss our articles on these incredibly rich bodies of water!

Diminutive and destructive

Despite its name, Bythotrephes is neither a flea nor a parasite.

A member of the crustacean zooplankton family, the Bythotrephes belongs to a group of microscopic arthropods that are near the base of the aquatic food web and related to other crustaceans like shrimp and lobsters.

Its diet primarily consists of other crustacean zooplankton, with herbivores being the preferred food source. By preying on these critical organisms, Bythotrephes can destabilize a local food web. This destabilization leads to a decrease in native fish populations that rely on zooplankton for nourishment.

The Bythotrephes is equipped with a long, barbed tail spine, which makes it difficult prey for most fish, further allowing its populations to grow mostly unchecked in many lakes.

The Bythotrephes is well protected against predation and feeds on a number of key species.

Alarmingly, the Bythotrephes is spreading rapidly.

Human activities, particularly recreational boating and fishing, serve as the primary vectors for this invasive species. Boats and equipment used in infested waters can harbour Bythotrephes’ and its eggs, which are remarkably resistant to freezing and drying and able to survive out of water for extended periods of time.

Unknowingly, outdoor enthusiasts can transport these invaders to uninvaded habitats, sometimes seeding new infestations far from the original point of invasion. However, the insidious spread of Bythotrephes is not solely the direct result of human activities but is also exacerbated by climate change.

Changing conditions

The Canadian climate has been historically hostile to the Bythotrephes. But as global temperatures rise and weather patterns shift, more and more of Canada is experiencing conditions favourable for the proliferation of invasive species like Bythotrephes.

Warmer water temperatures, in particular, extend its breeding season, allowing for more reproductive cycles within a single year. This amplifies their population growth and colonization potential, hastening their spread across Canadian waters.

Read more:
Climate change means we may have to learn to live with invasive species

Milder winters and earlier ice melt may also enable Bythotrephes to survive and reproduce in regions where it was previously unable to establish populations. These changes in environmental conditions create novel opportunities for Bythotrephes to expand its range and out-compete native species for resources, exacerbating the ecological disruption caused by its invasion.

As we confront the dual challenges of invasive species management and climate change adaptation, it becomes increasingly clear that addressing the spread of Bythotrephes requires a holistic and interdisciplinary approach.

Commonly viewed as fleas, the Bythotrephes actually possess a number of key differences.

Solutions remain

The battle against the spread of Bythotrephes is multifaceted, requiring a blend of scientific research, policy action and public participation. After prevention, monitoring for early detection is critical.

Enhanced surveillance of known potential habitats can help identify new infestations early, enabling quicker actions to contain or eradicate outbreaks.

Public awareness and education are equally important. The adage “clean, drain, dry” should become a mantra for anyone engaging in aquatic recreation. By thoroughly cleaning and drying boats, gear and equipment, individuals can dramatically reduce the risk of transporting Bythotrephes and other invasive species to new locations.

Awareness campaigns can also inform the public about the critical role they play in stopping the spread of invasive species and protecting Canada’s aquatic biodiversity.

Investing in research to understand the ecological impact of Bythotrephes and to develop effective control measures is vital. Biological control strategies, habitat restoration and public education programs can all contribute to a comprehensive approach to managing this invasive threat.

Read more:
Invasive species are reshaping aquatic ecosystems, one lake at a time

The invasion of Bythotrephes in Canada is a stark reminder of the fragility of aquatic ecosystems and the complexity of managing invasive species in the face of climate change. By understanding the impact of Bythotrephes and taking deliberate steps to curb its spread, Canadians can protect their waterways and the diverse life they support.

There is power in informed action and collective will. It is a battle that requires the engagement of all — from scientists and policymakers to local communities and individuals. Together, we can halt the forward march of Bythotrephes cederströmii and preserve the ecological integrity of Canada’s precious aquatic ecosystems for future generations.

Sam Lucy Behle receives funding from MRC-Abitibi, NSERC, MELCCFP, CREAT and Fondation de la Faune du Québec.

Beatrix Beisner receives funding from NSERC and the FRQNT. She is Co-Director of the Groupe de recherche interuniversitaire en limnologie (GRIL), a research network of 12 Québec universities.

Guillaume Grosbois receives funding from MRC-Abitibi, NSERC, MELCCFP, CREAT and Fondation de la Faune du Québec.

– ref. How the invasive spiny water flea spread across Canada, and what we can do about it – https://theconversation.com/how-the-invasive-spiny-water-flea-spread-across-canada-and-what-we-can-do-about-it-227546

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Gerald — Esterhazy RCMP responding to train-related incident near Gerald, Saskatchewan

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Esterhazy RCMP are on the scene of a collision that resulted in a train derailment north of Gerald, Saskatchewan. People are asked to avoid Range Road 1322 at this time.

This is an unfolding investigation and further details and updates will be provided as they become available.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation. — Battlefords RCMP investigating ATV-related fatality

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

On October 12, 2024 at approximately 12:00 p.m., Battlefords RCMP received a report of an ATV rollover on Highway #4 north of the Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation.

Officers responded along with local EMS and located an injured male teenager, who had been the driver of the ATV. He was transported to hospital, where he later died. The family of the youth, who is from the Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation, has been notified.

Two additional occupants, both teenage males, reported minor injuries and were treated by EMS on scene.

Battlefords RCMP continues to investigate with the assistance of the Saskatchewan Coroners Service.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Continuing care: Ministers LaGrange and Nixon
Source: Government of Canada regional news

“We are committed to ensuring Alberta has a continuing care system that provides Albertans with the health care, personal care services and accommodations they need to support their independence and quality of life.“Establishing a new provincial health agency dedicated to continuing care gives us the opportunity to broaden our efforts to care for all Albertans who need daily supports and services in continuing care homes, supportive living or through home and community care.“Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jason Nixon will become the sector minister for the new continuing care provincial health agency. “As the oversight minister, and the minister responsible for the health care system in Alberta, I will ensure Alberta Health works alongside the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services as we continue to deliver these critical services and build towards the standing up of the new continuing care agency. Alberta Health will continue to assist in determining how services will be delivered in the future.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

“As the new sector minister for continuing care, I am committed to ensuring seniors, people with disabilities, people facing homelessness and other vulnerable Albertans are supported with comprehensive, wraparound services that meet both their medical and non-medical needs.“This change will not interrupt service delivery or impact funding in any way.“We will be looking to ensure all aspects of continuing care – including home care and community care – can be expanded in innovative ways to support people as their situations and needs evolve.“We will be looking to make the system easier to access. A new, unified approach will include a new, user-friendly online platform to connect partners and Albertans to continuing care supports and enable people to request the services they need directly.“And we won’t be doing this in isolation – we are establishing a transitional committee that will help guide the transformation, and we will be consulting with key organizations, operators and experts.”With the experience of health care professionals and social service specialists, we will develop services that work together, while continuing to support Albertans in choosing where and how they would like to live.”

Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

Related information
- Refocusing health care in Alberta
MIL OSI Canada News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: New monitoring team for violations of UN sanctions on North Korea

Source: Australian Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs

Australia is joining international partners to strengthen efforts to hold North Korea to account for violations and evasions of UN Security Resolution sanctions.

Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States have committed to establishing a member state-led Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) to monitor and highlight North Korea’s sanctions non-compliance.

This follows Russia’s March veto of the renewal of the mandate of the Panel of Experts (PoE) under the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718. The PoE was responsible for reporting on North Korea’s non-compliance with sanctions.

Despite Russia’s obstruction, all North Korea-related UN Security Council resolutions remain in effect and all UN Member States are required to implement them.

North Korea’s ongoing pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems undermines international non-proliferation efforts. Its actions are contrary to Australia’s interest in an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

North Korea’s malicious cyber activities pose serious national security and economic risks and threaten the security and stability of the online environment.

North Korea’s supply of arms and related materiel to Russia, in support of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, directly violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and increases the suffering of the Ukrainian people.

Australia will continue to work with our partners to uphold international rules and norms and support global non-proliferation efforts to promote a safe and secure region and world.

MIL OSI News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Joint doorstop interview, Brisbane

Source: Australian Treasurer

JIM CHALMERS:

Welcome to the most important electorate in Australia, the People’s Republic of Rankin. Welcome to the PM, Clare, Meaghan, this is our home patch. Cameron Dick and I and Shannon Fentiman, we’re really proud to represent this part of South East Queensland. We’ve got really 2 fantastic announcements to be making today.

The first one which Clare will elaborate on is that we are announcing more money for this part of the world for more housing. More housing for Meadowbrook, more housing for South East Queensland, more housing for middle Australia, and most importantly, more housing for essential workers and social housing tenants near where the jobs and essential services are being provided. The wonderful thing about this part of South East Queensland – we’ve got a university there, a hospital and a TAFE there, a retail centre there, 2 motorways, a train station – and this is all about making sure that we build more homes for Australians where the jobs and essential services are. And so it’s a really important day to be making this announcement. This kind of funding is at risk with the worst combination of David Crisafulli and Peter Dutton and we make that clear as well today.

More homes for our local community. Our highest priorities are housing and the cost of living and the Albanese Labor government, the Miles Labor government, we work together really closely to do whatever we can to build more homes and to ease the cost of living for more people. And a really important part of what we’re announcing today are our efforts to crack down on excessive charges when it comes to using credit cards and debit cards and tapping your phone. Too many Australians are paying too much when they tap their phone or use their credit cards. Too many Australians are paying too much when it comes to excessive fees on debit cards, in particular. We are cracking down on excessive fees for debit cards and we are funding the ACCC to do their important work in this regard as well. We are prepared to ban surcharges on debit cards subject to the important work that the RBA is doing, and also making sure that there aren’t unintended consequences for small businesses and for consumers. This is all about a better deal for consumers and small businesses. People are paying surcharges which are too high just to use their own money, and we want to see what we can do to crack down on that. We are prepared to ban the surcharges on debit cards subject to making sure that consumers and small businesses are the beneficiaries of any change. This is a really complex system. There are a number of fees at play in this system. It’s why the RBA’s work is so important, and it’s why it’s so important that this Albanese Labor government is taking action to crack down on excessive fees. While this work is being undertaken, we will provide $2.1 million to the ACCC for their education and monitoring and to make sure that businesses are doing the right thing when it comes to the charging of these fees and surcharges. We are making it really clear today. This Albanese Labor government is about easing the cost of living and building more homes. Whether it’s excessive surcharges using debit cards, whether it’s building more homes in communities, just like the Miles government, we are focused on the main game for middle Australia and that’s why we’re here today. I’ll throw you over to the Deputy Premier and Treasurer of Queensland, Cameron Dick.

CAMERON DICK:

Well, thanks, Jim. It is terrific to have the Prime Minister, Jim, Clare and Meaghan in Logan here today to announce more homes for Queenslanders. And this is what happens when you have a State Labor government and a Federal Labor government working together to deliver for the people of Queensland. This isn’t something you get from the Greens and it is certainly something you would never get from the LNP. It’s also great to have 2 Queensland based institutions, the Australian Retirement Fund and the Brisbane Housing Company, collaborating together to deliver on this project. We’ve already got homes through that collaboration coming out of the ground in Redcliffe, Chermside and Southport and now we will see more homes right here in Logan for hardworking Queenslanders. And so we very much welcome this announcement today and we thank the Prime Minister and his federal team for supporting Queensland.

I just wanted to say something briefly before I hand over to the Prime Minister on David Crisafulli and the LNP’s election commitments, their costings and of course, their plan for cuts. Yesterday, David Crisafulli said he wouldn’t borrow for the operational costs of government. That would mean David would have to cut $3 billion as soon as he took office in October. It means David Crisafulli would have to cut $10 million a day, each and every day until the 30th of June next year to deliver on his promise. That means there are 17,000 Queenslanders whose jobs are now on the line under David Crisafulli and the LNP. And that is before he even finds one cent to pay for the $18 billion in election commitments that are unfunded and that he has already announced in this campaign. David Crisafulli won’t even tell Queenslanders the total of the election commitments he’s made in this campaign so far. That’s because he would have to tell Queenslanders what he would have to cut to deliver on those promises.

I’ll hand over to the Prime Minister and thank him again for coming to Queensland and making this important announcement for the people of our state.

ANTHONY ALBANESE:

Well, thanks very much, Treasurer. And it’s great to be here with 2 treasurers and 2 housing ministers and I think 3 local members here in Logan. It’s fantastic to be, particularly to be in my friend, the Treasurer’s electorate of Rankin, and to show what happens when good Labor governments work together. This is about 1,100 new homes for Queenslanders – 1,100 new homes that will be built, including right here on this site, but throughout South East Queensland as well. It comes on top of, just a couple of weeks ago, the announcement we made in Cairns with about 500 new affordable and social homes being built there. This is about increasing housing supply, which is what our commitment is to do.

It’s also about easing the cost of living and the measures that the Treasurer spoke about before in outlawing debit card surcharges, having a real crack at making sure that people, when they use their own money, there shouldn’t be surcharges on them using their money. And that’s why we are providing additional funds – $2.1 million for the ACCC – but also the Reserve Bank doing their inquiry to make sure that the details of this are got right, that small businesses looked after on the way through. This is my government’s priority, looking after the cost of living whilst also delivering on housing supply in partnership with state and territory governments. And it stands in stark contrast to our opponents. Be it David Crisafulli, who doesn’t seem to have too many policies I’ve got to say, at the Queensland election, and certainly no costed ones, and the Federal Opposition that today Michael Sukkar was out there once again just being opposed to our investment in new housing. They said they’ll get rid of the Housing Australia Future Fund. They’ve said they’re against the targets that we’ve set in partnership with state and territory governments, with those financial incentives for better planning for state and territory governments to make sure that we increase the supply. This project here as well is about our support for infrastructure in order so that homes can be built. It’s one of the missing pieces in the puzzle of housing supply that we are addressing. Making sure that energy, sewerage, water can all be connected so that new homes can be built. Something that we are providing that was never provided under the former government that didn’t for a while even bother to have a Housing Minister. I’ll turn to Clare and then we’re happy to take questions.

CLARE O’NEIL:

Thank you, PM and Treasurer, can I thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful electorate. We all know a bit about Jim Chalmers and one way to get the guy talking is to ask him about his community here in Rankin and you won’t hear the end of it. He is a huge advocate for this local area, he’s very proud of where he comes from, and it’s fantastic to be here. This is a really big and important announcement for South East Queensland where the Albanese government and the Miles Labor government here are announcing 1,100 new homes for Queenslanders. Five hundred will be constructed on this site here in Meadowbrook and 600 others will be scattered around some of the nearby suburbs. This is a reflection of what gets done when state and federal governments identify something that matters hugely to our constituents and that’s housing, and then works together to make a difference to that problem. We are, without question, one of the boldest and most ambitious Commonwealth governments on housing that we have seen for a generation in this country. We came from a standing start. The Prime Minister here mentioned that for most of the time the Coalition were in power, they didn’t even have a Housing Minister. Didn’t even have a Housing Minister. That’s how tapped out they were on this critical problem. Well, we have changed all that. Our country, led as it is by a Prime Minister whose access to housing in his childhood totally transformed the rest of his life. So, what are we doing? We’re building more homes. An ambitious target to build 1.2 million homes around the country over the coming 5 years. We’re helping renters through the work we’re doing with National Cabinet and lifts to the Commonwealth Rent Assistance payment. And we’re making sure that more Australians can own their own homes. We’ve helped 120,000 citizens get into home ownership in the time we’ve been in government. And we would be able to do more if other parties in the Parliament would come together and work with us. Now, we’ve got boldness and we’ve got ambition. But what do I see when I look at other parties in the Parliament? Well, I see the Greens who say some of the right things about housing. But when it comes time to make real progress for real people, instead of helping childcare workers and aged care workers get into housing, they instead try to play politics and stand in their path. And then I see the Liberals who have not a shred of credibility when it comes to housing. We heard this morning the Shadow Housing Minister, Michael Sukkar, make extraordinary admissions in a radio interview where, firstly, he said that the government is being too ambitious about housing. He says that if the Liberals are elected federally, they will scrap having a housing target altogether. Well, it’s that kind of low ambition that got us to where we are right now. And that is in a housing crisis where this is affecting the lives of millions of people in our country and the Liberals want us to lower our ambitions. The second thing he told us is that they want to make more cuts to states and territories in the funding that we’re giving them to make housing possible. Well, this is where we are right here. 1,100 new homes that’s made through that partnership that we’ve worked through with National Cabinet and we know with the Liberals we’ll get what we always get. That is cuts, cuts, cuts that hurt real people.

ALBANESE:

Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST:

PM, on the banking surcharge, it’s been welcomed by some, but others are saying that a few cents here and there might not save people that much in a cost living crisis. I guess, how do you expect it to assist people if they’re only saving small amounts on these surcharges?

ALBANESE:

We think it’ll make a difference. And when people go and they see a price up on the board at the business where they’re making a purchase – that should be the purchase price. There shouldn’t be hidden charges and surcharges there when people are using their own money. Bear this in mind – a debit card is taking money directly from people’s accounts. It is their money and there shouldn’t be surcharges on it.

JOURNALIST:

Prime Minister, this is a housing announcement, do you think it’s a good look to be buying a $4.2 million home during a cost‑of‑living crisis?

ALBANESE:

Well, Jodie and I are getting married, as is known, and I’m pleased about that. And Jodie’s a Coastie. She’s a proud Coastie. She’s as proud of being a Coastie as Jim is here, of being a Logan lifelong resident. There are 3 generations of Haydons on the coast there. And when your relationship changes, your life changes and you make decisions. But what I’m focused on is making sure that everyone can get a roof over their head. I’m focused on increased public housing and social housing investment. That’s why we have our Housing Australia Future Fund. We’re focused on increased rentals, which is why we have our Build to Rent scheme. And we’re focused, in addition to that, in getting more housing supply, such as the 1,100 homes for Queenslanders that we’re announcing right here.

JOURNALIST:

PM, buying a $4 million dollar home is very different to buying a modest family home or living on a block like this. Do you think it’s a good look?

ALBANESE:

I have – of course, I am much better off as Prime Minister. I earn a good income. I understand that. I understand that I’ve been fortunate, but I also know what it’s like to struggle. My mum lived in the one public housing that she was born in for all of her 65 years. And I know what it’s like, which is why I want to help all Australians into a home, whether it be public homes or private rentals or home ownership.

JOURNALIST:

PM, it’s been reported that Australia is seeking an assurance from PNG it won’t sign new security agreements with China in return for the $600 million assistance package for its NRL bid. Can you confirm if there is a security element in this agreement and what exactly it says?

ALBANESE:

This is a relationship between friends and what we don’t do is have our security arrangements out there in public. What we do is to work with our friends and partners. Papua New Guinea has made it very clear that Australia is their security partner of choice.

JOURNALIST:

PM, do you plan to retire at that house on the New South Wales Central Coast?

ALBANESE:

Sorry?

JOURNALIST:

Are you planning to retire there?

ALBANESE:

I’m planning to be in my current job for a very long period of time.

JOURNALIST:

Are you going to rent it out in the meantime?

ALBANESE:

I’m planning to be in my current – I haven’t bought it yet. To be clear, it hasn’t settled yet, these arrangements, I’m very transparent. I declare everything. I’ve declared, some time ago, if you followed the story that I was selling a house in the Inner West that will make a contribution towards this.

JOURNALIST:

There’s been a lot of commentary around the hope from Federal Labor that some of the frustration may be taken out on October 26 and then maybe go easy at the federal election. What do you make of this and are you concerned about support for Labor in Queensland?

ALBANESE:

I want people to vote Labor in Queensland and to return Steven Miles as the Premier and this bloke here as the Deputy Premier, because I want a government that actually cares about Queenslanders. It’s a government that’s committed to increasing housing supply, that’s committed to dealing with cost‑of‑living pressures, including the 50 cent fares. I had the privilege of going on Gold Coast Light Rail yesterday. It’s committed to the free school lunches to make sure that people are looked after. This is a government that is getting things done and is worthy of re‑election and I’m very pleased to campaign with them.

JOURNALIST:

PM, Canada has expelled 6 Indian diplomats, accusing them of being part of a criminal network targeting the Sikh diaspora. Have you spoken, or do you plan to speak with Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau about this?

ALBANESE:

I speak with the Prime Minister of Canada all the time.

JOURNALIST:

Does Australia –

ALBANESE:

I speak with the Prime Minister of Canada all the time. And what I do in my relationships with international leaders is I have proper discussions with them and that’s how we get things done. And that’s why – one of the reasons why my government has been so effective in international diplomacy.

JOURNALIST:

On the Bruce Highway, why won’t you match Peter Dutton’s commitment for an 80/20 split.

ALBANESE:

He hasn’t done anything. His commitment? He was part of a government that didn’t fund things, that was good at media releases. I’ll give you the big clue. You can’t drive on a media release. What you can drive on is a road. And to build a road, you need money. So, Rockhampton Ring Road, for example, was $700 million short in terms of its funding. The former government made announcements with $0 attached to it, from time to time. When we came into government last time, we put record funding into the Bruce Highway. $1.3 billion under the Howard government, $7.6 billion under us, and we have $10 billion in our plan for the Bruce Highway, including additional money that we put in in the last Budget.

JOURNALIST:

So, those accusations are credible that we were talking about just before?

ALBANESE:

I’ve answered your question.

JOURNALIST:

Queensland has – you took a 50 cent fare yesterday. Obviously it’s a fair bit more expensive in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, to take a light rail, in Canberra. Should it not be? I mean, it’s increased our patronage in Queensland and would not do the same thing elsewhere?

ALBANESE:

Well, it’s a matter for state and territory governments. But I say this, that the Queensland government – and Cameron or Meaghan might want to comment on this as well – it’s been a huge success. Increasing patronage gets cars off the road, saves people money and also it’s good for people’s health. It’s good for a range of reasons to increase public transport patronage and from a Commonwealth government perspective, I make this point, when it comes to infrastructure. Gold Coast Light Rail, $365 million in the 2009 budget from the government when I was the Infrastructure Minister and now stage 3 underway, will be completed next year. It was opposed by the LNP – state and federal. You had federal LNP members like Steve Ciobo collecting petitions against Gold Coast Light Rail. Cross River Rail, major project to increase the whole capacity of the network was funded $715 million from the Commonwealth with an availability payment going forward each year in partnership with what was the Queensland LNP government then, originally started under the Labor government. Tony Abbott got elected, the whole thing crashed, and then they came up with this ridiculous plan that didn’t go anywhere. Cross River Rail would be open today if Labor governments had kept being elected. That’s why we believe in this. That’s why we’re funding Sunshine Coast Rail as well.

JOURNALIST:

Question for Mr Dick, please.

ALBANESE:

Sure.

JOURNALIST:

Credit rating agency S&P Global has warned Queensland’s AA+ credit rating is in danger of being downgraded due to your spending. How concerning is that?

DICK:

Well, S&P Global and Moody’s went through the Queensland Budget books top to bottom, left to right, up and down after our Budget, and they reaffirmed our AA+ credit rating. And when you look at our competitor states, our comparative states in New South Wales and Victoria, we are streets ahead of them when it comes to budget management and fiscal management in this state. Just a week ago, I announced the unaudited financial results for Queensland. Our net debt for last financial year has been halved from $12 billion to just under $6 billion. Our surplus went up from $600 million to $1.7 billion. And let’s put that in comparison to New South Wales and Victoria. So, our net debt at the end of last financial year was $5.7 billion. In New South Wales , it was $97 billion. In Victoria it was $136 billion. So, that means New South Wales debt is 16 times higher than Queensland and Victoria’s debt is 22 times higher. And so we are in a really strong position to make commitments and deliver on them because our commitments are fully funded. And the question for David Crisafulli and David Janetzki, who did 2 train wreck interviews today, the Shadow Treasurer who’s been in an LNP witness protection program, has not been seen with the Leader on the campaign trail for 2 weeks. And that is disrespectful to train wrecks because a train needs momentum and forward movement before it can run off the rails. We haven’t seen or heard from that bloke. And when he came out today, he didn’t say to Queenslanders – he couldn’t even tell Queenslanders what the total cost of their commitments would be, nor how they would pay for them. Now, their election commitments in this campaign are twice as high as ours. The LNP election commitments in this campaign now total $18 billion, twice as high as Labor. We’ve been upfront about how we’re paying for that. The only way that David Crisafulli can deliver on his promise of not borrowing for operational costs of government, by spending more, reducing taxation, lowering debt, delivering balanced budgets, not having a fiscal deficit, having a fiscal surplus. He has promised all of those things in this campaign. The only way he can deliver that is by cutting and that is what he is going to do. And that should put a shiver down the spine of every Queenslander, because the last LNP leader who offered to the community that he would look after the money of the people of Queensland, the last LNP leader who said that he would deliver a fiscal surplus was Campbell Newman. And 14,000 Queenslanders paid for that promise with their jobs. They built nothing for 3 years. So, they cut operating expenditure and they cut infrastructure expenditure. And the hide of David Crisafulli to say to Queenslanders that he respects money. The hide of David Crisafulli. David Crisafulli doesn’t respect public or private money. This is a man who was responsible for a training company that collapsed under $3 million of debt and owed the Australian Taxation Office $750,000. That’s not a man who respects money. That’s a man who disregards every single creditor of that company, including creditors that came from this community. And so we are fighting hard for the future of Queensland. Fully costed, fully funded plans, our promises will be delivered within the budget envelope and the funding envelope we’ve set aside. You cannot say the same for David Crisafulli.

JOURNALIST:

He wouldn’t have said what they’d said if they didn’t have concerns, though, surely?

DICK:

Well, let’s see what happens when I do – if I have that privilege – when I do the Budget update in December and when I do the Budget next year. Because there are 2 aspects to budgets, one’s expenditure and one’s revenue. And so you have to look at the budget position in total before we go to the ratings agencies and before they look at us. And so we’ll continue to deliver as we’ve delivered for every budget, except my first one, we’ve beaten our debt projections in every budget that I’ve delivered as Treasurer and we’ll continue to work hard to maintain that AA+ credit rating. We are the only state of the big 3 states that didn’t have a credit rating downgrade during or subsequent to COVID. That was because of our effective and appropriate financial and budgetary management and we’re going to continue on that path and people can trust us to deliver on our promises. The only thing you can trust David Crisafulli to do if he’s elected Premier is to cut. Anything else?

JOURNALIST:

Mr Janetzki was on radio this morning that he would release his costings once they make their final announcement. Is that the typical convention? Are you aware of that? And do you think it’s good enough considering voters already going to the polls?

DICK:

Look, this is all just a smokescreen for David Crisafulli to hide his plan for cuts. Our Party, Queensland Labor, has been the most transparent of any political party in any election in history. We put our costings live 2 weeks ago. We said upfront what we would do and how we would pay for it. And I released a budget economic and tax plan 2 weeks ago. Two years ago, David Crisafulli promised to release a tax and debt plan for Queensland. It is now 11 days until the election. David Crisafulli has been the Leader of the LNP now for more than 1,200 days and he still won’t be honest with the people of Queensland. And look, it’s just obvious the reason they won’t tell Queenslanders the total of their election commitments is because they would have to reveal to Queenslanders what they need to cut to deliver those election commitments. Which is why they’re hiding their costings, hiding their funding sources, because their single biggest funding source is to cut. And that’s why they’re not being honest with you.

JOURNALIST:

Amy McMahon from the Greens reckons you’re a hypocrite for recommending a preference for the Katter Australia Party in North Queensland. Are you not assisting an anti‑abortion party here by putting them above the Liberal Party?

DICK:

I don’t take political advice from the Queensland Greens Political Party. I never have and I never will. Anything else?

JOURNALIST:

What have you made of voter sentiment on the ground?

CHALMERS:

I don’t like being called the other Treasurer, but sure, you go ahead.

JOURNALIST:

What have you made of voter sentiment around the area? How closely will you be watching the result, particularly around this area?

CHALMERS:

Oh, look, Queenslanders right around our state desperately need a re‑elected Miles Labor government. You know, I was listening to Cameron and to the PM a moment ago. You know, Cameron is running one of the strongest budgets in the Commonwealth and that’s because we have a couple of things in common. You know, we are all about responsible economic management so that we can afford to provide cost‑of‑living relief for people who really need it, whether it’s in our community right around Queensland or indeed right around Australia. So, we have that in common and we want to work with the Miles Labor government after the election in a couple of weeks’ time. Now, as Cameron rightfully pointed out a moment ago, David Crisafulli and Peter Dutton have got something in common as well. Neither of them will come clean on their secret cuts. And those cuts that Peter Dutton and David Crisafulli won’t tell us about will make Queenslanders and Australians personally financially worse off. They’ll come after wages, they’ll come after housing, they’ll come after health. They will absolutely gut the joint. And we know this because Peter Dutton did that last time with Medicare when he was the Health Minister. And we know this because David Crisafulli is essentially Campbell Newman 2.0. And that was devastating for our local community. That has been a real low point for this part of the world seeing the way that Campbell Newman slashed and hacked at the essential services that local people desperately need. You asked a moment ago about our surcharging change and what it will mean for the cost of living. Now, that’s an important step that we are taking to help ease the cost of living, but it’s not the only step. Tax cuts for every taxpayer, Energy Bill Relief for every household, cheaper medicines, Rent Assistance, cheaper early childhood education, getting wages moving again. And here we have an enthusiastic and willing partner in the Miles Labor government. Cheaper fares for these communities in the outer suburbs are absolutely transformational. I’ve lost count of the amount of times that people have come up to me and said, ‘if you run into Cameron, or if you run into Steven, can you tell him how much we value those 50 cent fares?’ So, I’ll do that in front of all of our friends now, Cam. People appreciate the Energy Bill Relief that we’re working together with Steven and Cameron and Meaghan to provide. And so we desperately need a Miles Labor government re‑elected. We love working with these guys, not because we always have an identical view about every single issue, but because we’ve got a heart for local people. And that shows when it comes to housing, when it comes to health, and when it comes to cost of living.

JOURNALIST:

Sorry, just on the sentiment, you pick up anything on the ground around you?

CHALMERS:

Yeah, well, in our communities, people are desperately relying on the cost‑of‑living help that the Miles government and the Albanese government are providing. Now, we know that people are under pressure. You know, we know that people are doing it tough, but more than acknowledge that, we’re doing something about it. In all of the ways that I ran through a moment ago. And today, in addition, when it comes to surcharging on people’s debit cards, people shouldn’t be paying huge fees to use their own money. The Prime Minister has made that clear and we’ve made that clear today. So, in these local communities, we take no votes for granted. We don’t take any outcome for granted in this election. But I know I’ve seen what it’s like to have mostly state LNP members around here. I’ve seen what it’s like to have mostly Labor state members around here. We desperately need Labor members in this part of the world to look after the interests of the people and to work with Albo and I to make sure we’re rolling out that cost‑of‑living help.

JOURNALIST:

So, Queensland has – the Liberal National Party in Queensland has 21 of the federal seats in Queensland. Do you think that a plebiscite on nuclear power might change that?

CHALMERS:

Oh, we need to do better federally in Queensland. We’ve made that clear. You know, Anthony is an honorary Queenslander. You know, he spends a lot of time here in Queensland and I think Queenslanders understand because he is a practical, pragmatic leader and we are practical and pragmatic people in Queensland. And so, we need to do better, we’ve acknowledged that. Queensland is front and centre when it comes to our efforts as a Federal Labor government, including in the upcoming federal campaign. But first, we’ve got to re‑elect these guys because 2 Labor governments working together are better for local communities like this one.

JOURNALIST:

Queensland Labor has announced help for GP clinics that bulk bill. Isn’t that a tacit admission that Federal Labor hasn’t done enough to stop the gap, the Medicare gap, which has led to this?

CHALMERS:

No, I think it’s a tacit admission that both Labor governments are investing, in our case, billions and billions of dollars in strengthening Medicare. Now, there’s an Urgent Care Clinic down the road in Browns Plains which is making a major difference, taking the pressure off Logan Hospital, which is just next door. These are the investments that Labor governments make in local communities in getting out of pocket health costs down. And we welcome the contribution that the Miles Labor government comes to the table with when it comes to providing more money for health, so that we can get out of pocket costs down, so we can get the waiting times down, so that we can take pressure off local hospitals. But most importantly, make sure that we’re providing the healthcare that local families and pensioners need.

JOURNALIST:

When you were in Opposition, how many days before the election did you announce your costings?

CHALMERS:

Well, we did, unfortunately, we had a couple of goes at it when we were in Opposition and the timing of that varied. The difference was, you know, we didn’t have a big agenda for secret cuts like David Crisafulli does, and like Peter Dutton has. You know, Peter Dutton and Angus Taylor say that there’s $315 billion of spending in the Commonwealth Budget that they don’t support. That includes pension indexation, that includes Medicare funding, that includes funding for veterans, it includes funding for housing. And David Crisafulli and Peter Dutton are joined at the hip when it comes to their secret plans for cuts. I don’t think Queenslanders are asking too much when they say to David Crisafulli, ‘come clean in time for us to make an informed decision.’ And when they do, and if they do, they will understand that the Miles Labor government is providing cost‑of‑living relief, investing in housing and health, and David Crisafulli will cut all of those things as sure as night follows day.

JOURNALIST:

Why upgrade the travel advice to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories?

ALBANESE:

It’s a dangerous place at the moment. We know that that’s the case. So, what we do is we take advice from our security agencies and the government then implements that advice. We know that travelling into an area where there is conflict is a dangerous thing to do and it’s appropriate that the federal government make announcements in accordance with that advice from the security agencies. Can I just make one further point before we wrap up, which is that I was noticing – Clare probably noticed as well this morning – Michael Sukkar actually speak about the delay in implementing the Housing Australia Future Fund roll out and Help to Buy scheme that’s stuck in the Senate. Well, Labor are the builders, they’re the blockers. Between the LNP and the Greens, they blocked the Housing Australia Future Fund and now they’re still blocking the Help to Buy scheme. They could vote for it tomorrow or the next day that Parliament sits, but they don’t. So, they vote against it, block it and then complain that there’s a delay in its implementation. That says it all about how hopeless the Opposition are when it comes to policies that will actually deliver more housing supply. Thanks very much.

MIL OSI News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Trade Minister to attend G20 meeting in Brazil

Source: New Zealand Government

Trade Minister Todd McClay will attend the Group of Twenty (G20) Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting in Brasilia next week.

“As an exporting nation reliant on trade, this is a significant opportunity to boost our interests with some of the world’s largest economies and many of our most important trading partners,” Mr McClay says.

“New Zealand was invited to attend following our success in negotiating the E-Commerce agreement at this year’s WTO Ministerial Trade negotiation in Abu Dhabi, and our inaugural attendance at the G7 Trade Ministers meeting in Reggio Calabria.”

Minister McClay will represent New Zealand alongside G20 members to discuss sustainable development, investment, global food security, reducing Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) and strengthening of the Multilateral system to grow trade.

In addition to G20 meetings, Mr McClay will look to engage directly with counterparts including from Brazil, Canada, Chile, the European Union, Germany, India, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

While in the region, the Minister will also lead a business delegation to São Paulo to boost New Zealand’s $242 million exported to Brazil and supporting the 40 Kiwi businesses already operating in the region.

The delegation includes 13 organisations: Aroa Biosurgery, Auckland Council, Foot Science International, Framecad, Gallagher Animal Management, Latin America Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence (CAPE), Latin America New Zealand Business Council (LANZBC), Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC), Loadscan, Mindhive Global, New Zealand Brazil Business Chamber (NZBBC), Seequent, and Tait Communications.

“We are committed to ensuring New Zealand remains competitive on the world stage and that our high-quality, safe and sustainable exports gain the recognition they deserve.”

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Canadian investigation linked to the Government of India
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Statement by Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office on the ongoing Canadian investigation linked to the Government of India
A FCDO spokesperson said:

We are in contact with our Canadian partners about the serious developments outlined in the independent investigations in Canada. The UK has full confidence in Canada’s judicial system. Respect for sovereignty and the rule of law is essential.

The Government of India’s cooperation with Canada’s legal process is the right next step.

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Published 16 October 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Creating opportunities for Canadian industry through an enabling Canada–European Space Agency partnership
Source: Government of Canada News

News release

Today, while representing Canada at the 2024 International Astronautical Congress, Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell announced that Toronto-based Kepler Communications Inc. has been selected as the prime contractor for the European Space Agency’s HydRON-DS mission.
Longueuil, Quebec, October 16, 2024 — Today, while representing Canada at the 2024 International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) President Lisa Campbell announced that Toronto-based Kepler Communications Inc. has been selected as the prime contractor for the European Space Agency’s (ESA) HydRON-DS mission.

Consisting of a ring of 10 satellites around Earth, HydRON-DS will use laser communications to provide high-performance Internet in space at unprecedented speeds for government and commercial users. This opportunity has been made possible thanks to Canada’s long-standing and fruitful partnership with ESA, that allows Canadian companies from the space sector to leverage their expertise and skills on the European market. Since 1979, Canada has held the privileged position of being the only non-European cooperating state of ESA.

President Campbell also highlighted other concrete outcomes of this agreement for Canadian companies, such as:
- Sherbrooke-based SBQuantum will assess the viability of its quantum diamond magnetometer in space. ESA will evaluate both the reliability and precision of the sensor, and explore its potential deployment on satellites for various purposes, like assisting in the monitoring of magnetic storms or mapping minerals under the surface of the Moon.
- C-CORE, based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, will design and build a calibration transponder for the Biomass mission, which will deliver crucial information about the state of the world’s forests and how they are changing, and further our knowledge of the role forests play in the carbon cycle.
- Québec-based ABB Analytical Business Unit in Canada will provide the Laser Unit for the interferometer of the Forum mission, ESA’s ninth Earth Explorer satellite mission. Data from the mission will be used to evaluate the role that the far-infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum plays in shaping our climate.
Quotes

“Canada’s continued participation in European Space Agency programs will further position our space sector for significant growth, generating highly skilled employment, and providing essential opportunities to access European markets. This collaboration allows us to engage in international space missions, while ensuring Canada’s space industry remains innovative, vibrant, and competitive in the fast-evolving global landscape.”

– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“For 45 years now, Canada’s collaboration with ESA has resulted in opportunities to participate in European space program projects that would otherwise be out of reach. For Canadian companies, having this unique access to the European space market means commercialization prospects and concrete sales, job creation and knowledge-sharing, and international partnership opportunities. We look forward to continuing this partnership to further strengthen the synergies between our industrial, academic and government sectors as we advance space science and technology together.”

– Lisa Campbell, President of the CSA

“ESA is proud of the HydRON project, which exemplifies the power of European and Canadian collaboration in advancing space technology. With its laser satellite network for lightning-fast Internet communications, HydRON has the potential to transform how we connect globally, bridging digital divides and enabling secure communications on Earth and beyond.”

– Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General

Quick facts
- The Cooperation Agreement between Canada and ESA was first signed in 1979, most recently renewed in 2019.
- Europe is the second-largest trading partner for Canada’s space sector after the U.S. ESA is among the largest space agencies in the world and undertakes a wide range of space missions and activities that the Canadian space sector is well positioned to engage in.
- Between April 2018 and March 2022, 44 Canadian organizations received 125 contracts valued at approximately €59 million, which would otherwise not have been accessible without the Canada–ESA Cooperation Agreement.
- From October 14 to 18, the CSA is attending the 75th edition of the IAC organized in Milan, Italy. The IAC is the largest space-related conference worldwide offering the latest space information and developments in academia and industry, networking opportunities, contacts and potential partnerships.
Contacts

Canadian Space Agency
Media Relations Office
Telephone: 450-926-4370
Email: asc.medias-media.csa@asc-csa.gc.ca
Website: http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca
Follow us on social media

MIL OSI Canada News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Operation Narsil disrupts network of child abuse websites designed to generate profits from advertising

Source: Interpol (news and events)

3 August 2023

Tracking the money made by perpetrators and preventing the revictimization of children

LYON, France — INTERPOL has concluded a two-year global operation to bring to justice criminals operating networks of child sexual abuse websites designed to generate profits from advertising.

Running from December 2021 to July 2023, Operation Narsil also targeted the finance mechanisms used by the website administrators to conduct their online advertising campaigns.

Over two years, INTERPOL member countries worked together using INTERPOL’s Worst of List (IWOL), sharing targeted intelligence, pinpointing suspects and coordinating arrests of the people managing the websites.

Created in 2010, IWOL contains a watchlist of websites containing extreme child abuse material. The General Secretariat headquarters works with law enforcement in all regions so that national Internet service providers close down these websites.

“Operation Narsil sends a strong message to the criminals making money from these websites that INTERPOL, and its alliance of police forces in 195 member countries, know where they are, what they are doing, and how to find them,” said Jürgen Stock, INTERPOL Secretary General.

“Every time a person clicks on these images, they are effectively entering a crime scene. Identifying and removing these websites reduces the availability and potential normalization of online child abuse material, and, most importantly, reduces the re-victimization of the children abused,” added Secretary General Stock.

Worldwide crime trend

In one case, a brother and sister, both in their early thirties, were arrested as a result of IWOL digital clues and intelligence provided by the global police community pointing investigators to the suspects in Argentina.

Investigations by Argentina’s Victim Identification Office in the Anti Cyber Crimes against Minors Division and the Specialised Cybercrime Prosecution Unit (UFECI), working with Federal Courts in Mendoza Province, led to the identification and arrest of the two suspects.

Fourteen electronic devices were seized from their home as well as cash and credit cards. The siblings are thought to have created, maintained and financially benefitted for more than a decade from websites featuring child sexual abuse material and associated advertising campaigns.

“Given the technological complexities of this case and the degree to which the criminal activity went undetected, these arrests highlight the importance of police cooperation across regional, national, and international borders,” said the Head of Argentina’s Federal Police, Juan Carlos Hernandez, who also serves as delegate for the Americas on INTERPOL’s Executive Committee.

Argentina’s Federal Police search electronic devices seized during Operation Narsil for child abuse images

Officers of Argentina’s Federal Police review materials seized during Operation Narsil

Argentina’s Federal Police reviewing seized materials

Officers of Argentina’s Federal Police review visitor statistics to the suspect’s sites

“With synchronized arrests across continents, this operation confronted global networks that profit from child abuse images and videos. INTERPOL is a strong global network of officers fully committed to putting an end to the online abuse of children, and we applaud the action and incredible results countries have achieved in Operation Narsil,” added Argentina’s Police Chief.

Local crime, global cooperation

Working with the Prosecutor’s Office, Bulgarian law enforcement identified and arrested a 34-year-old man who made his living operating an online forum that facilitated the sharing of child sexual abuse materials.

Bulgarian Police closed the online forum he had been running since 2020 and which is thought to have facilitated access to thousands of media files depicting serious child sexual abuse material.

Following the arrest, investigations are ongoing to identify forum users.

In one case during the Russian leg of Operation Narsil, police authorities arrested two 24-year-old citizens for the production and online circulation of materials depicting the sexual violation of minors. Authorities searched the suspects’ homes, seizing computer equipment containing specialized software for creating and administrating websites, and removable hard drives containing child sexual abuse material.

With the support of US Homeland Security Investigations, Thai police arrested a 45-year-old Thai national for the possession and online distribution of child sexual abuse material. His arrest came after police executed a search warrant at his residence, uncovering large amounts of child sexual abuse material and financial transaction records associated with online distribution of the abuse photos.

Narsil – meaning a longsword which tackles all evil – is one of the first INTERPOL operations to focus on identifying, locating and arresting the people receiving advertising revenues from website visitors interested in viewing the site’s child sexual abuse content.

INTERPOL has been monitoring websites disseminating child sexual abuse imagery for more than 13 years and, in collaboration with law enforcement partners across the world, has seized more than 20,000 domains.

Operation Narsil involved investigations triggered by law enforcement in Austria, Argentina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada to provide update on Public Lands for Homes Plan, as part of Canada’s Housing Plan
Source: Government of Canada News

Media advisory

Charles Sousa, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, will announce developments in the government’s efforts to address the national housing crisis and build more homes, faster.
October 15, 2024

Mississauga, Ontario – Charles Sousa, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, will announce developments in the government’s efforts to address the national housing crisis and build more homes, faster.

There will be a media availability following the announcement.

Please note that all details are subject to change and all times are local.

Date: October 16, 2024
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Mississauga, Ontario

Notes for media
- Media wishing to attend this announcement are asked to confirm their participation by sending their full name and the name of the media organization they represent to Public Services and Procurement Canada Media Relations team to media@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca by October 15, at 5:00 pm.
- Please include “RSVP for October 16, 2024 Press Conference Mississauga” in the subject line of the email.
- Event location details will be shared once media are registered.
- Media attending the event are asked to arrive no later than 10:45 am.
Contacts

For information (media only):

Guillaume Bertrand
Acting Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
418-564-9571
guillaume.bertrand@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Public Services and Procurement Canada
819-420-5501
media@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca

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MIL OSI Canada News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Ferryland — Ferryland RCMP investigates mischief, theft and possible arson in Tors Cove; seeking public assistance

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Ferryland RCMP is seeking assistance from the pubic following a report of mischief, theft and possible arson that occurred at a property on Beachy Cove Road in Tors Cove.

On October 9, 2024, shortly before 4:00 p.m., police received a report of considerable property damage to a residence that was under construction, as well as theft of items from the home.

The next day, on October 10, police received a report that an excavator had been burned while parked on the same property sometime overnight. The fire is believed to have occurred between the hours of 11:00 p.m. on October 9^th and 10:00 a.m. October 10^th. The excavator was valued at nearly $220,000.00.

Provincial Fire Services have been engaged.

The investigation is continuing.

Anyone having information about this crime or those responsible is asked to contact Ferryland RCMP at 709-432-2440. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visit http://www.nlcrimestoppers.com or use the P3Tips app.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada lists Samidoun as a terrorist entity
Source: Government of Canada News (2)

News release

Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, announced that the Government of Canada has listed Samidoun, also known as the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code.

October 15, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario

Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, announced that the Government of Canada has listed Samidoun, also known as the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code. The listing is in concert with U.S. Department of the Treasury’s announcement of the designation of Samidoun as a specially designated global terrorist (SDGT) though its Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.

Samidoun has been listed as a terrorist entity by Germany. Samidoun has close links with and advances the interests of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which is a listed terrorist entity in Canada, the United States and the European Union.

As a now-listed entity, the Samidoun meets the definition of a “terrorist group” under Canada’s Criminal Code. The Criminal Code prohibits certain actions in relation to terrorist groups, including those related to terrorist financing, travel and recruitment. It means, for example, that it is a criminal offence for anyone in Canada and Canadians abroad to knowingly deal with property owned or controlled by a terrorist group, and that it is also an offence to directly or indirectly provide property knowing that it will be used by or benefit a terrorist group.

Listing can also assist Canadian security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies to combat terrorism. The terrorist listings mechanism plays a key role in countering terrorist financing.

Quotes

“Violent extremism, acts of terrorism or terrorist financing have no place in Canadian society or abroad. The listing of Samidoun as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code sends a strong message that Canada will not tolerate this type of activity, and will do everything in its power to counter the ongoing threat to Canada’s national security and all people in Canada.”

– The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs

Quick facts
- There are several offences in the Criminal Code that address conduct in connection with terrorist groups. For example, the Criminal Code prohibits dealing in any property (including money) owned or controlled by terrorist groups or to provide any financial services (such as services offered by banks and money services business) for the benefit of or at the direction of a terrorist group.
- With the addition of Samidoun, there are now 78 terrorist entities listed under the Criminal Code.
- As Canada’s national police service, the RCMP is responsible for preventing, detecting and investigating terrorism-related criminal activities in Canada while respecting personal rights and freedoms. The RCMP investigates criminal activities by those who threaten the safety and security of Canadians. Listing is an important tool that supports criminal investigations and strengthens the RCMP’s ability to prevent and disrupt terrorist activity.
Associated links

Contacts

Gabriel Brunet
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
819-665-6527
gabriel.brunet@iga-aig.gc.ca

Media Relations
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
media@ps-sp.gc.ca

MIL OSI Canada News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Federal government to announce funding for multiple western NL tourism projects

Source: Government of Canada News

The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, will announce investments for 10 tourism-related projects on province’s west coast.

Benoit’s Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador · October 15, 2024 · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, will announce investments for 10 tourism-related projects on province’s west coast.

Date: October 16, 2024

Time: 10:30 a.m. (local time)

Location:
The Saltbox Restaurant
410 Main Street
Benoit’s Cove, NL

Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development and of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: CanNor launches Expression of Interest for projects beginning in the 2025-2026 fiscal year

Source: Government of Canada News

Northern businesses and organizations wanting to access CanNor funding can now submit ideas for projects that align with the Agency’s programs

Northern businesses and organizations wanting to access CanNor funding can now submit ideas for projects that align with the Agency’s programs

October 15, 2024 — Iqaluit, Nunavut — Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor)

Northerners are true innovators and entrepreneurs, driving local economic growth and creating jobs that strengthen their communities. For 15 years, CanNor has supported businesses and organizations as they shape a resilient and prosperous North.

Today, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for PrairiesCan and CanNor, announced the launch of CanNor’s Expression of Interest (EOI) for projects and initiatives in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut starting after March 31, 2025 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

This intake represents the first step in identifying projects that could be eligible for support through CanNor’s funding programs. Eligible businesses and organizations are encouraged to submit project ideas until midnight, Yukon Time, November 18, 2024.

The EOI process is a vital part of CanNor’s role in supporting Northerners with innovative ideas, helping to build diversified and dynamic economies in communities across the territories.

To learn more or to submit an Expression of Interest, visit cannor.gc.ca.

“Northerners bring forward innovative and bold ideas, driving positive change and fostering the growth of their communities. As CanNor celebrates its 15 years of working with partners across the territories, the annual Expression of Interest is part of our government’s partnership with Northerners as they work to achieve their ambitions and improve communities. The projects that will come out of this years’ EOI will shape and transform the North.”

– The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for PrairiesCan and CanNor

Kyle Allen
Director of Communications, Parliamentary Affairs and Issues Management
Office of the Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister Responsible for PrairiesCan, and Minister Responsible for CanNor
kyle.allen@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Punnichy — Punnichy RCMP seek public assistance locating missing 33-year-old female

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

On October 10, 2024, Punnichy RCMP received a report of a missing 33-year-old female, Shaylene Whitehawk.

Shaylene was last seen by loved ones approximately two to three weeks ago on George Gordon First Nation. Since she was reported missing, Punnichy RCMP have been checking places Shaylene is known to visit and following up on information received. They are now asking members of the public to report information on Shaylene’s whereabouts.

Shaylene is described as approximately 5’3″ tall and 143 lbs. She has brown eyes and short brown hair. She has script tattooed on her neck.
Shaylene is known to travel to the Regina area, but her current whereabouts are unknown.

If you have seen Shaylene or know where she is, contact Punnichy RCMP at 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or http://www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

MIL Security OSI –

January 23, 2025

CONTACT:	Scott B. Flaherty
	Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
	sflaherty@willislease.com
	561.413.0112

Category: Canada

Climate change and agriculture

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