Feds looking at permanent remote work, office needs after COVID-19

A real Christmas present — no gifts

The holidays are supposed to be a time of eat, drink and be merry. So why do they often feel like a time to eat, cry, and be stressed?

There’s a lot of expectation around this time of year, especially when it comes to gift-giving. Whether you’re working as a secret Santa or actual Santa, there’s real pressure to give the perfect gift — and get into credit card debt doing it. And for those who can’t put a pile of presents under a twinkling tree, the pressure is even more painful.

And then there’s the matter of waste. The endless Amazon packages that are then wrapped up in shiny, unrecyclable paper. The appreciated but unwanted knick-knacks and tchotchkes that end up in closets. The plastic toys that are eschewed by toddlers for the boxes they came in.

The whole process can end up being a joy-suck, which is why many people are rethinking their approach to gift-giving — or opting out of it entirely.

Throne speech offers glimpse of PCs’ priorities

Throne speeches are more than just pomp and circumstance and the opportunity for selfies between political rivals on the beautiful marble floors of the Manitoba legislature building on Broadway. They set the agenda for the legislative session and set the tone for the government as it moves into its new session. Looked at carefully, they also reveal the priorities of the government by what is said, and also what is not said.

But they are also highly symbolic. They are delivered by the lieutenant-governor of the province, who acts as the symbol of the head of state, the Queen, but they are written by speechwriters for the government of the day.

Political scientists have studied the throne speeches delivered at the federal level to understand the thematic commonalities and what they say about nationalism over the past 30 years. Janine Brodie of the University of Alberta, for example, determined that Canadian throne speeches delivered before the 2000s embraced a more neo-liberal tone that was tied to the global economy.

After 2000, an analysis by Tim Nieguth (Laurentian University) and Tracey Raney (Ryerson University) found that Conservative throne speeches tended to focus on neo-conservative themes — emphasizing the family, the military and threats to security — while Liberals’ speeches talked about health care and Indigenous issues.

Finland's leaders call for NATO membership 'without delay'

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s leaders said Thursday they’re in favor of rapidly applying for NATO membership, paving the way for a historic expansion of the alliance that could deal a serious blow to Russia as its military struggles with its war in Ukraine.

The dramatic move by Finland was announced by President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin. It means that Finland is all but certain to join NATO, though a few steps remain before the application process can begin. Neighboring Sweden is expected to decide on joining NATO in coming days.

“NATO membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defence alliance,” Niinisto and Marin said in a joint statement. “Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay. We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days.”

The Kremlin reacted to the development a few hours later, saying that Finland’s move to join NATO won’t help stability and security in Europe. Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) land border with Russia.

Apathy becoming Jets’ toughest foe

When it comes to the Winnipeg Jets and their fading playoff hopes, it seems like we’ve reached the point where fan anger has given way to acceptance. The current season is circling the drain, and even the most optimistic supporters see the writing on the wall.

“Go 12 for 12. That’s the only thing we can hope for right now,” is how goaltender Connor Hellebuyck answered my question Tuesday on what the mindset is for the final dozen games. Considering his team’s longest winning streak of the year is just four games — and that happened way back in October — I’d put their chances of running the table on par with my odds of winning a Pulitzer.

As we prepare to write the inevitable obituary on a 2021-22 NHL season that began with so much promise, most of the focus is going to be on what went wrong with the on-ice product. But I’d suggest True North might be facing an even bigger challenge off the ice when it comes to injecting some life back into the patient.

The toughest opponent of all might just be apathy.

Independent Scotland — rich or poor?

IN THE debate over whether Scotland should be independent, each side has for years lobbed economic grenades at the other. The pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) broke into mainstream politics in the 1970s with the slogan, "It's Scotland's Oil." Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister and SNP leader, calls it "larceny" that revenues from oil and gas production, most of which comes from Scottish waters, have stuffed London's coffers for 40 years. George Osborne, Britain's chancellor, retorts that Scotland would be the poorer for secession.

So would an independent Scotland be an impoverished backwater or a land flowing with oil and money? A precise answer is impossible, since Whitehall does not count all of Britain's revenue and spending streams by geography. But a close reading of the figures suggests an answer, which is less dramatic than either staunch nationalists or unionists might hope.

Scotland's accounts of revenue and expenditure, based on Treasury data, show that it is not a ward of the state, grossly subsidized from Westminster. In fact, it performs better than all regions outside the southeast of England and has done particularly well in the past decade. In 2010-11, Scotland's GDP was $225 billion including a geographical share of North Sea oil and gas, around 10 per cent of Britain's, with 8.4 per cent of the population.

Province declares state of emergency

The Manitoba government has declared a provincewide state of emergency to reduce the spread of COVID-19, giving legal force to social-distancing directives by provincial health authorities.

Effective 4 p.m. Friday, the province limited the size of indoor and outdoor public gatherings to no more than 50 people for a period of 30 days.

The order includes faith-based gatherings and family events, such as weddings and funerals. It does not apply to hospitals or areas where social services are provided.

What were once guidelines have now become orders, with those defying them susceptible to fines and possible jail sentences.