The Quebec government has put on hold all new adoption applications for Haitian children as part of an international effort to prevent a repeat of the child smuggling that occurred after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

On Monday, a United Nations agency urged caution with any new adoptions, given that the events unfolding in Haiti make it impossible to verify the personal and family situation of children.

The provincial directive, effective immediately, applies to all new applications involving Haiti — not applications already processed by Quebec authorities and approved by the Haitian government.

The federal government has announced it will expedite pending applications by fast-tracking the visas and other paperwork that falls under federal jurisdiction at the end of the international adoption process.

Damage from the earthquake and aftershocks, however, is making it difficult for Canadian government officials on the ground in Haiti to work as fast as they would like, according to an official with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

via www.vancouversun.com

The P.E.I. Advisory Council on the Status of Women is calling on Premier Robert Ghiz to put more women into positions of power in government, following this week's cabinet shuffle.

The group is disappointed Ghiz didn't name more women to cabinet, said chairwoman Isabelle Christian.

Summerside MLA Janice Sherry moved from the back bench into cabinet Wednesday as minister of Community Services, Seniors and Labour, but Valerie Docherty lost her post as Tourism minister, leaving just two women in the 11-member cabinet.

"It was an opportunity to increase those numbers," said Christian.

"Islanders have selected them to be their representatives at the province … and then we see that there's not a proportional number [going] to the cabinet table."

Christian said the cabinet opportunity has been lost this time around, but the premier could still ask women to chair legislative committees, or head government projects.

The only other woman in cabinet is Carolyn Bertram, minister of the Department of Health and Wellness.

via www.cbc.ca