queen's essay competition 2023 winners

MEET THE WINNERS OF THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH ESSAY COMPETITION 2023

The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC) is the world's oldest international schools' writing contest, established by the Society in 1883. With thousands of young people taking part each year, it is an important way to recognise achievement, elevate youth voices and develop key skills through creative writing.

Each year, entrants write on a theme that explores the Commonwealth's values, fostering an empathetic world view in the next generation of leaders and encouraging young people to consider new perspectives to the challenges that the world faces. Themes have included the environment, community, inclusion, the role of youth leadership, and gender equality.

In the past decade alone, this high-profile competition has engaged approximately 140,000 young people, over 5,000 schools and thousands of volunteer judges across the Commonwealth.

Celebrating the Commonwealth Year of Youth, the theme, 'A Youth-Powered Commonwealth,’ asked QCEC entrants to explore the power young people hold within the global community and to consider how this power can be harnessed to make a meaningful impact in the world.

We were thrilled to receive a record-breaking 34,924 entries to the QCEC from every Commonwealth region, with the winners and runners-up from India and Malaysia. Find out more about this year's winners below and watch their reactions on discovering this significant achievement!

Siddhi   Deshmukh

Senior Winner  

A creative thinker and a voracious reader, Siddhi De shmukh is from the city of Mumbai, India. Siddhi is a 17 year-old student currently studying in Mayo College Girls’ Scho ol, Ajmer. She is the President of the English Creative Writing Society , and head of the World Scholar’s Cup club at her school. Siddhi’s role is instrumental in writing and directing the upcoming Annual School Play, and she is also an act ive member of Mayo College Girls’ School’s English Editorial Team. Siddhi’s passions lie in studying English Literature, History, Psychology, and Political Science, and she plans to pursue her passions in the future.

Siddhi is a canine lover and values her time that she spends with her dog, Snowy, whenever she is home. One of her major interests is films, as she finds them immensely empowering, and she loves watching them with her mother. A huge fan of Hozier, Bowie and the Beatles, Siddhi also finds inspiration in music and books. Her favourite authors include J.R.R Tolkien, Donna Tartt and Oscar Wilde. Siddhi, through her expression of writing, delves into the existential conflict of human existence and her writing is often inspired by the experiences she draws from her personal life.

Read her winning entry , 'An Angel That Burns' .

Shreeya Sahi

Junior Winner 

Ever since Shreeya was young, she was hungry for stories, and always wanted more. Now, at age 12, she loves writing stories as much as reading them.

She currently lives in Panchkula, a cosy town in Northern India. Shreeya has hopped through schools with varied philosophies in USA and India. The different perspectives and thoughts have shaped her into who she is today. 

Her passion lies in creating magic from the mundane. She fills empty sketchbooks with whimsical drawings, bakes with whatever's in her kitchen, and delights in skipping stones on a still pond. 

For the Queens Commonwealth Essay competition Shreeya wrote a letter to the Little Prince, expressing her admiration for him. She is grateful for her family, friends, and facilitators and wishes all of them could be present for the award ceremony. A special nod to Mr. Gibbs and Mrs. Mckeown, who seeded her love for writing, and her steadfast mom and comical brother, who were there for every story twist.

Read her winning entry, 'Dear Little Prince' .

Yong   Sin Kong

Senior Runner-up

Yong Sin K ong is a 15-year-old Form 3 student from Kluang High School. She has been an avid enjoyer of storytelling since her early years, whether it be in the form of literature, cinema, or th eatre. Whenever she writes, she draws inspiration from the people she idolises, ranging from Neil Gaiman to Lin Manuel-Miranda. She is an ardent fan of the Beatles, musicals, 80s coming-of-age films, and dystopian novels. More often than not, you can find her dancing around her room to the latest Taylor Swift album or diligently journaling with glitter gel pens. In Johor, Malaysia, she shares her life with her family and her loyal dog, Mimi.

Read her winning entry , ‘Observations made at a Local Kopitiam, 13th of March, 2023’ . 

Mitali   Ragtah

Junior  Runner-up

Isabel Allende once s aid, “Write what should not be forgotten.”

That is a quote 11-year-old Mitali Rag tah has always lived by on her journey as a young writing enthusiast. In the gloomy winters of 2020, during the lockdown, 9-year-old bookworm Mitali wanted to do something different. So, she brought together some short poetry and voilà, her first book, “Freedom then and now” was written.

Then she wrote her second book in 2022, “Fairy tales with a twist”. It was inspired by all the girls who believed they were weak and powerless and needed a prince to solve all their problems. Mitali strongly believes in and advocates gender equality and for this she has participated in some in-school organisations and many debate clubs.

When she isn’t scribbling away, Mitali likes to hang out with her family and friends, play soccer and perform the classical India dance, Bharatnatyam.

Read her winning entry, 'Water Girl of India' .

2022 WINNERS

We were thrilled to receive a record-breaking 26,322 entries to the QCEC from every Commonwealth region, with the winners and runners-up from New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and India.

2021 WINNERS

We were delighted to receive a record-breaking 25,648 entries to The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2021, with entries from every Commonwealth region on the topic 'Community in the Commonwealth'. 

2020 WINNERS 

From more than 11,000 entries, four pieces were selected as the Winners and Runners up of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2020. Read them here and watch the Awards Ceremony.

2019 WINNERS

The 2019 Winners and Runners-up were drawn from across the Commonwealth and wrote inspiring poems, stories and narratives on the topic 'A Connected Commonwealth'. 

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Winners Of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023 Announced!

2023 has been a fantastic year for The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC).

Celebrating the Commonwealth Year of Youth, the theme, 'A Youth-Powered Commonwealth,’ asked QCEC entrants to explore the power young people hold within the global community and to consider how this power can be harnessed to make a meaningful impact in the world.

In the 140th year of this competition, the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools, we were delighted to receive a record-breaking 34,924 entries , an increase of almost 9,000 entries on the previous year, and from 50 Commonwealth countries, the most in the history of the competition!

This year’s top participating countries included Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

In this special year, we are delighted to announce the winners of The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition:

• Senior Winner: Miss Siddhi Deshmukh aged 17 from Mumbai, India for her piece titled, ‘An Angel that Burns’.
• Junior Winner: Miss Shreeya Sahi aged 12 from Panchkula, India for her entry titled, ‘Dear Little Prince’.
• Senior Runner-up: Miss Yong Sin Kong aged 15 from Kluang, Malaysia for her entry titled, ‘Observations made at a Local Kopitam, 13th of March, 2023’.
• Junior Runner-up: Miss Mitali Ragtah aged 11 from New Delhi, India for her piece titled, ‘Water Girl of India’.

We look forward to meeting these talented young writers in London next month for Winners Week and to celebrating their writing during a special Award Ceremony at Buckingham Palace hosted by Her Majesty Queen Camilla!

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The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023

We are delighted to share that the 2023 Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is open to entries for writers aged under 18, who are nationals or residents of all Commonwealth countries and territories, as well as residents of Hong Kong, Ireland, and Zimbabwe.

The competition asks entrants to explore the power young people hold within the global community and consider how this power can be harnessed to make a meaningful impact in the world.

• Top prize : the top two winners from each category will be awarded with a trip to London for a week of educational and cultural events, culminating in a special awards ceremony at a royal palace.
• Awards : All successful entries will receive a certificate of participation and a number of entrants will receive Gold, Silver and Bronze awards for excellence in writing.

For full details, please refer here .

Enquiries about submissions should be directed to the Royal Commonwealth Society, please always refer to their website for complete details and information. 

Please note, this prize is run by the Royal Commonwealth Society, not the Commonwealth Foundation.

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Queen praises young writers at reception for essay competition winners

Camilla, an avid reader, said the queen’s commonwealth essay competition had brought ‘communities closer together’., article bookmarked.

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The Queen has praised “brilliant” young writers during a reception for the winners of this year’s Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition at Buckingham Palace.

Camilla said the competition had brought “communities across the Commonwealth closer together”.

The 140-year-old contest, the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools, has “given young people the opportunity to express themselves on the issues that matter most”, she said.

Well done to each and every one of you, you are quite brilliant

Camilla met the 2023 winners and runners-up, as well as Dr Linda Yueh, executive chairwoman of the Royal Commonwealth Society, and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, an RCS ambassador.

This year’s participants, aged between 11 and 17 from India and Malaysia , were asked to write on the subject of “a youth-powered Commonwealth”. with extracts from the winners’ essays read out at the palace by literary figures and actors including Dame Joanna Lumley , Sir Ben Okri and Sanjeev Bhaskar.

During her speech, avid reader Camilla described how Queen Victoria was also a “passionate lover of literature”.

“She was particularly fond of the works of many authors, including Jane Austen, Lord Tennyson, Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte and Lewis Carroll.

“Legend has it that, having admired Alice In Wonderland, the Queen wrote to Lewis Carroll to request first editions of any of his other books.

“By return of post she received a copy of his Syllabus Of Plane Algebraic Geometry. Probably not what she was after,” the Queen said.

Praising the entrants, Camilla said: “Well done to each and every one of you, you are quite brilliant and I have, as ever, enormously enjoyed reading your entries.”

The winners of this year’s competition were Siddhi Deshmukh, senior winner, 17, Mumbai, India; Shreeya Sahi, junior winner, 12, Panchkula, India; Yong Sin Kong, senior runner-up, 15, Johor, Malaysia; and Mitali Ragtah, junior runner-up, 11, New Delhi, India.

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Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition winners meet Camilla and visit the Evening Standard

The Queen praised "brilliant" young writers as they visited Buckingham Palace - after first taking a tour of the Evening Standard offices.

Camilla met the winners and runners-up of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay competition on Thursday, saying the 140-year-old contest, had brought "communities across the Commonwealth closer together".

This year's participants in the world's oldest international writing competition for schools, aged between 11 and 17 from India and Malaysia, were asked to write on the subject of "a youth-powered Commonwealth".

Extracts from the winners' essays were read out at the palace by literary figures and actors including Dame Joanna Lumley, Sir Ben Okri and Sanjeev Bhaskar.

During her speech, avid reader Camilla described how Queen Victoria was also a "passionate lover of literature".

"She was particularly fond of the works of many authors, including Jane Austen, Lord Tennyson, Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte and Lewis Carroll.

"Legend has it that, having admired Alice In Wonderland, the Queen wrote to Lewis Carroll to request first editions of any of his other books.

"By return of post she received a copy of his Syllabus Of Plane Algebraic Geometry. Probably not what she was after," the Queen said.

Praising the entrants, Camilla said: "Well done to each and every one of you, you are quite brilliant and I have, as ever, enormously enjoyed reading your entries."

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Senior winner Siddhi Deshmukh, 17, from Mumbai, and junior winner Shreeya Sahi, 12, from Panchkula in India, visited the Standard newsroom on Wednesday alongside runner ups Yon Sin Kong,15, from Johor in Malaysia and Mitali Ragtah, 11, from New Delhi.

They took a tour of the Standard led by editor emeritus Doug Wills, who also gave them a walk through the newspaper’s history, and they joined a journalist workshop where they spoke about their entries.

Senior winner Siddhi, 17, explained how her poem, 'An Angel That Burns', was inspired by a Joan of Arc painting depicting Joan burnt at the stake, saying "I connected that with other wars and how other children have been affected by them. As for the language in my poem, I was inspired by Browning and Tennyson who I have learnt about in literature lessons, but I'm still trying to figure out my own style..."

She added: "My school made me realise this competition was a big deal and celebrated it after the news was revealed to me across Zoom."

Her father Sachin Deshmukh remarked that her accomplishments were "out of this world, not just for us but for the state we belong to and our country ( India )."

Junior winner Shreeya, who toys with the idea of becoming a food critic one day, wrote her piece on The Little Prince after reading the book several times. She spent four laborious days on her ode to the character that has inspired her. She said: “And just like that it clicked. I found my hero.”

Shreeya said she was "pretty excited" to meet the Queen, saying "it’s kind of unbelievable."

Inspired by the everyday life of the people around her, 15-year-old Yong Sin Kong wrote her piece, ‘Observations made at a Local Kopitiam' on observing the people in her hometown.

She said: “It's mostly just a mixture of my experiences in my hometown and exploring my culture.”

She said it “still feels like a dream,” even after two months of finding out she had been selected as senior runner up of the competition.

She spoke of actress Michelle Yeoh , a fellow Malaysian who she admires and her favourite film, The French Dispatch by Wes Anderson, which she said has inspired the structure of her piece and encouraged her to consider a future career in journalism. The visit to the Standard was one of several this week for the group who also managed to tour Bloomsbury, the House of Commons where they watched a debate in the Houses of the Parliament, and the Royal Shakespeare company. Their time in London been described as "exciting" with various trips they hope will inspire their futures as potential writers of fiction and journalists.

Winning entries can be read here .

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Two Singaporeans receive The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition awards in Buckingham Palace

LONDON - Gauri Kumar, 14, lived in London for three years until she moved home to Singapore last year.

While she was here, she had only seen Buckingham Palace from the outside. On Wednesday (Oct 26), she and fellow Singaporean Tan Wan Gee, 14, were escorted into the palace, put through a rehearsal and taught how to curtsy.

It was to get them ready to meet Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

The Duchess was presenting certificates to the two teenagers: Gauri came in tops in the junior category of The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, while Wan Gee was the runner-up. The senior category was won by Inessa Rajah from South Africa and the runner-up was Esther Mungalaba from Zambia.

They beat 13,500 others from nearly all the Commonwealth countries, earning themselves a "Winners Week" in London which includes cultural and educational activities such as visits to Cambridge University, Houses of Parliament, The London Evening Standard newspaper, British Library and an award ceremony in Buckingham Palace.

Gauri said she was "extremely nervous" about the royal experience. "I haven't processed it yet. Hopefully, I'll be able to understand in a few days. But I'm still really confused about what's been happening," she said after receiving her award from the Duchess.

Wan Gee described the Duchess as "incredibly nice". She had asked the girls about the inspiration behind their winning essays, which had to reflect on the theme of the competition: An Inclusive Commonwealth.

Founded in 1883, The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world's oldest international schools writing competition. This year drew the most number of entries. Singapore alone sent in 4,585 entries - more than any other country.

The last Singaporean winner was Selina Xu from Nanyang Girls High School, who was senior runner-up in 2014.

The entries were judged by a pan-Commonwealth body of judges from more than 30 countries, who have described the entries as "inspirational", "imaginative" and "moving".

For her winning essay "Tales Of An Insider/Outsider", Gauri, who attends Tanglin Trust School, wrote about her experience of feeling disconnected from her relatives and culture because she does not speak Hindi well.

Wan Gee, who is studying in Temasek Junior College, wrote a poem "Are We Really So Different? Dear Santa", in which she advocated the importance of equality.

The two are voracious readers, with Gauri enjoying dystopian novels and authors like J K Rowling and George Orwell, and Wan Gee finding inspiration in Charles Bukowski and Sylvia Plath.

"There's something about their poetry that resonates with me," said Wan Gee, who confessed to hating poetry before she took a module in school last year.

"I bought a book by Charles Bukowski the other day. It's the way he makes something very ordinary feel very relatable. I really like that kind of expression."

Mr Michael Lake, director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, which organises the competition, said the four winners represent the "very best and brightest that the Commonwealth has to offer".

"Their essays and poems explore contemporary themes with maturity, intelligence and depth beyond their years."

About 70 guests were at the ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday to celebrate the young writers' achievements. They included Mr Chia Wei Wen, Deputy High Commissioner for Singapore, The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster Abbey and Ms Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former prime minister of Denmark and now CEO of Save the Children International.

Watching on proudly were Gauri's parents and younger sister, and Wan Gee's mother.

The girls are only too aware that when they go back to Singapore, their friends will ask them if they met the Queen. They had words of encouragement for aspiring young writers who might now be inspired to join the competition.

"There's no harm in entering the competition and if you do well, that's the most amazing thing," said Gauri.

Added Wan Gee: "Never give up on your writing. You never know where it'll take you, for example, here."

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Welcome to the Latah County Human Rights Task Force webpage!

Congratulations to the 2023-2024 MLK Art and Essay Contest winners!

This year’s theme was FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND OUR LIBRARIES

The winners for the Art Contest were Cece Rose Ristene (St. Mary’s), Eduarda Gurge (Moscow Charter), Quinten Rowley (Moscow Charter), Hayley Cohee (Moscow Charter),

The winners for the Essay Contest included Cordelia Haley (Lena Whitmore), Leo Johnson (St. Mary’s), Fern Newlan (St. Mary’s), Catherine Apt (McDonald), Amy Zhou (Moscow Charter School), Naya Lee (Lena Whitmore), Emily Scout Heward (Lena Whitmore), Nora Algarni (Moscow Middle School), Lillian Camin, (Moscow Middle School), and Morgan Apt (Moscow High School).

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Our 2023 Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on January 21st was a great success with an excellent presentation by Dr. Scott Finnie. A video of the Breakfast, including the Rosa Parks Awards and Dr. Finnie’s speech is now available here: 2023 Breakfast and Friends of Human Rights .

The Rosa Parks Award winners are available here: 2023 Rosa Parks Award Winners | Latah County Human Rights Task Force (humanrightslatah.org)

The Art and Essay Contest winners are available here: 2023 Art and Essay Contest Winners | Latah County Human Rights Task Force (humanrightslatah.org)

Dr. Scott Finnie’s Keynote address at the 2023 MLK Jr. Breakfast:

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These are annual events that the Task Force currently sponsors:

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University Council Essay Competition

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University Council Essay Competition 2024

Topic: “Who is Responsible for Curbing Disinformation?” Examine the roles and responsibilities of governments, tech companies, and individuals in tackling disinformation.

Essays on the topic should be 2500-3000 words, double spaced.

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CMA10 essay competition: winners announced

We ran an essay competition to mark the 10th anniversary of the CMA . 85 students and recent graduates sent in their entries in response to the question: ‘What are the benefits of a strong competition and/or consumer protection regime, and how can the CMA best deliver them?’

The essays were judged by an eminent panel comprised of Sarah Cardell (Chief Executive of the CMA), Amelia Fletcher CBE (Professor of Competition Policy at Norwich Business School), Richard Whish (Emeritus Professor of Law at King’s College) and Dr Mike Walker (Chief Economist at the CMA).

The winner was Maxwell Curtis , who completed a Masters in Corporate Law from Cambridge in July 2022 and is currently studying at BPP for the Solicitor Qualifying Exams. The judges enjoyed Max’s creativity in presenting his answer as a CMA merger decision.

The 2 runners-up were Alex Christou who is studying economics at Strathclyde University, and Henry Rugg who wrote an essay that caught the eye of the judging panel, despite still being in Year 13 (at Dame Alice Owens' Sixth Form in North London). Henry hopes to study maths and economics at university next year and became interested in the work of the CMA when following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard in the news last year and seeing the role that the CMA played in safeguarding consumer interests.

All 3 winners will be joining CMA staff and key figures from the business, consumer, and competition communities at an event on 18 April to make the CMA’s 10th anniversary.

Maxwell's winning essay

Adopting the framework of a CMA merger decision, this essay contends that the CMA, through its expanding statutory powers, can align the interests of consumers and businesses to unlock the competitive potential of ‘UK plc’.

Counterproductively, much of the debate concerning competition law policy is premised on the notion that businesses and consumers are on opposing sides. The polarised political climate is undoubtedly contributing to this false dichotomy. This narrative presents the CMA with a seemingly impossible task to promote the interests of both groups. Much like a football referee, it inevitably faces backlash from all directions.

In reality, like most things in our complex society, the situation is more nuanced. It is not a zero-sum game. Businesses and consumers have many shared interests, which the CMA can foster by promoting a competitive market and enforcing consumer law pragmatically.

The ‘merger’ proposed below sets out how the CMA can best achieve this, ‘clearing’ the way for a reinvigorated UK plc.

Proposed Merger between Consumer and Business Interests in the UK

1. the parties.

The proposed transaction seeks to bring together the interests of the 2 key organs of the economy - consumers and businesses - to establish a more competitive UK plc.

There are approximately 5.6 million private sector businesses in the UK, with 8,000 ‘large’ businesses (employing over 250 staff) (Footnote 1). There are approximately 67 million consumers in the UK (Footnote 2), spending approximately £1.4 trillion annually (Footnote 3). The UK’s share of supply in the global production of goods and services is estimated at 2.17% (Footnote 4).

The interests of consumers and businesses already overlap in many ways. Whilst businesses are legal persons, they are managed by, and employ, natural persons i.e., consumers. Equally, consumers are vital (active and passive) shareholders and stakeholders in business.

2. Background to the Transaction

The proposed transaction would take place at a critical juncture. The UK economy is amidst a cost-of-living crisis, still recovering from the lingering effects of the pandemic. Globally, increased geopolitical conflict is threatening the rules-based order and the risks of climate change can no longer be ignored. Adding to this mix is the rapid proliferation of generative AI, which is disrupting all sectors of the economy.

In times of such immense challenge and profound uncertainty, the consequences of anti- competitive markets and unfair business practices are particularly severe. Accordingly, the rationale of this proposed transaction is to optimise the UK’s strong competition and consumer protection regime.

Not only would this deliver tangible benefits for consumers through lower prices (Footnote 5), it would signal that UK plc is, in fact, ‘open for business’.

3. Counterfactual

The counterfactual is a continuation of the partisan discourse of businesses pitted against consumers, distracting from meaningful action to align their interests. The various risks of the status quo are clear:

First, in the absence of a formal co-ordination agreement with the EU, the UK economy would face increasing isolationism from its closest long-term trading partners. There would be a lack of legal certainty, reduced investment and a downward trend in the UK’s global share of supply.

Second, if consumers remain largely unaware of their consumer rights and the CMA’s role in safeguarding these, consumers will continue to feel helpless in seeking redress for misleading and unfair practices. Intervention will also be less impactful.

Third, the merger control process will grow more adversarial and unpredictable, alienating businesses from the outset of the process. Mergers are an important source of innovation due to their combinatorial nature. Too much unpredictability in merger control can disincentivise start-ups and dampen dynamic competition. This could curtail the UK’s potential as an international leader in AI (Footnote 6).

4. Implementation

Considering the counterfactual risks, the proposed transaction involves three key steps which all have as their object (and hopefully their effect) enhanced legal certainty, consumer protection and dynamic competition for UK plc:

4.1 Entering into a formal co-operation agreement with the EU

Exiting the European Competition Network has made it harder for the CMA to share expertise and coordinate investigations with the European Commission and National Competition Authorities. A formal co-operation agreement with the EU would harmonise the institutions and their processes to enhance legal certainty.

Substantively, the agreement could reduce multi-jurisdictional divergence, for example by including guidance on a unified approach towards behavioural remedies.

4.2 Improving public awareness of consumer rights and making more targeted interventions

The CMA is poised to significantly enhance its consumer protection enforcement, wielding its impending powers under the Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Bill (DMCC).

Regrettably, consumers in the UK remain largely unaware of their consumer rights and how the CMA acts to protect them. If consumers do not know their rights, they cannot identify illegal practices. This proposal calls for the CMA to ramp up its educational function alongside its enforcement. For example, by entering partnerships with consumer advocacy bodies and launching more digital campaigns. With more informed consumers, unfair trading practices could be deterred without the CMA’s involvement. Furthermore, the CMA would intervene in areas where consumers have expressed greatest concerns, leading to more targeted and impactful enforcement.

Ongoing monitoring of potential loopholes is also imperative to effective consumer protection. For example, despite the CMA’s open letter to grocery retailers on unit pricing (Footnote 7), various retailers continue to conceal unit prices for goods which are on ‘special’ through a loyalty scheme.

4.3 Allowing for more meaningful engagement earlier in merger inquiries

A merger inquiry is fundamentally a fact-finding mission. The process aims to uncover the true rationale behind a transaction and how it is likely to affect consumers. However, much of the process is dominated by lengthy written submissions, and opportunities are limited for in-person meetings with key stakeholders until after substantive decisions have been made. This can result in material facts emerging late in the process, frustrating all parties involved and wasting important public resources.

Opportunities for early engagement would also be enhanced if case teams comprised of staff with (‘in-house’) business experience from a range of different industries. Merging businesses could then exercise their right to be heard more meaningfully, reducing antagonism and leading to more pro-active future engagement with the CMA.

Conclusions

With the imminent introduction of the DMCC, and the emergence of new forms of market power in AI, the proposed transaction would take place at a watershed moment. The CMA’s ability to align consumer and business interests by promoting a well-functioning competitive environment has never been more important.

The CMA has a successful track record of preventing anti-competitive industry consolidation (Footnote 8), sanctioning anti-competitive conduct and championing consumer rights. However, by ‘clearing’ the proposed transaction and adopting the above proposals, the CMA can unleash the competitive potential of a revitalised UK plc.

Crucially, the CMA can achieve this whilst preserving its political independence, which is a hallmark of the UK’s competition and consumer protection regime.

(Footnote 1): Business population estimates for the UK and regions 2023: as of the start of 2023

(Footnote 2): Population estimate as of mid-year 2021.

(Footnote 3): Household final consumption expenditure in 2022 .

(Footnote 4): Using ‘2024 GDP based on PPP, share of world’ measured by the IMF as a proxy .

(Footnote 5): In this essay, the term ‘price’ is used as a proxy for various parameters of competition including price, quality and innovation.

(Footnote 6): For example, UK signals step change for regulators to strengthen AI leadership .

(Footnote 7): Summary of consumer research and unit pricing analysis .

(Footnote 8): For example, CMA blocks merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda .

A well done and thank you from the CMA

Congratulations to our winner Maxwell, and our 2 runners-up Alex and Henry for their brilliant essays.

And a thank you to everyone who entered and took part in the competition.

Tags: 10Years , CMA10 , CMAat10 , EssayCompetition , Graduates , WritingCompetition

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Announcing the Winners of the 2023-24 Princeton University High School Poetry Contest

• Creative Writing
• Lewis Center

Princeton University’s Program in Creative Writing is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023-24 Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize .

All of the student writers are currently in the 11th grade in the U.S. or abroad. The winning poems were selected by a jury consisting of poets on the creative writing program faculty , including Marilyn Chin, Michael Dickman, Katie Farris, Ilya Kaminsky, Lynn Melnick, Paul Muldoon, Kathleen Ossip, Patricia Smith, and Susan Wheeler.

Contest Winners

First place.

Acadia Reynolds Charleston, South Carolina “Dissection of a Cow Eye”

Second Place

Hallie Dong Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania “Mother, a Verb” after Vicki Lin

Third Place

Allison Wu Cohoes, New York “Abecedarian for an ABC”

Read the winning poems from the 2023-24 contest

Honorable Mentions

Allison Kim Greer, South Carolina “Eulogy”

Lillie Markel Greenville, South Carolina “August Drive”

Nora Gupta Queens Village, New York “At Sunoco”

Violet Kinsey Bothell, Washington “Interpretation Of A Place”

Tara Prakash Chevy Chase, Maryland “Handfuls”

Isabella Capole-Chung New York, New York “H20”

Race Harish Plainsboro, New Jersey “The Worst Fever”

Seoyon Kim East Greenwich, Rhode Island “all her things have gone far away”

Lucía Ramírez Cantero Monteroni di Lecce, Puglia, Italy “Latina”

Peihe Feng Guangzhou, Guangdong, China “The Kitchen”

Graham Blanton Waxhaw, North Carolina “Setting the Table in a Time of War”

Robert Gao Champaign, Illinois “Chengdu / US”

Kyra Ezikeuzor Richmond, Texas “10 Hates for the Igbo American”

Press Contact

Steve Runk Director of Communications 609-258-5262 [email protected]

Lewis Center for the Arts presents Xulgaria

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The competition has ended. See you in 2027

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

1840 — 1893

«Our love of Tchaikovsky from one century to the next and one generation to the next is what makes his superb music eternal.» Dmitri Shostakovich

The artistic legacy of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky has become an undeniable fixture of modern life. His music, intimately connected with folk melodies and with all the genres and the lifestyle of his era, is truly international and undiminished by time. It is recognized throughout the world both as a symbol of Russia's national music and also as an example of the universality of what is most important in mankind's thoughts and feelings, which are embodied in the music in a way that is striking and accessible to everyone.

Tchaikovsky's works cover practically all the musical forms, with an emphasis on the largest and most telling-operas and symphonies. These contain the fullest and clearest depiction of the artist's inner world as they concentrate on the intricate stirrings of the soul revealed in stark dramatic confrontations. And at the same time one of his main distinctions is a lyricism expressed through melodic beauty that draws an immediate response from the listener.

«With all my heart I would hope that my music may spread far so that there are more who love it and find consolation and encouragement in it.»

It is impossible to improve upon these words of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to explain the meaning of his art which involves speaking «truly, honestly, and simply» about those things that are the essence of life for anyone.

Tchaikovsky's dream came true-more and more we are finding «consolation and encouragement» in his music. The composer's hundredth birthday in 1940 was celebrated as a national holiday. That was when the Moscow Conservatory and the Concert Hall of the Moscow Philharmonic were named after him. After another 18 years the first International Tchaikovsky Competition took place in the capital, and it came as one more vivid indication of the world's high regard for this great Russian composer.

It should come as no surprise that there is a meaningful coincidence right now: the milestone XV Competition falls on the 175th year after Tchaikovsky's birth. During the spring festivities in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Klin, Votkinsk and other cities, the Competition will carry out its mission-to be both the culmination of a jubilee birthday and also to go down in history as an extraordinary artistic event that reveals to the world the new stars of classical performing mastery.

«Everything I hold dear is in Petersburg...»

It was Saint Petersburg that formed Tchaikovsky as a person and as a musician. Toward the end of his life, the city humbled its imperial pride before this man of genius. This can be explained by the patronage of Alexander III, which influenced what happened on the stage of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre.

That was where «Sleeping Beauty» and «The Queen of Spades», had their premieres, as well as the opera-ballet double bill of «Iolanta» — «The Nutcracker», that was staged in honour of the Crown Prince.

However, there were many less glamourous but no less meaningful events-right up to the premiere of the Sixth Symphony that was understood by so few.

Tchaikovsky's parents brought him in 1850 from distant Votkinsk to St. Petersburg when he was eight years old, and the boy's childhood would have been quite ordinary had it not been for the loneliness suffered when he was separated from his parents to spend his first two years at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence. In her book «Tchaikovsky. A Lonely Life» Nina Berberova gives a speculative account of the boy's heartrending farewell to his mother, which has been employed in so many biographies and films about Tchaikovsky that it has overshadowed another fact: the happy reunion that came later,. His parents did, in fact, come and settle in St. Petersburg in 1852. On Kosoi Pereulok (Crooked Lane) at the corner of the Fontanka River opposite the school, stood the apartment of Tchaikovsky's aunt on his mother's side, Yekaterina Alexeeva. Tchaikovsky remembered how his mother would often come there and wait at the window overlooking Kosoi Pereulok and while he would sneak into his bedroom at the school to watch her from his window. Two years later in June 1854 Tchaikovsky's mother died of cholera.

From the School of Jurisprudence, from which Tchaikovsky graduated in 1859, his path would take him through the streets crisscrossing Vasilievsky Island, to the homes of his relatives, and to Nevsky Prospect and the Alexandrinsky Theater. Later on, when he studied at the free music school and conservatory located in a wing of the Demidov mansion on the corner of Demidov Pereulok and the Moika River, his evening path would lead to Leshtukov Pereulok, where his father and brothers lived, or perhaps to the loge at the opera, where he saw the premiere of Serov's «Judith», or to Mikhailovsky Hall for a concert by the Russian Musical Society. In these years the future composer was absorbing the moods and forms that would later appear in both his most lyrical pieces (the «Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture» and «Eugene Onegin») and in his most tragic («The Queen of Spades» and the «Pathétique.» Symphony No. 6).

In the autumn of 1861 following his first journey abroad, Tchaikovsky wrote to his sister:

«You will not believe how deeply happy I was on returning to St. Petersburg! I admit I've got a very weak spot in my heart for the Russian capital. What can I do? It's too much a part of me. Everything I hold dear is in St. Petersburg, and for me there is positively no life outside of it.»

These words are often taken at face value. The renowned choreographer George Balanchine said,

«The essence of his music shows that Tchaikovsky was a Petersburger, in the way that Pushkin and Stravinsky were Petersburgers.».

Yet Tchaikovsky's devotion to Petersburg was only part of the story. For «authentic» Petersburgers, like the so-called «Mighty Handful» of Russian composers, Tchaikovsky was always a Muscovite. In the late 1850s to early1860s, the military engineer Cui, the provincial wunderkind Balakirev, chemist and physician Borodin, the civil servant Mussorgsky, and the future naval officer Rimsky-Korsakov had all come together accidentally but almost inevitably under the rubric of the «New Russian School» as it was dubbed by Stasov, the capital's intellectual doyen. They never connected with Tchaikovsky, who fell into the orbit of Anton Rubinstein, a star of musical life in St. Petersburg and founder of the first conservatory in Russia. Tchaikovsky with his reticence and preoccupation with music was attracted by Rubinstein's passion for community service and missionary ambition.

Moscow - city of Tchaikovsky

The encyclopedic knowledge of Rubinstein the musician went hand in hand with the limitations of Rubinstein the pedagogue. His ruminations on Mozart («Yes! Divine creativity, pierced through with light!») alternated with didactic lectures on Haydn («I hear him talking in Hungarian slang.»). The overture «The Storm» of 1864, in which Tchaikovsky used instruments banned in student compositions-the harp, English horn, tuba, and cymbals-left Rubinstein in a state of indignation. And when the overanxious student did not appear for his graduation concert, Rubinstein nearly withheld his diploma. But there were also moments of true admiration, as, for instance, in the case of the 200 counterpoint variations that Tchaikovsky brought one day as his homework. And most importantly, there was the recommendation to his brother, Nikolai Rubinstein, thanks to which Tchaikovsky received the post of professor at the newly opened Moscow Conservatory.

Coming after St. Petersburg's European architecture, mathematically aligned streets, decorative excess, and precise rules for both the «frozen» and «unfrozen» kinds of music, Moscow entered Tchaikovsky's life as a city that deviated from the rules.

In the maelstrom of Moscow life he experienced brilliant revelations, made deep attachments, and developed a loyal following.

There were also dangerous missteps arising from the illusions of art, such as his ill-advised marriage to Antonina Milyukova. Nevertheless, Moscow became the city where Tchaikovsky came into his own.

His work at the Moscow Conservatory was soothing and fostered the artist and critic in him given to passionate expression and trust in himself. Take for example his stubborn retort to Nikolai Rubinstein, who had pronounced his First Piano Concerto too complicated and awkward for the pianist. «The concerto is being printed," said Tchaikovsky, «in its present form.» It was Rubinstein who had to change his mind. Four years later he performed the concerto with great success. The St. Petersburg premiere of the work took place on November 1, 1875, at a symphony performance of the Russian Musical Society. Professor Gustav Kross was soloist and Eduard Nápravník conducted.

The most farsighted listener in the audience turned out to be an eighteen-year-old Muscovite named Sergei Taneyev, who announced in a letter to his friends: «I greet you all on the appearance of the first Russian piano concerto; it was written by Pyotr Ilyich.»

Tchaikovsky had been unable to compose in St. Petersburg, but in his twelve years of «artistic asylum» in Moscow he created numerous scores. In 1872-1873, in a house on Kudrinskaya Square (now the Tchaikovsky Cultural Center), he worked on his Second Symphony, the symphonic fantasy «The Storm», music for Alexander Ostrovsky's play «The Snow Maiden», and a series of other compositions.

The First Symphony, the operas «Voyevoda», «Vakula the Smith», and «Eugene Onegin», as well as sketches for the Fourth Symphony, were also written in Moscow.

Tchaikovsky's close circle included Nikolai Rubinstein, critic Nikolai Kashkin, cellist and conservatory official Konstantin Albrecht, music publisher Peter Yurgenson, and the young pianist and composer Sergei Taneyev. Beyond these, his larger circle included Alexander Ostrovsky, Lev Tolstoy, and performers at the Maly and Bolshoi theaters. To one of these, who was first to play the role of Eugene Onegin, Tchaikovsky gave a photograph of himself with the touching inscription, «To Pavel Akinfievich Khokhlov from the admiring subject of this portrait.» On March 18, 1958, on the day that the First International Tchaikovsky Competition opened, that portrait was printed in the newspapaer «Sovietskaya Kultura».

Musical ideas came to Tchaikovsky in Moscow with «the fresh force of a spiritual revelation». His music would now acquire multifaceted, vibrant, and bewitching forms under the influence of momentary impressions. The St. Petersburg publisher Bernard ordered a «four seasons» cycle for piano to be published in monthly installments in the magazine «Writer of Tales». This was a classic advertising ploy at the time and demanded punctuality rather than inspiration, but the composer did not limit himself to mere punctuality. Around the same time, Tchaikovsky began work on «Eugene Onegin», starting with Tatyana's «Letter Scene» (which he called «Tatyana and her nanny») although Tchaikovsky himself doubted the success of the «lyrical scenes," as he called Eugene Onegin. However, his doubts bore an odd mix of modesty and self-confidence:

«Whether I write well or poorly,» he said, «one thing is certain - that what I write comes from undeniable internal conviction.»

The candid feeling that Tchaikovsky put into his music is startling. People today take this as a challenge to esthetic standards. However, it was that very candour that drew Nadezhda von Meck, the widow of a railroad magnate, and Tchaikovsky together. Their exchange of letters went on for fourteen years, and von Meck's role in Tchaikovsky's life as his patron is well-known. Nadezhda von Meck's intercessions on the composer's behalf were beneficial for the composer's life and work, but they ultimately severed Tchaikovsky's ties with Moscow.

An artist on his own

In the last years of his life the composer was attached neither to Petersburg nor to Moscow. A «change of scene» became one of the important conditions for his work. From the mountains of Switzerland, Tchaikovsky was drawn to the plains of Italy, then back to Russia, and again abroad. His guiding principle became constant invigoration from new landscapes and emotions. But almost without knowing it, Tchaikovsky was also becoming attached to the hamlets of Maidanovo and Frolovskoe outside of Moscow. Yet in 1891 after a short trip to St. Petersburg, the composer admitted to his cousin Anna Merkling that

«It was such a pleasure to be in a city where you didn't have to visit or be visited by a soul and could be a tourist, a foreigner, freely sauntering along the ways and byways of the 'Palmyra of the North' [as St. Petersburg was called], which, incidentally, is surprisingly nice in the summertime.»

By this time, Tchaikovsky was already world-famous. He headed the Moscow branch of the Russian Musical Society, and Sergei Taneyev (dubbed «the musical conscience of Russia») had been appointed director of the Moscow Conservatory on his recommendation. Tchaikovsky's standing in St. Petersburg manifested itself in an imperial stipend, lobbied for by the director of the imperial theaters, Ivan Vsevolozhsky, and in regular opera and ballet premieres at the Mariinsky Theatre.

«It used to be that I was forced to plead, beg, and make intolerable visits to theatrical blabbermouths to see whether or not an opera would be accepted and performed. Now without anything in advance from me, both directorships, St. Petersburg's and Moscow's, are clamoring for my operas with a baffling urgency.»

Tchaikovsky's visits to the city on the Neva became shorter and more private. At the beginning of 1892, he settled eighty kilometers northwest of Moscow on the outskirts of Klin, where he rented a house from a local attorney. The composer's plan to purchase the dwelling was carried out after his death by his brother Modest. It now houses the State Museum of the Tchaikovsky Home in Klin.

«If God will prolong my life, I dream of living for four months a year in a furnished apartment in St. Petersburg and the rest of the time in my little home in Klin,» Tchaikovsky wrote to a close relative.

He lived just seventeen months after writing those lines. Tchaikovsky died on October 25, 1893, in his brother Modest's apartment in St. Petersburg at the corner of Malaya Morskaya and Gorokhovaya streets opposite the former mansion of Natalia Golitsyna, who had been the real-life prototype of the Countess in Pushkin's «The Queen of Spades». Several days earlier, on October 16, he had conducted the first performance of the Sixth Symphony about which critic Vladimir Stasov wrote: «It is nothing less than a terrifying cry of desperation and hopelessness, as if the melodies were saying, «Why did I live this life?».

The preoccupation with the abyss was woven deeply into Tchaikovsky's output, but that does not tell the whole story. In the beauty of former times, Tchaikovsky discerned the despair of emerging modernism. In the Russian idiom, he discerned the outlines of the pagan that would later be underscored in the music of Stravinsky and Prokofiev. Iolanta's blindness and vision are praised as the Light of Divine Creation, and the madness of Herman before his death in «The Queen of Spades» («What is our life, but a game!») was a new account of what Shakespeare formulated as: «All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.» Essentially, all of world culture, not only Russian, came under scrutiny in Tchaikovsky's art. Its inexhaustibility draws us to it as before, still speaking to our hearts and souls in the twenty-first century.

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The International Moscow Music Online-Competition is an opportunity to demonstrate your talent and dedication to music, and receive a Diploma of the international competition in electronic form. Recordings are judged by leading musicians, experts from many different countries. Special money prizes. We invite you to participate!

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Honored Artist of the Russian Federation

Moscow Government Prize “For a Successfully Implemented Project” (arrangements of works by Piazzolla recorded by “Moscow Virtuosi”)

Soloist of the State Chamber Orchestra “Moscow Virtuosi”

Associate Professor of Moscow State Conservatory

Professor of Gnesin Academy

Winner of Kiel international piano competition (Sweden)

Grand Prix of Kiev International piano competition (Ukraine)

Artist of the Lorraine Opera House

Vocal teacher

Special prize of the Schneider-Trnavsky competition (Slovakia)

Winner of the American Musical Studies competition (Austria)

Associate Professor of Institute of Culture and Arts of Moscow City University

Director-general of “Maestoso” Int. Co., Ltd.

Winner of “Bella Voce” Competition (Russia)

Winner of the Obraztsova International Vocal Competition (Russia)

Assistant Professor of Academic Music College at the Moscow State Conservatory

1st prize winner (as part of a quintet) of International Henri Tomazy Competition (France)

Winner of 1st Rimsky-Korsakov International competition (Russia)

Director of “Poco a Poco Piano Lessons” Music School, Osaka

Director of “Russian Piano Academy in Osaka

Top-prize winner of “All-Japan Association of Musicians” Contest-audition

Prize winner of the 2nd Competition for young musicians in Nagoya (Japan)

Associate Professor of Gnesin Academy

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1st prize winner of the Guitar Foundation of America Competition (USA)

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Teaching Assistant at the Moscow State Conservatory

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Moscow City Election – 2023

• Introduction to the Candidates
• GUIDE: How to Register to Vote and Vote

This year in the City of Moscow, three City Council seats and school board seats for Zones 1, 3, and 4, are up for election. For the city council race, the winners will be whichever candidates receive the top three sets of votes , while the school board trustees will be decided based on who gets the most votes in their respective districts.

School board

School Board Zone 1: Cody Barr (REP), Jim Frenzel (DEM) School Board Zone 3: Gay Lynn Clyde (REP), Dulce Kersting-Lark (DEM) School Board Zone 4: Jim Gray (REP), Dawna Fazio (DEM)

City Council Candidates:

Get to know the candidates through our Candidate Candids interview series ! These long-form conversations cover more than mere talking points.

Nathan Tupper

Evan Holmes:

Bryce Blankenship

Joe Campbell

Sandra Kelly

While Sandra was unable to conduct an interview with us, you can find more information about her platform and campaign here: https://www.facebook.com/kellyformoscow

Voter Registration Info

Early voting starts Oct 25th, and runs through November 3rd. During this period, citizens can go to the Latah County Courthouse between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and vote. Otherwise, election day is on November 7th, at which time citizens will need to go to their respective precincts to vote ( Precinct Map ), based on their residential address.

If your permanent residence is here in Moscow, Latah County, Idaho:

****************************************************************************************************

To register to vote online (voteidaho.gov) or at the Latah County clerk’s office or at the polls, you must be a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age, a resident of Idaho and your county for 30 days prior to the election. To prove this, you must provide:

• Idaho-issued identification card or Idaho driver’s license or current US passport
• One approved proof of residence document

Any of the above photo identification with correct residence address:

• Lease or rental agreement
• Utility bill (excluding cellular telephone bill)
• Bank or credit card statement
• Paystub, paycheck, government-issued check
• For students: Enrollment papers from current school year. 

Identification

Do you have an Idaho state-issued photo identification card (or driver’s license)?

Yes, I have an Idaho state-issued photo identification card (or driver’s license). 

Is your address current on it?

If not please update your address online at dmvonline.itd.idaho.gov/   Or in person at Latah County DMV, 1313 S. Blaine Street, Moscow, ID 83843. (No need to pay the $20 new-card fee. The address will be corrected in the state’s system.) 

No, I do not have an Idaho state-issued photo identification card (or driver’s license) . 

Follow the Idaho DMV rules for a driver’s license. Or apply for an Idaho photo identification card:

Bring 1 or 2 (2 will allow you to get a Star Card for travel purposes) of these original documents proving residency that are less than a year old in your current name with current address to the DMV:

• Lease, rental agreement, mortgage, or deed
• Account statement from one or two different utilities (no ¾ page or cell phone bills)
• Account statement from a bank or financial institution
• Medical or insurance provider statement, invoice, or explanation of benefits
• Pay stub or employment verification (it must list your legal name.)
• Idaho school enrollment records with current address (college IDs are not accepted)
• Residency affidavit signed by an adult over age 18
• Vehicle, homeowner’s, or renter’s liability information.
• And bring your birth certificate and social security card .

Have you been recently married and need to update your name on your Idaho state-issued photo identification card (or driver’s license)?

First, change your name on your social security card by taking to Lewiston Social Security Office:

• Maiden name social security card
• Marriage certificate (not the gold-seal version, but the certified copy)
• Must have State File Number, Groom, Bride, and Family ( maiden ) Name completed
• Birth certificate (recorded copy, not the keepsake copy)
• Maiden name state-issued photo identification card (or driver’s license).

Then, change your name on your Idaho state-issued photo identification card (or driver’s license) at the Latah County DMV, 1313 S. Blaine Street, Moscow, ID 83843.

I was recently married, but I do not have ANY valid photo identification card

• Follow the Idaho DMV rules for a driver’s license. 

Or apply for an Idaho state-issued photo identification card (see steps above). Wait for the plastic one to arrive in the mail. 

2. Change your name on your social security card by taking to Lewiston:

• New Idaho state-issued photo identification card (or driver’s license).

3.  Wait 24-48 hours. Then return to DMV in person for your state-issued photo identification card (or driver’s license).

There is a new, free Idaho voting identification card option for people who do not drive. This program began in July 2023, so there is not much information available on it. 

The signed affidavit is only to be used if the properly registered voter comes to the polls without a picture identification, and his verbally given address matches the roster. If the addresses do not match, the person must re-register to vote (must go and get the photo identification and proof of address).

As a student , where should I register to vote?

From the Idaho Secretary of State’s website :

“College students must establish, as with all other voter registration applicants, that the locale within which they seek to register and vote is their domicile i.e. that they are living in the college community with the intention of abandoning their former domicile and with the intention of remaining permanently, or for an indefinite length of time, in the new location. Some of the factors which may be relevant in determining whether domicile has been established for voting purposes by a student as well as any other applicant, are as follows:

• Has the applicant registered to vote elsewhere?
• Where does the applicant maintain his checking and saving accounts, if any?
• Where does the applicant pay taxes, and what address did he list as his residence on his last income tax return?
• What is the residence listed on the applicant’s driver’s license?
• If the applicant owns an automobile, where is it registered?
• Does the applicant live year round at his claimed domicile, or does he divide it elsewhere? If it is divided, how much time is spent elsewhere and for what reason?

As a student, you should not be registering and voting in your college locale simply because you failed to register and vote at your true domicile. Registering to vote is a serious matter which should only be done after proper reflection. It should be noted that there is no federal right to vote anywhere in the United States for the office of President. State laws control registration and voting and State residency requirements must be met.”

“We need and want all students to vote at their legal domicile.”

If your permanent residence is in another state, contact your home state’s election division to register and vote (absentee?) there.

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Some of the winners and losers in the 2024 federal budget

With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget , here's a look at some of the winners and losers:

Winner: Small businesses

Carbon tax rebates for small businesses are coming, five years after consumers began receiving their share. The measure is "a big relief," says Dan Kelly of the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, which represents the sector. The budget says as many as 600,000 small firms would be eligible for a share of $2.5 billion.

• CTV News' special coverage of the federal budget begins 4 p.m. ET on CTVNews.ca, CTV News Channel and the CTV News app

Loser: tobacco industry

The federal government will collect an additional $4 per carton of 200 cigarettes starting Wednesday, on top of the $1.49 added on April 1 as part of an automatic inflation adjustment. For vaping products, singled out in the budget as a public-health issue affecting younger Canadians who have been "enticed by appealing marketing," vaping excise duty rates will increase by 12 per cent, or between 12 and 24 cents per typical vape pod. Together, the measures should generate about $1.7 billion in the next five years.

Winner (eventually): fintech companies

Long-promised details about a framework for open banking -- a system that allows consumers to easily access their financial data across multiple institutions, apps and services -- were revealed in Wednesday's budget, though the specifics are reserved for legislation to be tabled before the end of the year. It names the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada to oversee and enforce the system and sets six core elements for the framework.

The budget also sets aside $4.1 million over three years for the Finance Department to complete the policy work necessary to establish and maintain the oversight entity and framework. The financial sector will welcome any clarity on this file after years of seeing the can kicked down the road, but it's unclear what the implementation timeline will be.

• What you need to know about the 2024 federal budget

Loser: Canadian pension funds

An increasingly loud debate has emerged about whether the country's largest pension funds should invest more of their capital in Canada. They say they already invest here and higher returns can be found abroad, while proponents of the move argue money should be spent to help improve productivity and business investment at home. The government says it will create a working group led by the finance minister and former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz to explore ways to spur spending in Canada, but it doesn't appear to have a lot of teeth.

In the meantime, the government says it will require financial regulator OSFI to publish information about the investments of large federally regulated pension plans. That could see even higher scrutiny from climate change activists and interest groups hoping to sway investment decisions.

Winner: Cellphone and internet users

Wireless costs are too high, telecom industry watchers told MPs studying cellphone plans earlier this year, even as prices have been on the decline in recent years.

In the budget, the government says it will make it easier to renew or switch between cellphone plans, something advocates say makes it easier to get a better rate. It also will require carriers to provide some kind of self-service option, like an online portal, so that customers can more easily switch plans.

• Federal budget 2024: How it impacts you

Loser: Entertainment lovers

Canadians have long complained about soaring ticket prices for concerts and sporting match tickets. Those prices are more exorbitant when tickets are purchased from resellers who gobble up seats using "bot" technology the second they go on sale, keeping them out of the hands of fans.

The budget says the federal government will work with provinces and territories to adopt ticket sales best practices that reduce unexpected charges during the buying process, crack down on fraudulent sellers and ensure Canadians get timely refunds when events are cancelled. However, it offers no plan with enforceable measures or deadlines to accomplish these feats, which could leave Canadians battling scalpers even longer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2024.

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