Health committee to report on naturopathic medicines: public backlash prompted minister to conduct a review of the laws governing natural health products
Have a headache? Two tablespoons of powdered ginger should numb the pain. Can’t sleep? A few tablets of Melatonin should provide a good night’s rest. But depending on the outcome of the House Health Committee’s report on naturopathic medicines anticipated this week, consumers and manufacturers of these products are apprehensive that new regulatory proposals will […]
Official records tampering bill chips away at secretive Ottawa: private member’s bill passes key hurdle to penalize officials for record tampering [Colleen Beaumier and Bill C-208]
It took Ontario Liberal MP Colleen Beaumier’s private member’s bill (Bill C-208) on penalizing federal officials for record tampering to show official Ottawa that secrecy violations they wouldn’t rather touch can be addressed. Bill C-208, that is now nearer to becoming the law of the land, establishes criminal sanctions of up to $10,000 fines and […]
Parliament Hill journalists rally around CBC’s Terry Milewski: journalist pulled from the APEC story is defended by many Hill reporters who say they’re not stenographers
Many Parliament Hill journalists say the CBC TV reporter who was recently yanked off the sensational APEC story for allegedly being too close to it did nothing wrong. CBC TV reporter Terry Milewski, who works in Vancouver and broke many of the APEC stories, was pulled off the story after his E-mails were used as […]
PM’s party costs top $1m: Brian Mulroney outspent prime ministers on entertaining at 24 Sussex Drive
Life is just not as much of a party at 24 Sussex Drive under Prime Minister Jean Chr tien than it was with his Tory predecessor Brian Mulroney, according to recently-released spending figures for entertaining at the prime ministerial residence. Tabled in the Senate last week in response to questions from Tory Senator Orville Phillips […]
Government backbenchers ride wave of independence: cabinet moves controversial private member’s bill into committee [Albina Guarnieri bill to end concurrent sentencing for serial killers and rapists]
Backbench Liberal MPs kept their winning streak alive last week in a last-minute vote that saw opposition and government MPs side with ministers to move a controversial private member’s bill through the House that would keep serial killers locked up for longer sentences. The bill had been languishing in the House for years. Liberal MP […]
The Globe’s silly scolding of journalists badly-timed and uninformed
Timing, as you know, is everything. Which is why The Globe and Mail’s Susan Delacourt must have felt a bit silly about her rather odd “analysis” piece in last Saturday’s Globe scolding journalists for “failing” to get the APEC story when it actually occurred on Nov. 25, 1997. Delacourt accused mainstream journalism of missing the […]
Senate agriculture committee finally gets controversial Health Canada [report on growth hormone]
The Senate Agriculture Committee is declaring a victory after it finally received a complete report from Health Canada two weeks ago written by Health Canada scientists reviewing a controversial growth hormone being considered for use on dairy cattle in Canada. “It’s proven Parliamentary committees should get the total information they need to do their job […]
MPs take polar views to privatize Canada’s health care system [Keith Martin for privatization and Carolyn Bennett for public system]
Opposition parties exploit it. Governments pledge to fix it. Polling researchers conclude that it is the primary concern to Canadians. The issue, of course, is Canada’s health care system — a system under tremendous strain since its conception 30 years ago. Today, Canada’s population is aging, medical technologies are more sophisticated, and the fiscal realities […]
Health minister talks about his challenges: NDP critic says health minister is losing battle for dollars at cabinet table
As Canada heads into the next millennium, and critics charge that the healthcare system is in disarray, Health Minister Allan Rock says he’s focused on one thing. He wants to modernize the medicare system “so that it is a true efficient healthcare system providing quality care.” In an interview with The Hill Times last week, […]
Health Protection Branch consults public on its role: Canadian Health Coalition lobbies against transition hearings
As the Health Protection Branch — the guardian of the foods we eat and pharmaceuticals we take — examines ways to “modernize” its role, critics warn that the outcome of this exercise will erode public safety and put the health of Canadians at risk. “The duty of the government to protect the public is at […]
