Canada must decriminalize aid to Afghanistan to save lives
It’s been almost a year since the Taliban took over Afghanistan. Before that, Afghanistan was already a country where 19.7 million people faced severe food shortages, and since then, the situation has worsened. Our organizations—World Vision and Islamic Relief—have been successfully operating on the ground in Afghanistan for decades irrespective of whatever government happened to […]
Influx of women into nuclear disarmament gives us hope, unless they work for a NATO country
EDMONTON—At 10 a.m. on Aug. 4, the fourth day of the month-long Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton stepped to the green marble podium of the UN General Assembly in New York and delivered a speech on behalf of 67 nations. A maple leaf broach emblazoned on her jacket, the ambassador called […]
Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri should have been brought to trial for 9/11, not assassinated
HALIFAX—For all those Americans and others who are celebrating the assassination of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, they should take time to reflect on these words: seek vengeance, dig two graves. What the CIA did in Afghanistan undoubtedly pleased millions of Americans who saw it as justice for a heinous crime, the mass murder of nearly […]
Inability to track weapons sent to war zone sets stage for unwanted fallout
OTTAWA—As the war in Ukraine continues to rage, the West has been scrambling to fulfil embattled President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s insatiable demands for more heavy weaponry and ammunition. Canada has heeded Zelenskyy’s call, promising an additional $500-million in both lethal and non-lethal military aid to Ukraine, in addition to the support we provided prior to Russian […]
Committee hearing exposes rift within RCMP, but observer says political interference claims in mass shooting investigation a red herring
Recent testimony from current and former RCMP employees before the House Public Safety Committee has shed light on tensions between “downtown” command in Ottawa and senior RCMP leadership in Nova Scotia in the days after the April 2020 mass shooting that began in Portapique, N.S. But a veteran political observer says claims of political interference […]
Keeping Ukraine in the headlines a strenuous fight of its own
OTTAWA—The war in Ukraine has entered its sixth month, and, predictably, it is becoming difficult to keep this conflict in the global spotlight. In those first days following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion, there was no other story in the world press. The sense was that the mighty Russian war machine would soon crush […]
Members of Black class action lawsuit call for feds to ‘come to the table with tangible actions’ after PM’s apology to No. 2 Construction Battalion
The apology comes in the midst of an ongoing, multi-billion dollar class-action lawsuit representing current and former Black federal public servants seeking long-term solutions to permanently address systemic racism and discrimination in the bureaucracy.
Veterans Affairs Canada employees struggling with new rehab contract for vets
Employees at Veterans Affairs Canada are struggling this summer to try and implement a new rehab contract for veterans. As the union representing employees at the department, including the case managers who have the greatest responsibility for this work, we have been trying to get the minister’s attention to what we feel is an impending […]
Recapitalizing Canada’s military should also be a key part of our innovation strategy
TORONTO—Defence Minister Anita Anand’s announcement of $4.9-billion of federal spending to upgrade North American air defence, along with an expected $40-billion of new spending on air defence over the next 20 years, is just part of an expanding multi-billion-dollar shopping list of new military technologies that all depend on advanced high-tech. Recapitalizing the Canadian military […]
CAF steps into the present with new uniform, haircut policies
OTTAWA—Last week, the Canadian Armed Forces made the official announcement that, henceforth, there will no longer be any gender restrictions on uniform clothing items. Service members can now order and wear whichever uniform they feel best suits their individual identity. It was also announced that all restrictions on military haircuts are being lifted as of […]
