Canada’s foreign policy needs a shift and a human rights lens

“We live in a constant state of fear and anxiety,” Arzu-Gul, a Canadian Uyghur advocate, told Justice for All Canada, a Toronto-based non-profit human rights organization. Many Canadians like her thought they escaped persecution and anti-Muslim hate, only to experience Islamophobia here. Arzu-Gul came to Canada in 2009 from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where […]
Elections Canada’s move to scrap Vote on Campus program could lower youth turnout, reduce NDP and Liberal ballots, analysts say
Elections Canada scrapping its Vote on Campus program could lead to a lower voter turnout among young Canadians in the federal election, an outcome two political analysts say will most hurt the Liberal and NDP ballot counts. “If you’re the Liberals, you’re probably more concerned about that because in the last two elections you tended […]
Liberals quiet on Canada-China relationship, while Tory approach could lead to Beijing retaliation: experts

After more than two years of rocky relations with Beijing, the Liberals have offered little on the campaign trail about how it will handle future relations with China, while the Conservatives have laid out a blueprint that could lead to Chinese government retaliation against Canada. The Canada-China relationship, which has yet to become a focal […]
People who live in anti-vax delusions shouldn’t throw stones

As the election campaign rolls on, it seems that those who apparently care so virulently about supposed “freedoms” are doing everything they can to ensure they trample on the rights of others to peacefully participate in the democratic process. As has been the case since the start of the campaign, those in opposition to mandatory […]
Bellwether riding of Peterborough–Kawartha to be close fought between Liberals and Conservatives

As the government goes, so goes the Ontario riding of Peterborough–Kawartha, where the three opposition parties represented in the House in the last Parliament are all fielding women candidates to attempt to unseat the sitting women and gender equality minister. Incumbent Liberal Maryam Monsef has represented this key bellwether riding—which has, since being created in […]
Politics This Morning: polls show Liberals, Conservatives in tight race; leaders gear up for French-language debate

Good Wednesday morning, With Labour Day now in the rearview mirror, and two national leaders’ debates on tap this week, the 2021 federal campaign is heating up with less than two weeks to go before election day on Sept. 20. And according to three different polls, the Liberals and the Conservatives are now in a […]
The thin line between love and hate: the road from 1968’s Trudeaumania to election protests of 2021

The Canadian election of 2015 was defined by Justin Trudeau’s appropriation of Sir Wilfred Laurier’s “Sunny Ways” speech from 1895. The 2021 election can only be described as “stormy ways.” We’ve all heard the clichés about the thin line between love and hate, and the Trudeau dynasty is learning the reality of that dynamic in […]
A matter of debates: candidates face off as campaign hits final weeks

As the federal election campaign enters its final weeks, voters will get to weigh their options through a variety of debates running this week onwards, from a set of three Ecology Ottawa riding debates on Sept. 8 and 9, to a broader Sept. 13 debate on national security and defence hosted by the Conference of […]
Rock ramblings: skeptical but steady support for the Liberals

OTTAWA—Over summer’s last weekend, I got the chance to spend some time at home in St. John’s. Mostly I was with people removed from the daily grind of politics—though they were Newfoundlanders, so not fully disengaged. But these are more normal folks, not reading every tweet dispatched about #Election44 or waiting for the next public […]
Mostly warm reception at the doors, say trans candidates, but more to do to combat online hate, boost representation

Though the reality for trans and non-binary candidates on the ground during the election campaign is rosier than some advocates would expect, there are still many barriers to overcome in dealing with transphobic online abuse and getting nominated in winnable ridings, say trans people on the ballot this year. Things have come a long way […]