Feds betraying commitment to veteran community
In late August, the Supreme Court dismissed the Equitas class-action lawsuit, closing the door on the legal claim initiated against Ottawa on behalf of Canada’s disabled veterans’ community. Members of the Equitas veterans’ society, led by determined and courageous advocates, were essentially seeking a court order that would compel Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to address […]
Boost public service health plan’s psychological services coverage cap
Re: Mental health on the Hill special report (The Hill Times, Oct. 3, pp. 11-19). The Canadian Psychological Association was very pleased that The Hill Times devoted a special issue to mental health to coincide with Mental Illness Awareness Week. It is stories like those in the issue that bring mental health out of the […]
My cannabis takeaway? Canada’s now only slightly crazier than usual
TORONTO—We come not to praise cannabis legalization, but to mock it. If there was ever a more confusing and chaotic rollout of government policy, it is hard to think of what that might be. The GST? The NEP? The Bay of Pigs? In fairness to the Trudeau Party, which came up with the idea of […]
Transport Minister Garneau looks to Indigenous and female students to address looming pilot shortage, says CATSA review still underway
Canada’s federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau says the federal government is looking to underrepresented groups, including Indigenous peoples and women, as sources for addressing Canada’s growing pilot shortage. In an email interview with The Hill Times last week, the former astronaut and veteran Liberal MP who has represented Notre-Dame-de-Grâce-Westmount, Que. since 2008, said the federal […]
MPs unlikely to take former Hill staffer Wernick’s pledge to bring about a ‘long-term culture change,’ but some suggest House should discuss the issue
Most MPs are reluctant to sign Paul Wernick’s pledge, which calls for publicly releasing the job descriptions and salary ranges of Hill staffers and asks them never to ask staff to do anything they wouldn’t do themselves, but one Conservative MP who is willing to sign it says the former Liberal Hill staffer should ask […]
Canada made history last week, and it was a long time coming
OTTAWA—Canada made history last week, becoming only the second country in the world to sell legal cannabis. And judging by long lineups on the first day of sale, the decision was a long time coming. Marijuana distributers are predicting shortages for several months as product has been flying off the shelves in provinces with storefront […]
Pot lobbying to remain high in wake of legalization, insiders say
Since the Liberals came to power with a promise of cannabis legalization, a sophisticated government relations industry has bloomed out of the historic policy shift, with lobbying skyrocketing and the companies registered since 2015 having doubled those in the arena compared to three years before. That comes as no surprise to any involved in the […]
Fast facts: federal, provincial cannabis legalization
Even though cannabis is legal across Canada, there are considerable variations in how provinces choose to enact the legislation, which legalizes dried cannabis, cannabis oil, and fresh cannabis. Here are the basic rules: Adults can possess up to 30 grams Up to four plants can be grown per household Edibles, or infused products, are not yet […]
Cannabis confusion ‘nature of the beast’ as 95-year ban ends, but it’s ‘time to pull the trigger,’ say experts, politicos
Confusion over cannabis rules are to be expected as 95 years of prohibition ends but it’s also “time to pull the trigger,” say industry observers and political players who are divided on whether the federal Liberals have done enough to communicate those changes to get consumers and industry ready as legalization rolls out across the […]
Political staffers have it tough. I know. I employ them
PARLIAMENT HILL—It wouldn’t be right to conclude this series of op-eds on mental health on Parliament Hill—particularly an entry focusing on staff—without amplifying the voice of another insightful spokesperson on mental health, Paul Wernick, a former parliamentary staffer who has brought the workplace culture of Parliament Hill and its unique stresses and mental health challenges […]
