G7 is Canada’s chance to ‘galvanize’ action on feminist policy: World Vision
When Canada takes the stage as host of June’s G7 Summit, the Liberals should take advantage of the “international moment” to encourage action on education of girls in crisis, according to the head of World Vision Canada. But opposition critics warn any promises made would be coming from a government with a history of “not […]
Only the poor die screaming
LONDON, U.K.—If you had a million dollars to spend (but not on yourself), where would it do the most good? Well, the cost to cover morphine or a morphine-equivalent pain-relief treatment for all the sick children younger than 15 years who are in serious pain in low-income countries would be just $1-million per year. About […]
Despite cancer and critics in her own party, Sen. Greene Raine aims for legislative podium as she approaches retirement
In May, Nancy Greene Raine will retire from yet another high-profile career. But instead of Olympic medals, she’ll likely be hoisting her government-backed legislation that aims to stop the marketing of junk food to kids. Conservative Sen. Greene Raine (Thompson-Okanagan-Kootenay, B.C.) will reach the Upper Chamber’s mandatory retirement age of 75 on May 11. And […]
Sen. Unger relies on incomplete representation to argue her case against marijuana legalization
Re: “Marijuana legislation will not achieve its objectives and should be defeated,” (The Hill Times, online, Dec. 20, 2017). There are so many unsubstantiated or categorically false claims in Conservative Senator Betty Unger’s opinion piece that selecting only a few to discuss seems an impossible task. As we have already seen countless times by her […]
Senate delays: just another urban myth
Everyone knows that the Senate delays government legislation. Don’t we? Well, no we don’t. In fact, the House of Commons tends to take almost three times as long to deal with government legislation as the Senate does. This incontestable fact is based on an actual count of official parliamentary records over the last ten parliaments […]
Marijuana legislation will not achieve its objectives and should be defeated
It’s difficult to remember the last time the federal government and the provinces came to an agreement on revenue sharing in a single day. But that’s what happened last week when the feds agreed to give the provinces 75 per cent of tax revenue generated by the sale of marijuana. Initially, the Trudeau government was […]
The most wonderful time of the year? Not for everyone
Thankfully the national and personal dialogues about mental health and wellness have improved dramatically over the last decade. That is a marvelous occurrence and almost as valuable as the increased investment in public funding that has happened as that conversation has become part of the main stream. That said, stigmas still exist—we, as a society, […]
Total health and resilience for the military community
OTTAWA—When the Department of National Defence announced a total health and wellness strategy earlier this year, as part of the new defence policy, it embarked on its most ambitious and important program yet for the health of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members. We hear the stories but we don’t see the scars. Soldiers return from […]
Cheaper isn’t always better, and prescription drugs are no exception
Earlier this month, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board published new regulations that could see drug prices cut by up to 20 per cent. Taking a page from United States President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has adopted a reductive, fair-means-cheap pricing equation. The effects may be damaging for the pharmaceutical industry, Canadian […]
Health Committee ought to put Canadians’ needs first, not big pharma
The pharmaceutical industry clearly has a vested interest in the details of a pharmacare plan, now under consideration by the House Health Committee. So do Canadians whose health depends on prescription drugs. But are their interests the same? Plenty of evidence says they’re not. But you wouldn’t know that from the brief that a coalition […]
