RECENTLY RELEASED [The Canadian General Election of 2004]
The Canadian General Election of 2004, edited by Jon H. Pammett and Christopher Dornan, The Dundurn Group Toronto, 386 pages. Blurb on the back of the jacket: “The Canadian General Election of 2004 is the definitive study of the campaign and the election, including analyses of: the campaigns of the four major parties and smaller […]
Don’t you just love bankers? ‘They have done little more than count their profits and raise their service fees’: Newman
At budget time in Ottawa, you can’t throw a snowball on Parliament Hill without hitting a banker. The sidewalks are thick with them. Bankers make the rounds to ensure MPs don’t do anything rash, like raise bank taxes. “With their domestic monopolies guaranteed by legislation,” observed Peter C. Newman in Maclean’s,”they have done little more […]
Respect present definition of marriage: Catholic priest
Canadians are frustrated and confused about the same-sex marriage debate. We believe that marriage is the basis of human society and that stable marriages mean that children have a chance in life. As the first and vital cell of society, marriage is more than a constitutional issue. It is disappointing that it has become a […]
John Turner reflects on Ukraine’s ‘crusade for democracy’: At 75, Canada’s 17th prime minister considers heading up another Canadian election observer mission
Former prime minister John Turner still has many foreign elections to observe before he catches up to former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter, who regularly criss-crosses the globe to monitor voting. But just weeks after heading the Canadian delegation that monitored the repeat second round of Ukraine’s presidential election on Dec. […]
Rookie NDP MP Siksay says he’s willing to take concerns about allegations of abuse in Bountiful to federal level
Now that the government has introduced its same-sex marriage legislation, is a similar debate over polygamy next? If so, Bountiful, B.C., patriarch and husband of multiple “spiritual wives” Winston Blackmore is ready. A recent newsletter posted on his website suggests that Mr. Blackmore and his community may be prepared to take on the state in […]
‘Canadians want to see an adult conversation about health’
Prime Minister Paul Martin may have promised to reduce healthcare waiting lists over and over again during one of the nastiest 36-day election campaigns in recent memory, but Carolyn Bennett, the Prime Minister’s fast-talking Minister of State for Public Health says before doing that, the governing Liberals first have to figure out how long people […]
Inside the Natural Health Products Directorate
In response to growing concerns about the regulatory environment for natural medicines and an extensive study by the House Standing Committee on Health, Health Canada developed a new regulatory framework for natural health products (NHPs). The product of extensive consultations with a range of stakeholders representing consumers, academia, practitioners and industry, this innovative framework came […]
A look back at the healthcare chatter, promises in TV debates
The following is an excerpt from the English-language TV leaders’ debates held in Ottawa on June 15. This specific excerpt between Prime Minister Paul Martin, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, NDP Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe focused on the future of Canada’s healthcare system. CTV’s Craig Oliver led the debate with a […]
Canada needs a national catastrophic drug plan, say Senators, eliminate one of most unfair aspects
During the recent federal election all major parties addressed the need for catastrophic drug insurance for all Canadians — an issue first raised publicly by the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs Science and Technology in its October 2002 report, The Health of Canadians, Recommendations for Reform. All major parties said in their platforms that […]
A national science adviser for Canada
Like many of my colleagues in government and university circles, I have often felt over the years that Canada would be well-served by the appointment of a national science adviser who would not only articulate the perspective of science within the Canadian government, but also advance Canadian S&T interests internationally. Such positions have long existed […]
