Parliamentary apologies: the right thing to do
The Harper government is about to issue an apology regarding the Komataga Maru incident, where almost 400 Indian immigrants were not allowed to land at the port of Vancouver in 1914, and after several weeks of appalling conditions in harbour the ship was turned back. But why is an apology important today for acts carried […]
House Human Resources Committee nails it in employability study
While media coverage of Parliamentary committees makes them sound more like Roman coliseum blood baths, the House Human Resources and Social Development Committee has issued a timely and comprehensive report entitled, Employability in Canada: Preparing for the Future. Chaired by the well-respected Conservative MP Dean Allison (Niagara West-Glanbrook, Ont.), the committee has addressed the No. […]
Watching Bouchard-Taylor from Ottawa: reasonable accommodation, and how far it can go both ways
OTTAWA—On March 31 the Bouchard-Taylor Commission on Reasonable Accommodation will be reporting. They will be trying to craft a very fine balance between all the forces at play as Quebec’s cultural protection objective in an age of globalization is both necessary and perilous. Federal parties will be watching very carefully. As the world gets smaller, […]
Time for a federal-provincial conference on racism, people
Pulling out of Durban II was the right thing to do. That’s what Cabinet ministers Maxime Bernier and Jason Kenney announced last week. United Nations conferences, for the most part, have some use. While they are all more talk fests and schmoozing affairs, they do get the world and each country to focus on an […]
Democracy not the answer to Pakistan’s troubles, right now
As democracy continues to be threatened in Pakistan, it is only to be expected that the voices from the Canadian Parliament consistently push for the early restoration of democracy and the general election planned for mid-February. But is that really the best course for a country as turbulent and chaotic as Pakistan is at this […]
This really just in… time to improve Parliament’s committees
There has to be another way of conducting hearings at House standing committees. Having several rounds of a few minutes for each MP is just unproductive for everyone. The schedule for asking questions goes round and round and certainly lends itself to an image of a committee going in circles. This circular motion is particularly […]
CRTC terribly short of commissioners at crucial time
OTTAWA, ONT.–The CRTC is terribly short of commissioners just while there are several major questions it will be ruling on in the months ahead, so Heritage Minister Josée Verner will be busy selecting new recruits. A number of members appointed by the Liberals are coming to the end of their terms and for the most […]
Ontario election proved funding of religious schools too close to segregation end of continuum
When John Tory was head of Rogers Cable, a job he handled with great aplomb, he supported the growth of third-language television services. Known as the “ethnic services” in CRTC-speak, he grew the carriage of the popular Asian Television Network (Indian languages) and Fairchild TV (Cantonese) among others. He was also a strong supporter of […]
Mixing faith, religion and politics in a multicultural society is just plain toxic
OTTAWA–In Quebec and Ontario, debates are raging, as religion is becoming the lightening rod for differing views about our diverse society. Some will say the whole multicultural thing is coming apart at the seams, but really this is a cyclical event, whereby we find something to yell and scream about for a while and then […]
Following the premiers’ meeting, the federal government may be becoming less relevant
“We don’t need the federal government,” was the resounding theme of the meeting of the Council of the Federation held in Moncton earlier this month. At least that’s how they felt about two major issues: internal trade and climate change. After five years in existence, this council of premiers, the brainchild of Quebec Premier Jean […]
