Whistleblowing to get statutory footing: ‘It moves us closer to a statement of protection for people who do legitimately raise issues’
The government’s two-year-old policy that’s given whistleblowers formal channels to expose wrongdoing within the public service is about to be finally enshrined into law, provided a key amendment added to the Liberals’ massive Public Service Bill gets the green light by the House of Commons. The move is expected to give legal protection to public […]
Bloc wants environmental assessment mechanisms: But things fall apart when government proposes creating a federal coordinator
PARLIAMENT HILL–I would like to remind the House that for Quebec, environmental assessment is a very important matter. Why? It is of course because Quebec adopted its own legislation back in the early 1990s. You must realize that it is perfectly legitimate for the Bloc Quebecois and the various successive governments of Quebec to ensure […]
PMO’s Quebec staffer working hard on Campaign Finance Bill
One of the Prime Minister’s new and top Quebec assistants is working hard behind the scenes to get the controversial Campaign Political Finance Bill moving through the House of Commons before the summer break. Pierre Brodeur, who started his new job on March 31, told The Hill Times last week that one of the most […]
It’s time to take action on air pollution: NDP MP Comartin: Government needs to enact a Clean Air Act, standards for air pollutants and emissions
In less than one month, summer officially begins and with it the prospect of increased “smog days.” In Canada 16,000 people will die prematurely as a result of air pollution and 5,000 of those directly from smog. Last year, there were record number of smog days throughout Canada with the bulk of those days occurring […]
Cutting GHG ‘most important challenge facing the world’: Environment Minister David Anderson pushes for a 50-year plan in Canada
Environment Minister David Anderson says cutting greenhouse gas emissions is “the most important challenge facing the world today,” and that the 2003 budget represents “the cornerstone of this government’s commitment to making a global contribution to addressing climate change.” But Mr. Anderson (Victoria, B.C.), who considers his No. 1 accomplishment in all his years as […]
Alliance would massively increase fines for illegal oil dumping: Fines should be equal to the fines imposed in the United States: Alliance critic Bob Mills
PARLIAMENT HILL–The most powerful force for improving our environment is people. It’s every Canadian’s aspiration to make our environment cleaner, healthier and safer for our future. To that end, the Canadian Alliance environment policy is based on experience, science and wisdom. It affirms that people are the most important natural resource and that we must […]
Federal leadership on alternate fuels: fighting poisonous air with hot air: Twice as many North Americans die every year from air pollution than by traffic accidents
PARLIAMENT HILL–North American deaths caused by air pollution each year now equal deaths resulting from breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. We Canadians, of course, are justifiably terrified of breast and prostate cancer. We don’t seem to be nearly as terrified of pollution. If we were, Canada’s politicians would be paying a lot more attention […]
A tribute to Joe Clark that’s who: New leader will inherit a party on the rise
Joe Clark has been accused of being a man ahead of his time. Now, as he enters his final week as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, the verdict is in – he is guilty as charged. The evidence is simply overwhelming: *Youngest Prime Minister in Canadian history (age 39). *Appointed first woman […]
Canada must act now in the Congo: It remains to be seen what Canada will do to take lead to help bring order, avoid genocide
Canada must act and act now in the Congo. For all its talk of wanting to be there when it counts, the time is now for Canada to take the lead and muster an international response to the daily killings and impending genocide in the Congo. Prime Minister Jean Chretien seemed to realize the urgency […]
Parliamentary sovereignty
Regarding “Opposition attacks Paul Martin’s use of privilege,” (The Hill Times, May 19). The issue of the Parliamentary privileges of MPs is not an issue dealing with, as the Canadian Alliance’s John Reynolds would have it, Paul Martin’s campaign to become leader of the Liberal Party. Rather, Parliamentary privilege are the rights and immunities given […]
