Poverty in our backyard
In the headlong rush toward war in Iraq, let’s not forget our own backyard. Pikangikum is an isolated reserve north of Kenora, Ont. Tragically, it is known to have the highest suicide rate in the world. Over 2,000 people live on this reserve, half of whom are under the age of 25. Ninety-five per cent […]
‘Bastards’ controversy continues
Francoise Ducros and Carolyn Parrish have simply confirmed one of Canada’s dirty little secrets. A number of Canadian politicians clearly despise our American neighbors, particularly if they happen to be Republicans. The stream of invectives clearly establishes the incidence of anti-American prejudices that pollutes the ranks of the Liberal Party of Canada. Jean Chretien tends […]
Starting Sunday – The Trueman Show…
Okay, so that’s not its real name, but Global Television has brought alumni Anne Trueman back to its Ottawa bureau to produce the latest entry into Canada’s Sunday morning lineup of political television shows. The half-hour program, called Ottawa Inside Out will feature regular talking heads Bob Fife and Anne Dawson from the National Post, […]
Senior bureaucrat urges changes to voting system: ‘There is a sense of fatigue about our democratic institutions’: Des Rosiers
OTTAWA–If the government is really serious about restoring faith in the political system, it should seriously consider fixing the distorted way politicians are elected to the House of Commons, says a senior federal official who’s spearheaded a major review of the country’s winner-take-all electoral system. The government is currently in the midst of reforming political […]
What the pundits are saying about Martin’s holdings
The following is an edited transcript of CBC-TV’s The National’s ‘At Issue’ program from Thursday, Feb. 27. The guests were Allan Gregg of the Strategic Counsel, Andrew Coyne, a columnist with the National Post and Toronto Star columnist Chantal Hebert. PETER MANSBRIDGE: Okay. That’s where I want to move this conversation now to, and that’s […]
Canada’s respectable compromise
OTTAWA–While some decried Canada’s policy on the Iraq crisis as fence-sitting, it is ultimately being viewed as seeking a respectable compromise. The Canadian proposal currently circulating at the United Nations, especially among Security Council members, is asking the world community to consider imposing a March 28 deadline for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to completely disarm […]
Minister Dhaliwal has been busy shaking up office
OTTAWA–Federal Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal recently hired three new staffers in his ministerial political office on the Hill. Mr. Dhaliwal hired Franco Iacono as his Quebec assistant last month. Mr. Iacono has replaced Pierre Lacoursiere who has joined the office of Liberal MP Claude Drouin. Mr. Drouin is also Secretary of State for Canada […]
West Block liquor store open
I was enjoying your article on MPs’ health in the most recent issue of The Hill Times “House looks into healthier living for MPs on the Hill,” (March 3). You mention that the West Block Liquor store had been shut down. Unless this has happened very recently, I am certain you can still buy beer […]
U.S. and UN global twins
The great fear of multilateralists is that the United Nations will soon become a house divided against itself and thereafter will become an empty shell. This division could happen in either of two ways: France could respond to a Security Council vote in favour of the U.S. resolution that effectively calls for war on Iraq […]
Libs may turn leadership into policy convention
OTTAWA–The lack of candidates interested in running for the federal leadership of the Liberal Party threatens not only to take the sizzle out of the race, but could force the party to “refashion” next November’s highly-anticipated convention into a policy convention, says Grit Party President Stephen LeDrew. “If there are insufficient candidates, we’ll have to […]
