New memoir looks into the Westray coal mine disaster
In the early hours of May 9, 1992, a methane explosion erupted in the Westray coal mine in Plymouth, N.S., killing 26 miners working underground, and 26 years later, a new memoir by Vernon Theriault looks at the disaster and the aftermath. The mine was known by its workers to be lax on safety. A […]
Clement had inappropriate interactions, ‘was pushing boundaries’ back when he was a Harper-era cabinet minister, says Parry-Sound female constituent
A woman who lives in Conservative-turned-Independent MP Tony Clement’s riding says the politician sent many inappropriate messages to her beginning during his time as a high-ranking cabinet minister in the Harper government, almost a decade ago, and says he behaved like a “creepy uncle” who for years was “pushing boundaries,” to the point that it […]
NDP questions why Trans Mountain buy not in spending estimates
The NDP is questioning why the multi-billion-dollar Trans Mountain pipeline purchase isn’t in the first round of extra government spending requests, saying it impedes Parliamentarians’ ability to ensure transparency and accountability of taxpayers’ money. But the Liberals say the purchase is being handled as a loan between two Crown corporations. To facilitate the planned expansion, […]
What’s in a name?: New polling association gets a moniker
The Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) will be the name of the new polling industry association that cropped up after its predecessor unexpectedly shut its doors. The association, composed of leading Canadian pollsters, adopted the standards of ESOMAR (formerly the European Society for Opinion and Market Research), an international polling association, which represents firms in 130 […]
Media storm over Khashoggi killing: a classic case of the tail wagging the dog?
As a communications consultant in the business for more than 25 years, I have come to accept the premise that you cannot accept information at its face value. The media storm surrounding the murder of Jamal Khashoggi is a case in point. I watch news outlets tripping over themselves in an effort to cover this story […]
Conservative MP Kent’s Instagram, Facebook accounts recently hacked, says more needs to be done to protect politicians, political parties from cyber threats
Conservative MP Peter Kent says his Instagram and Facebook accounts were recently hacked and shortly before officials from the Communications Security Establishment warned MPs that federal political parties, politicians, and traditional and social media will be more vulnerable to cyber threats in the next election. Mr. Kent (Thornhill, Ont.) said he started receiving “strange” messages […]
In wake of Washington Post columnist’s murder, MPs say Canada has role to play in defence of global press freedom
Journalists around the world are increasingly under threat, most notably with the murder of Saudi Arabian Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi on Oct. 2, and MPs who are former journalists say the Canadian government has a role to play in defending the freedom of the press globally. “We [MPs who are former journalists] should be […]
Mulroney to speak at event honouring Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president who led the fight against apartheid and became an international inspiration, will be the focus of a seminar at Global Affairs Canada in November. Mr. Mandela led the emancipation of South Africa from white minority control during apartheid. He was imprisoned for 27 years as a result of […]
MPs have much groundwork to cover to grab Canadians’ attention on social media
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has more Twitter followers than all other MPs combined. This is one of the many interesting facts uncovered from a look into the Twitter accounts of Canada’s MPs. There are currently 334 MPs, and 330, or 98.8 per cent, have a presence on the social media platform. But about a dozen, […]
Jamal Khashoggi, casualty of war
Jamal Khashoggi had a vulnerability. It was a variable that weighed disproportionately in his risk-benefit calculations and that, for his assassins, amounted to an Achilles’ heel. It wasn’t power, money, fame, or security—or any of the lesser exploitable weaknesses leveraged by intelligence interests for operational purposes. It was love. It was love that outweighed any […]
