Public Accounts told government debt ‘understated’: AG shows most of $7.4-billion transferred to foundations has never been used
Auditor General Sheila Fraser implored the Commons Public Accounts Committee last Wednesday to consider why the government has transferred billions of dollars to various arm’s-length foundations, most of which have been sitting in bank accounts collecting interest for years. Ms. Fraser highlighted the fact that, since 1996-97, $7.4-billion transferred to these foundations – such as […]
Jack Layton ran against Dennis Mills only once
In his Feb. 3 “Heard on the Hill” column in The Hill Times, Sean Durkan writes “So Mr. Layton wins in a byelection, but goes back to his hometown Toronto at general election time to try, for the third time, to unseat veteran Liberal MP Dennis Mills in the city’s Toronto Danforth riding.” In fact, […]
Committee business
British Columbia NDP MP Libby Davies’ lengthy campaign to have Parliament study the country’s sex trade finally paid off. On Feb. 7, the House approved her motion to have the Justice and Human Rights Committee review federal laws relating to solicitation. Chaired by Liberal MP Andy Scott, the committee – which is already undertaking a […]
Happy with Hoy
Regarding Claire Hoy’s column, “Diverse opinions in the media?” (The Hill Times, Feb. 3). This was a pleasure to read. J. Visser R
Chretien takes a different fork in fiscal road from Bush: Canada will focus on health care, child care, infrastructure and defence
OTTAWA–For the fun of it, let’s look back at just one idea Canadians held for 50 years as the key to their well-being and prosperity. I mean the role and use of deficit financing in managing the economy. From the end of World War II until 1995 and the beginning of Paul Martin’s war against […]
Hypocrisy At Its Finest
On April 28, 1998, I stood outside the House of Commons and asked MPs to vote their conscience that night during the controversial vote on Hepatitis C compensation. I was thrown out of the House of Commons following the vote when I clapped sarcastically after witnessing an incredible event. One by one, federal Liberal MPs […]
Media hype anti-Semitism
TORONTO–Maybe it’s just a coincidence. When former prime minister Brian Mulroney told a conference on anti- Semitism in Toronto that Canadians must confront growing anti-Semitism at home and abroad, and that “Israel has, in effect, become the new Jew,” it was front page news. When University of Arizona historian Leonard Dinnerstein, an expert in the […]
Public outcry forces StatsCan to release 1906 census: Agency stymied genealogists, historians, politicians for four years
OTTAWA–Last week, the Liberal government introduced a small bill in the Senate allowing the release of census records for historical research. No more than 800 words in all – or three pages long – Bill S-13 brings to a close a strange saga that started five years ago when Statistics Canada caused a major public […]
The Canadian Way…: Since 1945, Canadians have elected to reduce forces and capabilities
WASHINGTON, D.C.–An old axiom describes military procedures: “There is a right way, a wrong way, and an Army way.” That is, from outside the system, the logic appears inexplicable, but from inside the system, it makes sense. Some rail against the system as did Joseph Heller in Catch 22 ; others swear by it (especially […]
Pilots honoured
Several members of 8 Wing/CFB Trenton and 17 Wing Winnipeg were honoured last month in Ottawa for their contribution to the war against terrorism. All have served in the Arabian gulf as the logistical spine that flies troops into “theatre,” keeps them fed, clothed and armed and also gets them out in a hurry. The […]
