House reform suffers set-back [Motion to reaffirm Speaker’s power to rule certain amendments out of order]
[Graph Not Transcribed] Opposition House leaders are fuming over Don Boudria’s decision to hinder report stage amendments without also introducing some form of House reform. The opposition parties were expecting Government House Leader Boudria to negotiate a tradeoff for House reform with them before making a move, but Mr. Boudria has decided to act on […]
Standards should be set to require full testing of GMOs
Sound science, we are told, is the very foundation of decisions to bring genetically-engineered fods to market. Government regulators and industry officials have assured us that science underlies their conviction that genetically-engineered foods are safe to eat and genetically-engineered crops do not harm the environment. Some scientists from Canada and the U.K. for years have […]
PMO fingered as source of cabinet leaks
A senior government insider is pointing the finger at the Prime Minister’s Office as a possible source of recent cabinet leaks, considered “one of the major breaches of cabinet confidentiality.” The source, who did not want to be identified, said Grit MPs and Liberal supporters believe the PMO, more than chatty Industry Minister Brian Tobin […]
Eggleton wants MPs to get a military life [Canadian Forces Parliamentary program]
MPs will soon be jumping out of planes, joining rescue missions aboard Canada’s Labrador helicopters and tagging along with Canada’s peacekeepers in Bosnia. Defence Minister Art Eggleton (York Centre, Ont.) recently sent out a pamphlet to all MPs, asking them to take part in the “Canadian Forces Parliamentary Program.” The idea is based on a […]
Canada is disregardng caution in biotech race for market share
There is no more clearly demonstrated need for openness, accountability and transparency on the part of the federal government than in the area of biotechnology. Massive technological change involving genetic engineering is permeating every aspect of our lives without citizen input, Parliamentary scrutiny or public information. Secrecy and silence are the watchwords of this field. […]
Nader tells Ottawa to press government on “silent violence” [Science & the Public Good forum]
[Graph Not Transcribed] Government whistleblowers were honoured with several standing ovations at the Council of Canadians’ recent “Science and Public Good” forum. The day-long forum, held on Feb. 16, recalled an old-fashioned teach-in and had a clear message for Ottawa — it’s time to scrutinize the lax safety testing accorded biotech goods and the weak, […]
Levant says he has three years to get Stockwell Day in shape
[Graph Not Transcribed] He’s a little more sedate and his high-velocity patter has been reduced by a few RPMs, but Ezra Levant is back. After almost two years as an editorial writer for the National Post, the lively 29-year-old political strategist returned to the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition. But a lot […]
No lasting peace until there’s a Palestinian state with viability
[Graph Not Transcribed] Only a misanthrope would wish anything but sucess to the congregation of Canadians who made the great trade trip to China. The name “Team Canada” might suggest a cadre of athletes. But clearly it is primarily a business orientation driving the venture. In a recent issue of The Hill Times, International Trade […]
A smooth talker faces bumpy road, Tobin leaves trouble behind
[Graph Not Transcribed] Moments after Roger Grimes began delivering his acceptance speech at this month’s Newfoundland Liberal convention, Brian Tobin began clamouring for a pen. The federal industry minister, who quit his job as Newfoundland’s premier last fall to become a star candidate in Jean Chretien’s (Saint-Maurice, Que.) re-election campaign, had returned to a blizzard-bound […]
Old cronies, Day and Klein
[Graph Not Transcribed] Wintering in the Canadian outback, most of the season’s pleasures are in the scenery and the silences. Both are good for the soul, but also the environment lends considerable lustre to transient celebrity. Celebrities appear, like Bigfoot, out of the bush, looking larger than life. For example, the leader of the Alliance […]
