SARS story wildly exaggerated
TORONTO–The age-old practice of shooting the messenger is still alive and well, and anybody who has worked in the media can attest to it. Still, given the reality of feeding the maw of the current 24-hour-a-day media mania, there is something to be said in support of those who feel the media is, if not […]
Unmasking our shaky health keeper’s image
OTTAWA–Canada has had its highest international profile as peace-keepers, not as health-keepers making the world a safer place. But now, Canada is also trying to market itself overseas as a country with super special health care, now that the World Health Organization has lifted its travel advisory telling the world to avoid non-essential travel to […]
Correlation doesn’t equal causation
Regarding the letter to the editor “Health pros support gun control,” (The Hill Times, April 14). After reading Dr. Robert Cushman’s reasons for defending the Firearms Act, it occurs to me that if the propaganda he and his kind spew were not so damaging to public safety, it would be amusing. I confess I studied […]
Martin’s democratic reform plan falls short: Paul Martin suggests that money in politics is not really a problem
OTTAWA–Until recently, Liberal leadership frontrunner Paul Martin has been the master of expectation management. As finance minister, he always low-balled the budget surplus to reduce expectations amongst his Cabinet colleagues eager to see increased program spending. He also pioneered the practice of leaking virtually all key elements of the federal budget beforehand, to ensure that […]
‘Canada and U.S. enjoy strong relationship on energy’: Dhaliwal prepares for June meeting with U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham
OTTAWA–All eyes will be on Energy Minister Herb Dhaliwal when he heads to Washington, D.C., in June to meet U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham to talk about the $57-billion energy relationship between Canada and the U.S. Recently painted as the “Liberals’ poster boy for anti-Americanism,” Mr. Dhaliwal (Vancouver South-Burnaby, B.C.) was considered political pariah by […]
Time for nuclear debate: Calling nuclear power ‘safe’ is a distortion
PARIAMENT HILL–In light of the ratification of Kyoto a national debate and public consultation on government subsidization of nuclear power is long overdue. It is no longer acceptable for the Cabinet to make billion-dollar-decisions on this controversial non-renewable and unsustainable technology behind closed doors. The Canadian Nuclear Association (the nuclear industry lobby group) has carried […]
Martin boasts support of 124 Grit MPs: party insiders
OTTAWA–Paul Martin, the “juggernaut,” has the backing of 73 per cent or 124 of the 169-member governing caucus in the House of Commons in his bid to win on the first ballot the federal Liberal leadership, according to top Liberal strategists and MPs. Although the race to replace outgoing Liberal leader and Prime Minister Jean […]
Harper hires new staffers for OLO: Masciantonio leaves Eggleton’s office, Robert Meinzer slips in as PA
OTTAWA–Canadian Alliance Leader Stephen Harper shook up the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition last week and announced some new appointments which he says will “enhance and strengthen” the OLO effective May 1. “These appointments broaden our already strong team as we ready ourselves for the next election,” said Mr. Harper in a […]
Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources: Part 3
Senator Milne: Are you relying on the provinces to do this? Mr. Dhaliwal: No, we are taking the lead role. Senator Milne: I was hoping that some of the federal money would be for this and also for R&D on biodiesel. Mr. Dhaliwal: Yes, part of the debate that will happen in the ad hoc […]
SARS is not a minor threat: We treat threats at our own peril
The spread of SARS in Toronto could have been brought to a quick stop in the first hospital that it appeared in. The health professionals didn’t know exactly what it was at first, but they did think that the case was one of a few well-known, highlycontagious epidemic threats. That type of threat requires immediate […]
