In a COVID election, all bets are off now
Three elections and three majority governments sent the message that a government managing COVID-19 is rewarded by the voters. That was the general school of thought when Newfoundland and Labrador called its COVID election. But the arrival of the variant crisis has changed all that. The Newfoundland and Labrador government was forced to call an […]
Provinces should knock off the Oliver Twist act when it comes to health care
Provincial premiers have united to play the part of victims of a malignant federal partner as they appeal through the press for a bigger annual health transfer. “If the federal [government] doesn’t increase the transfer, there’s a risk provinces and territories won’t be able to pay for all the services their populations need. At the […]
NACI’s call to prioritize at-risk racialized Canadians reflects ‘deliberate attempt’ to recognize inequities, says expert
The feds’ immunization task force’s recent recommendation to prioritize racialized adults in the second stage of Canada’s vaccination campaign is a “deliberate attempt” to acknowledge the barriers faced by those disproportionately affected by the pandemic, but it will need to be adopted on a wide scale to be effective, says one expert. Carl James, a […]
The fight about academic freedom in Canada is whitewashed
OTTAWA—Quebec Premier François Legault used social media on Facebook last week to share his belief that “a handful of radical activists who are trying to censor certain words and works” are the problem, in reference to the recent use of the N-word by university professors in Ottawa and Montreal and those tyrannical students. It’s ironic when […]
Get on with it: Senate cuts a year off feds’ deadline for new oil rig regs
The Senate has chopped in half an extension the government proposed to give itself for making permanent health and safety regulations for offshore oil and gas platforms. Senators and oil industry executives have expressed concern about the government’s failure to meet its latest deadline to enact those regulations. Senators from multiple groups in the Upper […]
N.L. election chaos a case study in COVID campaigning
OTTAWA—Even for Newfoundland and Labrador, a place with a colourful and controversial political history, the latest electoral plot twist enters Twilight Zone levels. You see, by now, the provincial election was supposed to be done, and the winner, likely incumbent Premier Dr. Andrew Furey, was going to go about the mundane business of governing. But […]
Dedicated B.C. regional development agency to bring bigger focus to tech sector, innovation: MPs and stakeholders
Parliamentarians and stakeholders from British Columbia are welcoming the government’s efforts to establish a new regional development agency for the Pacific province, saying it represents a shift from viewing the West as a “monolith,” will benefit the province’s flourishing tech sector, and will help spur innovation in more traditional resource-based industries. “The tech sector has […]
The latest case of police racism is yet another travesty of justice
MONTREAL—Montreal is a great place to live. Unless you are a person of colour. Mamadi Fara Camara, a 31-year-old PhD student and instructor from Guinea, found this out on the evening of Jan. 28. He had been stopped by Montreal police for using a cellphone while driving, an offence he says he did not commit. […]
Rick Hillier’s double duty doesn’t pass the smell test
OTTAWA—From the outset, I wish to state that I have the utmost respect and admiration for retired General Rick Hillier. He is a natural leader; a charismatic public speaker and he earned the loyalty of those troops which he commanded. Hillier parlayed those attributes into a stellar military career, which culminated with him serving as […]
‘Dumbest thing I’ve seen’: Miller slams wealthy couple who flew to Yukon to skip vaccine queue
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller condemned the decision of a wealthy Vancouver couple who chartered a plane to Beaver Creek, Yukon, in January to get the Moderna vaccine, saying it left him “disgusted.” Mr. Miller (Ville-Marie-Le Sud-Ouest-Île-des-Sœurs, Que.), who spoke to reporters in a press conference Wednesday morning, said it was “idiotic” of them to […]
