The cutting edge of unstoppable terrorism
OTTAWA—In a very funny Monty Python skit, John Cleese plays a drill sergeant who is trying to teach a bunch of skinny recruits to defend themselves against foes wielding fresh fruit (oranges, apples, grapefruit, pomegranates) with typical hilarious results. Cleese gets the underwear-clad students to charge him with fruit while he responds by shooting them, […]
Humboldt tragedy hits home for MPs
Speaking through tears, Conservative MP Kevin Waugh recalled bumping into Brody Hinz, a statistician for the Humboldt Broncos Saskatchewan junior hockey team, last November in Ottawa. The 18-year-old was one of the 15 people killed in a Friday evening bus crash carrying the hockey team. “Here’s a kid that was probably me 37 years ago. […]
Harassment stats flat, mental health middling among federal employees: survey results
As an employer, the federal government isn’t doing enough to stop harassment within the public service, says a union leader, after results of a large-scale survey of federal employees indicate that workplace harassment has stayed consistent over the past few years. “In my mind, if the government’s doing its job to reduce harassment in the […]
Why can’t Canada get rid of people we don’t want here?
OTTAWA—Is it just me or is it strange that an independent, secular democracy cannot make simple decisions on who it wants to allow to stay in the country? We are speaking here of immigrants, of course, since those lucky enough to have been born here have an inherent right to remain. A state should, one […]
Former Liberal MP Don Boudria being treated for inflammatory disorder
Former Liberal MP Don Boudria is in good spirits despite learning last week a medical condition will keep him grounded and likely limping on Ottawa’s streets rather than headed to the Liberal convention in Halifax next month where he wants to be. “Anyone who’s seen me limping lately probably wondered: is Don Boudria becoming his […]
Over the gun: the new faces of hope and change
On a balmy night in April 2008, I made my way at dusk with a throng of people through downtown Philadelphia to Independence Mall to cover an outdoor Barack Obama rally. I had been writing about the campaign for months, but it was on that night that the inevitability of the Illinois Senator’s victory truly […]
The Liberals’ midpoint record on defence and security is mixed
OTTAWA—At the midpoint between its ascent to power and the next federal election, the Trudeau government gets an overall grade of a B- on its foreign policy, having improved in some areas while underperforming in others. These are the findings from our Foreign Policy Report Card, produced annually by Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of […]
Liberal MPs call on cabinet to get ahead of attacks on new gun bill, as firearms lobby heads to Ottawa
Liberal MPs are calling on the government to roll out its upcoming gun safety bill with a public relations and consultation campaign, while pro-gun lobbyists, rural Conservative MPs, and gun control advocates are warning of the political consequences of getting it wrong. “If it’s not done soft and gentle in a way that people […]
Your printer is the next frontier in the fight against cyber attacks
Attempts to gain access to Canadian government information-technology networks are projected to continue increasing—not only by local hacking groups, but also by well-funded foreign attackers. In an attempt to level off the incline, Ottawa has taken the critical first step to protecting citizens’ most vital information and securing federal networks. In an age where public […]
Stop the politicization of terrorism
OTTAWA—Remember Willy Horton? No, not the former Detroit Tigers baseball player, the former convicted murderer. He became famous (infamous?) in 1987 when, after he was released on a prison furlough program, he raped a white woman and assaulted her fiancé (Horton was African American for the record). The incident became a cause célèbre in the […]
