China’s repression of Uyghurs targets symptoms, not cause of unrest
LONDON, U.K.—Two weeks ago Professor Gay McDougall, co-chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, alleged that up to a million people belonging to the Uyghur and other Muslim minority groups in China’s northwestern province of Xinjiang have been detained in concentration camps to be “re-educated” about religion. Hu Lianhe, who shapes […]
Canada must criminalize all gun possession
Among developed nations, Canada has one of the highest levels of gun violence. The most telling comparison is with Japan, which has an absolute ban on handguns. Japan reports an average of 0.027 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people per year. Canada, by the same measure, has an average of 2.31. This is nearly 86 times […]
400 per day? Advocate questions reliability of summer border-crossing predictions after figures fall short
Recent figures on monthly border crossings show that a prediction made by the Quebec government on flows of people coming into Canada this summer—and one frequently cited by the media and federal Conservatives—has so far fallen flat, raising questions about how border-crossing predictions are handled, says one advocate. In April, the Quebec government told the […]
How much airport security is too much?
OTTAWA—Is there any less desirable way to travel these days than by air? Long lineups everywhere, intrusive searches, the delicate dance of holding up your pants while shuffling (since you have to remove your belt before you pass through the scanner), trying to figure out what 100 ml of liquid is, etc., etc., etc. The […]
‘Emergency’ House Citizenship and Immigration Committee meeting was a waste of time
The House Citizenship and Immigration Committee agreed on July 16 to meet to study the issue of the irregular crossing of migrants into Canada from the U.S. It was a rare summer meeting held on July 24. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, Border Security Minister Bill Blair, and Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen were all called to testify along with […]
Bill Blair is a solid cabinet choice
OTTAWA—Apparently serving as Toronto’s chief of police is a good training ground for federal politics and ultimately the federal cabinet. In last 10 years, two former chiefs have gone from locking up the bad guys to making the laws that mete out the punishment. First it was Julian Fantino who served in Stephen Harper’s Conservative […]
Blair’s focus will be guns, drugs, organized crime, more than migration, suggests Parl. Sec. Vaughan
Though his new cabinet post gives him responsibility for irregular migration, the job of newly appointed cabinet minister Bill Blair will be about so much more, including “guns, drugs, and organized crime,” says Adam Vaughan, the parliamentary secretary for housing and urban affairs. “Where I see this [post] going is not around border security vis-a-vis […]
Amid strained relations with U.S., Ontario, Trudeau debuts bigger cabinet with fresh faces, new posts
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled on Wednesday a larger cabinet, shuffling familiar faces to new posts and creating fresh portfolios, in a bid to emphasize his government’s push to diversify international trade in the face of Washington’s protectionist policies and to brace his party for the 2019 election. In a morning ceremony inside Rideau Hall’s […]
Gun rights groups targeting Senators, MP offices with summer firearms bill campaigns
Gun rights groups and the Conservative Party will continue to put pressure on Liberal MPs and the government over gun safety Bill C-71 this summer, using online campaigns and volunteers to try to “flood” MP offices with calls and emails. The Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights will also be trying to lobby Senators on the […]
‘Tough on crime’ tactics won’t address spike in shootings, says downtown Toronto Grit MP
Toronto has been dominating headlines for the spate of shootings that have rocked the city in recent months, but Liberal MP Adam Vaughan says these incidents are not “unique” to it. “It’s clear that, quite frankly, mandatory minimums and 10 years of being tough on crime have not solved the problems we’re dealing with,” said […]
