House Justice Committee to mull revival of controversial hate-speech provision, as it shifts focus away from SNC-Lavalin
The House Justice Committee will examine whether to revive a contentious rule on hate speech, one that experts say could deter the spread of incendiary propaganda, in the wake of the mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, that left 50 dead. Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi (Willowdale, Ont.) told The Hill Times that section 13 of […]
The scourge of white racism
OTTAWA—The death toll from the white supremacist terrorist attack on Muslims in New Zealand had only just risen on the weekend when United States President Donald Trump was tweeting his full-throated support for a Fox News host who had been suspended for on-air Islamophobic comments. “Bring back [Judge Jeanine] Pirro,” the president tweeted from the […]
Making an equal WAGE: Monsef talks new department
In a few short weeks, Maryam Monsef has gone from being a junior minister in charge of an oft-sidelined agency, to juggling managing one full-fledged department and part of another. On Dec. 13, Ms. Monsef’s (Peterborough-Kawartha, Ont.) portfolio was transformed from Status of Women, the agency, to Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), the full department, […]
Liberal plan to double women entrepreneurs ‘very ambitious,’ money not flowing to grassroots, say observers, critics
This spring, the Liberals will announce the winners of the $20-million Women’s Entrepreneurship Fund, but University of Ottawa professor Barbara Orser says it’s not a lot of money to support women-owned or women-led businesses and help them grow. And while the minister in charge of the program says it’s the “right thing to do,” opposition […]
Rewrite Senate anti-harassment policy, says Upper Chamber subcommittee
The Senate needs to start from scratch when it comes to its anti-harassment policy, instead of merely updating its existing decade-old document, says a group of Senators tasked with studying the Upper Chamber’s anti-harassment rules. “When the subcommittee was charged with reviewing the current policy, members knew that they were undertaking a considerably broad task […]
Black public servants looking for political champions to fight battle in House, Senate
A new group advocating for the rights of Black public servants says that to combat the systemic racism employees face, specific data on Black Canadians is required to get a better picture of the issues it says need to be addressed. And with less than six years left in a UN decade for people of […]
Trudeau to meet with Black youth who experienced alleged racial profiling on the Hill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet Thursday with a group of young people who experienced an alleged instance of racial profiling earlier this month on Parliament Hill, days after the House Speaker apologized in the Chamber for the actions of a member of the Parliamentary Protective Service. During the third annual Black Voices on the […]
Trump, the promise keeper
LONDON, U.K.—Donald Trump is a man of his word, and he promised his base to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico to stop an “invasion of gangs, invasion of drugs, invasion of people.” It turns out that Mexico isn’t willing to pay for it after all, but a promise is a promise. So […]
Canada’s not ready to take Black History Month off the calendar
Black History Month in Canada has had some recent powerful successes. There’s a growing, greater understanding and appreciation of the intrinsic value of black contributions, in science, business, education, music, sports, and public policy throughout our nation. These advances in heightening the awareness in our country to the contributions of African Canadians is perhaps best […]
Hill security, House Speaker to probe alleged racial-profiling incident
The Parliamentary Protective Service has offered an apology after an alleged case of racial profiling on the Hill by one of its members. On Feb. 6, Liberal MPs Andy Fillmore (Halifax, N.S.) and Greg Fergus (Hull-Aylmer, Que.) raised a question of privilege in the House of Commons, asking Speaker Geoff Regan to investigate after participants […]
