Time to eliminate gender discrimination in Indian registration, First Nation women deserve equality
PARLIAMENT HILL—I have been following with great interest the government’s decision to award Omar Khadr $10.5-million in compensation and in particular Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statements defending the decision. I invite the prime minister to use the same reasoning, principles, and values with regard to First Nations women and their rights in Bill S-3: An […]
A few staffers leave PMO and Liberal Research Bureau
PARLIAMENT HILL—Prime Minister’s Justin Trudeau’s office is down one aide after Tim Krupa, special assistant for policy, left the PMO about three weeks ago. Mr. Krupa had been with the PMO since the Liberals won a majority government in 2015 and previously worked on operations and outreach work in Mr. Trudeau’s office when he was leader […]
Women in business: let’s go beyond tokenism and the status quo
In 1996, my first formal speech on women in business described the “female model of leadership,” and here we are still debating the same topic in 2017. Canada was one of the first signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in the early 1980s, and gender equality is […]
The creation of Canada was at core of diversity
OTTAWA—In Canada, the 150th birthday bash seems to have taken on a double meaning. Bash connotes a happy time when everyone joins together in an unforgettable party. Bash can also mean a chance to take a dump on the very birthday celebration that drew hundreds of thousands of Canadians to Parliament Hill. Some of the […]
We need more working moms in federal politics
OTTAWA—Like it or not, the medium is always the message—and a young political woman with a baby bump on a campaign trail is bound to make noise. NDP MP Niki Ashton, 34, is the only woman in the race to replace Tom Mulcair as leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. On May 29, […]
Liberals’ black caucus members visit Casey’s Nova Scotia riding after his constituency staffer faces racism
The federal Liberal black caucus and an Independent Nova Scotia, African-Canadian Senator visited Liberal MP Bill Casey’s riding in late April to talk with people about racism after a black constituency office staffer there received some “nasty” racist remarks from constituents. In an interview The Hill Times, Mr. Casey, (Cumberland-Colchester, N.S.), a seven-term MP who was […]
‘Appropriation prize’ controversy a learning opportunity, say journalists, writers
PARLIAMENT HILL—From op-eds to Twitter threads, the issue of cultural appropriation in writing—of indigenous cultural in particular—has recently taken a spotlight among Canadian writers. Sparked by a controversial editorial in a magazine edition meant to showcase indigenous talent, it’s led to multiple people leaving their jobs, and sources say they hope the recent controversy sparks […]
Scheer, Lemieux, Chong score endorsements as advocacy groups release mock ballots
MP Andrew Scheer won a juicy endorsement from Quebec dairy producers last week, one of several candidates in the Conservative leadership race to gain momentum from third-party advocacy groups proclaiming their picks. Mr. Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask.) got the nod from Quebec’s Les amis de la Gestion de L’offre et des Régions—friends of supply management and […]
Sexual harassment still taboo among press gallery members
Experiences with sexual harassment are still difficult for female reporters to talk about on the public record. Fear of repercussions, including but not limited to ruining a relationship with the harasser, potentially being blamed for the harassment, and having to deal with questions from coworkers about the harassment, deterred some female reporters from attaching their names […]
Malala reminds us of how lucky we are
Granting Malala Yousafzai honorary citizenship has re-emphasized that Canada continues to operate synonymously with the values of peace, tolerance, and acceptance. My family and I were personal recipients of Canada’s mercy, as we fled to Canada as refugees from religious persecution that plagued my country back home. Living in this country—which offers equal opportunity for […]
