MPs party under the stars, B.C. politicos come to town
Last Wednesday was another event-filled evening on the Hill and in the Hill neighbourhood as lobby groups filled the newly-renovated Sir John A. Macdonald Building reception room on Wellington Street and others flocked to the Party Under the Stars at Ottawa City Hall. The Party Under the Stars event, organized by longtime Hill staffer Cheri […]
Time to finally do something about homeless veterans, says Kovacs
Re: “Number on homelessness among Canadian vets just ‘tip of iceberg” say vets’ advocates,” (The Hill Times, Jan. 18, p. 7). I found it curious that none of the individuals interviewed for this article had precise information regarding the number of homeless veterans in Canada, yet all indicated that this problem has existed for many […]
MPs keep up weekly swim at Chateau Laurier pool, challenge Hill reporters to race
Talk about a warm-up. A Thursday early morning tradition of a swim workout by MPs at the pool of the Fairmont Chateau Laurier is being maintained in this latest session of Parliament. The swim starts at 6:45 a.m. on Thursdays and is open to any MP or Senator of any party, said Liberal MP Anthony […]
Legislative primer: here’s what you need to know
PARLIAMENT HILL—MPs return to Ottawa after a six-week break since they met briefly in December and they finally get down to work, three months after last fall’s surprising majority election win for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals. Here’s The Hill Times’ primer on what to expect on some of the major policy files in this session. Legislative […]
Trudeau Cabinet meets ahead of ‘ambitious’ legislative winter agenda, first real test
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his 30 Cabinet ministers are meeting for a three-day retreat in New Brunswick this week to review his government’s activist agenda before Parliament returns on Monday and before the real tough test of governing begins, after winning a majority government on Oct. 19. Prime Minister Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) and his […]
Numbers on homelessness among Canadian vets just ‘tip of iceberg,’ say vets’ advocates: it’s time for action
A recent government report that found 2.7 per cent of Canada’s total homeless population using shelters are veterans is just the “tip of the iceberg” of a long-standing problem among Canadian veterans and a symptom of the government’s failure to provide sufficient support, say veterans advocates. But Canada’s Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr (Calgary Centre, Alta.) […]
Canada must do more for our veterans
It’s estimated there are 2,250 former soldiers who are homeless, or about 2.7 per cent of the total homeless population that uses shelters on a regular basis, according to a March 2015 study by Employment and Social Development Canada and reported last week by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. Once the […]
Fiduciary obligation of feds to veterans, families involves honour of Crown
OTTAWA—Much has been written over the past six months on the New Veterans Charter, in particular, the hope that substantive change will flow from the latest review and recommendations by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. This article aims to highlight some of the shortcomings of the Charter, and calls upon government […]
Government should be taking the lumps, not injured veterans
It’s the bane of the Harper government. It’s the focal point of a class action lawsuit. It’s the lightning rod for injustice, despondency, and loss for the modern military veteran. The lump sum paid out to injured soldiers for pain and suffering is also the arthritic backbone of a controversial program known as the […]
Over the horizon: a professional association for the Canadian military?
On Jan. 16, 2015, in a six-one ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada extended the freedom of association provision in the Charter of Rights to permit members of the RCMP to form a professional association. This association will engage into collective bargaining efforts, and address long-standing issues, mostly related to service conditions, grievances, and consultations […]
