‘Government can do so much by doing less’: Desmond Cole on shedding discomfiting light on systemic injustices
OTTAWA—Desmond Cole wants Canadians to abandon their reflexive impulse to measure social and racial progress against their southern neighbours. In 2015, his awarding-winning Toronto Life cover story, in which he offered a searing account of his own experiences of being carded by the police, disrupted stubborn notions that Canada is largely immune to the injustices […]
Canadian released from Turkish prison recounts ‘nightmare’ of three-year ordeal
A Canadian who was held in a Turkish prison for nearly three years and accused of assisting a 2016 coup attempt said he’s happy to be back in Canada and reunited with his family after fleeing the Middle Eastern country last year. Davud Hanci said the “nightmare” began in July 2016 when he, then a […]
Parole officers still floundering from Harper budget cuts, says union head supporting Tory parole board motion
The head of the union representing federal safety and justice workers says he supports a Conservative opposition motion to conduct hearings into the Parole Board of Canada decision that led to the alleged murder of 22-year-old Marylène Lévesque last month by a man out on day parole. And although he says he applauds the Liberal government’s […]
ISG Senators propose rule changes to prevent ‘partisan obstruction’ from blocking private members’ bills
Two Independent Senators, frustrated by what they consider partisan stalling tactics that can kill private members’ bills, have proposed changes to the Red Chamber’s rulebook to make it certain they make it to a vote. Senators Murray Sinclair and Pierre Dalphond say the current way is not working and the changes would improve transparency. “Every […]
Court challenges, opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion remain after feds’ Appeal Court win
Despite the Federal Court of Appeal’s recent dismissal of an Indigenous-led challenge, the pushback against the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, now estimated to cost $12.6-billion to complete, continues on multiple fronts. All the while, construction on the project—which will see 987 kilometres of new pipeline added, and 193 kilometres reactivated, to twin Trans Mountain’s […]
Judge sex-assault training bill still sparking disagreement over judicial independence
A bill reintroduced this Parliament requiring sexual-assault education for judges is a parliamentary overstep, says one Senator, while others previously concerned the law impinged on judicial independence say the reworked legislation strikes the right balance. On Feb. 4, after Justice Minister David Lametti (LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, Que.) tabled Bill C-5, he appeared with former interim Conservative Leader […]
Foreign troop deployment at traditionally low levels in Africa amid Security Council campaign
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Africa trying to drum up support for Canada’s United Nations Security Council bid, its commitment of military support to the region has dropped since the the end of its contribution to the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Mali. Some foreign policy experts say believe that an on-the-ground contribution towards […]
Privacy and data should be a top priority for ‘energetic’ Innovation Minister Bains, say experts
Tackling privacy and data issues should be a key priority for Innovation, Science, and Industry Minister Navdeep Bains as the Liberal government seeks to demonstrate how the newly rejigged department can help individual Canadians, say lobbyists, former departmental officials, and policy experts. But some experts are questioning what role Mr. Bains (Mississauga-Malton, Ont.) and the […]
‘Snowball of resistance’ over RCMP arrests in B.C. could escalate, says Wet’suwet’en solidarity protester
As anti-pipeline protests continue to unfold across the country, one Ottawa-based demonstrator says a recent call with the federal justice minister may signal a willingness on the part of the government to “intervene” to bring a halt to the RCMP’s arrests of protesters in B.C. “Over the past few days, I’ve seen an absolute snowball […]
‘Was I tough? I hope so’: retiring Tory Senator David Tkachuk talks divisive politics, election 2019, and Senate reform
David Tkachuk will depart the Red Chamber after nearly 30 years of service as a Conservative Senator for Saskatchewan when he turns 75 on Feb. 18. Sen. Tkachuk was appointed to the Senate by Brian Mulroney in 1993, after a career as a conservative political organizer that began in the 1970s and included time running […]
