House subcommittee on International Human Rights has heard from local activists, community activists
Re: “House subcommittee hearings on mining in Latin America a public disservice,” (The Hill Times, Oct. 18, p. 15). The opinion piece on the House Subcommittee on International Human Rights study on human rights surrounding resource extraction in Latin America claimed that we have not heard from those most affected by this issue: the local […]
Yes, we need to tax the rich
POWELL RIVER, B.C.—You have to hand it to the rich in dealing with the tax reforms proposed by the Liberals. They didn’t even have to put pen to paper or pick up the phone to protest the tax man messing with their ill-gotten wealth. They got the poor besotted small business person to fight on […]
Energy East saga demonstrates the need for a climate test
TORONTO—This month’s cancellation of the Energy East pipeline sparked a divisive debate about the prospects for new fossil fuel infrastructure in a world moving rapidly to tackle climate change. But there’s a clear path forward to provide industry with policy clarity for future energy projects: the federal government must put in place a climate test […]
Canadian fallout from Weinstein effect has hit hardest in Quebec’s glitterati world
OTTAWA—When does the punishment outweigh the crime? The Harvey Weinstein debacle continues to spill over into other sectors. Just last week, two iconic Quebec entertainment moguls suffered similar fates, losing public support, contracts and credibility after two separate journalistic exposés of predatory proportions. First, a La Presse article cited 11 different individuals alleging sexual harassment […]
Transport minister dismisses MPs’ concerns about aviation safety
Hardworking MPs, especially those from isolated communities, log thousands of hours in airplanes every year. For a variety of reasons, many of these frequent flyers have serious concerns about the state of aviation safety oversight in Canada. I have spoken to many of the women and men who represent us in the House of Commons […]
As with mass murderers so with terrorists
OTTAWA—U.S. authorities are still searching for a motive behind Stephen Paddock’s rampage in Las Vegas two weeks ago. A number of ‘theories’ have been put forward, none of which are very helpful. For instance, the fact that Paddock’s father was a bank robber and once on the FBI’s most wanted list has turned out to […]
Liberals can’t handle the truth
OAKVILLE, ONT.—One of the most basic rules in politics is that the perception of truth always trumps the actual truth. Ignore that rule when plotting a communication strategy and you’re just asking for trouble. What kind of trouble? Well, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent ill-fated efforts to sell his controversial tax reform plan provides a […]
Feds have critical role to play in maintaining high air safety standards
Canada has an excellent aviation safety reputation. This reputation was earned through extensive employee training, high safety standards and prudent oversight by government regulators. It is important that Canada maintains strong policies in each of these three areas because no matter how good a reputation is, it can be ruined by just one incident. Indeed, […]
Canada’s slow progress on animal transport
Last December, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency published updates to transport regulations in Canada Gazette I. CFIA’s Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS) notes that current regulations are so outdated that: they do not reflect current science on the care and handling of animals; they’re not “clear and science-informed”; and they don’t “align with Canada’s international trading partners and […]
Moving towards modern and effective air passenger protection
Air travel is integral to modern life. Usually, it is uneventful, but when something goes wrong, the experience can be disruptive and frustrating—in no small part because as individual passengers, we often have little control over events and little knowledge of our rights. The Transportation Modernization Act (Bill C-49) that is currently being debated in […]
