Suu Kyi’s Rohingya reaction tarnishes a respected image
TORONTO—Another idol bites the dust. The world had been told that Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi was a heroine of democracy and human rights. Now it turns out that her idea of human rights doesn’t include the roughly 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims living in Burma’s western state of Rakhine. It seems she approves of […]
What does Health Canada’s latest biomonitoring study say about the state of Canada’s toxics law?
In 2010, Canada was the first country to declare bisphenol A (BPA) toxic and to ban its use in polycarbonate plastic baby bottles based on its risks to babies. This was celebrated by Canadians and positioned Canada as a global leader in addressing the health risks of toxic chemicals in consumer products. Fast forward to […]
It’s a globalized world after all
MONTREAL—As tends to happen with words that get tossed into the post-truth Trump-o-lizer, “globalization” has taken on some negative associations lately. In the same way that “loser,” “classy,” and “huge” have evolved in this era of small bigs and horrible “tremendouses,” globalization has been repurposed to mean something it didn’t used to. Trump’s astonishing performance […]
Can a new leader make the NDP relevant again?
OTTAWA—Gone are the days when the likes of Ruth Ellen Brosseau could trade in a campus bartender gig in Ottawa for a seat in Parliament on the strength of the late Jack Layton’s appeal in Quebec—and accomplish this move without even campaigning in the riding of Berthier-Maskinongé. While the NDP now holds power in Alberta […]
Industry groups should stop stalling updates to animal-transport rules
Re: “Beef farmers care about their animals’ welfare,” (The Hill Times, Aug. 30, p. 9). Richard Horne’s letter on behalf of Ontario’s beef industry fails to acknowledge several important facts. First, of the 750 million animals sent to slaughter annually, less than one half of one per cent are cows. Thus, Mr. Horne’s statistics do […]
Ontario: dope dealer extraordinaire
OTTAWA—While I know the chances of anyone shedding any tears for me is akin to a snowball in hell, it is hard not to feel like in Central Canada these days governments are out to stick it to the business community. You’ve read my laments about the federal Liberals’ plan to change the way private […]
We can make business-First Nations partnerships work
In two important decisions this summer, Canada’s highest court provided long-awaited clarity on the Crown’s duty to consult on energy projects that affect the rights of Indigenous peoples. This clarity is welcome, but it may not last long as the discussion of Indigenous rights now continues in the political arena. Meanwhile, another conversation is developing […]
Hacker, faker, liar, spy
In normal times, a comment from the world’s pre-eminent spy novelist about the state of our politics wouldn’t seem so noteworthy. But when John le Carré took time away from promoting his new book at the Royal Festival Hall in London, U.K., last week to say, “Something truly, seriously bad is happening,” it stood out […]
All-party caucuses ought to be more transparent
Did you know the British Parliament has an All-Party Parliamentary Pigeon Racing Group? Yeah, that’s a thing. Well, at least in Britain. A quick scroll down the group’s online profile tells you its purpose is to “raise and promote understanding and support of pigeon racing in the U.K. and Ireland,” its chair is Conservative MP […]
NATO film rewrites history to demonize Russians
OTTAWA—There is a controversial new video out on NATO’s official YouTube channel entitled Forest Brothers. The gist of the eight-minute film is to lionize the brave Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian fighters who took to the woods to resist the Soviet Union’s occupation of the Baltic States at the end of the Second World War. These desperate […]
