A pro-life CPC leader?
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A pro-life CPC leader?

The Liberals’ announcement to increase access to abortion – to the tune of 3.5 million – is the latest in a string of events bringing life issues to the fore in Canada.  “Whenever an announcement like this comes during a race [the current Conservative Party of Canada leadership race], it’s an opportunity for candidates to…

Short-term fix or long-term solutions?
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Short-term fix or long-term solutions?

Cost of living issues are dominating Ontario’s provincial election campaign. That is understandable because of recent price increases in food, gas and housing. It is also unfortunate because public debate focuses on short-term fixes when we need wise direction for the long-term challenges facing Ontario.  Short-termism is already baked into our electoral system. But changing…

Nova Scotia: The cost of living, health care & fishing rights
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Nova Scotia: The cost of living, health care & fishing rights

The Liberals are the traditional federal favourites in Atlantic Canada, and they kept their majority here with 24 of 32 seats. The Conservatives made some gains, taking three rural seats from the Liberals in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. No other parties won seats in Atlantic Canada, but Liberal Jenica Atwin from Fredericton is a…

Alberta: Escaping the tyranny of fossil fuel dependency
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Alberta: Escaping the tyranny of fossil fuel dependency

The overriding question for Alberta seems to be: what is the place of fossil fuels – with their promise of generating jobs, economic growth and wealth – in a world facing climate disaster? The real question Parliament needs to address is why Alberta, and the entire country for that matter, is trapped in the tyranny…

Québec: Policy implementation and the cry of a Jewish prophet
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Québec: Policy implementation and the cry of a Jewish prophet

Dear Mister Prime Minister, As a fellow Québécois and Montréalais, I want to congratulate you on your election. I want to assure you that our church will be praying for you. You are well aware that “all politics are local” and no more so than in this recent election. There was no impact from Premier…

Ontario: Fighting indifference towards Indigenous Justice
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Ontario: Fighting indifference towards Indigenous Justice

There is a truism credited to a number of wise folks (Elie Wiesel among them), that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.Late last Spring, as political machinations pointed to an election, the stark truths of recovered unmarked graves at Residential School sites were high in the public mind. Given what Elders and…

British Columbia: Housing, immigration and election smear campaigns
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British Columbia: Housing, immigration and election smear campaigns

While party standings are largely unchanged in B.C., the Liberals won Richmond’s two seats from the Conservatives. That is most surprising and cause for concern. It appears pro-Beijing forces launched an aggressive smear-campaign on social media against the two Conservative incumbents for speaking out against Beijing’s human rights abuses. Chinese-Canadians dominate Richmond’s population. That community…

The choices before us
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The choices before us

As we Canadians prepare to go to the polls next week, we need to make ourselves aware of where the major political parties stand on the most significant issues of the day. The six parties we will see on our ballots are the currently governing Liberal Party, the Conservatives, the New Democrats, the Greens, the…

Two kinds of campaign
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Two kinds of campaign

Movies make political campaigns look dramatic. There’s always some veteran campaigner with rolled up shirtsleeves and a loose necktie running a “war room,” yelling at junior staffers, throwing papers around and smoking cigarettes. There’s always a huge scandal, and the chief strategist has a brilliant idea that turns the whole election around. I’ve been on…

How to ask the right political questions
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How to ask the right political questions

It’s election season again in Canada. You can tell, because the robocalls have started, the requests for donations are more urgent, and politicians across the country have bought some new shoes for door-knocking. This should be a happy time for Canadians. We are champions of “peace, order and good government,” which is why having a…