Column: From the Hill -- the Bus Service Problem
Greyhound’s announcement that it will be pulling all its routes out of western Canada at the end of October came as a surprise, and for many it was more serious news. It left them wondering how they were going to travel to work sites, to visit relatives and friends, or to go to university in the fall. For them, the bus isn’t...
Editorial: Our Choice of Voting Systems -- Part Seven: Extremism?
Why people defend FPTP and oppose Proportional Representation: There have been some frightening statements made about proportional representation, by a few people. Why do they want to keep using First-Past-the-Post (FPTP)? What are their reasons for opposing all of the three Pro-rep systems being offered in this fall’s...
Column: Warm Enough Yet?
Over the past few months, heat records have broken worldwide. In early July, the temperature in Ouargla, Algeria, reached 51.3 C, the highest ever recorded in Africa! Temperatures in the eastern and southwestern United States and southeastern Canada have also hit record highs. In Montreal, people sweltered under temperatures...
Prime Minister's Youth Advisory Group members ask Trudeau to cancel Kinder Morgan expansion buyout
Unprecedented move by young Canadians to challenge the Prime Minister with the support of members of his own Youth Council. July 16, Ottawa — 16 past and present Prime Minister’s Youth Council (PMYC) members are calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to cancel the Kinder Morgan buyout . Today, young Canadian individuals...
Opinion: Is it ever right for political leaders to defy court orders?
Former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Ian Binnie said, “I think the recent popularity amongst political leaders denouncing judicial outcomes is extremely dangerous.” He was referring to the fact that Green Party Member of Parliament (and party leader) Elizabeth May and NDP Member of Parliament Kennedy Stewart defied a court...
Letter to the Editor: My personal fact check
Electoral Reform : My Personal Fact Check #1 Having read through the selection of ‘news and reports’ on the nobcprorep website, there are a few claims that lack support: one is that proportional representation will lead to a string of minority governments along with economic instability. I also just skimmed through the World...
Letter: PR levels playing field
To The Editor: One of the things that first attracted me to proportional representation, PR, apart from the fact that it just made sense, is that it is supported by people across the political spectrum. At my first PR meeting in 2004, I sat next to someone from the Canadian Rate Payer's Federation and Andrew Coyne was the...
Editorial: Our Choice of Voting Systems -- Part Six
Life is never simple, and one decision is generally followed by more decisions. If a majority of voters choose a change to a proportional representation system for BC, more decisions must be made. Here, we explain how the referendum will be held and what decisions may follow – depending on the outcome – and who will make them....
Initiative Petition: 90 Days to sign against Site C
A BC voter has begun the next stage of an initiative petition process seeking to have the BC government cancel the Site C dam project; see this May 3 article first announcing the petition. The petition sheets were issued on July 3, so the proponent has 90 days to collect signatures. To move to the next stage of the process,...
Editorial: Our choice of voting systems -- Part Four
This is Part Four in the series on the upcoming referendum and the voting systems we can choose. To recap briefly, the referendum this fall will offer us a choice between staying with our current system of voting, usually called First-Past-the-Post (FPTP), or moving to a system of Proportional Representation. People who want...
