EDITORIAL: The move (or not) to electoral reform in BC
Why fill out the government's questionnaire? The BC government's questionnaire, seeking public input on electoral reform, is intended to find out what features of an electoral system are most highly valued by voters, so the government can decide which system or systems to offer. Go ahead -- express yourself! Tell them what...
From The Hill: Fix the Phoenix payroll system
Recently, the Auditor General of Canada released a report that addressed the Phoenix payroll that has seriously affected the lives of thousands of civil servants across this country. More than half of the public service sector is caught up in this -- many are being paid well below their proper salaries, some are not being...
MP: Liberals adopt NDP 'Species At Risk' proposal
Today the Liberal government announced that they have adopted an NDP proposal to close a loophole in the Species at Risk Act. In September 2017, Richard Cannings, MP (South Okanagan – West Kootenay) introduced Bill C-363, An Act to amend the Species at Risk Act (amendment of the List) in the House of Commons which proposed ...
Corporate Influence Inflames Political Cynicism
In 1952, my Grade 10 civics teacher asked us what we hoped to become as adults. One of the most popular boys answered, “I hope to go into politics.” We were delighted because we knew he wanted to make the world and Canada better, and we admired him for it. Things have changed in half a century. In 1992, my daughter Severn, ...
Part Two: Multiculturalism and Immigrant Blending (revised)
“First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin. … I’m guided by a signal in the heavens, I’m guided by the beauty of our weapons.” -- Leonard Cohen, First we take Manhattan Part Two In Part One, I outlined my views of Canadian history as it pertains to immigration and multiculturalism, and the...
Site C and agricultural land
As many countries move away from big hydro projects, B.C.’s government must decide whether to continue work on the Site C dam. The controversial megaproject would flood a 100-kilometre stretch of the Peace River Valley and provide enough power for the equivalent of about 500,000 homes. The BC Utilities Commission, an independent...
Letter: Parking woes at Strawberry Pass
How fortunate we are to have so much snow so early in the season. Rosslanders, being the avid out doors people that we are, were out in droves, cross-country skiing, touring, and snow shoeing. On Friday we headed up to Strawberry Pass, to the Rossland Range Recreation Site, for our first turns on Lepsoe...
COLUMN: About that 2017 US climate report
It seems odd that a major U.S. government climate report released November 3rd didn’t receive more media attention. But then, the main thing newsworthy about the Climate Science Special Report is that it was released at all, apparently without political interference. Although the U.S. government is required by law (enacted ...
COLUMN: Can you say "conflict of interest"? Not at the UN.
When it comes to measures seriously addressing climate change, Canadians have pretty low expectations. They know that oil companies have the ear of both Bay Street political parties. Just last week, for example, the auditor general went public, exposing the Trudeau government’s refusal to provide the information he needs to...
Canada, Immigration and Multi-Culturalism: Part One (of Two)
“The West is the best. / Get here, and we’ll do the rest.” -- Jim Morrison, the Doors, Blue Bus In the beginning, two words I do not often fare into the waters of moral judgements, but in this column I do. My morals and ethics, or “values” as the modern vocabulary seems to...
