Goal: affordable and effective healthcare system: Roy Romanow outlines ‘highly-principled quest of bringing greater social justice’
ANTIGONISH, N.S.–As most of you are aware, last year I had the privilege of leading perhaps the most comprehensive, inclusive and exhaustive effort ever to engage Canadians in a national dialogue on the future of their healthcare system. Tens of thousands of Canadians participated, speaking passionately, eloquently and thoughtfully about how to preserve and enhance […]
Iraq war dominates agenda on the Hill
OTTAWA -With Parliament Hill gripped by the events in Iraq, backbench MPs from both the government and opposition benches expressed concerns over the way the war has overshadowed all other Parliamentary business. Opposition MPs are especially fretful the war in Iraq would create an environment where the government can act unchecked. Last week, debate on […]
Don’t be illogical Kinsella
Democracy Watch is thinking of having a contest on “What political stripe is Democracy Watch?” Recently, Claire Hoy and the National Citizen’s Coalition have suggested that Democracy Watch is a Liberal front group. Liberals in the past have accused Democracy Watch of being a Reform/Alliance front group. Now Warren Kinsella claims Democracy Watch is made […]
BQ National Congress in Montreal on April 4-6
Canadian Alliance special caucus meeting in Stratford, Ont., on April 4 MONDAY, MARCH 24 Governor General In Calgary — Gov.-Gen. Adrienne Clarkson and her husband John Ralston Saul will be Calgary from March 23-27 kicking off their “urban focus” which is to engage citizens of Calgary in a series of dialogues and debates designed to […]
New health spending must put patients first: Federal and provincial governments must put aside differences, move forward
PARLIAMENT HILL–Over the last decade, it has become increasingly apparent that the needs of the most important stakeholder in the Canadian healthcare system — the patient — are not being adequately met. One in five Canadians who had an encounter with the healthcare system in 2001 reported experiencing some difficulties in accessing services. According to […]
Political finance bill: what’s a large corporation to do? Corporations will find other ways to gain/retain access, exercising influence
The search for political advantage is nearly ubiquitous and it is also relentless for several reasons: the rewards of what economists call rent-seeking, whether pecuniary or ideological, can be large; the scope and scale of governments in Canada are huge indeed and thus they have a great deal of influence or many individuals and organizations; […]
MPs’ and Senators’ Birthdays
*Alliance MP Lynne Yelich, 50, March 24, 1953 *Secretary of State Ethel Blondin-Andrew, 52, March 25, 1951 *Tory MP Loyola Hearn, 60, March 25, 1943 *Tory Sen. Michael Meighen, 64, March 25, 1939 *Tory MP Greg Thompson, 56, March 28, 1947 *Liberal MP Liza Frulla, 54, March 30, 1949 *Liberal MP Gilbert Normand, 60, March […]
Canada’s stand is not anti-American: Iraq war has fermented some uncomfortable upheavals on international scene
OTTAWA–Canada did well to stay the UN course on Iraq. This was endorsed by a 153-50 vote in the House of Commons last Thursday on a Bloc Quebecois motion calling on the government “not to participate in the military intervention initiated by the United States in Iraq.” The vote is the reflection of Canadian public […]
Herb Dhaliwal hires new assistant
Federal Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal has hired an assistant for his ministerial regional office in Vancouver, B.C. Jonathan Ross started his new job as regional communications assistant for the Minister’s Office last week. Born and raised in British Columbia, Mr. Ross received his BA in political science and communications last August from Simon Fraser […]
Don’t blame the French: In the end, the French didn’t really care about Saddam, he was an excuse
WASHINGTON, D.C.–During the runup to Gulf War II, we anglos had some good dirty fun despising the French. In the UN end-game, the British finally blew all of their diplomatic gaskets when Paris rejected the U.K. UNSC resolution proposing a combination of specific measures for Saddam to meet tied to a specific date for Iraqi […]
