Quote of the Day
December 13, 2011 | 4 Comments
Ladies and gentlemen, your Immigration Minister, Jason Kenney: “I’m sure they’ll trump up some stupid Charter of Rights challenge. That’s democracy. They’re welcome to object.” A true champion of Canadian values.
The Tyranny of Farmers
December 9, 2011 | 13 Comments
A Federal Court has ruled that the federal government does not have the right change (or eliminate) the Canadian Wheat Board without first consulting with – and getting the support of – farmers currently using it, as per legislation passed in 1998. In an editorial criticizing the ruling, the Ottawa Citizen has a pretty solid [...]
Due Process vs. Freedom of Religion
December 8, 2011 | 17 Comments
I’m torn on this one. The question before an Ontario court is should a muslim woman who is the victim of a sexual assault be forced to remove her niquab when testifying? It’s a pretty clear instance of due process rights clashing with a Charter-protected freedom, and I don’t see how we can come to [...]
The Greatest Ham in the World
December 7, 2011 | No Comments
When I was in a punk rock band, I ate the greatest ham of my life. It was Easter, about 12 years ago. We had an upcoming show, so family obligations had to be planned around a band practice. Our guitarist and I headed out to Kars (a town maybe 20 minutes south of Ottawa). Farming [...]
I don’t care about helicopter rides or gazebos
December 5, 2011 | 4 Comments
The Tories have gotten some bad press recently for some wasteful activities of some Cabinet Ministers. Tony Clement is getting roasted for a bunch of border security funding being diverted to his home riding in cottage country, and Peter MacKay is catching flak for hopping a military helicopter for a ride back from a fishing [...]
His cup runneth over
December 1, 2011 | 2 Comments
Raise your hand if you remember Judge Robert Dewar. We discussed him here (with follow ups here and here). He was the judge who, among other things, described rape as a misunderstanding, placed some “moral blameworthiness” on the rape victim and sent the rapist, Kenneth Rhodes, to his room without supper as punishment. Well, his incompetence [...]
Polygamy is still illegal… sort of
November 28, 2011 | 8 Comments
Scott Stinson is right; the most recent judicial ruling on polygamy is vexing. In case you hadn’t heard, the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled last week that Canada’s prohibition of polygamy is constitutional. Still, the ruling was quite limited, and detailed just how people could live in polygamous relationships legally (hint: don’t hold a religious [...]
Won’t someone please think of that woman’s child?
November 25, 2011 | No Comments
Thanks to The Volunteer‘s Hugh MacIntyre, I read an unsurprisingly weak column* by The Citizen‘s Kelly Egan. It appears that one son of one mother became addicted to marijuana, and, thus “ordinary” Canadians don’t want it to be legalized. Usually, a writer might have more shame than to end a story about the experience of [...]
Surprise News of the Day
November 7, 2011 | No Comments
In a shocking twist, the union that represents Air Canada – having been stripped of its power by the feds – was powerless to negotiate an acceptable deal for their members. A federal arbitrator ruled Monday that the same provisions Air Canada’s flight attendants rejected on Oct. 9 will now stand as their new contract, [...]
Good For Them
November 4, 2011 | 1 Comment
It looks like Quebec and Ontario (and maybe British Columbia) are unwilling to bankroll the federal government’s giant crime bill. Putting aside the (lack of) merits of the crime bill, many (most? all?) provinces are already in wretched fiscal shape – fighting deficits, cutting services, raising taxes. They don’t need the feds dipping their balance [...]