Let’s hope this impeachment trial, as ridiculous as it has been, is the last we witness for some time. Political strategy shouldn't be part of this process
In a few days, Donald Trump will become the third U.S. president to be impeached in the House of Representatives and acquitted by the Senate. The first was Andrew Johnson, a Democrat. He served as vice-president under Republican Abraham Lincoln in a National Union ticket and became president after Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. Johnson…
There is no room for abusive coaches in sports, yet Nike seems intent on ignoring critics – including athletes and its own employees
Nike executives have decided it’s okay to reopen a renovated building named after disgraced track coach Alberto Salazar and put images of him all over the inside of the building’s walls. This despite the fact that longtime coach was banned by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for encouraging his athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs. And despite…
The end of carding won’t cease the gathering of information. Instead, it will be entered into police data bases without the public’s knowledge
We’re in the era of predictive policing, geo-profiling and crime prevention – carding 2.0 – and need to ask the tough questions about what that means. Understanding and safeguarding personal freedom and civil rights is more critical than ever. The pace at which artificial intelligence is being developed and incorporated is far outpacing the regulatory…
Canadians have never been that interested in who sits on our top court. We should be
Leaks from the prime minister’s office concerning the potential appointment of Justice Glenn Joyal, Chief Justice of the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench, to the Supreme Court of Canada highlights differences between the treatment of judiciary appointments in Canada and the United States. Why do Canadians not pay more attention to appointments to our highest…
The proposal to give $595 million in federal funding over five years to Canadian media organizations comes with significant strings attached
Much has been written about the federal government’s proposal to give $595 million in funding over five years to Canadian media organizations. This political strategy has been called everything from a financial life saver to a Liberal takeover/buyout of our news industry. While it’s hard to blame anyone in the media who is starving economically…
Will the Norman affair have more political impact than SNC-Lavalin when voters head to the polls this fall?
What will be the bigger political scandal involving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government? SNC-Lavalin is well out in front, but the Norman affair is slowly starting to catch up. It all begins with a $668-million deal signed by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper with the Quebec-based shipbuilding company Chantier Davie Canada…
Banning the wearing of religious clothing robs public servants of the right to make their own choices
Legislative hearings on outlawing the wearing of religious clothing or symbols by specific Quebec public servants could easily be dismissed as proverbial lipstick on a pig. In fact, they’re worse, much worse, than a skin-deep brush with porcine cosmetology. They are part of a calculated exploitation of the deep human spiritual need to push other…
B.C.’s Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is a watchdog that barks public interest but whose bite is about self-interest
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) was created to provide independent civilian oversight over municipal police forces in British Columbia. But a string of recent cases shows the OPCC is more about overreach than oversight. I know. I was one of the cases. This summer, after 40 years of unblemished service with the…
Without accountability within our organizations, we lack credibility. Without credibility, we lose our respect and become irrelevant
The Catholic church has faced increased – and justified – criticism of its handling of abuse cases. There are allegations that the highest authorities of the church turned a blind eye to the misdeeds of some of its leaders. The results were catastrophic at so many levels, especially for those people who were abused by…
The premier is ignoring very real problems across Ontario in order to settle a personal vendetta with Toronto city council
It’s no shock that Ontario Premier Doug Ford wishes to shrink the size of Toronto city council. Conservatives like small government. Ford, a former Toronto city councillor, and his late brother Rob, a former mayor of Toronto, were known to be libertarian. They regularly made it clear that they believed that government should be leaner…
In a few days, Donald Trump will become the third U.S. president to be impeached in the House of Representatives and acquitted by the Senate. The first was Andrew Johnson, a Democrat. He served as vice-president under Republican Abraham Lincoln in a National Union ticket and became president after Lincoln was assassinated in 1865. Johnson…
