Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. There is lots of work ahead of us before we achieve that goal. Poverty rates in Canada are growing and the income gap is widening as more and more of the working force are working for minimum wage, or less than…
New kind of business lobby ominous threat to democracy Last June, “the three amigos”—the name the press gave the leaders of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. because they were meeting in Mexico at the time—launched the North American Competitiveness Council (the NACC). The NACC, described in government press releases as…
BC is not meeting its obligations to women under international human rights law. That was the clear message of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in comments issued last week in New York City-just in time for International Women’s Day (March 8). The UN Committee…
The oil industry in Canada is second to none, at least when it comes to spin. It makes the most creative of Canada’s political leaders look like amateurs. The latest and most audacious story being spun to Canadians is that the oil industry stands to be hurt by high oil…
The Empire strikes back: Libya attacked by the U.S. and NATO No sooner had the popular revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia overthrown corrupt and repressive U.S.-backed dictatorships than Washington and NATO (led by a Canadian general) attacked Libya on March 19 with jet fighters and hundreds of missiles and bombs.…
One of the most important constitutional trials in Canadian history was set to begin on September 8, 2014 before the BC Supreme Court. Dr. Day, owner of the for-profit Cambie Surgical Centre says he is fighting for the freedom of patients who are victims of “medical enslavement”, while making generous…
By Michael Byers and Stewart Webb Last November, Canada’s mission in Afghanistan was extended by three years without a debate in Parliament when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that our soldiers would shift to a much safer training role. His explanation was that “when we’re talking simply about technical or training…
Last November, Canada’s mission in Afghanistan was extended by three years without a debate in Parliament when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that our soldiers would shift to a much safer training role. His explanation was that “when we’re talking simply about technical or training missions, I think that is…
Canadian Medicare faces growing threats across the country. Many patients using private, for-profit clinics find themselves paying out of pocket for services covered by Medicare. Murial Schoof was required to pay more than $6,000 for sinus surgery at B.C.’s for-profit False Creek Surgery Centre. Court documents state that her physician…
Uprisings a stunning blow to U.S. control of the Middle East “Fight like an Egyptian!” was the cry echoed by supporters of the Egyptian Revolution around the world when in 17 days the people of that country overthrew its 30-year-old dictatorship on February 11. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was forced…
Medicare’s future Medicare represents one of our crowning national achievements, a proud reflection of how we see ourselves as a just and caring society. On this, National Medicare Week, it is important to revisit what Medicare is, how it came about, how it is threatened, and how to defend and…
When it comes to good urban planning, transportation and taking action on climate change, Europe has a lot to teach us. BC took important baby steps with its Climate Action Plan of 2008. Three years later, however, baby is still clinging to the coffee table. The centrepiece of BC’s plan…