Rex Murphy and I see the world and country in much the same way. And we both hail from the Country’s eastern most Province. And he is a national treasure when it comes to articulating the concerns of Canadians about the governance of this place. A true wordsmith...
I encounter everyday people who are apologists for former or existing legislators. They don’t understand like you. They were not at the conferences leading up to the Charter and Rights and Freedoms. Balderdash! I wasn’t at the 1867 BNA Act talks either!! Nor was...
I would like to share my near disastrous experience with ArriveCan. In early September 2022 I had to travel to Mexico on business. I was scheduled to return September 13 via WestJet, but had to change to September 14, Air Canada operated by United. I got to the Puerto...
As I tried to sleep last night, the words of the lawyers and The Judge in my lawsuit kept swirling around in my mind. The Judge’s attitude seemed almost like they were debating the validity of a dog license! And recalling the words of my lawyer’s interviews some hours...
Those of you who are tired of my rants about the demise of our once great health system will be pleased to know that this is my last editorial. I am retiring from the BCMJ Editorial Board; currently, I am the longest-serving member (more than 20 years). I have been a...
Back in the lofty, pre-Justin Trudeau government days of 2014, back when oil was booming, pipelines were planned to east and west coasts, and Alberta and Saskatchewan were swimming in money, around $81 billion was spent in capital expenditures (CAPEX) in the Canadian...
A recent news report from the Winnipeg Free Press shows that 40 per cent of bands in Manitoba have outside managers to help with their finances. This is a record among Canadian provinces and territories. Saskatchewan also has a high number of First Nations...
Publius read with interest former Manitoba Hydro’s former Chief Financial Officer’s claim that the Utility is in “the strongest financial position in its history” – Manitoba Hydro finances on firm footing (Winnipeg Free Press, November 25, 2013). Mr. Warden...
Last Friday, Shawn Micallef, a Toronto Star author, wrote a very bad article about why he believes that de-amalgamating Toronto would be a bad idea. I wrote a letter to the editor to the Star, pointing out how ridiculous the article was, but they ran a letter from the...
Who would have known that this is a busy week on aboriginal policy in Canada with the sideshow going on in Toronto that has dominated the news headlines? This week has seen heightened aboriginal engagement not through the protests we typically see covered by the news...
Every time a natural disaster strikes in North America, reports emerge of retailers increasing prices in some locations. This, of course, is generally prohibited, and leads to public shaming. There are, however, good reasons why price gouging needs to happen. The most...
Yesterday B.C.’s children’s watchdog, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, released a damning report of the provinces Ministry of Children and Family Development in spending close to $66 million over the last dozen years on “big, blue sky initiatives” for aboriginal youth. Yet...
The Nisga'a are a self-governing First Nation located in northwestern British Columbia. In 2008, the Nisga'a embarked on a revolutionary experiment in property ownership. They passed the Landholding Transiton Act, a piece of legislation that would allow individuals to...
A new video shows that poverty reduction targets in the developing world have already been met. The reduction has come from some of the most populous countries- namely China and India- reducing poverty levels through economic liberalization. The video also states...
The federal government has re-introduced Bill C-9, the First Nations Elections Act. The bill died on the order paper when the House of Commons prorogued this summer. The bill recognizes that well-run electoral systems are key to First Nations governance reform. Bil...