Category Archives: Canada

Khadr and The Prime Minister

[Note: I have to tread lightly here, so forgive me if this is a little opaque.]
The Federal Court issued an opinion today ordering the Canadian government to request Omar Khadr’s repatriation from Guantanamo Bay. Two thoughts:
First, the opinion’s logic strikes me as flawed. The fundamental holding is that Khadr’s Section 7 Charter rights [...]

The Price of Freedom

Warren Kinsella has a (mostly) thoughtful post about the consequences of negotiating with al Qaida to achieve the release of Bob Fowler and Louis Guay. The prime minister was very careful with his words yesterday, acknowledging that negotiation was the best option in the circumstances but maintaining that Canada neither pays ransoms to, nor [...]

Thoughts of an Unnatural-Born Citizen

In today’s Post, Rudyard Griffiths outlines an amendment to the Citizenship Act that goes into effect tomorrow. Griffiths writes:
From this point forward, any person born abroad to Canadian parents will be a Canadian only if their father or mother was born in Canada, or if one or more of their parents became a citizen [...]

Galloway

I’ve just read the Federal Court’s decision in the Galloway case. It’s as odd and interesting as the controversy itself. Here’s why:
Media reports have suggested that Galloway was ruled inadmissible under Section 34(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which allows immigration officers to exclude a foreign national on security grounds if [...]

On Subsidizing the Press

Apropos my previous post, I note that David Akin is highlighting the Conservative Government’s decision to subsidize a politically conservative regional news magazine. Says Akin:
This, of course, was the day after CBC announced about 800 layoffs because of a budget shortfall it hoped Canada’s government, on behalf of all taxpayers, might cover. For better [...]

Sigh

Warren Kinsella, Aug. 3, 2008:
THE NOTIONAL PEST, JUNK BOND MAKER: [I] will continue to remain amused that a newspaper that loses nearly a million bucks a month continues to give the rest of us lectures about fiscal restraint and probity and conservative principles.
Warren Kinsella, Feb. 20, 2009:
CANWEST TURMOIL CONTINUES: Advice to former journalist colleagues [...]

Dear Ottawa

Wake up:
MOSCOW (AP) – Russia is planning to create a dedicated military force to help protect its interests in the disputed Arctic region.
The presidential Security Council has released a document outlining goverment policy for the Arctic that includes creating a special group of military forces. The report was released this week and reported by Russian [...]

Who Are These Interlopers?

Paul Wells and Adam Radwanski have the temerity to be eminently reasonable in their reactions to the Gary Goodyear thing. Wells:
Gary Goodyear can believe what he wants, as long as there are systems in place that ensure an Andrew Hendry can get a Steacie Fellowship. And apparently there are. If the junior minister for [...]

At the Risk of Being Labelled a FanBoy…

… I have to say: this guy’s good at his job.

By “his job,” I mean governing a G7 nation. Two points. First, isn’t it fascinating to see Harper interviewed by someone with whom he doesn’t have the dysfunctional relationship he has with the Parliamentary press gallery? I’m not laying blame for that [...]

About Iggy and those N.L. MPs

The conventional wisdom in newsrooms and among the bien-pensant across the country is that Parliament is dysfunctional and our political class embarrassing. But presented this week with an instance of sophisticated politicking, the commentariat have, almost without exception, cried bloody murder. What is wrong with these people?
The complaints about our dysfunctional Parliament are [...]