The recent tragedy in Nova Scotia has once again placed the need for tighter gun controls in Canada front and centre. So I’m very pleased to see our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicate on a number of occasions over the past few days that the federal Liberals are very close to bringing in legislation that…
Category: Canadian politics
Are we moving closer to a universal basic income?
UPDATE: please sign these petitions to make UBI a reality! Petition your MP Petition to the House of Commons For decades, many in the poverty-reduction movement have advocated for a universal basic income, or UBI (some also call it a guaranteed annual income), to be set up at the federal level. A UBI would mean…
COVID-19: The neighbourhood catastrophe waiting to happen
For weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has been totally transforming our lives and devastating economies worldwide, right down to our own local neighbourhoods. COVID-19 is a neighbourhood catastrophe waiting to happen in the DTES. Its first confirmed case appeared yesterday. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, for most of the residents there to keep a safe…
Coronavirus: Being careful? You’re caring!
It seems like nothing but COVID-19 is in the news today. At the top of every newscast we get another update and, more often than not, at least half of the news segment features more coronavirus developments. Finally, the World Health Organization has declared it’s a pandemic. The WHO also says it’s seeing “alarming levels…
The irony at Davos
The World Economic Forum annual meeting of business executives and political leaders held in Davos, Switzerland, is now underway. This year, nearly 3,000 participants from 117 countries are attending. The theme: Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World. One of the keynote speakers was Greta Thunberg who spoke on Tuesday, January 21. This is Greta’s…
Here’s hoping Iran/US talks resume
I was waiting on tenterhooks for President Trump’s press conference Wednesday morning. In response to the Iranian ballistic missile strike on US airbases in Iraq the day prior, would he order a retaliatory American attack? Were we going to end up with another war in the Middle East? Iran, with a population of 80 million,…
My wish for the world this holiday season
Last week, COP 25 at Madrid came to an end without an effective agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. In the meantime, the climate crisis continues to accelerate at rates higher than ever. The alarming evidence is all around us: Zambia’s famous Victoria Falls has been shrunk to a trickle by drought. In May, it…