This is my last blog of 2018, so now is a good time to reflect on some of the highlights centering on social justice that were significant to me this year. To start, I was so heartened to witness the comeback of COPE, a party very important to me and one I’ve been heavily involved…
Category: justice system
Fair play would go a long way at ICBC
ICBC rates are set to jump again — this time by 6.4 percent. This follows the insurance corporation’s largest annual loss ever — a loss caused in large part when BC’s previous Liberal government withdrew massive amounts of money from the corporation and put the money into provincial coffers. Will the rate increase fix the…
Omar Khadr, torture & holding governments to account
Omar Khadr has been in the news recently. The federal government has agreed to an out-of-court settlement estimated to be $10.5 million. This has angered many Canadians. It has not angered me at all. In fact, it confirms my long-standing belief that governments engaging in torture must be held accountable. Let me explain. At the…
Justice can prevail against all odds
In 2004 my partner Penny and I travelled to El Salvador as guests of the FMLN (Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, one of two of the country’s major political parties). We toured this tiny Central American country for two weeks visiting many tiny municipal councils, environmental advocacy organisations, human rights organisations, women’s groups and disability…
The power of girls and women
As many of you may know, October 11 was the International Day of the Girl. In all walks of life we need to do a better job of creating a truly equal society. In commerce, politics and our work environments, girls and women are still not treated equally or fully valued for their contributions. One…
When “disability” disappears and everyone is valued
A lot has been said in recent days, both pro and con, about the federal government’s bill on assisted dying. Just over a year ago the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Criminal Code provision prohibiting assisted dying was unconstitutional and gave the federal government one year to amend the law. For what its…
A third option for more justice
On Tuesday we learned that Jian Ghomeshi’s last outstanding criminal charge of sexual assault was dropped by the Ontario Crown Counsel. Mr. Ghomeshi entered into a peace bond that will last for a period of one year, and apologized in court to his victim — Kathryn Borel, a former associate producer on CBC Radio’s Q….