Author: Rick Barnes

They didn’t even hide itThe Conservatives have decided to take on Canada’s charitable sector, primarily the Environment groups, accusing them of being too political and un-canadian. This is not the first time either, in the past they have gone after women’s organizations, religious groups working in Palestine, and HIV/AIDS groups.

I will look at the budget over the next few days and offer some views.  Today I want to focus on Old Age Security or OAS for short.  The Harper government have decided that anyone aged 53 or younger will have to wait until they are 67 instead of 65,

After a long seven months, the NDP have a new leader.  Thomas Mulcair survived four ballots, gaining ground on each successive ballot. In they end he won with 57% to 43% for runner up Brian Topp.   Mulcair after being elected leader Now the NDP will see the return to

Here I sit, in the middle of the great Christian Empire, in the southern USA.  The land where if it has anything to do with a woman’s body or two guys kissing, the men will set it all straight.  Being Canadian, I have always felt a little smug when I

Every now and again you hear another protest song, you see another bigger better ‘It gets better’ video. After awhile they all sound and look the same.  Yet tonight, Robbie Roth, a queer Toronto song writer and performer, sent me a link to his latest contribution for the march to

Anti-Gay Conservative, GOP Bill Johnson, donated sperm to lesbians.  The guy travelled to New Zealand and was shopping his sperm over the Internet.  He managed to donate to nine women in all, including some lesbians. Bill Johnson It seems he is married to a woman that can not have children

This is a lesson for all the mainstream media.  It comes from NPR in the US.  NPR tried to find a millionaire job creator to ask them  if the GOP claims that a surtax on the wealthy would stop job creation. NPR called many Republican congressional staff and leadership offices

The Stephen Harper Conservative government has once again shown us that they believe they can do anything they want to because they have a majority.  The Government has been found guilty of breaking the law and what his their response? Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said the government will appeal the decision and

H/t to Robert McClelland @RJMcClelland Full cartoon can be found on Fisherman’s Road blog here

I posted this video last night.  A young boy going into grade eight. He is scared.  Lots of people call him names. This is bullying.  This is wrong.  I wish I could reach out and hug this boy.  He needs support.  He needs a safe place to be. You can

It’s a crime. While Stephen Harper and his government are building prions to put pot smokers in jail, they are ignoring the plight of many young people in this country. While the Harper Government ramps up the new program to speak out for religious freedom around the world, the Ontario

You have have got to be kidding, Only in America could this happen, or Russia maybe… Okay Iran too.  Three leaders running for the GOP nomination in the US have promised to investigate the gay community. You read that right, they want to check us out. The pledge ….   I,

Many of you have written and asked about my farm. Its not a real farm, it was once, fr some poorfolks that move to it 200 years ago. They had to make the rock piles and forest work for them. It must have have been tough. The land is all

Little Drummer Boy in Winnipeg. 16 year old Sean Quigley expresses the song much differently.

New anti-bullying law is good except for one thing… McGuinty said this in the legislature: “We’re going to require that, at every school where students request that this be put in place, they be permitted to organize themselves with a gay-straight alliance,”   “It may not be that name that they

World AIDS Day –   Steven, he made me laugh, cry and love. He was special, like so many others. He was brave, stronger than me.  I miss you Steven. Stephanie, Steven and me To where you are Steven A tale of two gay men, AIDS and Family

This morning birds flying over St Jamestown in Toronto

The Stephen Harper government’s omnibus crime bill is making its final stop in the Commons this week before heading off to the Senate.    I recall having a conversation with two political reporters at a Progressive Bloggers event in the East Block on Parliament Hill.  Our host was the well respected Progressive Conservative, Senator Elaine McCoy.

So in doing some research into Premier Clark and her BC Liberal Government, I discovered what I already suspected was the case. BC has the highest child poverty rate in Canada.  In fact, they have had the worst record of child poverty for eight years in a row.  Kinda makes