Meet Madi Lussier, one of the two witnesses from the Canadian Immigration Report or CIReport.ca, barred from speaking before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration earlier this week. Lussier and her fellow witness were invited to speak before the committee. Then they traveled all the way from Toronto to Ottawa to make the
Continue readingTag: Canada Politics
Canadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Canadians unhappy with Harper Conservatives’ $1.4b tar sands subsidies (VIDEO)
A must-watch video! Climate change activists hit the streets of Hamilton, Ontario, and asked people to compliment the Harper Conservatives’ annual $1.4 billion oil subsidies to Canada’s oil industry. Almost all of the people asked said they weren’t happy with giving handouts to the wealthiest and most destructive industry on
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Justin runs for his father’s old job
I really have only four words about Justin Trudeau making a run for the Liberal leadership … Just can’t win Sussex. Unless some kind of a miracle happens or PMS stumbles big time, Trudeau is easily beatable. I suspect any of the registered candidates may well be too. I also
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Harper selling out to UK?
It’s not necessarily a bad thing to be able to share consular services. Canada and Australia have had such a sharing agreement for over 25 years — Australia handles Canadian interests in parts of Asia-Pacific region and in turn we handle theirs in some countries in Latin America and Africa.
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: SCOC grants standing in sex-trade case
The Supreme Court of Canada has done the right thing by agreeing to consider the appeal regarding the prostitution laws in this country. In a 53 page decision and on behalf of a unanimous court (PDF), Associate Justice Thomas A. Cromwell said that while the women who filed the class
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Who is sponsoring Canada’s Democracy Week? Elections Canada, of course
Are you like millions of Canadians outraged by Prime Minister Stephen Harper‘s relentless assault on our democratic institutions, traditions and values? Maybe you’re wondering if the Harper can really be stopped? This week (September 15-22) is the week to do find answers. And do something about Canada’s ailing democracy. It’s Democracy Week (September
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Bad News: Two Polls Give Harper Conservatives Edge Over News Democrats
As the Canadian Parliament returns for what promises to be another acrimonious session, two opinion polls show that the Harper Conservatives hold a slight lead over Thomas Mulcair’s New Democrats. The Canadian Press Harris-Decima poll pegs Conservative support at 34 per cent, the New Democrats at 27, the Liberals at 24
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Canada Politics News Roundup For Sunday, September 17, 2012
Here’s a selection of our key news headlines on the eve of the Canadian Parliament’s return for the fall session. It’s going to be another acrimonious session. But the real bad news is that a new Harris-Decima poll gives Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives a 7-point lead over Thomas Mulcair’s
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Canadians oppose drug patent extension in Canada-EU trade deal: POLL
A new poll by Ipsos Reid, released today by the Council of Canadians and the Canadian Health Coalition, shows that what would otherwise be high support for a Canada-European Union free trade deal collapses on the issue of pharmaceutical drug costs, with 69 per cent of Canadians opposing a deal that
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Canada: Sending a message to Iran, or giving up on it?
Following up on my previous post regarding Canada’s sudden decision to completely sever ties with Iran, I have these extended thoughts on why this was way too fast and too sudden. Five days after the announcement, there’s still no indication on who Canada has in mind to be a protecting
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Massive Peaceful Tar Sands Protest Before B.C. Provincial Legislature Planned For October 22
Over 80 influential leaders from the business, First Nations, environmental, labour, academic, medical and artistic communities across Canada today announced an upcoming mass sit-in in front of the provincial legislature in Victoria, British Columbia on October 22. The sit-in will oppose tar sands pipelines and tankers and the threats they
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: An Un-Canadian Insult: Pauline Marois Portrayed As Hitler On Facebook
This is hate speech par excellence! A Facebook Page, Montreal Official, portrays incoming Quebec premier Pauline Marois as Adolph Hitler, and as asks: “How long will it take her to fuck up Quebec?” If you thought that wasn’t insulting and un-Canadian enough, try imagining 133 172 people “liking” the page. Photo:
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Photo Tells Us Why Canada Severed Diplomatic Ties With Iran
Last Friday, the right-wing Conservative government of Stephen Harper closed the Canadian embassy in Tehran, and kicked Iranian diplomats out of Canada. Since than, Canadians have struggled to figure out Harper’s motive for this hotile and undepolomatic move. This picture partly answers the question. The picture was taken during Israeli
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Who’s protecting Canada now that we’ve left Iran?
There’s no doubt sanctions need to be put on Iran. And at first, I thought John Baird had a lot of guts going for the jugular like this. But wasn’t Canada suddenly cutting ties with Iran last Friday just a tad too rapid? No skeletal staff to handle outstanding visa
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: A Robocall Invitation to Toronto Mayor’s Rob “Ford Fest” Barbecue
The term “robocall” reminds the majority of Canadians of the robocalls election fraud perpetrated during the May 2011 federal election. The robocalls and related U.S.-style voter suppression methods robbed thousands of Canadians of their voter rights. Canadians have since registered more 1,394 robocalls complaints in 234 ridings across the country with Elections Canada, the
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Robocalls Scandal: Elections Canada Paid Former RCMP Investigator $95,523
Elections Canada paid former RCMP investigator $95,523 for visit to only one out of 234 riding affected by robocalls during the May 2011 Federal election.
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: RCMP Grounds Aircraft Carrying Anti-Harper Labour Protest Message
If your progressive message is truthful but critical of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, it automatically qualifies for a “threat” and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) won’t allow it to fly over Ottawa. Let me put it another way: Ottawa is no place for legitimate political dissent. That’s the message our-scandal-ridden
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: New Democrats And Conservatives Tied at 34% each: Poll
The poll by Toronto-based Forum Research Inc is bad news for Tom Mulcair and the NDP. Real bad news for Canadian democracy. According to the National Post: With these voting intentions, an election today would see the Tories take 140 seats for a minority in Parliament while the NDP would grab 114 seats. Just last
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: To avoid sex assault, don’t dress “like a whore”: Krista Ford
As Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s niece Krista advises women to avoid sexual assault – by not dressing like “whores” – a recent victim offers a personal response.
Continue readingCanadian Progressive: Stephen Harper is “the best Prime Minister ever!”: 4th grader
Is it possible that Stephen Harper’s uncompromising critics (myself included) are missing something about the prime minister? This 4th grader seems to suggests so. She believes Harper is the best PM. Ever! And Harper agrees. The girl’s drawing (below) made the list of photos of the day for August 2012 on the
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