Oct 2, 2014
CBC News
Stephen Harper to announce Canada’s combat role in ISIS fight Friday
The anticipation of the announcement and the coming debate in the House has reverberations in all sorts of issues. Canada has 26, not 69 special services troops in the Middle East. The Military is worried because the budget for ammunition has just been cut. It seems, so far, that the enlarged role involves fighter jets and refuelling jets. Critics are wondering about humanitarian aid as an alternative to combat. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/stephen-harper-to-announce-canada-s-combat-role-in-isis-fight-friday-1.2784773 Related article: Globe and Mail Steven Chase and Daniel Leblanc Harper expected to unveil Canada’s Iraq plan on Friday http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-sent-far-fewer-advisers-to-iraq-than-harper-said-source/article20876413 Related article: CBC News – Chris Hall Analysis: Harper readying groundwork for Canada’s turn in Iraq http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/harper-readying-groundwork-for-canada-s-turn-in-iraq-1.2784678
Toronto Star – Richard J. Brennan
Inmate’s death at London jail under investigation
The sixth death since 2007 of an inmate at the London Middlesex prison this week is disturbing in itself but more disturbing is the secrecy surrounding the incident by Corrections, London police and the coroner’s office. Inmates currently have a $325 million class action lawsuit with government over conditions in the jail said to be “an atmosphere of violence, brutality and intimidation by not following proper policies.” http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/10/01/inmates_death_at_london_jail_under_investigation.html
CBC News
Refugee health-cuts ruling appealed by Ottawa
A federal court called “cruel and unusual” the federal decision to deny basic health coverage to refugees. Judge Anne Mactavish ordered those awaiting rulings on their eligibility for Canadian residency and citizenship to be able to avail of health care services. Federal Immigration Minister Chris Alexander has offered no fewer than 13 grounds for appeal, suggesting there have been errors in fact around the court’s ruling. The government has applied for a stay of judgment. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/refugee-health-cuts-ruling-appealed-by-ottawa-1.2783819
Toronto Star – Atkinson Series
Young Canadian adults less likely to think they can change world
The series on immigrants and refugees raises the possibility that Canada’s young people (20-29) no longer tend toward national groups to development or sustain national goals such as the national refugee sponsorship program. The Boat People’s Howard Adelman has done focus groups that suggests their way of communicating and organizing has changed such that small community based groups may offer better response. http://www.thestar.com/news/atkinsonseries/2014/09/26/young_canadian_adults_less_likely_to_think_they_can_change_world.html
Globe and Mail – Canadian Press
B.C.’s fees shouldn’t bar access to legal system, top court rules
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that while the BC government has the right to charge fees to go to court, the fees can not be so high to prevent access to the legal system. By a ruling of 6-1, the court struck down the current fee scheme in which a woman was charged $3600 for a ten day trial for a child custody dispute. BC’s Superior Court had previously ruled the fees unconstitutional. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bcs-fees-shouldnt-bar-access-to-legal-system-top-court-rules/article20889376 Related article: MSN News – Globe and Mail – Sunny Dhillon B.C. lawyers set to resume protest of ‘lack of funding’ for legal aid http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/bc-lawyers-set-to-resume-protest-of-%E2%80%98lack-of-funding%E2%80%99-for-legal-aid/ar-BB70ui6
Globe and Mail – Erna Paris
Canadian mean-mindedness is back
Paris contextualizes the current refugee atmosphere in Canada with the response from Canada over the Jewish immigrants denied entrance to Canada after the Second World War and the Boat people in the 80’s. The Harper government, she says, “is breeching international law, breaching the Constitution, and – just as important – breaching the values Canadians have defined themselves by.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/canadian-mean-mindedness-is-back/article20884077
Globe and Mail – Nicole Bernier
Why Canada’s reliance on unpaid care is not sustainable
This article is a good news/bad news report on the state of home care health and services in Canada. Bernier reports that 2.2 million or 8% of the 15 plus age bracket are receiving home care and that 1.8 million are entirely satisfied. The bad news is that the system works because there are so many volunteer hours – mostly from family and relatives, and mostly from women – that support the system. Bernier pronounces the volunteer system unsustainable for the future. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/why-canadas-reliance-on-unpaid-care-is-not-sustainable/article20888991 Related article: The Record.com (Kitchener-Waterloo) – Laurie Monsebraaten Ontario to tackle gender wage gap http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4890771-ontario-to-tackle-gender-wage-gap
The Atlantic (US) – Tolly Molson
The Enforcers of the Death Penalty
The article occurs while the US is embroiled in a sometimes heated debate about the death penalty, how and when it is to be carried out. The question focus for this article is how does one charged with the “judicial homicide” survive the act – and the stress – and wheel away the body? http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/10/the-enforcers-of-the-death-penalty/379901
CBC News – Matt Kwong
Kroger grocery chain’s gun stance draws fire from Moms Demand Action
A group called Moms Demand Action have pressured Starbuck’s and Target stores over the open-carry of firearms in their places of business and now have focused on the giant grocery chain Kroger’s where customers regularly show up with pistols and rifles. The action is focused in Georgia. The chain does $98 billion a year in sales overall in 2600 locations in 34 states and in this state 11% of the population have carry permits. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kroger-grocery-chain-s-gun-stance-draws-fire-from-moms-demand-action-1.2777369