Are we finally in a health election campaign?

 Why more affordable medications for Canadians should be an all-party priority in this federal election. It's become almost a matter of faith: health and health care are perennially among the top priorities for Canadians, but are nearly invisible in election platforms and debates. This observation has led health care providers, health care

The Politics of Love Thy Neighbour

 When did Christianity in Canada become so linked to political and social conservatism? When did so many Christians, especially the loudest and most organized, embrace censorship, resistance to gay equality, denial of climate change, opposition to vaccinations and an angry obsession with abortion? There are, of course, myriad believers in Christ who do not think and act thus but ask

Blue Rodeo Slams Harper In New Protest Song

 It’s been merely a month, but yet another anti-conservative diddy has gone viral. Following the controversial suspension of federal government scientist Tony Turner, Superstar country-rock group Blue Rodeo are the newest band of Canadians protesting the Conservative party with their new hit, “Stealin’ All My Dreams.” In a recent trend,

Response to Refugee Crisis Must Include Expanding Refugee Healthcare

 The haunting image of Alan Kurdi’s lifeless body lying face down on a Turkish beach, and the subsequent revelation of the Kurdi family’s intention to seek asylum in Canada, have prompted many Canadians to ask what we can do as a country to help Syrian refugees. So far, our search

Bringing Order to Chaos in the Debate on Marijuana?

 In the midst of Presidential Primary races in the USA, a federal election in Canada and myriad internationally supported and jurisdictional laws in place on the issue elsewhere on earth, marijuana has quietly dominated the media, political and business landscapes. Yet little, it appears, seems to be understood by the

100 Steps for Kazakhstan

 President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo at the ceremony of the signing of the Protocol on the Accession of Kazakhstan to the WTO in Geneva on July 27, 2015. In May 2015, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev announced one hundred concrete steps to further reform the country’s

Algonquin College is making waves and winning awards

 Cheryl Jensen is making an impact. Jensen became Algonquin College’s eighth President just over one year ago in August, 2014. She brought 31 years of experience as a professor, dean and vice president and a reputation for  creating strategies that responded to both industry trends and to the needs of students, employees,

What’s Your Story? The Future of Healthcare

 Photo Courtesy of Dollar Photo Club. Jane, 44 lay frozen on the treatment table. A few seconds before a searing bolt of pain had gone through her back as though someone had just stabbed her with a red-hot poker. She looked up at the health practitioner and asked, “I don't understand

Former PM John Turner and the Arctic Youth Corps

 Should Justin Trudeau’s Liberals revive a 1965 Throne Speech promise? "I really became a Canadian when I got to know Canada north of the 60th parallel... I have never felt more Canadian than when alone with my thoughts in the remote northern vastness." —Former Prime Minister John Turner Former Prime

Is Waiting Longer for New Prescription Drug Approvals Necessarily a Bad Thing?

 Why Canada’s ‘slow and low’ approach to new pharmaceuticals may be the prudent approach. The newest report from Canada’s brand name drug makers on access to new drugs has one key message: compared to other countries, Canada goes slow and low.  New drugs are slower to be covered by our

Daniels versus Canada

 The Métis Nation has long argued that the federal government has primary responsibility to deal with Métis as a distinct Aboriginal people, but successive governments in Ottawa steadfastly adhered to the line that Métis were a provincial responsibility. The provinces for the most part claimed that Ottawa had constitutional responsibility

In Defence of Parliament

 As I watch the frenzied, over-the-top media coverage of the supposed Senate scandal, I'm reminded of the famous Will Rogers adage. “All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that's an alibi for my ignorance.” Lost in this mass media morass is balance and proportionality. There

Four Things you Should Know About the Pending Charter Challenge Against Medicare

 A long-running dispute between Dr. Brian Day, the co-owner of Cambie Surgeries Corporation and the British Columbia government may finally be resolved in the BC Supreme Court this year – and the ruling could transform the Canadian health system from coast to coast. The case emerged in response to an

Chinese Ambassador and Canadian Veterans Commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Victory Against Fascism and Japanese Aggression

 Mr. George S. MacDonell, Ambassador Luo Zhaohui and Senator Joseph Day (left to right).  Ambassador Luo Zhaohui spoke at the commemoration ceremony for the 70th anniversary of the victory against fascism and Japanese aggression. In a touching ceremony on a sunny morning at the Hong Kong Memorial Wall at the corner of Sussex

The Métis — Ignored No Longer

 There are emerging signs that the Federal Government is finaly recognizing Métis land claims. The people of the Métis Nation number 350,000 who are spread across much of Canada and some of the northwestern U.S.A. The definition of the members of the Métis Nation put forward by the Métis National

Pharmacare is Good for Business

 Repeatedly over the past 50 years, national commissions and inquiries have recommended that Canadian medicare include universal, public coverage of prescription drugs. So far, no government has acted on this, creating profound inequities and inefficiencies in our health care system. But more than that: the lack of universal pharmacare is

Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev Wins His Fifth Election

 Photo courtesy: Official site of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan It came as no surprise, Nursultan Nazarbayev has won yet another election in the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan. The incumbent president knows his country and his people well. President Nazarbayev is an experienced politician. In his campaign, he

Trudeau Needs More “Nate’s”

 For the Liberals, the Tories and the NDP, the nomination process is a political blood sport and intrigue and backroom manoeuvrings have defined nomination races in all parties since Confederation. All political parties have nomination issues. In Calgary, a former provincial Conservative minister defeated a sitting MP, Rob Anders, for

Five challenges for bending the health care cost curve in Canada

 By Greg Marchildon and Livio Di Matteo Why health reform remains a challenge Canadian economists received a pleasant surprise this year: expenditure growth on public healthcare in Canada finally appears to be slowing down. However, it is unclear if this slowdown is the result of explicit success in sustainably bending the cost-curve

Most Canadians don’t understand food nutrition labels

 By John Millar and Mélanie Meloche-Holubowski  How Simplifying and Standardizing Food Labels Can Help With Better Food Choices As January comes to an end, those who vowed to eat better in 2015 have probably already given up. Not very surprising, considering that most people grossly underestimate the amount of calories they

Older adults living with mental illness need specialized housing

 New Calgary report warns more homeless seniors a real possibility By Pat Cashion and Lee Tunstall Older adults living with mental illness often face a double stigma in our society—both from aging and from mental illness. They are some of the most invisible and most vulnerable individuals in our communities,

Three Things We Can Do to End Poverty in Canada

 Poverty degrades our economy, changes the nature of our cities and the cohesion of our society “Time to end poverty in Canada” has been the message from the Salvation Army coming across our TV screens this holiday season. A great idea from an organization that fights poverty every day in

Ontario Spends More than $11 billion a Year on Prescription Drugs

 Why an income-based drug plan would not be good for Ontario’s economy or its seniors Ontario spends $11 billion per year on prescription drugs. Nearly half of this is spent on medicines used by senior citizens, a group that receives public subsidies for nearly all of their prescription drug costs

Shen Yun Returns to Ottawa for Ninth Season

 In Chinese, Shen Yun means “the beauty of divine beings dancing.” Indeed that is exactly what audiences can expect from the 2015 performance of Shen Yun at the National Arts Centre. “The show will be a lasting memory and the profundity of the Chinese culture will uplift their life,” says

An Era of Restraint in Health Care Spending in Canada

 The question is whether the current decline represents a permanent bending of the health care cost curve or a temporary pause In the wake of new health expenditure data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the evidence continues to mount that Canadian public health expenditure growth is moderating.