Veterans’ Affairs, the government department that serves men and women from Canada’s military, is being criticized.
Tag: Stephen Harper
Canada’s Chief Justice, PM Square Off
There is a very unusual argument taking place between two very high-profile Canadians.
The Prime Minister of Canada and the head of Canada’s Supreme Court are in a battle of words and the stakes are high.
State Funeral For Former Finance Minister Jim Flaherty
A “state funeral” will be held in Toronto on Wednesday for Jim Flaherty.
Residential Schools Hearings Wrap Up
A commission that will document one of the darkest periods in Canada’s history is wrapping up and will report on its findings next year.
Since 2010, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been gathering information from First Nations, Inuit and Metis people who were forced to take part in Canada’s “residential (boarding) schools” program.
Crimea Has The World’s Attention
Some events are happening in Crimea and the world is taking notice of them.
The small peninsula of Crimea, attached to the country of Ukraine, sits in the middle of Europe. Crimea is about half the size of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia; about two million people live there.
Crimea is at the centre of a major political battle between Russia and Ukraine. The rest of world is watching that conflict closely.
How Would You Change The Senate?
What would you do with the Canadian Senate? Change the way Senators are chosen? Get rid of it? Keep it as-is?
The Senate is a legislative body of the government that has almost the same powers as the House of Commons.
However, members to the House of Commons are elected; the prime minister appoints Senators.
And these tend to be people from his own party, who have done good things for his party.
Once they are in the Senate, they almost always vote as their party does in the House of Commons.
The Senate was started this way in 1867 when Canada was formed.
It was supposed to be a place for “sober second thought”—thinking carefully about the laws sent to it by the House of Commons and sometimes improving them.
Neil Young Speaks Out Against “Oil Sands” In CBC Radio Interview
Neil Young is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is internationally famous.
He has been called “one of the most important figures in rock music.”
In 2009, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Young is an activist and many of his songs are political.
Now, Young is doing a four-city tour of Canada to protest what he feels is massive damage to the environment being done in the oil sands in Alberta.
Canada Makes A New Trade Deal With The EU
Canada has a new deal with the European Union. The agreement is expected to increase the amount of trade between Canada and many countries in Europe.
Trade, in this case, is when one country buys something from another country and vice-versa.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said the new deal could increase trade by 20 per cent, beginning in 2015, and add $12-billion to Canada’s income (the money it makes) each year.
The new trade deal is called CETA, which stands for Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
It is expected to create 80,000 new jobs in Canada.
Canada and the European Union have been working on the new trade deal for the past four years.
Canada’s largest trading partner is the United States, but increased trade with other partners is good so Canada is not as dependent on any single country.
Canada’s Senate Scandal Grows Amid Accusations And Denials
Things have been heating up in the Canadian Senate.
Two days ago, Senator Mike Duffy made a riveting speech. He accused the Prime Minister and some other senators of bullying him into paying $90,000 back to the government when he didn’t think he should have to.
His accusations were part of a dramatic speech.
“The sad truth is, I allowed myself to be intimidated into doing what I knew in my heart was wrong, out of a fear of losing my job,” Duffy said in his speech.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has defended himself against the accusations.
Then yesterday another senator, Pamela Wallin, made a heated speech in the Senate. She accused 14 senators of leaking information about her.
It’s all part of a growing “senate scandal.”
The World Is Watching Syria
Countries around the world are trying to figure out what, if anything, to do about the situation in Syria.
The Middle Eastern country has been waging a civil war since 2011.
That’s when Syrians staged protests against the country’s leader, Bashar al-Assad.
al-Assad and his supporters fought violently against the protesters.
The two groups have been fighting ever since.
