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Fake News?

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On June 4, 2004 one or more pictures like the ones shown here appeared on the cover of every major newspaper in Canada. The older gentleman on the left of each of these photos is my father. At the time he was 83 years old. The incident depicted took place at a Stephen Harper rally in Guelph, Ontario. The story, as reported in each and every paper, identified my father as a thug who took a swing at a 58 year old protester in the audience who represented the group Canadians for Equal Marriage. The National Post claimed that my dad had poked the protester with the stick. People were calling for him to be arrested. The result was to paint a picture of Harper supporters as homophobic and violent. Not a single reporter made an effort to get the story right. In fact, none of them even bothered to learn of my father’s identity. No need. They got the story they wanted the public to hear. The truth of the matter is that the stick belonged to the 58 year old protester who was w
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Progress: The Word Has Been Stolen And I Want It Back

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master—that's all." Based on this passage in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass (1872), something called the Humpty Dumpty Principle was established whereby a word means what you intend it to mean. Through Humpty Dumpty, Carroll suggests that we ought to be the master of our words. Today I am wondering about a word that we may have failed to retain mastery of. The Word Progressive Does Not Mean Left-of-Centre The word ‘progressive’ comes up in a lot of political conversations. As we discuss matters of progress, some folks like to characterize a certain set of views as regressive; the antithesis of progress. I will contend that t
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Job Application: I'm Seeking to be a Member of Parliament ... and you are the human resources department

Job Application:  Seeking to become a Member of Parliament It’s Not What You Know or Who You Know They say, “It’s not what you know but who you know.” I hope it’s not true. It has been said that when you apply for a job, often the best candidate isn’t hired. Why might that be? Sometimes the person who gets the job is the person who performs best in an interview, but the best interviewers are not always the best potential employees. Sometimes a person will be hired because he or she knows the right people, like perhaps the director of human resources. And sometimes, when employers get it right, it’s not what you know or who you know, but rather who you are that counts. I am a contestant in the race to become the Conservative Party of Canada nominee in the Yellowhead Electoral District. My goal is to become the Member of Parliament in the riding when the next general election is held in the Fall of 2019. Make no mistake, this is a job application process. You, the voters in th
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Let's Talk!!

Who Owns the Stuff? Who owns the People? It’s been two years now since a good friend of mine took his own life. As I think about it now, I disagree with and dislike the phrase, “took his own life.” Was it really his life? He left behind a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters. His business employed many people who counted on him for leadership and a paycheck. And I lost a friend. That expression too is messed up. Nothing was lost! The life that we call “his” was stolen. He stole it. He took it from all of us who loved him. How did we ever come to deceive ourselves into believing that we are the owners of our own bodies; of our own lives? My friend was a Christian, as I am. He would have known that the Bible says that we, “Were bought at a price.” Literally it means that Jesus bought us. He owns us. As a matter of fact, a Christian will say Jesus owns everything. But whether or not you are not a Christian, if you have experienced the suicide of someone close to you, I
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Rethinking the First Nations' Child Welfare Crisis

A Crisis of Families During the many generations in which First Nations children were forcibly removed from their homes, a lasting legacy of brokenness was established. We often lament the physical and emotional abuse suffered by countless thousands of people. We lament the loss of culture and language. While it is impossible to entirely separate one loss from another, I will contend that the single most catastrophic consequence of residential schools has been their devastating impact on families. As I listen to political pundits on radio and television discussing the present and longstanding crisis regarding the welfare of children on First Nations reserves I cringe. The answers all seem too simple. “More money is needed!” “Leave the children on reserve with relatives.” “Replace the provincial ‘corporate’ structures that account for money more than they do for the well-being of children.” Too often the commentary names a guilty party. The truth is that no-one is intent
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An Attempt to Understand Justin Trudeau

The Royal Wedding I knew on May 28, 2005 that we were in trouble. On that day Justin Trudeau was married to Sophie Grégoire at Montreal's Sainte-Madeleine d'Outremont Church. It had all the hallmarks of a royal wedding. There were dignitaries and a large media presence. The gold suit, sunglasses, and Pierre Trudeau's restored 1960 Mercedes Benz 300 SL roadster that had been shipped to Montreal from Victoria for the special day, all proclaimed that this was a royal wedding. The CBC and CTV held out young Justin, Simba-like to the nation, announcing to the world that this young cub was the rightful heir to the throne. And the people bought it. Canadian royal watchers love our version of William and Kate, or Harry and Meghan, or Simba and Nala. The problem is that we don’t need a prince; we need a prime minister. We do not need another royal family complete with all the fashion shows and parades. The Canadian royal family that resides in Buckingham palace is
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Inclusiveness: A Canadian and Conservative Narrative

The Need for a Narrative On CBCs Sunday Scrum on the morning of January 7, 2018 John Ibbitson said, “The opposition, Liberals and like minded folks, like to portray the Conservatives as racist, homophobic, and sexist and they will succeed so long as the leader is not able to produce a counter narrative." I believe he has a point, not so much about the leader specifically, but rather that the party as a whole needs a narrative to counter the Liberal portrayal with one that is more fair and accurate, and which shines positive light on the inclusiveness of the Conservative Party; inclusiveness which is notably absent from the Trudeau-led Liberal Party. In 2014 Trudeau said, “The party that we’re building, and that we’re continuing to build as we form government, will be resolutely pro-choice… I have made it clear that future candidates need to be completely understanding that they will be expected to vote pro-choice on any bills.” (https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/05/
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