FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Mar 31

Are Canadian Conservatives Regressing in the Face of 21rst Century Human Rights?

by bcurry

There used to be a federal party in Canada called the ‘Progressive Conservative Party’. In addition, between 1987 to 2000 the Reform Party of Canada emerged federally as a right-wing populist political party. This party then merged with the Progressive Conservatives to form the current ‘Conservative Party of Canada’.  Note that they lost the ‘progressive’ portion of the party’s nomenclature.  However, today there are growing concerns about how Canadian conservatives view ‘human rights’ issues, both federally and provincially.

After all, it was John Diefenbaker, as a Conservative prime minister, who in 1960 successfully introduced the Canadian Bill of Rights, the precursor of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  Diefenbaker thought that individuals’ freedoms of religion, press, speech and association were threatened by the state.  He believed that a Bill of Rights was needed to take a “forthright stand against discrimination based on colour, creed or racial origin.”

However, lately there has been a conspicuous trend in the stated views of several conservatives in Canada, as exemplified by the following:

  • Federal conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch was seen shaking the hands of a ‘Rise Canada’ senior advisor, who represents an organization that has called for a permanent ban on all Muslim immigrants plus the mass deportation of existing Muslims. Leitch has also pushed for the stricter vetting of potential immigrants/refugees based on so-called ‘Canadian values’.
  • Federal Conservative Party leadership candidate Brad Trost’s campaign is not backing down after controversial comments about his stated discomfort with the idea of people being gay.
  • Federal conservative leadership candidate Kevin O’Leary enjoys severely criticizing the policies and qualities of female provincial premiers such as Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. He appears to imply that male premiers are more capable leaders, especially when it comes to economic matters.
  •  Ontario provincial Conservative MPP Jack MacLaren was forced to apologize after speaking against the provincial government’s proclaimed “zero tolerance” policy for the sexual abuse of patients by medical professionals.
  •  Jason Kenney, leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta, stated that Alberta schools should notify parents when their children join a gay-straight alliance club at school. This without fully understanding the nature of such school clubs and the resulting danger of putting some students at real physical and emotional risk.
  • Conservative Senator Lynn Beyak was roundly criticized in Parliament after she shocked other senators by defending those who had worked in the church-run schools, and saying that the residential-school experience had positive aspects for the Indigenous children. This despite the findings of the 7-year national Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluding that the residential school system was a program of assimilation and “cultural genocide.”

Canada is generally recognized for its enviable record for respecting individual human rights, societal tolerance and inclusion of groups and their beliefs, cultural diversity and progressive social policies. The above several incidences are but a few representing an alarming trend regarding conservative thinking and attitudes.  Hopefully, they won’t have to change their federal and provincial parties’ names to ‘Regressive Conservatives’.

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Mar 11

Canada Needs Laws Barring Discrimination Based on Genetic Test Results

by bcurry

In 2009, the U.S. passed the federal Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act which bars discrimination by insurers and employers based on genetic test results.  The law was enacted in response to breakthroughs in genetic testing, including the development of readily available tests that can detect whether individuals are at risk for certain diseases or other medical conditions.  Developments had raised concerns that employers or insurers would use the information to deny coverage or employment to those at higher risk.

Genetic testing has come a long way. Tests have been developed to determine the probability of someone being potentially at risk for dementia, osteoporosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and numerous other diseases.  Currently, individuals tend to be the focus of genetic testing for their personal or health reasons.  This is where the privacy of such information becomes important, particularly as it pertains to employment and health or life insurance.  However, despite many advances in the science of the human genome, the fact is that it is still difficult to predict with absolute certainty that an individual will actually have the disease based solely on genetic testing.  Other important environmental considerations must also be taken into account when examining a person’s potential health risks.

For these reasons, laws are required to prevent genetic discrimination and to guarantee the rights of people to privacy of genetic testing results. This is a matter between the individual and his/her physician, not to be shared with anyone else without the individual’s consent.  As was the case in the U.S., the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association on behalf of insurance providers believes that insurers have every right to information about a client’s genetic makeup.  However, given the reasons for genetic testing, the uncertainty of the science and other environmental considerations, the need for and use of such information by insurers and employers is really questionable.

Recently, a private members’ bill from the Senate was passed which would ensure that Canadians can get genetic tests to help identify health risks and take preventive measures.   This could be undertaken without fear that they’ll be penalized when it comes to getting a job or life and health insurance.  However, in a bizarre twist, the federal government is arguing that the bill amounts to an unconstitutional use of the federal criminal law power to intrude into provincial jurisdiction to regulate the insurance industry.  This ignores the fact that under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canadians have the legal right to life, liberty and personal security.  The latter should of course include the right to privacy in matters related to their health and well-being.  For this reason, the government needs to proceed implementing the bill and stop its stall tactic of declaring the issue to be an infringement on provincial jurisdiction.  Instead, we should get on with ensuring the privacy of people’s health information, especially when it comes to genetic testing.

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Feb 21

Is There a Difference Between a Failure to Tell the Truth and a Lie?

by bcurry

As a student of the English language, I find that the use of certain phrases and words is becoming somewhat confusing. This is particularly true within the “bafflegab” found in political speeches, government pronouncements and social media.  For example, decorum dictates that one should suggest that the person wasn’t exactly truthful or had misrepresented the truth.  We never imply that the person lied, as lying is considered disreputable in societal terms, except apparently when applied to politicians.

A “fact” is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “a thing that is indisputably the case”. A “lie” is defined as “an intentionally false statement”.  Usually facts are founded on science-based investigations or the results of thorough studies.  Yet, now we hear about something referred to as “alternative facts”.  I suppose it is O.K. to cherry pick and manipulate the facts if it can be rationalized.  However, wouldn’t such actions border on encouraging “lies”.

Then there is the new phenomenon referred to as “fake news”, which appears to alter facts in order to better reflect one’s preconceived ideas or opinions. Editorialists are known to interpret events and facts to support their views and opinions on issues.  Journalists on the other hand are supposed to base their reporting on the facts as they are known.  How reliable the facts are is in turn based on the dependability and accuracy of their sources.  Thorough fact-finding requirements do not occur in the case of “fake news”, which has increased with the growth of ‘social media’.  Recent studies have shown that about half the population depends on social media for their daily news, including fake news.

We also have individuals who, after being interviewed or speaking, declare that they “misspoke” at the time. Otherwise, they did not mean to say what they said at that time.  This gives the impression that they didn’t think before their mouth uttered certain statements.  Politicians apparently misspeak a lot nowadays.  However, they never lie!  All any of us can do is obtain our information from as many ‘reliable’ sources as possible.  We will then hopefully be in a better position to discern what are facts, lies, opinions or fake news.  Good luck, you’ll need it.

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Feb 20

Just How Open Is Canada to Accepting Refugees?

by bcurry

In recent months — especially since the start of President Trump’s administration, his travel ban involving seven predominantly-Muslim countries and indications of plans to increase the deportation of illegal immigrants — a substantial number of people have crossed into Canada via the Manitoba and Quebec borders with the U.S. They are doing so in order to claim refugee status, despite having entered the U.S. as refugees or illegal immigrants. A number come from predominantly-Muslim countries such as Somalia. They are crossing at open border points to avoid being turned around at Custom’s land crossings due to the ‘Safe Third Country Agreement’ with the U.S. This agreement has been in effect for more than 12 years.  The agreement’s premise is that the U.S. is a perfectly good place to claim asylum, and people have to apply in which country they arrive in first.  So far, we are not talking about thousands such as is the case in Europe, but hundreds.

Already, there are some Canadian politicians, such as Michelle Rempel and Tony Clement of the federal Conservative Party, who are demanding that the federal government act to stop the flow of people illegally crossing the United States border into Canada. Just how you do this is not easy given the length of the open border!  Unlike President Trump, Canada has no intention of building a wall along the border. The resources necessary to police the entire border are simply not there.  These refugees, including women and children, are not seen as a security threat and normally present themselves to Canadian authorities in order to apply for refugee status.  The easiest way to stop the illegal border crossings is to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement and allow people to request refugee status at official border crossings without endangering the lives of these people.

Public opinion in the past has been favourable as to the number of refugees coming to Canada. A recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute suggests that close to half of Canadians polled say the government has hit the mark with 40,000 total refugees (Syrian and other nationalities) expected to be entering the country this year. However, 41 percent say that the total is too high in what has become a notable split of opinion.  The reports of an increasing number of refugees crossing into Canada could influence future public opinion on the matter. The above poll also found that one-in-four Canadians believe that this country should have responded to President Trump’s executive order by adopting the same policy – including a temporary ban on Syrian refugees.

While legal immigration is important to Canada, the acceptance of refugees and their numbers is contentious, especially those that come from predominantly-Muslim countries where terrorism is a concern. There is a segment of the Canadian population that wants to restrict their entry and increase security vetting.  Whether or not you agree, there is no question that the refugee issue has become a touchy one.  Hopefully, Canada will not fall into the same illogical and ideological trap that occurred in the U.S.  However, there is little doubt that the question of how open Canada is to accepting more refugees will be severely tested in the coming months.

Canada Immigration Refugee Policies Terrorism U.S. Canada Border US

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Feb 9

Don’t Compare the Position of U.S. President to Canada’s Prime Minister

by bcurry

Recently, there was a poll taken in Canada comparing approval rates by Canadians for President Trump and Prime Minister Trudeau. The poll looked at everything from the handling of policies related to the economy, security, immigration, foreign policy and health care — to name a few. However, such a comparison is really like comparing apples and oranges.  The role of the executive branch in the two governments varies greatly and the constitutional powers are significantly different.

Canada follows the Westminster system based on ‘parliamentary sovereignty’ and ‘responsible government’. The Prime Minister represents the political party with a majority of seats in the House of Commons, and the Cabinet is chosen from among the party’s elected sitting Members of Parliament.  For this reason, the PM depends on the support of his/her party to make policy and to pass laws in Parliament.  The President on the other hand is elected separately and chooses his/her cabinet usually from non-elected persons who support his/her policies.  While the PM sits in Parliament, the President must work to gather support from Congress to implement his/her policies.  The PM must maintain the confidence of the House of Commons to continue to form the government.  Otherwise, loss of a confidence vote in the House would mean that he/she must dissolve Parliament and usually call an election.  Moreover, the PM’s ability to formulate policies is very much dependent on the support of his party in Parliament, thereby limiting the PM’s ability to independently issue executive orders.  The President, unless he/she is impeached, normally resides comfortably for a four-year term.

The President is the civilian Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. He has the authority to command them to take appropriate military action in the event of a sudden crisis and certain circumstances.  In Canada, the Queen is the head of state, and the Governor General officially represents her in the country.  The Queen is therefore the Commander in Chief, although through the Governor General as her representative.  The PM and the Government is somewhat limited in what military actions can be undertaken without Parliamentary approval, especially where new funding is required.  None-the-less, in domestic or foreign crisis, the PM and the Cabinet can react as needed under certain circumstances.  However, as in the U.S., there can be political consequences and negative electorate reactions to such actions.

Let’s face it, President Trump does not reflect all the views and positions of Republicans in both houses of Congress, especially when it comes to matters of free trade and immigration. Prime Minister Trudeau has no choice but to reflect the majority wishes of his party, which in this case is the governing Liberal Party.  Therefore, to compare the policies of a President and Prime Minister isn’t really a fair comparison, especially when you have a President issuing so many ‘executive statements’ without any direct Congressional involvement.  Furthermore, there appear to be a substantial amount of overt differences of positions between President Trump’s policies and the Republican Party.  Such overt differences could not happen in Canada given the need for Party solidarity to continue governing under the Parliamentary system. Thus, forget any irrelevant comparisons between the two and polls like the one by the National Post.

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Jan 31

Quebec Mosque Shooting Is a Sad Reflection of Our Times

by bcurry

Tonight I grieve for the families of those men killed and injured at a mosque in Quebec City, Canada. It will take a good deal of time and investigation to discover why a young white Quebecer would take it upon himself to murder people while in prayer.  Call it a hate crime, an act of terror or a lone wolf-attack, it makes no difference to those unfortunate families and communities.  Answers may only bring more questions.  Is this a sign of our troubled times?

I am also outraged that a spokesman for the Trump administration would use this horrendous crime to justify the recent ban imposed on persons from seven predominantly Muslim countries with respect to entry into the U.S.  If anything, Trump’s actions are inciting certain ultra-right wing groups, including white supremacists, to act against persons of other religions.  Trump’s actions are the epitome of islamophobia.  He is playing into the hands of not only radical Islamic groups, but also white supremacists in North America, Europe and elsewhere. For this reason, one cannot justify what Trump did in terms of protecting national security.

As described in Wikipedia, Islamophobia refers to fear, prejudice, hatred or dislike directed against Islam or Muslims, or towards Islamic politics or culture. There is no place in Canada for promoting such hatred, as evidenced by the sympathies sent to and the support for the families of this tragic event coming from Canadians representing all walks of life, religions and regions of the country.

I may not be a practicing Christian, but I believe in Christian values, especially that of loving one’s neighbour. Ours is a society that values tolerance, respect and inclusion.  Today, Trump cannot in all sincerity call himself a Christian by turning his back on refugees and immigrants from these war-torn countries.  Let’s hope that he and others will turn off their propaganda machines.  Otherwise, such tragedies as that in Quebec City will continue to be a sad reflection of our times.

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Jan 19

Is Kevin O’Leary a Wanna-be-Trump?

by bcurry

On January 18th, Kevin O’Leary announced that he is running for the Conservative leadership in Canada, suggesting that as a businessman, he is better qualified than the current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to work with president-elect Donald Trump. What does he have in common with Trump?  Yes, he has had some success as a businessman, but most would argue that he is no “financial guru” and he is not in Trump’s league in terms of wealth and influence.  Being a reality TV star, as a judge on the popular CBC-TV show “Dragons’ Den”, he does have certain celebrity recognition in Canada similar to that of Trump. However, like Trump, O’Leary has no real political or public service experience.

Simply asserting that as PM he would be in a better position to deal with President Trump and his administration than his fellow Conservative leadership candidates is not enough for him to win. At least it shouldn’t be!  In addition, the political, economic and social conditions are not the same as in the U.S. Canada has universal health care and illegal immigration is not considered a major issue. Like the U.S., Canada has had to tackle the results of the great recession primarily through infrastructure development and increasing the public debt. Employment opportunities for the middle class continue to exist and the social safety net is helping people to cope with unemployment.  Is there really enough anger out there for a similar “populist” movement to emerge comparable to that in the U.S.? I doubt it.

Canadians tend to support a more centrist approach when it comes to political and economic platforms. A move to the hard right is very unlikely in the near future.  O’Leary is far more moderate than Trump and understands the need for a centrist Conservative approach.  Like Trump during the Republican primaries, O’Leary will be a target for the other 13 leadership candidates — a number of whom represent the existing political establishment in Ottawa. O’Leary’s entrance into the Conservative leadership race has caused a stir and a fair amount of interest, at least in the media.  Like Trump, his name will raise greater media attention, hopefully not to the same detrimental extent as down south.

There is little doubt that Trump’s success has encouraged a neophyte like O’Leary to throw his hat into the political arena. While well-known in Canada and a Party outsider, he is not a member of Ottawa’s political establishment and is a reasonably successful businessman. However, are his qualifications enough for the Conservative Party and the rank-and-file?  Only time will tell.  One thing is for certain.  He is happily no wanna-be-Trump.

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Dec 6

27 years after the Montreal massacre, gun control in Canada is as lax as ever

by bcurry

On December 6, 1989, Marc Lépine shot and killed 14 women at Université de Montréal’s École Polytechnique, before turning his (legally registered) semi-automatic gun on himself. That tragic event set in motion a new chapter in the history of gun control in Canada. On this day, numerous campaigns, marches, vigils and related events are held every year across Canada.

The federal government passed stricter gun control policies just six years after the tragedy, including the establishment of a long-gun registry. However, the Conservative government under Stephen Harper unfortunately dismantled the long-gun registry in 2012, and eased several restrictions on restricted or prohibited weapons. The same 2012 law abolishing the long-gun registry also relieved private gun sellers from the obligation of asking to see the buyer’s firearms permit.

The U.S., with the least gun control laws among industrialized countries, saw 181 mass public shootings with at least four fatalities since 1900. One of the most recent was the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, which saw 49 people killed by a shooter carrying a legally purchased AR-15 assault rifle. Rather than introducing stricter gun control initiatives, most states have made it easier to carry concealed weapons and to purchase guns, all the result of the Supreme Court’s nonsensical decision endorsing the ‘right to bear arms’ in their constitution.  Thankfully, Canada doesn’t have such a precarious right, despite what the Canadian Firearms Institute may advocate.

Today, Canadians continue to remind young people of the need to avoid tragedies such as that at the École Polytechnique 27 years ago. We must strive to ensure that there are much needed controls on the lawful possession and use of firearms.  The three pillars of gun control are licensing of gun owners, control on guns and a ban on weapons that are designed solely for the purpose of killing other human beings.  Whether such laws work in preventing deaths is a matter of politics. What is real are the lives that might potentially be saved.

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Nov 27

Fidel Castro – A Legend In His Own Time

by bcurry

When I was just a lad, I remember watching on television Edward R. Murrow, a well-known American broadcast journalist, who interviewed Fidel Castro shortly after coming to power in Cuba in 1959. Castro was in New York City at the time, and was welcomed by the American administration and people as a hero. Of course, Castro was casually dressed in olive-drab fatigues and combat boots, while typically smoking his large Cuban cigar. At the time, I didn’t really know much about Castro, but found him to have a larger than life presence.  Castro was not a Communist at that moment, but more a devoted socialist.

As the years passed, I followed closely the success and failures of the Cuban revolution. For whatever reason, the U.S. had supported the previous Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista Zaldívar, who had negotiated lucrative relationships with the American Mafia and with large U.S.-based multinationals who in turn were awarded lucrative contracts. The Mafia controlled the drug, gambling, and prostitution businesses in Havana.  In a manner that antagonized the Cuban people, the U.S. government used its influence to advance the interests of and increase the profits of the private American companies.  These companies dominated the island’s economy.  Batista, who murdered thousands of his political opponents in what was then a police state, fled Cuba for Portugal in 1958 with the arrival of Castro’s movement.

After Castro kicked out the Mafia and U.S. multinationals (expropriating billions of dollars in U.S. property), the U.S. turned on Castro. This led to the C.I.A.’s failed Bay of Pigs invasion involving hundreds of Cuban exciles and American strict embargo on Cuban sugar, tobacco and other products.  Given the severe hit on Cuba’s economy and the constant fear of American military campaigns against Cuba, Castro was forced to turn to the Soviet Union for economic and military assistance.  It was at this point that the Americans declared his regime as Communist.

Despite such adversity, Cuba introduced and developed the best free education and universal health care systems in the region, whereby over 90% of Cubans became literate. Castro dispatched Cuban-educated doctors and Cuban-developed vaccines to the poorest corners of Latin America. Superbly trained Cuban musicians and athletes have travelled the world, reflecting excellence in their various disciplines.  Cuban diplomatic and military assistance was provided in the fight against South African apartheid and poverty in various West African nations. In recent years, Cuba has eased its restrictions on religious and individual economic freedoms.

Unlike the U.S., Canada maintained diplomatic relations and trade with Cuba. Canadian tourists and officials frequented Havana and the surrounding country side.  Canadian students volunteered to travel to Cuba to help with the yearly sugar cane harvest.  Just recently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Cuba, reiterating the strong ties between the two peoples.  Unfortunately, Fidel Castro died shortly after.  However, Cuban-Canadian friendship will live on.  Indeed, Castro is a legend in turbulent times.

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Oct 9

Men Need To Step Up To Prevent Verbal and Physical Abuse Against Women

by bcurry

Donald Trump’s recorded verbal abuse against women is just the most recent example of misogynistic and uncalled for attacks on women. The truth is that the twenty-first century has started off just as badly as the twentieth century ended when it comes to abuses against women.  Women continue to be the victims of domestic violence far more then men.  Just as bad, women continue to be sexually objectified by the porn industry and increasingly through the Internet and social media.  Women are degraded by men for not meeting certain physical standards created by the male-dominated bastion of commerce.  A ‘rape culture’ exists on many of North America’s college campuses, with victims still finding it all too difficult to come forward.

Today, there are laws and institutions aimed at ensuring that workers are free from sexual and other forms of harassment in the workplace. There are more employers who provide for employment equity and who promote equal pay for work of equal value, particularly when it comes to female employees.  However, in some professions women still face employer bias and the ‘glass ceiling’, and sexism is “alive and well in the workplace”. It is a fact that female executives who take time off to have children and become mothers are often discriminated against when they return to work, particularly in terms of promotion.  A recent study of the top 1,000 U.S. companies found that the Chief Executive Officer position was held by only 5 percent of women, even though women now make up half of our labour force.

Society is doing a better job in dealing seriously with domestic violence and date rape, the vast majority of victims who are women. Nevertheless, authorities and institutions have to improve at dealing with attacks against women and in educating men as to their responsibilities towards the treatment of women.  Attitudes and behaviours are derived by the values instilled in our children from a very young age onwards.  Parents, schools, communities and societal institutions have to ensure that these are the appropriate values when it comes to the treatment of women.

I have a young granddaughter who is as smart as a whip and can hold her own with her older brothers. I refuse to believe that she doesn’t deserve every opportunity to grow up in a society respectful of women’s rights.  As a man, a father, a grandfather, I will do everything possible to ensure that my granddaughter will have a life free from verbal and physical abuse.  All that I ask is that other men step up to do the same for all women.  After all, we are about to have the first female President of the United States of America. It’s about time!

Canada Uncategorized US Politics Women's Issues

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