I will sign the anti-HST referendum petition. That doesn’t mean I think the HST is a bad way of regulating our tax structure or bettering our economy: it does mean I see protection and preservation of the integrity of our democratic system as a much higher priority. Right from the start, I have always said I was willing to […]

I cannot believe that the Conservative government is refusing to include access to contraceptives and safe abortions as part of their pledge of working towards improving maternal health worldwide at this year’s G8 summit in June. It’s beyond my comprehension how it is possible to improve maternal health unless you are willing to include the […]

New immigrants to Canada face a number of challenges in their lives. While they are adjusting to a new country, a new community and a new culture with new habits, they may also be struggling to find how they can best apply their skills to the Canadian job market. Immigrants with professional credentials from their […]

Since when did ‘Facebook-ing’ become a verb? It’s amazing how quickly we can change or shift our societal lexicon – I was genuinely creeped out and, frankly, slightly offended the first time someone told me he had ‘Googled’ me – now I think nothing of being Googled, Facebooked or Tweeted…or of doing same to others […]

A strong democracy calls for …. no, demands … that dissenting voices, however objectionable, be heard. I believe it is more important to listen to those with whom we disagree, even fervently disagree, than to take false reassurance from those who confirm our own particular foregone conclusions .Those of us who insist on the value of […]

A friend of mine posted something on Facebook today (yes, alright, I finally broke down last fall and got an FB account – it seemed wrong to continue my technophobe status after opening a web-based media outlet – and now I’ll end up one of the pathetic select seeking help to cope with a Facebook […]

While Internet safety is important all of the time, it is particularly so during tax season, so here are a few hints: 1. Be careful clicking on links. The fact that the text from a link says it’s Revenue Canada doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the site I’m pointing you to. If you hold the mouse over […]

In 2000, then Liberal Finance Minister Paul Martin cut corporate income tax rates by a quarter, from 28 percent to 21 percent, phased in over five years. The Harper government has continued those cuts from 21 per cent in 2007 to 18 percent today, and is ignoring NDP advice and further reducing corporate taxes 15 […]

As the curtain began to part in constructing the stage for the 2010 Winter Olympics, much of Vancouver began to experience a monumental economic transformation while the Downtown Eastside remained a harsh reality of the city’s social and urban poverty crisis. The significant governmental efforts that had been made to provide temporary shelters for those […]

You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar – but rip its wings off, and it’ll have to eat anything you feed it. That perspective isn’t entirely incorrect, I suppose, but it’s not a very appealing way of doing business … especially if you’re the fly. Unfortunately, angry, adversarial methods seem […]