The Federal Government is dipping into the Clean Energy Fund (CEF) and assisting the Alberta Government with the funding of two major projects (totalling over $1.6 Billion). Both of the projects make use of carbon-capture technology and stand to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, in a manner which doesn’t simply transfer them to another country, thereby helping to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Carbon capture essentially results in waste CO¬2 being pumped into the depleted aquifers and stored there, rather than emitting them into the environment. Many of the comments that I have heard are quite negative, and relate to the fact that this is a lot of money going into an unproven technology, making it important to note that carbon capture and storage is used in Egypt by BP.
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The strong Canadian dollar, currently trading in the 97 cent range, could actually slow the recovery of the Canadian economy. Sure, it is fantastic for all of us vacationers looking to get out of here for a few days and head south to warmer climates, but there is a strong, potential negative side to this as well. A higher dollar translates into a high cost for exports, and the foreign community may not be up to paying these costs. If Canadian companies suddenly find that their product pricing cannot compete with those from other countries, the economic recovery could be severely slowed.

The last time that the Canadian dollar reached parity with the US, the manufacturing and tourism industries suffered. Now, that being said, the tourism industry will likely be fine in the short term, largely due to the Olympic Games in just a few months. But how does one save the manufacturing industry from demise when there is simply nobody that can afford to buy materials from Canada? In 2008, it was cheaper for companies in the oil sands to purchase steel and completed pre-fab modules from China, ship them across the Atlantic on freighters and float them down the Athabasca River on tugs than it was to buy steel from plants within Canada. If even our own country stops buying materials from within its own reserves how do we convince the rest of the world to do so?
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Last Tuesday, three sex workers in Toronto filed a federal lawsuit calling for the decriminalization of prostitution. Why? To protect sex workers. And they need it. The Toronto Police Sexual Crimes Unit estimates that an average of four or five sex workers are assaulted every night, and maybe 2% of the cases come to their attention.

The current laws that are in place make prostitution legal, but it is mostly hypothetical. The three sex workers who are fighting the case are arguing that decriminalization will allow them to hire bodyguards, operate their own brothels, and meet clients in safer places than on the street.

Mr. Morris has the duty of arguing for the crown, and so far has said that the law that prevents sex workers from communicating with future clients in public is to “curb an unappetizing spectacle”. What I don’t understand is what he said about its impact on children: “It is directly tied to a concern about children being attracted into prostitution. That is what happens when an 11-year-old is exposed to the sale of sex and is potentially attracted to it.” It feels a little hypocritical. It is too disgusting for the public…but children will see it and want to be sex workers when they grow up? I doubt it.
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Some erroneously regard Populism and Democracy as virtually indistinguishable. Why shouldn’t they? Populism is the political philosophy of catering to the interests of the people, (although not necessarily in the interest of the people). Populism is not good in itself – it is, however, an excellent way of keeping the people pacified and a government in power. Democracy, on the other hand, is at least in theory; rule by the people and for the people. It is good in itself because it provides the means for the people to exercise their free will in deciding how and by whom they are being governed, for better or worse. As such, Populism is central to the functioning of democracy through its influence in drawing the people. Conversely, democracy is not necessary to the functioning of populism. Were it so, the spectacular reigns of Imperial Rome and gang would never have been.

It is important to have a solid understanding of the two and how they function together, particularly for politicians, or they may be stuck learning them on the fly. In the media age, it is not a good idea to be caught floundering. This is a lesson the current government of Canada is learning. Although Prime Minister Stephen Harper was elected democratically, his popularity since then has been consistently floundering. Speculation regarding our reserved PM has ranged from frustration at his lack of warmth to claims that he may actually be a robot. In especial comparison with neighbouring, personable and wildly popular American president, Barrack Obama, Harper was looking mighty… stiff.
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Who in Canada is not familiar with the work of Craig Kielburger? Inspired at age 12 to fight child labour overseas, he and his brother Marc founded Free the Children to “empower children in North America to take action to improve the lives of fellow children overseas.”

But what happens when the child labour is happening right here at home?

In late 2003, the BC government changed child labour laws to allow children as young as 12 into the workplace. According to a new report, there has been a 10-fold increase in the number of child work-place injury claims accepted by WorkSafeBC, BC’s worker compensation body, since that change.
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In case you missed it, here is Stephen Harper’s performance of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Harper came on stage at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre on Saturday to sing the tune with Ma and Ottawa band Herringbone during a gala held to support the next generation of Canadian musicians.

One thing that seems to come up when the spotlight shines is the question of how one wants to be seen. The spotlight is only a few short months from shining on Vancouver during arguably the most impressive show of athleticism in the world. The pressure of hosting the Olympics comes from a need to showcase the country’s personality and promise. But what is the image that Canada has chosen, and more importantly who has defined it?

The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) has been guided through the process by 20 individuals nominated by the Federal Government, the Province of Vancouver, the City of Vancouver, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paraolympic Committee and the local First Nations. The Chair of VANOC is Jack Poole, a prominent Vancouver businessman who is involved in everything from marinas to golf courses, malls and car dealerships. The remaining members of the board of directors are in business, finance, politics and athletics. Our elected politicians have entrusted these people to make decisions that will determine how the world views this country.

VANOC has set its values as Team, Trust, Excellence, Sustainability and Creativity. This reads like a list of most corporate values, values which one cannot help but wonder what would happen if the choice came between making a profit or having environmental sustainability – a look at Alberta’s oil and gas industry would seem to indicate a clear answer.

VANOC has chosen to showcase the multiculturalism that Canada has been famous for. Canadian musicians, dancers and artists have been slated to perform their various acts at locations around the city during the Olympics. From rappers, to Ugandan Dance troops to Jazz musicians – Canada is hoping to prove that they can offer a lot to the international artist community.
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In a move many are calling a breakthrough in the negotiation process between Israel and Hamas, Israel released 20 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a short video of Gilad Schalit. The video shows Schalit holding a Palestinian newspaper dated September 14th and provides proof that he is indeed alive. All 20 released prisoners were females, most of whom were charged for attempted murder and who were nearing the end of the prison sentence. The deal paves the way for further negotiations between the two sides. Hamas is demanding the release of 1000 prisoners in exchange for Schalit. The released video can be seen below.

Lately the Liberal party of Canada has displayed a funny little characteristic that is eerily similar to the Republicans south of the border: neither of them can stand the idea of not being in power. Obviously all political parties want to be in power, but in the case of the Liberals and Republicans, there seems to be a lack of long-term strategic thinking that might one day lead them to a solid majority representation. Instead, they seem to be fighting tooth and nail for immediate leadership, and are using dirty tactics to do so. The Republicans wrote the book on dirty modern political tactics, but the Liberals have seemed eerily sneaky as well.

The Liberals, after the sponsorship scandal which helped sweep Harper into power, should have seen that period as an opportunity to reorganize and develop a long-term game plan that would one day deliver them a majority government once again. Instead, the last few years have seen them consistently lose elections, swap leaders, sign a coalition agreement under Stephen Dion, elect Michael Ignatieff when Dion was sliding in the polls, and now they have tabled a non-confidence motion that is likely to fail this week. This doesn’t seem like a party focused on its future; rather, it seems like a party intent on gaining immediate control while gambling away future prospects. They seem unwilling to wear the ‘Opposition’ title and are trying desperately to climb back into that more familiar ‘Government’ role.
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