It’s an oil rich area in Alberta, and apparently a cause for concern. Oil development in the region has had a huge impact for the people who live there – the Lubicon Cree.

To make a long story short: it’s disputed land, and statistically, the Lubicon Cree’s quality of life has decreased since the oil production began, now it resembles that of a third world country. Federal social service payments went from the primary income source of 10 percent of the population to 90 percent. There is a severe lack of running water and sanitation and health conditions are abnormally high as a result.

Traditionally, trapping was a source of income for a majority of the populace, but after the first year of oil development, wildlife all but disappeared.
(more…)

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.
(more…)

These days, people who use the media as a tool, be it a politician, celebrity or anyone in general, can easily provide fodder that is offensive to individuals or groups in society. Therefore, it was no surprise when ads on subways and train stations around the world by agnostic and atheist societies began to evoke huge reactions of overblown outrage.

One of the more popular slogans (sic) is “There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” The statement did not actually argue that there is no God but rather pushes the remoteness or the limited possibility that there is a God. Most religious-practicing people probably read “There is NO God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”
(more…)

As a teenager, I took a trip with my family to England to visit my relatives there. One day my Dad and I were out for a walk when we came across a large building with and intriguing sign on the front and so we went it. Once inside, we discovered a large complex devoted to sports and recreation. This building consisted of soccer fields, tennis courts, a baseball cage, a recreational area and much more. While there, we joined in a game of soccer with some local kids. When we finished I felt tired, but exhilarated. It was so refreshing to be able to participate in an impromptu game of soccer without the need to sign any registration forms, buy equipment or play in a street somewhere. That experience became a highlight of my trip and is an issue that I have come to think about many times.

Some may ask themselves whether concentrating on such a minute matter, such as child activity, is really necessary given the bigger and more influential problems we face today. However, I would argue that devoting more time and attention to our local communities is as important as it has ever been. Any measure that can be seen to strengthen our communities will have positive repercussions in a number of ways and what better place to start then the new generation of future leaders, our children.
(more…)

The Ottawa City Council has approved the Freethought Association of Canada’s Atheist Bus Campaign, which will see city buses advertise the following message: “There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

Freedom of speech is considered a cornerstone of Canadian liberty. Free speech concerns one’s ability to have their opinions voiced in a public space. Advertisements in whatever medium, is probably the most effective way of injecting opinion into the public forum. The fact that this approval has caused controversy is, in itself, surprising, given the fact that one has the right to voice their opinion in a public forum. It is also surprising to see the way in which this right to free speech and availability of advertising has reduced a complex issue to simplified and dismissive slogans.
(more…)

A month ago, if you had asked the average Canadian who Gary Goodyear is, she or he likely would have responded that Gary had something to do with car tires. Not so anymore. Gary Goodyear, a Conservative Member of Parliament for Cambridge and Minister of State for Science and Technology, has made the news recently for comments he made regarding evolution. Evidently, he was asked if he believed in evolution, and responded that he felt it was inappropriate for the reporter to question his beliefs as a Christian (I’m paraphrasing here). This story probably would have been nothing more than filler material in the Globe & Mail if Mr. Goodyear was a regular, run-of-the-mill MP, but because of his Cabinet position as Minister of State for Science and Technology, it raised a few eyebrows. Obviously the fear is that Mr. Goodyear may not be willing to designate funding for scientific research that is not in accordance with his Christian beliefs, and make no mistake, that is a legitimate fear to have. However, I have not yet seen evidence that would suggest that Mr. Goodyear has allocated funding based on his beliefs. If this was the case, he should be replaced immediately. In actuality, the Harper government has been underfunding all scientific disciplines, regardless of their research. But for the moment, I am willing to give Mr. Goodyear the benefit of the doubt. Do I agree with his beliefs? No. Do I think his attempt to state his belief in evolution was rather pathetic? Yes. But I don’t think his beliefs necessarily proclude him from performing his job.
(more…)

First of all, I want to thank InformedVote for giving me the medium to express my thoughts.

So I thought I’d start off by introducing myself a little bit. I’m a 24 year old student living in the greater Toronto Area. I’ve always been interested in politics since the day I have been able to read the newspaper. The one thing I have learned about politics is that I have absolutely no idea what is going on. Nobody does. Not even the politicians. I intend my blog to be a place where people can go to find unique and humorous opinions on a broad range of political subjects. Please feel free to send me your emails when you have an opinion you’d like to share with me.

So for my first blog, I thought I`d share with everybody my wish list for changes I`d like to see to the Canadian Political System:
(more…)

This is my first blog for informedvote, my name is Noah and I’m a History major at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. History and politics are my passion and I look forward to sharing my opinions through this blog.

Israel Apartheid Week (IAW) is an international campaign touring University campuses across the United States and Canada, aimed at “enlightening” young people in North America about the injustices Palestinians face in within Israel. My problem lies not within the content, because I strongly believe everyone should be able to fight for what they believe in, but within the execution.

The Israel Apartheid week campaign simply feels like a campaign based on centuries of hate. The severity of this hatred is clear through the campaign’s main poster, depicts a helicopter labeled “Israel” shooting a rocket at a small boy holding a teddy-bear. This picture grossly misrepresents the nature of a conflict thousands of miles away, within circumstances unimaginable. This picture also shows absolutely no respect to the civilian victims on either side of the conflict, be them men, women, or children.
(more…)

We live in a world of labels; conservative, liberal, gay, straight, nature, nurture… It makes us feel more secure, leads us to believe that a person or perspective can be summed up so simply. The reality is that, upon the most basic examination, most people and their perspectives are a combination of multiple factors and life is too complex to boil down to a solitary verb. How many of us have had any success describing ourselves in one word?


I am a conservative often and a feminist always and examining the issue of the polygamy trial of the Mormon leaders in Bountiful through those paradigms brings up an interesting conundrum; what matters more, the protection of women or freedom from unnecessary laws? I think it is something most of us face more frequently than we care to acknowledge; the need to reconcile seemingly competing priorities. The figuring out of what’s more important, more worthy of activism, is the price and the prize of democracy.
(more…)

Internet neutrality is an issue of vital importance to all Canadians. As the last bastion of free speech on this planet, it is of crucial importance that we fight vigorously to retain the open nature of the Internet. If the CRTC allows providers to throttle the internet, large networks will prioritize US programing at the expense of documentaries, public forums and independent media sources such as Youtube.

I implore each and every one of you to take action by visiting saveournet and sign the CRTC petition voicing your opinion on this issue.
(more…)