We may have escaped a general election this fall, but four ridings are going to the polls November 9 for by-elections. The two Quebec ridings will likely remain BQ, but the other two ridings, one each in British Columbia and Nova Scotia, are in play, largely between the Conservatives and the NDP. The outcomes won’t shift the balance of power in Ottawa, but they could test Harper’s ability to win a majority. And for child, youth, and family advocates, they isolate and juxtapose these two parties’ family policies in a way that’s usually not possible.

In the BC riding of New Westminster-Coquitlam, there are four candidates, but it’s really a two-horse race between NDP Finn Donnelly and Conservative Diana Dilworth. This riding has swung between NDP and Conservative for years, both candidates have been municipal politicians for years, and both work for environmental non-profits. Donnelly, born and raised in the area, is a local hero for twice swimming the length of the Fraser River to bring attention to sustainability issues. Dilworth’s bio notes that, as a single parent of two adult children, she understands the stresses of raising a family. But she also understands business, having worked in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, and having run her own business.
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I have been following with much interest the downward spiral and final fizzles of Bishop Raymond Lahey’s ignoble and sadly typical priestly career. The media it would seem, on the surface has done everything in its power to flog this story to death and drag the once unjustly good name of Bishop Lahey through the mud. What has shocked me though, is that while interviews of the victims of this once powerful man abound, the public has been left completely ignorant of the sheer influence Lahey once had in Antigonish County. It is staggering, given the number of boys who have now come forward attesting to the Bishop’s pedophilic tendencies, that the focus has been entirely upon Lahey’s ecclesiastic rank and the awful, yet ironic fact that Lahey was in charge of the settlement soon to be paid to survivors of the same cruel form of Catholic charity he also imbibed in. I have been meditating on the appalling morbidity of this and the fact that it did not compel this new round of victims to come forward earlier. This article, rather than merely reporting and commenting on events, tenders a hypothesis (sadly one that has not been raised thus far): that Bishop Lahey was not confronted because of his tremendous influence in the affairs and daily operations of the community of Antigonish.
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When Arnold Schwarzenegger successfully entered politics, it was proof that the American dream was still very much alive. The Austrian-born actor started his career as the star of Conan the Barbarian. He didn’t speak a word of English. From loincloth to politics, he is now the Governor of California twenty-one years later. Greased up to show off a glistening six-pack, he wore nothing more than a loincloth for covering. But that was okay.

A bare-breasted picture of Lenore Zann is apparently not. This actress and now NDP candidate in Nova Scotia is being attacked for her work on the tv show The L Word.
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In an attempt to improve Canadians’ health, Nova Scotia has become the first province in the country to offer tax credits for the cost of gym memberships and other physical activities such as skiing, dancing, swimming and more.

The Healthy Living Tax Credit was initially introduced to Nova Scotian’s in 2005 but was limited to children’s activities only. Now, all Nova Scotian’s are eligible to claim up to $500 of registration fees for organized sports/activities, and the policy is expected to pay huge dividends.

Supporters insist the tax credit will encourage more people to be active, resulting in a healthier population. Nova Scotia also estimates the tax credits will save $8 million a year in health care costs. Even more compelling is the result of a study conducted by the Fitness Industry Council of Canada. They found that introducing a federal adult fitness tax credit would encourage one million more Canadians to become active and over the next 21 years, would amount to $2.5 billion in health care savings.
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Stephen McNeil, Nova Scotia’s Liberal leader, thinks the province should lower the legal voting age to 16 in an attempt to increase youth participation at the polls. He claims there are no fundamental reasons 16 year olds should not be allowed to vote. Correct me if I’m wrong, but there are!

Firstly, compared to a typical adult, most issues that define elections don’t affect this age group.
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