We have lost another three brave young men in Afghanistan because of a reckless foreign policy agenda bent more on placating our southern neighbours than ushering in any sort of realistic ‘new day’ in a country that has been at war for decades. In a country where international relief supplies are easier to obtained on the Black Market than anywhere else, where promises made by foreign powers have rarely become a reality despite propaganda to the contrary, one has to seriously wonder why the people of ...More »

It was only a matter of time until a second investigation was opened into the Bernier affair. The Prime Minister has already stated that the Department of Foreign Affairs will be internally investigating the matter, but as I’ve learned through a source on the Hill, there’s basically no one left at Foreign Affairs that can realistically undertake it in a timely fashion. The House of Commons Committee that will be looking into the affair will begin proceedings next Tuesday and will conduct hearings for four ...More »

A fair number of readers have emailed me and asked why I haven’t commented on the resignation of Maxime Bernier. My response is that I wanted to wait until the air cleared somewhat before doing so. While the government will not release what the status of classification of the documents left at Bernier’s ex-girlfriend’s house – which could range from confidential to top secret – there is no denying that Bernie left the documents at Julie Couillard’s residence for five weeks, after which Miss Couillard showed ...More »

If anyone were looking for an example of just how truly idiotic the man running this country is, look no further than this quote… "If a country wants to be taken seriously in the world, it must have the capacity to act. It's that simple. Otherwise, you forfeit your right to be a player. You're the one chattering on the sideline that everyone smiles at, but no one listens to." Is that what being taken seriously in the world demands - military might? If so, then we ...More »

I will give one thing to the government of Jean Chrétien – on September 13th of 2002 a letter was sent by the Canadian government to the United States government regarding the detention of Omar Khadr, a Canadian citizen captured at the age of fifteen in Afghanistan and charged with killing a US soldier. Despite his age, we was still classified by the United States as an ‘enemy combatant’. In the letter, which was issued from the Canadian Embassy in Washington, the Canadian government argued ...More »

Listen, having been interviewed countless times over the last decade-plus, I know full well what it’s like when something ridiculous escapes your mouth. There are times when you utter something that, as soon as it passes your lips, you realize that it was a bad idea. Then again, I’m a musician, not the Prime Minister. When one is the leader of a country, one should always remember to think before they speak. Not only is it always to their benefit, but can quite often save ...More »

I am obviously old enough to remember Chernobyl. My mother participated heavily in a program to help the children affected by it. I am also old enough to remember Three Mile Island, though it is far more vague in my memory. I mention these two incidents in connection to the recent recommendation of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to extend the shutdown of the Chalk River reactor because of safety concerns after a routine maintenance period was conducted. The Commission discovered that there was no ...More »

In the summer of 1914 while much of Europe was at war, the ruling Young Turks decided it would be an opportune time to rid themselves of the 2.5 million Armenians living within the borders of the Ottoman Empire. On the 24th of April, 1915, nearly 300 Armenian leaders, politicians, and academics were rounded up, arrested and promptly slaughtered. Thus began the Armenian genocide. In order to render Armenian villages defenseless, all Armenian men between the ages of 15 and 50 were called up for ...More »

Updated. See below. The CBC is reporting today that Prime Minister Harper’s new cabinet may very well see the removal of several key members, the most notable being current Defence Minister, and ex arms lobbyist, Gordon O’Connor. According to the article… “At the top of the list of ministers rumoured on their way out is Gordon O'Connor, the embattled defence minister. O'Connor has been pounded by Opposition leaders over his handling of the mission in Afghanistan, specifically his performance in the Afghan detainee affair. Names that have been rumoured ...More »

You have to absolutely adore hypocrisy. Unfortunately, that’s the only word one can think of with regards to Haiti given Canada’s complicity in the coup d'état that removed Aristide from power in 2004. First, I will not entirely condemn the Prime Minister, being that his government wasn’t in power when the coup took place, nor was it in power when the Ottawa Initiative on Haiti took place in Montreal. But even that only provides the thinnest of ice on which to skate. With regards to ...More »