Political scientists have a concept called the Overton Window which refers to the range of policies that are politically palatable to mainstream politicians and the majority of the population at any given time. It is sometimes invoked to suggest that activists must be “realistic” in their political demands. The Overton Window has its uses—but also its limitations: while the proper disposition in [...]
Paul Tuns: Conservative MP Kelly Block (Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek) introduced a conscience rights private member’s bill in Parliament. If passed, Bill C-230, “An Act to amend the Criminal Code (intimidation of health care professionals),” would make it a criminal offense to compel a medical professional from taking part, directly or indirectly, in euthanasia or assisted-suicide or firing any such medical professional for [...]
Oswald Clark: In January, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, 84, announced that he would retire following the current session that is expected to end in June; the Court will be giving its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a challenge to the state of Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The retirement will therefore not affect [...]
Paul Tuns Analysis: Following the September 2021 federal election in which the Conservatives lost two seats and nearly a half million votes compared to their 2019 showing under Andrew Scheer, there were calls for Erin O’Toole to resign as leader of the party. Campaign Life Coalition called for O’Toole to resign immediately and, failing that, for the caucus to vote him out [...]
Rory Leishman: Jesus admonished: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” What, though, should a faithful Christian do if Caesar decrees a law that conflicts with the natural and divine law of God? Sir William Blackstone addressed this issue in his magisterial Commentaries on the Laws of England. The natural and divine law, [...]
Paul Tuns: In his mandate letter to the finance minister, released on Dec. 16, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instructed Chrystia Freeland, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, to “introduce amendments to the Income Tax Act to make anti-abortion organizations that provide dishonest counselling to pregnant women about their rights and options ineligible for charitable status.” The mandate letter means that Trudeau [...]
By Mark Wegierski: Thoughtful conservatives in Canada face a dilemma. Already in 1965, in his famous book, Lament for a Nation: The Defeat of Canadian Nationalism, Canadian traditionalist philosopher George Parkin Grant had pointed to the “impossibility of conservatism” in Canada. His writings have proved increasingly prophetic. Nevertheless, there are some thoughtful conservatives left in Canada, who could be called “George Grant’s [...]
Stalin was, of course, right about statistics; Pro-life Canadians are all too familiar with our country’s notorious social liberalism. Canada’s abortion policy is one of the most permissive in the world; our country was among the very first to dispense with the traditional definition of marriage; our scant protections against euthanasia erode further every year; and our laws don’t make minimal moral [...]
By Katherine Kowalchuk: What put the entire world into a state of great fear in March of 2020? It was the dire prediction of Dr. Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London, who claimed that Covid would be like the Spanish Flu of 1918. The Spanish Flu killed between 50 and 100 million people, at a time when world population was barely a fourth [...]
By Andrew Lawton: I hold a somewhat unique position in Canadian politics as the only candidate, to my knowledge, to have the support of both the Campaign Life Coalition and Marc Emery in the same campaign. When I ran for Ontario’s PC party in 2018, I was given a green light by the CLC for my on-record pro-life stance. Emery, the infamous ‘prince [...]
Stalin was, of course, right about statistics; a million deaths is a figure, a thing to be grasped only by the mind. Like the ancient philosopher, Lucretius, who watched with pleasure a shipwreck from the shore, we can comprehend an integer—62,502,904, say—from the safe distance of abstract intelligibility. What does that number even mean, “sixty-two million, five-hundred-and-two thousand, nine hundred and four”? [...]
Oswald Clark If Roe v. Wade is reversed, the abortion issue will likely be dealt with by state legislatures unless Congress passes a law that federalizes the issue. Over the past four years, 19 state legislatures considered bans on all or most abortions, including several that take effect if Roe is overturned. In 2021, 12 total abortion bans statutes were debated in [...]
Josie Luetke Interim writer, Josie Luetke, Talk Turkey On Nov. 24, Bill 48 was passed in Saskatchewan, establishing “access zones” of 50 metres from the property line of every hospital in the province, within which it will be illegal to protest (except in a labour dispute) or in any way try to dissuade someone from accessing or providing a “health [...]
Paul Tuns The Scott Moe government in Saskatchewan introduced and swiftly passed Bill 48, The Public Health (Safe Access to Hospitals) Amendment Act, 2021, that creates a so-called “safe access zone” of 50 metres around hospital property in which any non-union protests will be prohibited. The Bill passed on Nov. 24 and the law has a sunset clause to expire in two [...]
Paul Tuns Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code, is an omnibus bill that if passed will amend the Criminal Code to make it a crime to impede others from obtaining or providing health services. It will also amend the Canada Labour Code to provide employees with up to 10 days of medical leave of [...]