A rookie Alberta politician is pressing forward with his private member’s conscience rights bill despite controversy and an unrelated tragedy that has inadvertently impeded the bill’s progress. United Conservative Party MLA Dan Williams says that no matter what becomes of Bill 207, he’ll keep fighting for conscience rights’ protection. “I hear that every single day, wherever I go, that this is an [...]
Law Matters John Carpay Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau declared in 1969 that “there’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation,” and that the government should ignore “what’s done in private between adults.” On that basis, his Liberal government proceeded to remove sodomy from the Criminal Code. Today, 50 years later, some Canadians believe that government should [...]
In 2015, Justin Trudeau made headlines and history when he became the first Canadian prime minister to make public his mandate letters to the newly appointed cabinet ministers. Each letter contains some standard text about the expectations for all cabinet ministers as representatives of the Trudeau government before outlining some priority areas of responsibility unique to each department, and in some cases [...]
This newspaper called on Andrew Scheer to resign as Conservative Party leader immediately after the October 21 federal election. We were not disappointed that he lost, like many of his critics within the Conservative Party. Our disappointment preceded the reporting of results. The Interimexpressed our dissatisfaction with Scheer’s refusal or inability to counter Justin Trudeau’s extreme pro-abortion position since he announced he [...]
Andrew Scheer Embattled Conservative leader Andrew Scheer announced on Dec. 12 he was resigning as the leader of the party he led to modest but less-than-expected gains in the October federal election. Scheer increased the Conservatives seat totals from 99 in 2015 to 121 and narrowly won the popular vote, but he was facing criticism for a lackluster showing following [...]
A primer in political party organizing Let ‘Em Howl: Lessons from a Life in Backroom Politicsby Pat Sorbara. (Gibsons, Nightwood Editions, pb $22.95, ebook $12.79, 252 pp) In October, 2012, a little over six months before he passed away, a dinner was organized as a Dean Martin-style “roast” to honour the late Doug Finley, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s national campaign director for [...]
MLA Dan Williams On Nov. 21, an Alberta legislative committee recommended that Bill 207, a private member’s bill that would, if passed, protect the conscience rights of healthcare workers, not be voted upon by the full legislature. MLA Dan Williams (UCP, Peace River) introduced Bill 207, the Conscience Rights (Health Care Providers) Protection Act, which upholds the Charter rights of [...]
Law Matters John Carpay What would happen if our laws reflected and applied the Golden Rule of doing unto others what we want done unto ourselves? No person wants to be forced, coerced or even pressured into doing what she or he believes to be wrong. Someone applying the Golden Rule would say: “I myself do not want the law [...]
Andrew Scheer MP Immediately following the Oct. 21 election, there was criticism of Andrew Scheer’s leadership from the usual suspects – the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal media, opposition parties, and elite in the parasitic industries of government relations, public relations, and political strategy. The criticism was as predictable in its specifics as it was in its sources: the Conservative Party needed a leader [...]
We are extremely disappointed that the Alberta legislative committee that recommended that legislation proposed by MLA Dan Williams to statutorily protect the conscience rights of health care professionals not proceed for the full legislature to consider. It was an act of cowardice for the majority, including Williams’ United Conservative Party colleagues, to effectively kill the debate on this topic. Conscience rights are [...]
Campaign Life Coalition did not expect much from Justin Trudeau’s cabinet shuffle considering that Trudeau’s entire Liberal caucus is pro-abortion. But when CLC national president Jeff Gunnarson saw the newly unveiled cabinet Nov. 19, he told The Interimit was worse than expected. Gunnarson said he is concerned with one minister who kept his portfolio and upset that a “rabid pro-abortionist” was moved [...]
The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal ruled Oct. 22 against transgender activist Jonathan “Jessica” Yaniv who had made formal “discrimination” complaints against a number of female beauty technicians for refusing to wax his genitals on the premise that as a “woman” he was entitled to be serviced by them. The court ruled that aestheticians who work from home have a right to [...]
The Liberals will return as government, albeit with a reduced large minority of 157 seats, down from 184 in 2015. The Conservatives gained roughly a half million votes and won the popular vote 34.4 per cent to 33.1 for the Liberals, yet won just 121 seats, up from 99 four years ago. The Bloc more than tripled their seat total, winning 32 [...]
Andrew Scheer Many in the pro-life, pro-family community are disappointed, but not surprised with the results of the Oct. 21 federal election. While there were well over 140 pro-life candidates, most were Christian Heritage Party and People’s Party of Canada candidates with little chance of winning. But even if every pro-life candidate won, there would not be a pro-life majority [...]
Green Party candidate repudiates pro-life position October 1 Mark Vercouteren, Green Party candidate in Chatham-Kent-Leamington, stated he supported abortion after it was reported he had previously indicated he was pro-life in Campaign Life Coalition questionnaires from previous elections, including the 2018 provincial election. He said he “doesn’t remember” signing the questionnaire. Vercouteren issued a statement, “you have my word I would never [...]