Opinions
Winter Olympics are in trouble when even Calgary says no
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 16th, 2018
Calgary has already had more snow this winter than Beijing, host of the next Winter Olympics, will get all year. It has plenty of existing sport infrastructure and the winter culture to benefit from getting even more of it. And its residents have fond memories of hosting the 1988 Games. So the International Olympic Committee ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Alberta’s oil sector has the pain with no gain
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 15th, 2018
Such is the state of the Alberta oil patch that this week a major industry player has called on the provincial government to mandate lower production levels. The goal, to stabilize prices earned in the face of a transportation glut that discounts prices, seems straightforward enough, though entirely contradictory to how many view the industry. ... Read More »
1 responseStatCan pokes into Canadians’ bank accounts
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 14th, 2018
We learned recently that Statistics Canada wants to compel the country’s nine largest banks to hand over the financial transaction data of 500,000 Canadians. That information might include statements of account balances, deposits, ATM withdrawals, cheques written or received, and credit-card use. Social Insurance numbers will also be collected. All of this was organized without ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Democrats’ success a sign of good health for democracy
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 12th, 2018
The Democrats’ return to control over the House of Representatives is much more than a victory for one party. It is a sign of health for American democracy. Distrustful of untrammeled majorities, the authors of the Constitution favoured checks and balances, including, crucially, the check that the legislative branch might place upon the executive. Over ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Guest Column: Marijuana’s medical attributes overstated
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 10th, 2018
Marijuana users want society to believe the very thing they’ve told themselves for years — that the highs of marijuana far outweigh its lows when it comes to health and the effect on the masses. Informed minds that remain sober and less tainted by personal bias realize that’s probably not the case. Cannabis is demonstrably ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!No need to fret: Crime stats don’t tell the true story
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 10th, 2018
Medicine Hat ranked 32 out of 237 municipalities in Maclean’s recent rankings of the “most dangerous places” in Canada. On the surface, this is quite alarming, but ranking high on the list doesn’t necessarily mean there’s more crime, just that more incidents are being reported and prosecuted. According to Medicine Hat Police Service Insp. Tim ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Veterans shouldn’t have to wait to receive money owed to them
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 9th, 2018
The federal government reportedly shortchanged 272,000 veterans on their pensions for more than eight years and now they’re saying veterans will need to wait another two years to get that money back. That this happened is bad enough but this weekend we are about to recognize veterans on Remembrance Day. We are going to recognize ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Gerry Ritz’s record tarnishes Agriculture Hall of Fame
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 9th, 2018
Prime Minister Harper said he “would make Canada unrecognizable.” His agriculture minister Gerry Ritz certainly did his part to make Canadian agriculture and food unrecognizable. Minister Ritz’s destructive record speaks for itself. Does Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair really want to damage its reputation by inducting former Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz (2007-2015), into Canada’s Agriculture ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Honouring those who died by never forgetting
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 8th, 2018
It’s been four years since Hatters and others around the Western World noted the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War. This Sunday, we’ll mark 100 years from its conclusion. An August, 2014 News editorial noted at that time a feeling of curiosity in the community, even romance about the bygone era, ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Changing birthright citizenship in U.S. a serious assault on democracy
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 7th, 2018
President Trump’s recent assertion that he could end birthright citizenship via an executive order likely is another attempt to stir up immigration as a campaign issue ahead of the upcoming midterm election. It’s a bad and almost certainly unconstitutional idea, and had the matter stopped there, it would hardly merit serious discussion. Then, a few ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!New solitary rules still fall short
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on November 6th, 2018
More than a decade after Ashley Smith’s death in solitary confinement, the federal government has introduced legislation inspired by her tragic case to overhaul the rules governing inmates in segregation. Bill C-83 takes positive steps to ensure prisoners held in isolation are treated far more humanely than she was, but the legislation falls short in ... Read More »
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