Opinions
National Affairs: Deja vu and the carbon plan
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 27th, 2018
Is a carbon tax a hill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is willing to die on? That question had been in the back of many political minds since Ontario — under its new PC government — bailed out of the federal climate change framework last spring. That resulted in a shift in the provincial balance from ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Customer disservice
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 27th, 2018
“This call may be monitored for quality control purposes.” It’s a recorded message people often hear before they are transferred (finally) to a live person at a call centre. Customers may feel somewhat reassured that the person on the other end of the line will be helpful since their responses are being recorded and reviewed ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!MLA Report: Hargrave’s legacy will live on in Albertans inspired by his character
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 26th, 2018
Just a little over a year ago, a young rancher, beloved husband and father as well as one of southeastern Alberta’s staunchest grasslands advocates died while fighting a devastating wildfire which tore through the border region. I feel the loss of not having the opportunity to get to know James Hargrave better. He was a ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Civic decisions involving taxpayer money should be transparent
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 26th, 2018
It is one thing when you make a mistake and there are personal financial consequences but it is altogether different when it is those entrusted with the public purse who do the miscalculating. Calgarians recently wanted to know why the second phase of an art project had simply not happened. Mayor Naheed Nenshi helped to ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!More broad view of mail strike needed
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 25th, 2018
The words “high stakes” and “mailman” don’t seem to go together, but new job action by postal workers in Canada features some large, important questions for the local and national economies. Already in the three-day-old dispute, involving rotating strikes in some of Canada’s major centres, we’ve been treated to a host of stand pat, cliché ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!U.S. has to take the lead on Khashoggi disappearance
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 24th, 2018
If Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Riyadh to read the Riot Act to Saudi rulers over the apparent murder of Jamal Khashoggi, he hid it well behind cheery smiles and professions of amity. But then outrage has been conspicuously absent from the Trump administration in the two weeks since Mr. Khashoggi entered the ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Guest Column: Seniors’ lodge system based on need
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 24th, 2018
I am proud of Alberta’s Lodge Program, which is unique in Canada. It was developed in partnership with municipalities in 1958 to support daily living activities for seniors such as meals, laundry, and cleaning services, while allowing seniors to stay active and engaged in their communities. People in lodges can receive home care, but lodges ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Ottawa should go further in offering pardons for pot possession
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 23rd, 2018
The Trudeau government deserves only half a cheer for promising to make it easier for people convicted of minor cannabis-related offences to obtain pardons. Now that cannabis has been legalized in this country, it’s the very least the government could do to redress the injustice for the estimated 500,000 Canadians who have a criminal record ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Pot pardons a welcomed decision
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 22nd, 2018
Ever get charged for smoking outside a restaurant? Or for cracking a cool brew in the park? Did you end up serving time in jail? Do you have a criminal record as a result? Of course not. But that is what’s happened to countless thousands of Canadians over many years. They were caught smoking or ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Guest Column: Why a Canadian basic income is inevitable
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 22nd, 2018
Troy Media In Canadian policy circles, basic income has come to mean a stipend paid to families or individuals without the many conditions and rules that govern existing income assistance programs. The amount received is gradually reduced as income from other sources increases. However, basic income is not just about welfare reform. A basic income ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Sen. Warren should help to advance cause of Native Americans
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on October 20th, 2018
With the controversy of Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s claims to be part Native American still swirling through the political atmosphere, it is important that we hear the voices of actual Native Americans. They’re not too thrilled. Native American groups say they’re tired of being a “political football” in the back and forth over Warren’s heritage claims. ... Read More »
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