Get Ready for Bill - C11 - The Copyright Modernization Act

Take 39% of the popular vote, add 75 parliamentary speeches, one opposition motion to block legislation, several false starts and you have the recipe for bill C11 - The Copyright Modernization Act.


Copyright law is in desperate need of an upgrade and has not been updated since 1997 but there are several items in bill C11 that are contradictory and alarming along with the debate surrounding the bill itself.


Let's start with the problems surrounding the debate of bill C11, there is none. House Leader Peter Van Loan decided Tuesday night that there was no further need to continue debate and stated that the NDP "wouldn't commit to any reasonable, cooperative approach." Perhaps the NDP are intransigent due to the contradictory nature of the bill outlined below.

It's Official: Leona Aglukkaq: Worst Health Minister Ever!

Minister of Health?

Ever wonder what it would be like to have Grimace or even Ronald McDonald for a Minister of Health? Well folks, fantasy is fast becoming reality in Canada McDonaldland. 


When discussing the pressing issue of trans fats, health minister Leona Aglukkaq stated "I have instructed my department to continue its engagement with stakeholders to identify the challenges and how best to overcome them without adding a regulatory burden."


Aglukkaq continues: "Our government continues to make prevention and health promotion a priority — that includes reducing trans fats in foods."


It's a wonder that anyone in this country could make an informed choice when it comes to their food with anything goes labeling and poor safety standards.

Why must the Gun Registry Data be Purged?

Soon legal to own in Canada,  no registration required

Many issues divide Canadians such as the gun registry. For years the Conservatives have campaigned to scrap the bill, citing a waste of money. Since the Conservative triumph in the most recent federal election, almost everyone expected a swift motion to scrap the bill.


In late October 2011 however, it was decided that all records would be purged as well. If the gun registry was such a waste of money as the conservatives claim, why would they want to purge all of the data surrounding it? At the very least the data could be studied as how to better control the costs of future government programs.

The Politics of Food in Canada

One of the sentinel sites part of C-Enternet: Our best bet in food safety.  Two sites exist, Conservative government refuses to fund the other 3.

There is a common misconception that Canada is a leader in the world when it comes to food safety and accountability. The truth however, is unfortunately quite the opposite. Canada rates as the second worse country belonging to the OECD when it comes to pathogens in our food, with only Ireland ranking worse. Those who would presume to protect Canadian citizens are apathetic at best and in the industry's pocket at worst.


Take Maple Leaf foods, one of Canada's largest agribusinesses, in 2008 they were directly responsible for the death of 23 people during the now infamous listeriosis outbreak. Several reports and investigations were commissioned by the government, including the "lessons learned" memorandum, however, four years later the situation has since deteriorated.

Daily Show/Colbert Report: Weekly Wrap up 01/30/12 - 02/02/12

Writing posts is hard work, so on Fridays for the time being, I am going to let John Stewart or Stephen Colbert do the work for me since I could never hope to match their eloquence.


This week's clip features Daily Show host Aasif Mandvi who interviews several Florida law makers and questions the wisdom of force drug testing welfare recipients.


Video after the jump

BC has the Second Highest Level of Income Inequality in Canada

Should we be concerned that BC has the second highest rate of income inequality in Canada? BC Liberal finance minister Kevin Falcon doesn't think so. “We want to have a high-wage-earning economy in B.C. In Cuba, they don’t have any income inequality because they are all poor. We want to have an economy that is giving the people the opportunity to advance,” Said Falcon.

There are two points that disturb me despite Falcon's hubris. 

For Some, Life Begins at Conception and Ends at Birth

Justice?

Social Conservatives have always made their stance clear when it comes to the sanctity of life. The comments of a certain Canadian Conservative senator however, have been making headlines around the world. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu stated "Each assassin should have the right to a rope in his cell to make a decision about his or her life."  on the record in defense of the questionable omnibus crime bill.