Scandal taints BC Ministry of Health’s Pharmaceutical Services Division

Scandal taints BC Ministry of Health’s Pharmaceutical Services Division

Apr 1, 2013

Ministry of Health carpet-bombs drug safety monitoring The tragedy of Roderick MacIsaa by Alan Cassels image by Anthony Freda • Unanswered questions around the death of a Ministry of Health employee might hold some clues to the biggest scandal to ever hit BC’s drug evaluation system. Linda Kayfish’s voice weighs heavily with exasperation as she speaks to...

Where are the dead bodies, Health Canada?

Where are the dead bodies, Health Canada?

Apr 1, 2013

by W. Gifford-Jones M.D. • Do you know that every day 290 North American citizens are killed by prescription drugs? To kill the same number of people, a jumbo jet would have to crash every day. So why are natural remedies being removed from health food stores while drugs that kill remain available? Dr. Zoltan Rona, an expert on natural remedies, recently told...

Democracy, for a change

by Joyce Murray • When news broke that a by-election was imminent in Labrador following the resignation of Peter Penashue – the disgraced Conservative MP who stepped down following news about his election financing irregularities – I called Green Party leader Elizabeth May and asked her to consider having the Green Party Electoral District Association...

Put Canada First

Put Canada First

Mar 1, 2013

• Leadnow.ca is an independent community that brings generations together to strengthen our democracy and build a fair, open and responsible country. Leadnow.ca’s small staff team and 225,000 person community includes Canadians from across the political spectrum. Leadnow.ca was founded two years ago by a group of Canadians who wanted to find new ways to help...

Joyce Murray’s vision for Canada

Joyce Murray’s vision for Canada

Mar 1, 2013

An open letter to Canadians from David Suzuki • I am writing this as an individual citizen, not on behalf of any organization or political party. In fact, I do not belong to any political party. I will support candidates, platforms and policies of any party that move our country towards a more just and sustainable future. I was delighted to see that the...

Liberals shouldn’t be too proud

Liberals shouldn’t be too proud

Mar 1, 2013

by Paul Lemay • When I was a boy growing up in the ‘60s and into the ‘70s, I remember how we used to look up to our prime ministers, regardless of the political party they represented. But after Watergate it seemed the bloom on all political roses began to fall off. Now 40-plus years on, all we’re left with are a few thorny stems and the few precious...

Art & activism

Art & activism

Mar 1, 2013

How an ancient poet inspired a local initiative to preserve McLellan Forest by Susan McCaslin / photos by Erin Perry • Last Thanksgiving, I discovered that Glen Valley in Langley still had some mature rainforest. This discovery was bittersweet, however, as I also learned the Township of Langley was planning to sell it off to raise funds to build a recreation...

What do Indians want?

What do Indians want?

Feb 1, 2013

by Thomas King • Thomas King is one of Canada’s premier Native public intellectuals. For the past 50 years, he has worked as an activist for Native causes. He has also taught Native literature and history at universities in the US and Canada. He is the bestselling author of five novels, including Medicine River and Green Grass, Running Water, two...

Leadership on climate needed

Leadership on climate needed

Jan 1, 2013

SCIENCE MATTERS by David Suzuki • The race to become leader of the world’s most powerful democracy often seemed disconnected from reality. During debates, the two main candidates stooped to insults, half-truths and outright lies. The overall campaign included appallingly ignorant statements about women. But the most bewildering disconnect was over the...

The Bubble and Beyond

Fictitious capital, debt deflation and the global crisis by Michael Hudson • This summary of my economic theory traces how industrial capitalism has turned into finance capitalism. The finance, insurance and real estate (FIRE) sector has emerged to create “balance sheet wealth” not by new tangible investment and employment, but financially in the form of...