“The irony, a little bit, is there, for sure,” says Canadian School Boards Association president Floyd Martens. Over 200 CSBA trustees from across Canada will arrive in Halifax this week for the organization’s annual conference, only a few months after the provincial government dismantled Nova Scotia’s elected school boards. Martens says the event was planned […]
Politics
Posted inNews + Opinion
Liberals pay lip service to feminism while failing survivors on campus, again.
As I sat in the gallery of the provincial legislature and heard Patricia Arab, MLA from Fairview-Clayton Park, paying lip service to feminist ideals while simultaneously arguing against legislation that students have been demanding for years, I felt sick. On the eve of International Women’s Day, the Liberal government had once again stonewalled legislation that […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Matt Whitman worries #MeToo climate could impact how politicians hug
Matt Whitman warns that politicians need to be more careful about who they embrace, given the rising number of sexual misconduct complaints against elected officials. Speaking to reporters Tuesday at City Hall, the Hammonds Plains–St. Margarets councillor lamented how changing times are impacting the behaviour of men like him in politics. “You can’t be quite as […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Peter Stoffer apologizes for behaviour, denies any wrongdoing
Peter Stoffer is the latest name in a growing list of current and former Canadian politicians denying accusations of sexual harassment, while simultaneously apologizing for any wrongdoing. In an awkward press conference Friday morning in the frigid cold outside Pier 21, Stoffer spoke for about six minutes about his history with the party, his volunteerism and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Politics and misogyny at the Nova Scotia Legislature
It is 1990. I am so young that my face looks like a blank slate in my official Legislature ID photo. I am so excited about this part-time job. I am a student of history and journalism, and being on the floor of the Legislature as a page will let me feel like I’m part […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Marking the anniversary of the Halifax Women’s March
Women are marching again. It’s been a year since people gathered in Washington and cities around the world to advocate for issues such as women’s rights, racial equality, LGTBQ+ rights and reproductive justice. The rally was catalyzed by the election of the Trump administration and the hateful rhetoric being spread by many of its supporters. […]
Posted inLifestyle
Weed and alcohol are too close for comfort in Nova Scotia
The Federal Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation recommends cannabis be sold separately from booze, in stand-alone stores. That’s the way PEI and New Brunswick are gonna deal with legal weed. It’s an approach endorsed by multiple studies explaining how THC and alcohol exacerbate each other’s effects and intensify injury and fatalities when mixed, […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
NDP executives resign in protest over party leader Gary Burrill
Call it a war of the oranges. Nova Scotia NDP president Bill Matheson and vice-president Judy Swift have both stepped down from their positions with the Party’s executive. The resignations happened at a meeting this past Saturday. In an email subsequently sent to the NDP’s provincial council, Swift blames her departure on the actions and […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Q&A: Jagmeet Singh on the NDP’s future and busting stereotypes
Jagmeet Singh has been the federal leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) since the beginning of October. He may be giving Justin Trudeau a run for his money—the “Jagmeet and Greet” event at Lion & Bright on Sunday was jam-packed with people, and tons more were lined up outside to shake Singh’s hand or […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
The politics of bullshit
What is political bullshit? Figure out what people want, then tell them what they want to hear. Make claims that aren’t true but can’t easily be disproven. If they are disproven, attack personally whoever disproves them. If you have to, make stuff up. Promise whatever it takes to win a vote. If you break a […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
United against hate
Halifax United 2017 Saturday November 18, 12-5pm Halifax Forum Bingo Hall, 2901 Windsor Street Comment sections and social media have made Halifax feel like a cesspool of hatred as of late. Outrage over a Halifax Pop Explosion show and a Facebook post from months ago are a couple of the causes of conflict, spurring accusations […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Upcoming rally will tackle key issues faced by women in Nova Scotia
“We’re not going anywhere,” says Jackie Barkhouse. In January of this year, the Women’s March on Washington garnered support around the world—including a sister protest in Halifax. Barkhouse was one of the organizers and, since then, she’s helped continue the movement. The local protest was followed up in May by Nova Scotia Women Vote, an […]