Former Senator Douglas Roche on the power of protests (Douglas Roche, “Stand up and speak out for what’s right: Mass protests have the power to bring about social change,” Edmonton Journal, 24 March 2010): “When the public gets mad, politicians… back down. When the kitchen gets too hot, they run outside gasping for fresh air.” […]
Archive | March, 2010
Canadian military quietly stops reporting wounded
The Canadian military has quietly stopped reporting when soldiers are wounded on the battlefield (Murray Brewster, “Canada forbids reporting of battlefield wounded,” Globe and Mail, 23 March 2010). In order to satisfy the public’s right to know what is going on in Afghanistan, the military says it will instead provide an annual report on battle-related injuries. The […]
Dirty water bigger killer than war: UN
Contaminated water is a bigger killer than all forms of violence, including war, says a new UN report. Sick Water? The Central Role of Wastewater Management in Sustainable Development was compiled by the UN Environment Programme and UN-HABITAT, the UN Human Settlements Programme. According to the report, “Globally, two million tons of sewage, industrial and […]
Staples headed to Afghanistan?
Rideau Institute President Steve Staples has asked the Department of National Defence to include him on the next stakeholders’ tour of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan. DND has organized several tours of the Afghanistan mission for Canadian academics, defence lobbyists, journalists, and other “opinion leaders”, but rarely (if ever?) have these tours included prominent critics […]
CADSI calls for defence industrial strategy
The Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI) released a report last week on the challenges and opportunities facing the Canadian defence industry with respect to military procurement. Canada’s Defence Industry: A Vital Partner Supporting Canada’s Economic and National Interests, commissioned by the federal departments of National Defence, Industry Canada, and Public Works and […]
Close Combat Vehicle project revived?
The Close Combat Vehicle project, which was recently reported to have been shelved, is now said to be back on the Army’s priority list: David Pugliese, “Plans for new fleet of armoured vehicles back on track,” Ottawa Citizen, 14 March 2010.