International students deserve free health care
If international students’ tuition represents such a large amount of the income the university receives, it is fair to expect access to medical assistance in return.
Comment
Canada should be doing more for all refugees
War is terrible no matter who it affects. And where there is conflict, inevitably there will be people that are forced to flee for their lives. Although it is unrealistic to expect to save everybody from the perils of war, Canada and other western countries have not stepped up to support as many people as they should.
PCs throwing province off a cliff by dropping masks
On March 15 the Progressive Conservative party (PC) dropped Manitoba’s mask mandate. The PCs are facing what looks to be an inevitable demise come next provincial election and it appears the party is finding it increasingly futile to play along with public health measures it so clearly resents. The result may culminate in yet another self-destructive attempt at returning to pre-COVID life. We’ve been here before, and it didn’t end well.
Addressing global warming means socializing housing
The climate crisis may be the best reason for socializing housing. Winnipeg must look beyond traditional market strategies to address these issues together and reduce inequality. This means the city must take it upon itself to build affordable and climate-friendly housing for low-income earners in high-density neighbourhoods. Going forward, housing cannot have space for profit.
Reflections about virtual reality during COVID-19
My first impression of the VR universe was that it was wholesome and inviting. While still isolated in the real world, I was happy to find a community of people that I could gather with.
Women need better representation in politics
Though the path to a successful career in politics is not the same for all, especially for women who have additional gender-based barriers, it is important that we encourage strong women who are active community leaders. Though progress is slow, we need to start and continue breaking the constructs that have oppressed women. Let this be a reminder that International Women’s Day is not a meaningless reason to congratulate the female figures of your life. Rather let’s make it a daily goal to empower women and offer our authentic support for them so that they can achieve their vision of a more equitable world.
Fame is beating experience in upcoming byelection
As the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (PC) continues to lag behind Manitoba’s New Democratic Party (NDP) in province-wide polling, the Fort Whyte byelection could not have come at a better time for the traditionally conservative electoral division. The riding, which has remained vacant since the resignation of former premier Brian Pallister, is set to hold its election on March 22.
Suzuki’s keynote hit the right chords
Where many politicians refuse to denounce out-of-control economic growth and inequality as the main factor contributing to global warming, Suzuki expresses important anti-capitalist principles in his activism.
Sporting organizations right to penalize Russia
By not treating these issues equally, sporting groups demonstrate the lack of concern they have for racialized people. Those who are complicit in murdering the innocent and pursuing wars of conquest have zero place in athletics. It is time that the Olympics, FIFA and the rest of the sporting world take a stand against large-scale violence. If nations forge a path of destruction and division, then they should not be permitted to participate in the unifying nature of sports.
End of convoy should start conversation about racism
After the federal government legislated the use of the Emergencies Act — legislation that allows the government to have significant temporary powers to freeze the bank accounts and credit cards of protesters or arrest them — on Feb. 14, the protests were on track to end. Despite Conservative pushback on Parliament Hill, “freedom” protests in Ottawa were rapidly cleared and the use of such temporary powers came to an end on Feb. 23. But Winnipeg protesters were one of the exceptions. After receiving a lenient police deadline to end their occupation across the street of the Manitoba Legislative Building, protesters moved to a nearby location in Memorial Park. This lack of dedicated action from the police department suggests the “freedom convoy” extends beyond unvaccinated individuals and appeals to public servants like Winnipeg’s police force.