1. Home mail delivery in danger again
As far as I recall, the Liberals never explicitly promised to reinstate home mail delivery. They just kind of artfully hinted that, you know, once that SOB Harper was gone, the light would reappear and angels would sing. But the dawn has come and … WTF? Public Services Minister Judy Foote says home delivery will depend on what Canada Post can afford. And we know it can’t afford home delivery, since the high cost was the reason for phasing it out. Will the media care any more, now that they can’t bash Harper for it? Will Denis Coderre drill another concrete pad? I kinda doubt it.
BTW: Trudeau must be closing in on Dalton McGuinty for all-time record of most promises broken or fudged by a new premier/PM. Someone should keep score. Not that it matters when he’s so yummy.
2. First Nation bans reporters
An Alberta First Nation has banned all media after its chief was charged with sexual assault and news reports upset members of the band. Marcel Arcand, spokesman for the chief and council, said the blackout came about after “derogatory statements” were published by an Edmonton broadcast news outlet on March 4 in regards to the sexual assault allegation.
3. Shhhhh, we’re picking senators
It is reported that “an independent advisory board” has sent the PMO a list of 25 potential candidates to fill the first five seats of the 22 that are empty in the Senate. Wow, wasn’t that an open and democratic process. The Liberals’ new and improved Senate appointment system seems to work a lot like Supreme Court nominations: a committee appointed by the Prime Minister quietly selects candidates through some secretive process and sends them to the PM, who chooses his favourite.
4. Fan refuses to remove Oilers cap on religious grounds
A Red Deer, Alta., man says the Edmonton Oilers are his religion and his Oilers hat is as important to him as any religious clothing, and he shouldn’t have to remove it for his drivers licence photo. The province allows head coverings for religious and medical reasons. Ken Egilsson says his fight is about equality. “If we have a separation between church and state then you should not be allowed to use any religious or cultural beliefs to circumvent laws that we already have in place. If certain people or certain groups are allowed to cover their head, then I should be able to cover my head based on equality.” He says he’ll keep his Oilers cap on all the way to the Supreme Court if he has to.
5. Immigration fear is not racist: Archbishop
The Archbishop of Canterbury says it’s not racist to be concerned about the effects of immigration. Archbishop Justin Welby says there is “genuine fear” about the impact of migration to Britain on housing, jobs and healthcare services, and it’s “outrageous” to tag people as racist over perfectly natural concerns.
National Post