Steven Blaney

Tuesday October 25, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Tuesday October 25, 2016 Steven Blaney kicks off Conservative leadership campaign with proposed niqab ban Quebec MP Steven Blaney is running for leadership of the Conservative Party, and his first major policy position is a ban on the niqab and a promise to invoke the notwithstanding clause if courts strike down his new measures. The former minister in the cabinet of Stephen Harper said he will introduce legislation that would forbid the Islamic face-covering while voting and taking the oath of citizenship. He also said that the prohibition would extend to people working in the federal public service. "We are a country that is built on immigration, but we have to be sure that those new Canadians we welcome are understanding of how we live. We don't want our country to become like the country they left," Blaney told reporters Monday. "We fully welcome you, but we want you to respect who we are.Ó The measures are necessary, Blaney said, to "ensure the sustainability of our integration model" and to protect women's rights. The proposal revives a controversial debate from the last campaign, when Harper himself suggested the niqab should be banned from the public service. His party enacted policies to prevent women from wearing a niqab while taking the citizenship oath, and promised to create a "barbaric cultural practices" tip line. Those two proposals led some to accuse the party of engaging in identity politics and fuelling anti-Muslim sentiment. Zunera Ishaq, a Muslim woman, went to court to challenge the government's ban, and, in the middle of the campaign, the Federal Court of Appeal cleared the wayÊfor her to wear the head covering. (Source: CBC News)Êhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/steven-blaney-conservative-leadership-niqab-ban-1.3818673 Canada, Conservative, party, niqab, assisted suicide, end of life, conservative, leadership, Kellie Leitch, Steven Blaney, culture, race, religion, stephen ha

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday October 25, 2016

Steven Blaney kicks off Conservative leadership campaign with proposed niqab ban

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Saturday October 8, 2016 Conservative leadership hopeful Brad Trost questions Andrew Scheer about social conservatism Saskatchewan Member of Parliament and Conservative leader hopeful Brad Trost says his policies make him a true social conservative choice. "I've got about five or six policy platform items that will be of interest to social conservatives," Trost said in Ottawa on Monday. Trost wouldn't go into detail what his policy platform planks will be but would only say "euthanasia, abortion and a couple of other issues," will be included. "These are things I believe. When you see my policy platforms they will demonstrate they are social conservative proposals that are not only popular inside the Conservative party but the general public.Ó First elected in 2004, Trost has been vocal on many issues, including same-sex marriage. Recently, Trost's campaign started running ads with a picture of two fingers side by side, with the message "Marriage is the union of one man, one woman.Ó He's also taking aim at fellow Saskatchewan MP Andrew Scheer, who also recently entered the leadership race. Trost says that comments he's read of late leads him to believe Scheer is not a true social conservative. When Scheer launched his leadership campaign last week, he indicated that abortion and same-sex marriage were issues he considered resolved within the party and he would not re-visit them. "I don't think he's taking a pro-life stand in this campaign," said Trost. "I'm not sure if Mr. Scheer is a social conservative. That's something he's going to have to deal with. One of the social conservative groups referred to his statements the other day as pro-abortion.Ó In response to Trost's latest volley, Scheer simply said "no comment.Ó Trost also sounded off on Harper's time as Prime Minister, saying the he doesn't believe Harper was a social conservative either. (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada

October 8, 2016

Quebec MP Steven Blaney is running for leadership of the Conservative Party, and his first major policy position is a ban on the niqab and a promise to invoke the notwithstanding clause if courts strike down his new measures.

The former minister in the cabinet of Stephen Harper said he will introduce legislation that would forbid the Islamic face-covering while voting and taking the oath of citizenship. He also said that the prohibition would extend to people working in the federal public service.

Friday October 10, 2014

October 10, 2014

“We are a country that is built on immigration, but we have to be sure that those new Canadians we welcome are understanding of how we live. We don’t want our country to become like the country they left,” Blaney told reporters Monday. “We fully welcome you, but we want you to respect who we are.”

The measures are necessary, Blaney said, to “ensure the sustainability of our integration model” and to protect women’s rights.

The proposal revives a controversial debate from the last campaign, when Harper himself suggested the niqab should be banned from the public service.

Friday December 8, 2006 PM: Same-sex issue closed The last major threat to same-sex marriage rights in Canada was soundly defeated in the House of Commons today, with MPs sending the message that they donÕt want to revisit the emotional, divisive debate. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he heard the message and will respect it. ÒWe made a promise to have a free vote on this issue, we kept that promise, and obviously the vote was decisive and obviously weÕll accept the democratic result of the peopleÕs representatives,Ó Harper said. The question put to MPs was whether they wanted to see legislation drafted to reinstate the traditional definition of marriage, while respecting the existing marriages of gays and lesbians. That Conservative motion failed 175-123. In the tense Commons, MPs watched each other carefully to see how the other would vote. Some Liberals cheered as prominent Tories voted to let sleeping dogs lie. Some Conservatives applauded Liberals who did the opposite. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) Canada, same-sex marriage, gay marriage, civil union, marriage, dinosaur

Friday December 8, 2006

Zunera Ishaq, a Muslim woman, went to court to challenge the government’s ban, and, in the middle of the campaign, the Federal Court of Appeal cleared the way for her to wear the head covering. (Source: CBC News)

2016-10-25tearsheet

 

Thursday March 5, 2015

Thursday March 5, 2015Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday March 5, 2015

New law will ensure some criminals stay in jail for life, Stephen Harper says

The federal government will introduce new legislation to ensure that a life sentence means exactly that — a sentence for life without parole — Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Wednesday.

Peter Mackay Gallery

Peter Mackay Gallery

The new bill will apply to those convicted of first-degree murder involving the killing of police officers or correctional officers; terrorism; kidnapping or sexual assault and crimes “of a particularly brutal nature.”

It would also apply to those who commit high treason.

“Next week, our government will introduce legislation to ensure that for the most heinous offenders and the most horrific crimes a life sentence in Canada will henceforth mean exactly that — a sentence for life,” Harper announced in front of a crowd that included families of murder victims.

Currently, those who are convicted of first-degree murder face an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Harper said that in order to address constitutional concerns, under the new law, some killers serving life without parole will be permitted to petition the minister for public safety for release after serving no less than 35 years. (Source: Toronto Star)

Friday October 10, 2014

Friday October 10, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday October 10, 2014

Has Ottawa been too slow to take on radicalized Canadians?

Canada is sending fighter jets to take part in air strikes against Islamic State fighters abroad. That we know.

But closer to home, the Conservative government isn’t saying much about its promised comprehensive plan to deal with jihadist recruits who are either planning to go to, or are returning from, overseas conflicts.

Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney appeared before a Commons committee on Wednesday, flanked by the heads of the RCMP and CSIS, to discuss the government’s efforts to combat homegrown extremism.

What he had to say amounted to a recap of criminal legislation the government has already passed, measures aimed at punishing rather than preventing, the radicalization of Canadians.

It’s one thing for Liberal leader Justin Trudeau to ramble on about the “root causes” of terrorism, as he did with the CBC’s Peter Mansbridge after the Boston Marathon bombing, but no Conservative wants to be heard saying the same.

Instead, Blaney ran through a set of now well-worn numbers.

Ye olde scary costumes gag from 2001

Among them, Canadian authorities are aware of at least 130 Canadians suspected of taking part in terrorism-related activities in places such as Syria, Iraq and Somalia. About 80 have returned to Canada.

“I can confirm for Canadians that, as we speak, the RCMP is investigating these individuals and will seek to put them behind bars where they belong,” Blaney solemnly informed the public safety committee.

But who these individuals are — what they have done, how they became radicalized — on those matters, Blaney offered little.

Instead, he repeated the pledge made last week by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that additional measures are coming soon.

“Preventing violent extremism is an essential element of our response, and that is why some of the important work is being done in this regard as we speak.” (Source: CBC News)