STORM OF PROTEST

Peter Worthington, 05/25/12

Co-founder of the Toronto Sun

Lawrence Connelly was issued a DND birth certificate by the Canadian government when born in Germany. He now lives in Orillia, works in daycare, pays his taxes, and is married with two kids. But when he applied for a passport to go to Disney World in the U.S., the Passport Office told him they needed proof of citizenship, and that has birth certificate wasn't enough.

Dave Kaufman, 05/25/12

Journalist

On Tuesday evening, just before midnight, I was assaulted by a police officer. No warning, no explanation, just a swift swing of a nightstick to the back of my leg. The officer chasing after me threw me into a parked van. I bounced off it and started to run up the block, towards the officer, who had chased my colleague and was holding his ground on the corner.

I am not a student, I don't wear a red square, and I am not on strike. This is Montreal under Bill 78.

Arianna Huffington, 05/25/12

The Edmonton Journal recently called Jeff Skoll "the greatest Canadian you've never heard of." But, in fact, Skoll, beyond being the first president of eBay, has been a pioneer in the world of cutting edge philanthropy. Today, he is being presented with Canada's highest civilian honor, the Order of Canada, for his wide-ranging philanthropic work. The Order, which will be presented by Governor-General David Johnston, carries the motto Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam ("They desire a better country"). This fits Skoll, but only to a degree. He has gone far beyond merely desiring a better country, and indeed a better world, to empowering people to achieve solutions everywhere in the world. Here is my interview with him -- a man who fits perfectly in our Inspirationals series, combining, as he does, an audacious vision, an innovative mind, and a deeply empathetic heart.

Tim Hudak, 05/24/12

Leader, Ontario PC Party

Right now, there are more than 11,000 people at Ontario Power Generation and Hydro One making more than $100,000 per year -- more than double the number in 2003. A dose of scrutiny from outside investors on labour costs like these will go a long way to improving how these enterprises are run.

Supriya Dwivedi, 05/24/12

Law student, Université de Montréal

Last night marked a turning point in the Quebec student conflict, as police arrested over 500 protesters. The police have come under constant attack for being heavy handed in their approach, most often through their employment of tear gas; however, last night they used a different approach. It's called kettling.

Irwin Cotler, 05/24/12

MP, Mount Royal

Negotiations over Iran's nuclear program between Iran and six major powers began Wednesday. Given the Iranian pattern of denial, deception, and delay, the whole while uranium continues to be enriched and centrifuges continue to spin, only a verifiable abandonment by Iran of its nuclear weapons pursuits will suffice.

Keith Beardsley, 05/23/12

Partner, True North Public Affairs (Ottawa)

Do our MPs honestly expect that the budget debate was on our minds while we enjoyed the weather this past weekend and fired up the BBQ to celebrate the arrival of summer? How many of us while flipping burgers were bemoaning the details about the omnibus budget bill to our assembled guests and neighbours?

Diane Francis, 05/22/12

Editor-at-Large, The National Post

Quebec's unruly students are no different than the Greeks. Both have enjoyed free rides for years, both are being asked to pay their share of the tab and both are refusing to do so. The Greeks are going to fall behind the Romanians in living standards in short order while the students are making a fuss over a pittance. That makes the Quebec students, in a sense, even more irresponsible.

Omar Alghabra, 05/22/12

Former Liberal MP

Thomas Mulcair's prescription is to make "polluters pay" and that the natural resources industry should fully account for its pollution. And then what? How is that going to reduce pressure on the dollar? How does that help other industries? Does he want to implement a selective "polluter pays" policy that target only the natural resources sector and exclude the manufacturing sector?

Jon Soltz, 05/20/12

Co-Founder of VoteVets.org, Iraq War Veteran

There have been plenty of men -- from Lyndon Johnson to George W. Bush -- who were too stubborn to face facts, and sent more and more troops into a situation that called for fewer. We often confuse that bravado with leadership. It's not.

Chris Genovali, 05/18/12

Executive Director, Raincoast Conservation Foundation

The 670 kilometre B.C. portion of this proposed pipeline would include 591 water crossings, 532 of which are fish bearing. Should British Columbians be concerned? Those deliberating on whether they support the pipeline would do well to remember this truism: in gambling, the many must lose in order that the few may win.

Samuel Getachew, 05/18/12

Samuel Getachew

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who had sent his regrets earlier, literally surprised the guests as well as the media when he showed up to read the city's proclamation at the rainbow flag raising at City Hall earlier this week. His small gesture was a great mayoralty civic obligation that needed to be fulfilled.

Senator Mobina Jaffer, 05/18/12

Senator

The Komagata Maru incident occurred during a time in Canadian history where there was a deep-seated prejudice against minorities and immigrants. NDP MP Jasbir Sandhu's motion today urged the Government of Canada to officially apologize in Parliament to the South Asian community in the House of Commons. I commend him.

Maude Barlow, 05/18/12

National Chairperson, Council of Canadians

The Harper government is waging war on Canada's fresh water. Industry will now have unprecedented influence over water protection policy and the Harper cabinet will make decisions about which watersheds deserve protection based on political, not scientific, grounds. What a travesty Harper has decided to sacrifice our freshwater heritage in order to please his industry friends.

Patrick Luciani, 05/18/12

The media has jumped on a paper that has supposedly found a link between taxing "junk food" and a reduction in obesity. News flash: this is old news. We know that simplistic top-down approaches such as taxation or public announcements telling us to exercise and eat our vegetables don't work.

Joyce Arthur, 05/18/12

Executive Director, Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (www.arcc-cdac.ca)

Canadian women won equality rights 27 years ago when the gender equality clause in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms took effect. Yet, several times since the turn of the 21st century, parliament has seen fit to debate whether women's rights should be restricted. How can this happen?

Fetuses and pregnant women cannot be considered separately. Any examination of alleged fetal rights that does not primarily consider the serious ramifications for pregnant women would be a dangerous sham, and contrary to global human rights standards.

Christopher Sands, 05/18/12

Senior fellow, Hudson Institute

President Obama and the leaders of the world's most successful alliance, NATO, -- one that deterred nuclear war and kept the peace in Europe after centuries of conflict -- gather in Chicago this weekend to talk about the future. Obama and Prime Minister Harper should consider Mexico when they meet with other NATO leaders in Chicago.