Ottawa Star - Volume 1 Issue 9

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Ottawa Star www.OttawaStar.com • October 24, 2013 • Volume 1, Issue 9

Too cold in Canada?

Job is no longer a way out of poverty

$250,000 donation buys you citizenship in sunny Caribbean

By David McFadden, The Associated Press

Not sustainable: “favouring pensioners over their children and grandchildren.’’

K

INGSTON, Jamaica—The struggling country of Antigua & Barbuda has joined other tiny Eastern Caribbean islands in selling citizenship to wealthy international investors to drum up revenue, officials said Monday.

The twin-island nation of some 90,000 inhabitants started accepting applications last week for its citizenshipby-investment program, which is closely modeled on the one offered by nearby St. Kitts & Nevis. The government hopes to generate roughly $550 million over the next three years by attracting some 1,800 new citizens, who have to spend at least 35 days on the islands during the five-year span an initial passport is valid for.

Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer said the revenue will help put the country “on the road to sustainable growth and development.’’ The nation was slammed by the 2008 global economic crisis and the subsequent collapse of the financial empire of convicted fraudster R. Allen Stanford, who based his Stanford International Bank on Antigua and was once the country’s largest private employer.

Spencer called for islanders who are hesitant about the concept to “trust your government.’’ He said the program “should in no way jeopardize the integrity of the national passport’’ as critics have asserted.

A foreigner can qualify for Antiguan citizenship with a $250,000 donation or with a real estate investment of $400,000.

A business investment of $1.5 million can also qualify. There are government processing fees of $50,000 for applicants and due diligence costs for background checks.

An Antigua & Barbuda passport holder can travel to some 130 countries with “relative ease and without challenging visa requirements,’’ according to Zurich-based Henley & Partners, a residence and citizenship planning firm which advised the government on how to set up its program.

The strategy is part of a trend in the Caribbean. For years, St. Kitts & Nevis and Dominica have given investors citizenship in return for a real estate investment or significant donation. Grenada is planning to revive a program of its own.

Continued on page 14

For Canada & World News visit Ottawa Star.com

By Danica Kirka, The Associated Press

L

Diana Swedani, Treasurer, Indo-Canada Ottawa Business Chamber. Story page 4. Photo: Manny Virdee

ONDON—Having a job no longer offers a sure route out of poverty in Britain, with the working poor crushed by rising costs and stagnant wages, a first of its kind report from the government said last week.

The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission report concluded that the government must do more to help low-paid workers.

While government policies have traditionally focused on helping welfare recipients get work, the missing piece of the “policy jigsaw’’ is how to help people who are working but not economically stable, said Alan Milburn, the commission’s chair.

“These are the people that heed the urgings of politicians of all hues to do the right thing, to stand on their own two feet, to strive not shirk,’’ MilContinued on page 15

Security Agency gathering contact lists from Yahoo, Gmail, Facebook and Hotmail accounts The Associated Press

W

ASHINGTON—The National Security Agency has been sifting through millions of contact lists from personal email and instant messaging accounts around the world—including those of Americans—in its effort to find possible links to terrorism or other criminal activity, according to a published report.

The Washington Post reported October 14 that the spy agency intercepts hundreds of thousands of email address books every day from private accounts on Yahoo, Gmail, Facebook and Hotmail that move though global data links. The NSA also collects about a half million buddy lists from live chat services and email accounts.

The Post said it learned about the collection tactics from secret docu-

ments provided by NSA leaker Edward Snowden and confirmed by senior intelligence officials. It was the latest revelation of the spy agency’s practices to be disclosed by Snowden, the former NSA systems analyst who fled the U.S. and now resides in Russia.

The newspaper said the NSA analyzes the contacts to map relationships Continued on page 12

PAGE 2 • www.OttawaStar.com

Community

Turkish Festival celebrated at grand opening of Ottawa’s firstever intercultural centre Aaron L. Pope

T

he 7th annual Ottawa Turkish Festival was celebrated last week amidst the grand opening of the long-awaited Intercultural Dialogue Institute in Kanata.

Members of the public were invited to enjoy some live entertainment, Turkish art and gourmet food.

“Canada is composed of so many different cultures, so many different communities and ethnicities, that sometimes people get stuck in their own small communities and become isolated,” said Kerim Khan, 35, one of the festivals organizers. “We are trying to bridge those communities and also trying to bring those communities together.”

The festival began as a one-day affair nearly seven years ago and is now a week-long festival devoted to Turkish culture.

“We found that bringing people together across the dinner table has done a lot to overcome some of the misconceptions and misunderstandings that people might have for one another, also to help foster relationships and promote friendship and understanding,” said Khan.

Zehranur Sasal served up some traditional Turkish tea at the grand opening.

Photo: Aaron L. Pope

But the Ottawa Turkish Festival wasn’t just about dancing and food, it was about community and communication.

“We’ve opened up the schedule this year with a language course, so we provided a day of Turkish language education for free for anyone that wanted to try the language,” said Khan. “We had a movie screening of a documenta-

ry and a cuisine demonstration to bring us into the weekend festivities.”

The Intercultural Dialogue Institute began as an idea and a plot of land in 2006, and after seven years of planning and fundraising, the final cost for the centre was $3 million. Because of the cost, getting the project off the ground took longer than initially expected, but a new federal program helped finance the facility.

“About a year and a half ago the government announced their economic action plan,” said Khan. “We had applied to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for a grant and we were successful, so that’s what kick-started a lot of our activities in establishing the centre.”

Even though the community centre was established by Turkish Canadians, they strive to keep the centre open to people from multiple cultures and religions to foster discussion and respect.

All volunteer-run, the centre will have meeting rooms, a banquet and prayer space and will provide programming for the greater Ottawa community, as well as programming geared toward new Canadians.

New book tells stories of Chinese immigrants in small town Canada

By OCCSC

A mother, knowing she might never see her daughter again, relinquishes her to be raised across the ocean. A boy whose grandmother sold his baby sister for a sack of rice finds out decades later that like him, has escaped from China and is now living in Canada.

Such are some of the stories of people caught between war, prejudice, and the promise of a new land in a new book out this fall, Lives of the Family: Stories of Fate and Circumstance, by internationally best-selling author Denise Chong.

Set in and around Ottawa and drawn from interview of local Chinese, Chong tells stories of immigrants who chose to settle in small town Canada rather than in the established big city Chinatowns of Vancouver or Toronto.

Often they ran the local Chinese laundry or cafe, and were typically a town’s only Chinese. In Ottawa, such businesses clustered on a two-block section

of Albert Street, a stone’s throw from Parliament Hill.

In Lives of the Family, linked true stories explore the arc of a universal immigrant experience, from the decision to leave to the cultural rift between the mores of the old world and those of the new.

Intimate and haunting, it gives voice to the courage and heartbreak of ordinary families who lived with the memory of the tumult of war and politics in China, and who showed tenacity in adapting to a new world. Early immigrants in the small towns lived in loneliness and isolation until Canada finally lifted exclusion. After 1950, a new wave of immigrants arrived; some to reunite with parents they hardly knew, some under false identities, and some as “cash on delivery” brides.

Chong’s inspiration for Lives of the Family came from an educational project begun in 2011 by the Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre.

Chong created a website for the OCCSC www.livesofthefamily.com detailing the history of the pioneer Chi-

nese in Ottawa, which includes archival photographs and video clips of interviews conducted by the author. Ottawa’s handful of original families were well-known proprietors mostly of cafes, many of which became the haunts of prime ministers and high-ranking civil servants. In 2010, the Cathay was the last of those cafes to close its doors.

Recently named as an Officer of the Order of Canada, Chong is best known for her award-winning family memoir The Concubine’s Children, a Globe and Mail bestseller for 93 weeks.

“We are proud to have such an accomplished and esteemed author do the research for the Chinese Historical Research Project which has resulted in her wonderful new book Lives of the Family: Stories of Fate and Circumstance,” said Sharon Kan, executive director of the OCCSC. Lives of the Family, signed by the author, is available for purchase at the offices of the OCCSC – Suite 4004, 381 Kent Street.

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

Reversing the “healthy immigrant effect”

By Janet Allingham, RN A young woman, recently emigrated from Africa, once confided in me that she found Canadian women “lazy”. She had watched her neighbours drive the 10 km to town for groceries, and said “I did that every day, and I even carried a load of firewood on my head”. She was lean and strong, and I was in awe of her.

The reality is that immigrants to Canada tend to be healthier than their native-born neighbours.

Well known in medical literature, this observation is termed the “healthy immigrant effect”. Studies in Canada and the US consistently show that the health of recent immigrants is better than that of their native-born neighbours. As years in the new country increase, however, the health status of immigrants tends to deteriorate.

The impact of immigration on health is a complex one, and several explanations for the “healthy immigrant effect” have been suggested. Health screening that favours healthier people for immigration, is one possible cause. Immigrants also tend to be healthier, wealthier, and better educated. Making healthy food choices and being physically active in Canada can also impact their health.

Dr. Kevin Pottie, of the University of Ottawa, co-authored Evidence-based Clinical Guidelines for Immigrants and Refugees, published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2011. The guidelines take a strongly preventive approach to immigrant health. This may surprise newcomers to Canada.

Many countries reserve medical care for the more dire illnesses and conditions. Canadian health care providers, on the other hand, may recommend that immigrant patients be seen more than once a year, even if they have no signs of illness. It takes time to review and update immunizations and screen for diseases such as hepatitis B, HIV, and diabetes. Anemia and dental pain, conditions prevalent in immigrants, may require follow-up. Potential patterns of disease might also need to be considered: immigrants from South East Asia screened for stroke risk, those from the Caribbean for type 2 diabetes, and all immigrant men for cancer of the liver. Some community groups collaborate with health care professionals to deliver prevention programs with a cultural focus.

Each year 357,000 people migrate to Canada from 150 countries. This includes refugees, migrant workers, and international students. By the year 2031 Statistics Canada estimates that 25% of the population will be made up of immigrants. Preventive health programs can reverse the “healthy immigrant effect” and improve the lives of immigrants for years to come.

Janet Allingham practices as a nurse/lactation consultant and writes on health issues.

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

Community

www.OttawaStar.com • PAGE 3

OCCSC goes to China with Mayor Watson Ellen O’Connor

Mayor Jim Watson, along with a team of 40 delegates from Ottawa’s business, technology, tourism and education sectors embarked on the city’s largest-ever mission to China to promote Ottawa as a preferred destination for investment, tourism, and education.

The 10-day mission, which began October 12 and ended October 21, featured meetings with H.E. Guy St. Jacques, Canadian Ambassador to China, Zhou Zhengyu, director general of Beijing’s Municipal Commission of Tourism Development, along with many Chinese investors, business executives, and leaders. Business tours of the Zpark Software Park and the Lujiashan Sustainable Economy Industrial Park, the largest waste treatment power plant in Asia, were also on the agenda.

On October 16, Watson signed an “Exchange and Cooperation Agreement” with Beijing, at a meeting with the Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun. Watson first signed Ottawa’s sister city agreement back in 1999.

“We are looking forward to building on the excellent relationship with our sister city in the months and years to come,” said Watson. “This new agreement offers tangible ways we will work together, learn from each other, and exchange ideas and talent.”

The new agreement states that both cities will support local companies to invest and start businesses in each other’s cities, in sectors from business and trade to culture and education, as well as strengthen trade and investment cooperation in the high-tech industry.

The Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre also took part in the mission, sending three delegates from their organization: Sharon Kan, Executive Director, Hong Zhang, Settlement Worker - Legal Issues, and Yew Lee, volunteer from Axiom Consultants.

The OCCSC is an organization that offers services primarily, but not restricted to, Chinese immigrants in three areas of settlement (housing, family counselling), language training, and employment, recently rebranded as In-TAC. On the mission, the organization explored opportunities to extend their programs for skilled and business immigrants to overseas locations, as a pre-arrival strategy to help immigrants adjust more smoothly and achieve success when settling in Canada.

The OCCSC, in collaboration with Ottawa Tourism and delegates from the educational sector, also reached out to international students considering coming to Ottawa.

“We would like to position ourselves to be of assistance to international students and to provide business and investment advice,” said Gary Epton, a member of the OCCSC, who said they put together an information package and C.D. for the mission to showcase what they offer as a settlement agency.

“We can also help facilitate investment and trade because we have connections to employers that are keyed into the economic advantages of immigrating to Ottawa,” said Epton.

The OCCSC delegates were also able to meet with representatives from the Bank of Montreal branches in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, as BMO sponsored OCCSC’s participation in the mission.

Caption: Mayor Jim Watson and Beijing Mayor Wang. Photo: City of Ottawa

Community

PAGE 4 • www.OttawaStar.com

H.E. Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma presenting Award of Excellence to Dr. Indu Gambhir. Joining them are ICOBC Chair Mr. Jack Uppal and Mr. Marvin Hough of Telfer School of Business.

ICOBC celebrates seventh annual Gala and Awards of Excellence Ellen O’Connor

T

he Indo-Canada Ottawa Business Chamber (ICOBC) held their seventh annual Gala and Awards of Excellence on Saturday, October 19 to highlight the significant social contributions and business/professional achievements of members of the Indo-Canadian community.

The sold out event was held at the Brookstreet Hotel in Kanata and was attended by business captains, community leaders, diplomats, ICOBC members and guests. Political dignitaries attending the event included Hon. Deepak Obhrai, MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minster of Foreign Affairs, Hon Bob Chiarelli, MPP and Minister of Energy, Hon Yasir Naqvi, MPP and Minister of Labour.

His Excellency Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma, High Commissioner of India to Canada, took to the stage to congratulate the award winners, and speak about the relations between India and Canada, and the challenges India faces with its growing population and the infrastructure needed to accommodate such a rapid growth.

The main highlight of the evening was a speech by Suneet Singh Tuli, the keynote speaker and an award recipient.

Tuli, founder and CEO of DataWind Ltd., captured the audience’s attention as he spoke about DataWind’s Aakash/ UbiSlate tablets and his vision to empower the next three billion people with computing and internet access.

Tuli said that while 5 billion people world-wide have mobile phones, including even the rickshaw drivers in India,

only 2 billion have internet access – the principle reason being affordability. With the Aakash tablet priced at only $37.99 and using the same processor as Apple’s first generation iPad, Tuli’s vision is that it will help bridge the gap and be “good enough for the target customer.”

The Indian government pledged to put a tablet in the hands of every Indian

Keynote speaker and Award of Excellence winner Suneet Singh Tuli, founder and CEO of DataWind Ltd. Photos: Manny Virdee

student, and for this, Tuli has been recognized by Forbes Magazine in its 2012 Impact 15 list as a “classroom revolutionary” using innovative technology, like the tablet, to reinvent education globally.

Following his speech, Tuli surprised the guest by announcing that 10 tablets would be available via silent auction for the top 10 bidders, making them the first Aakash tablet owners in Canada. $3,000 was raised from the silent auction to be donated to a charitable organization in Ottawa.

Four other deserving Indo-Canadians received awards that evening. Seema Singh, president and CEO of TAG HR, received the Businesswoman of the Year award for outstanding achievements in

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013 continuing to build a successful business.

TAG HR, who specializes in staffing HR and IT professionals, faced challenges with the decline of Ottawa’s tech sector, but quickly switched focus towards federal government staffing and remained a leader in the industry.

Anish Mehra is one of the early life time members of the ICOBC and the general manager of his family’s business, East India Company, which has been recognized numerous times as Ottawa’s premier Indian restaurant. Mehra and his brother Nitin have recently introduced a line of East India Company spices in Farm Boy stores across Ontario.

Mehra is also the president of the IndoCanadian Community Centre.

Vas Dev Aggarwal is an active member of society whose life revolves around serving humanity. Aggarwal was vice president of the ICA for 15 years and is serving as a board member of the Hindu Temple and the Hindu Society of Ottawa Carleton. Since retiring in 2007, he has worked with numerous organizations like Shepherds of Good Hope, MSMF and the Liver Foundation.

Dr. Indu Gambhir is a practicing physician in Ottawa, president of the ICCC from 2011-2013 and was instrumental in developing a program to assist Indo-Canadian seniors living in Ottawa.

When Gambhir moved to Cornwall in 1974, she pursued her interest in emergency medicine and became an expert in disaster management. She was on the board of several Ottawa organizations, worked with Doctors without Borders in 2005 and volunteers with The Ottawa Hospital Emergency Spiritual Care Team committee.

Klingons and Storm Troopers unite at 2nd annual Ottawa Geek Market Emily Plunkett

As witches and vampires mingled with Whovians and manga heroes, the untrained eye would believe the Carleton University Fieldhouse started their Halloween festivities early on the morning of Oct. 19.

This was no Halloween party, however, but rather the second annual Ottawa Geek Market.

“It’s like a flea market with costumes,” said media relations coordinator Elizabeth Howell.

Over 34,000 square feet of space within the Fieldhouse played host to over 100 exhibitors, artisans and communities, all representing the broad spectrum of geek culture. The event set out to be even bigger and better than their debut event last October, which had 50 exhibitors and just over 2,000 attendees.

In one corner of the hall, kids of all ages indulged themselves in a mas-

sive LEGO® display. Jewellery inspired by fanatical fairies and costumes representing everything from horror to science fiction filled the room, and down aisle, Wolverine chatted with a Ghostbusters recruit.

Sporting his full uniform, Matt Prov of the Ontario Ghostbusters explained the process of going from avid adult fan of the 1984 film starring Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, to becoming a costumed ambassador for the non-profit organization that raises money for Gilda’s Club and children’s hospitals.

“When you get to adulthood and realise you have some resources at your fingertips to make your costume come to life, and seeing the reaction of other people in a positive light, is what sold me on the whole thing,” said Prov.

The event chose the anti-bullying movement as their main focus of support because, although the geek movement

has had mainstream support over the years through movies like The Avengers and Thor, people involved with the geek community are some of the main recipients of bullying and harassment, said Howell.

“There is a sense that if you enjoy something that is not sports or something that is not the big reality shows on TV, and prefer to focus on something like a comic book, occasionally you might be slighted for that reason,” said Howell.

“The thing about geeks is that we have very different communities within that broader sense. We have horror people talking to fantasy people talking to anime people talking to sci-fi people.

Within our own community we encourage diversity.”

All proceeds raised from the event were to be donated equally to Kids Help Phone, Jer’s Vision, and the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region.

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Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

Replace tuition fees with a 10% surtax on income earned for the first 10 years after full-time employment begins

By Roslyn Kunin

V

ANCOUVER, BC, Troy Media—In the United States, the top 1 per cent hold 40 per cent of the wealth and have received 95 per cent of the benefits of recent economic growth.

In Canada, wealth distribution is not nearly so skewed. The top 1 per cent have about 13 per cent of the wealth. Better, but not overly egalitarian. Too much of our income, wealth and economic growth benefit those who are already very well off.

Income inequality was the theme of a presentation by Robert Reich, former cabinet minister and advisor to several U.S. presidents.

He spoke at a Simon Fraser University event sponsored by VanCity Credit Union. Tamara Varoom, CEO of VanCity, set the tone of the event by saying that many young people finish their education with the letters DID after their names, standing for deep in debt.

The cost of education and the resulting debt contributes as much to our economic problems as does the serious lack of good or any jobs for graduates. The issue was raised by a two-part question from a student: How can we reduce the cost of education for students and what can be done so that students get jobs after graduation?

Reich, in his answer, strongly supported the generally-accepted opinion that education was essential to a better economy and to improving prospects and income levels for most people.

There was no disagreement on this point. His solution to the high cost of education was to make university tuition free (general applause from the students listening) with the costs of education being covered by a 10 per cent surtax on income earned by the graduates for the first 10 years after they are employed full time.

This is an idea worth considering, although, in itself, it would not

be a perfect solution. For students living away from home, tuition is only a small part of the cost of education.

And what about the one in three students who currently start university, but do not graduate?

However, it is the second part of student’s question that is most important: where will the students get jobs? If students do not get well-paid, full-time work, universities will not receive sufficient surtax revenue to compensate for their lost tuition fees.

I have a modest proposal to make the free tuition and later income surtax solution work, with an added side effect of greatly improving the employability of graduates. Insure that the surtax paid by the now incomeearning graduates goes right back to the institution at which they trained.

That way, the universities would have to start paying attention to the economic success of their graduates.

With that income now coming in from successful graduates, universities, for their own self-preservation, would shift their focus to high indemand fields, thus better supporting Canada’s economy. They would also supplement their academic programs with a little bit more job-readiness and job-finding support.

That would give faculty the incentives they need to both keep up with the cutting edges in their fields and to maintain they professional networks need to place their students in jobs.

The more successful an institution was in placing its graduates into good jobs, the more money the university would have to support both its more career-oriented programs as well as other desirable programs with lower income prospects.

One big factor that affects the economy and almost everything else in our lives is inertia. The kind of dramatic changes I am suggesting are not likely to happen any time soon, but maybe these ideas will push us a bit closer to lower student debt, more focused training and better prospects and incomes for the 99 per cent.

Troy Media BC’s Business columnist Roslyn Kunin is a consulting economist and speaker and can be reached at www. rkunin.com.

www.OttawaStar.com • PAGE 5

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Opinion

PAGE 6 • www.OttawaStar.com

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

O Canada!

Time to change the anthem.

By Sangeetha Arya

Editorial

Munro does Canada proud

“T

he incomparable Alice Munro,” as a New York Times critic recently described her, “is not just a good writer but a great one, the first Canada has produced.”

Canadian author Alice Munro, who the Nobel Committee saluted as the “master of contemporary short stories,” won the world’s most coveted 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature. She’s the first Canadian writer to receive the prestigious $1.2 million award for her 14 books of short stories.

The 82-year-old writer has attained iconic status as a thorough, but forgiving, documenter of the human spirit and often compared to Anton Chekhov for showing the readers how extraordinary ordinary is and can be.

The news has been received everywhere with a tremendous sense of jubilation and pride. Surprisingly, there have been no negative flares or criticism which is a great testimony to Alice Munro’s popularity and the high esteem with which she is regarded not only by her fellow Canadian writers but also worldwide.

What makes her win all the more brave and impressive is the fact that she choose short story as her form which is not only extremely difficult

to master but also not very glamorous and popular as the novel.

Writing a short story demands precision of workmanship, the keenest inner eye for the most precise balancing. It is like “walking the high wire over a gorge carrying a piano.

Alice Munro has been highly praised for the precision of her language; the perfection of detail; the surprise and logic of her storytelling; the graceful, seamless shifts of moods; the intimacy with every shade of human behavior and surely she is a proof that some people—not many—have a gift for the short story.

Although Munro simply stuck to what she does best, what she did was no small feat. Her stories, which are set in Southern Ontario, are often accounts of domestic situations and working-class people but beyond their simplicity they are extremely complex and deep explorations of our everyday life. The stories, filled with troubled and questing souls, have amazingly intricate structures. Yet the feeling they produce is a gravity-defying lightness–cathedrals in the air. ”Suddenly you find yourself being fascinated by the life of this chambermaid, or this bean farmer, or this

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Vancouver housewife,” Douglas Gibson, her long time editor and publisher, said in a CBC interview. “These are ordinary people, ordinary stories, but she has the magic.”

She spoke to the world from a very isolated and deep corner but her masterly crafted stories found an echo everywhere. She made what Donne rightly said, “One little room an everywhere.”

Perhaps the Alice who is a deep watcher is one who feeds the writer.

She is a person who is capable of finding raw material in just about anyone’s existence. Describing the small town of Jubilee, a teenage narrator in Lives of Girls and Women seems to reflect Munro’s own beliefs: “People’s lives, in Jubilee as elsewhere, were dull, simple, amazing and unfathomable–deep caves paved with kitchen linoleum.”

What a well-deserved honor for such a great writer, whose stories “gossip informed by genius” will forever continue to leave readers “slack-jawed with wonder and filled with delight.”

Alice Munro you have made us all proud.

Editorial by Sangeetha Arya

Publisher: Chandrakanth Arya Chief Editor: Sangeetha Arya Editor: Ellen O’Connor

It looks like we are back in the middle of a formidable and reasonable campaign to change the lyrics of O Canada, our national anthem, to reflect its original intentions and showcase the Canada we are today.

Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood has joined the chorus of other prominent Canadian women including former Prime Minister Kim Campbell, retired senator Vivienne Poy, Senator Nancy Ruth, and Sally Goddard, whose daughter Nichola Goddard was the first female Canadian soldier killed in combat, to support an official campaign to correct the national anthem’s century-old sexist wording.

At issue is the line: “True patriot love in all thy sons command.” According to the group, Restore Our Anthem, these lyrics are exclusionary of women, and do not reflect the original intent of Robert Stanley Weir, who wrote the English words for O Canada in 1908.

The women say, “Restoring these lyrics to gender-neutral is not only an easy fix to make our anthem inclusive for all Canadians, but it’s also long overdue.”

They also feel, “It would recognize the heroes, leaders and teachers who have made Canada what it is today—regardless of their gender.”

The original lyrics of Weir’s O Canada were “thou dost in us command.” But in

Production: Benoit Deneault Joey Sabourin Editorial Contact Editor@OttawaStar.com

1913, they were changed, for reasons not known.

Some people who don’t want the anthem changed say the word sons refers to everyone–men and women– and shouldn’t be taken literally. But if the words were, “in all thy daughters command”, I can bet with confidence that it would not only be taken literally but also changed long time back.

In the 100 years our society has changed by leaps and bounds to have women who constitute 50.4%of the population, contribute, in ways that was unimaginable in 1913.So why are we not insisting hard enough to change the anthem to make it “encapsulate the equality of all Canadians”.

It’s not as if only Canada is in the midst of this change.

Other countries (Austria, for example, changed its lyrics “Home you are to great sons” to “Home of great daughters, sons.”) even old and traditional universities (Princeton, Dartmouth) have done too. Of late, Rutgers University changed its anthem to reflect the fact that half of its student body is female. Out went “my father sent me to old Rutgers/ and resolved I should be a man,” to be replaced with, “from far and near we came to Rutgers/ and resolved to learn all that we can.” If these country and universities accept the changing realities and change, can’t we?

I recall Alfred Lord Tennyson’s unforgettable lines: “Old order changeth, yielding place to new.” We can grow as a nation and be better when we learn and embrace the change. If today we strongly feel the need to change the national anthem to be inclusive and to reflect the country we are today, so be it. What’s the big deal? Why all this fuss?

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Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

Opinion

The little ‘spy scandal’ that isn’t Canada is alleged to be spying on gallant little Brazil. So what?

By Brian Lee Crowley

O

TTAWA, ON, Troy Media—In the grand scheme of geopolitics, Canada can feel a bit out of the way.

The “great game,” pitting great powers against each other in a largely covert struggle for power, is more likely to be played out in hot spots like Afghanistan or the Middle East, or contested areas of influence like Cuba or eastern Europe.

Spy scandals are thus few and far between here at home. My favourite was the Gerda Munsinger sex and spying scandal of the 1960s, immortalized by comedian Don Harron’s alter ego Charlie Farquharson. He brilliantly deadpanned how he wished he’d been there “to see Gerda Munsinger present her briefs to Parliament.”

But now, lo and behold, we have a fresh spy scandal brewing and this time it is Canada alleged to be doing the spying on gallant little Brazil. The Brazilian media have broken the story and now the Leader of the Opposition in Ottawa, Thomas Mulcair, is decrying this country’s bad behaviour. How exciting!

Except that as spy scandals go— based on what we know now—this one seems a damp squib.

First, the evidence: Globo, a Brazilian television chain, broadcast a segment alleging Canadian spying on, among others, the country’s ministry of natural resources.

Their claim seems largely based on a PowerPoint document used by an unidentified Canadian at a meeting of western intelligence agencies and later released by rogue American intelligence analyst Edward Snowden.

Snowden now lives in exile in Russia.

The Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) document suggests Canada may (repeat “may”) have monitored the communications of some Brazilian government officials in the natural resource field.

Got that? The scandal so far is that an agency of Ottawa’s may or may not have monitored Brazilian government officials’ communications; it is not even clear if they might have listened in or were just collecting data about who they contacted. What? You mean governments around the world might actually spy on each other? I am shocked!

In response, the Brazilian government has puffed itself up like a startled blowfish, claiming that Canada has made mock of the country’s sovereignty.

What tosh. Even if there is more convincing evidence than this of Cana-

da’s spying to come, so what? I am comforted, not alarmed, that the government of Canada might want to know what our friends, competitors and enemies are doing that might affect our interests. Rest assured that other countries are doing this to us. Certainly, Brazil has frequently been accused of this very thing.

Making sure we possess such knowledge is an important part of statecraft, and actually promotes international stability by lessening the chances that a country can do something seriously unexpected or alarming.

What is over the top in this whole story is not the alleged actions of Canada, but Brazil’s reaction. Far from being chuffed that they are now important enough to be spied on, they have climbed as high as they can on their dignity and made a spectacle of themselves.

Canada is merely a bit player in Brazil’s psychodrama. Brasilia was already atwitter with the much juicier Snowden revelations that the U.S. has possibly been spying on Brazil as well. And not just on lowly officials but the Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff.

This has touched a nerve among Brazilians and driven Rousseff to cancel hurriedly the planned visit of U.S. President Barack Obama.

Obama has probably got over the shock already. Brazil, by contrast, will be embarrassed by its behaviour for years, and Americans won’t soon forget such

www.OttawaStar.com • PAGE 7 discourteous treatment of their president over a non-issue of these non-dimensions.

Meanwhile, back in Canada critics of the security establishment are attempting to widen the “scandal” by pointing out that that CSEC’s sister agency, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) has meetings with companies responsible for Canada’s critical infrastructure, like pipelines.

Without quite saying so, the implication is that these meetings are evidence Canada is spying on foreign natural resource industries and then passing along this information to their competitors back home.

Actually one of the greatest national security challenges this country faces is how to protect critical infrastructure that crosses Canada’s many vast and unpopulated regions, infrastructure that could easily be crippled by a pickup truck loaded with primitive explosives. If CSIS and those companies were not meeting on a regular basis to determine how best to protect these precious investments, both the companies and the governments would be grossly derelict in their duties.

Moreover, our intelligence services are specifically prohibited from sharing internationally-gathered intelligence outside government, so that is not what these meetings are about.

Please, if we’re going to have a spy scandal, couldn’t it be a real one, preferably with briefs?

Brian Lee Crowley is the Managing Director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, an independent non-partisan public policy think tank in Ottawa. Article Courtesy: www.troymedia.com

Senate reform becoming a dream delayed

By Doug Firby CALGARY, AB, Troy Media—There was no shortage of irony in the fact that Wednesday’s Speech from the Throne virtually ignored the elephant in the room. In fact, in this bizarre case, the room itself was the elephant.

As Gov.-Gen. David Johnston read the government’s agenda for the upcoming legislative series, he was casting his eyes over the Red Chamber, packed with members of Parliament, senators, lawmakers and other dignitaries. And yet, despite the party guests, it is the Senate itself that the federal Conservative Party would like to bring to heel.

The Tories are committed to reforming the Senate or even abolishing it. But there will be no action until the Conservatives hear from the Supreme Court of Canada on a series of questions, including how appointments are made, term limits and under what circumstances the institution itself could be

abolished. The decision will tell the governing party just how much it can do to the scandal-plagued body without having to deal with surly and unco-operative provinces.

In the meantime, it’s busy as usual – or, in the case of Harper’s gang – unusual, as the party tries to mitigate the damage from conservative Senate appointees who let their party down. Chief among these are senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin – both previous media stars who ought to know better – and Patrick Brazeau, whose life just hasn’t seem to have gone well since he lost a boxing match against Liberal leader Justin Trudeau a year-and-a-half ago.

The embarrassment only adds fuel to the fires of reform. Not only do the Conservatives wish the Red Chamber didn’t exist in its current form, but it also must face the infuriating realization that the current worst abusers of the Senate’s privileges belong to the ruling party, and not the opposition. (In fairness, the Liberals have had their own miscreants, most notably Andy Thompson, who resigned from the Senate in 1998 after it was revealed he was spending more time in Mexico than Ottawa.)

So what did the government say about this major Tory sore-point? Don’t

expect anything before 2017. The Throne Speech was near its conclusion when the Governor General read these words: “The road to 2017 is a fitting time to strengthen our institutions and democratic processes. The Government continues to believe the status quo in the Senate of Canada is unacceptable. The Senate must be reformed or, as with its provincial counterparts, vanish. The Government will proceed upon receiving the advice of the Supreme Court.”

Interesting comments. Past experience has shown that a response from the Supreme Court comes within 10 to 24 months. That means the Conservatives could know what powers it can exercise as early as next year. Instead, it is indicating it won’t move until three years from now—a lifetime in political life.

In fact, with an election expected in 2015, Senate reform won’t even be on the table until the Conservatives go back to the voters. And as the Liberals enjoy a resurgence under Trudeau’s tutelage, an extension of the Conservative run in power is far from certain.

The upshot? The Tories appear to be paying lip service to long-desired Senate

reform, but have decided not to bet the farm on it. As it shifts gears into a more populist pre-election legislative program, the party appears to be increasingly focused on shoring up wavering voter support than advancing its core principles.

For both conservative and liberalminded Canadians alike, that’s too bad.

The Senate is (arguably) a good idea gone fowl—fallen from grace in the eyes of the public, even though its function is still considered by some constitutional experts to be democratically of great value.

It all makes one reflect wistfully back on the days in 1993 when a gang of westerners arrived in Ottawa as the Reform Party, committed to doing business of politics in a different way. The Senate would be Triple E—equal, elected and effective.

A lot of that dream—20 years in the making—now appears at risk.

The Conservatives’ virtual silence on Senate reform in this Throne Speech reminds us that in the tug o’ war between principle and pragmatism, the pull of power will always prevail. That seems to be true regardless of which party holds the reins.

Doug Firby is Editor-in-Chief of Troy Media, and National Affairs columnist.

PAGE 8 • www.OttawaStar.com

Entertainment

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

On the big night of Dubai’s parallel world, workers sing their hearts out to Bollywood hits The Associated Press

DUBAI—A classic Bollywood hit blasted across the DM Labor Camp from loudspeakers cranked to gut-rattling levels. One of the contestants, who had changed out of his work overalls a few hours earlier, shimmied on the stage set up in the courtyard.

Everyone in the crowd of South Asian workers roared - the ones pressing up against the stage, others on the rooftops, and the guys piled on bunk beds watching the show through the windows of their tiny rooms. The spires of the Dubai skyline, where many of them work, shimmered on the horizon.

It’s one of the biggest nights of the year for Dubai’s workers: the finals of the annual labour camp song contest.

It won’t show up in Dubai’s tourist brochures or be chatted about in the boutique cafes of its high-end malls. This the parallel universe of the mostly South Asian migrant labourers who built the city-state but are consigned to a separated existence, ferried between their work sites and the camps where they live - teeming housing projects, tucked into industrial parks or on the desert outskirts.

“Welcome to Champ of the Camp!’’ cried local entertainer Shabana Chandramohan at Thursday, October 10 night’s extravaganza, in which 30 hopefuls warbled, crooned and belted out big Bollywood numbers for a share of 7,500 dirhams, or about $2,050, in prize money - a staggering sum for workers whose

Asian laborers enjoy the final night of the Champ of the Camp, season seven of a singing contest for laborers, in Dubai. Photo: AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili

monthly salaries average about $300 a month.

The workers generally occupy a narrow world bounded by work sites and the camps, which are mostly three- or fourstory housing blocks resembling collections of rundown motels where workers can be packed up to 12 in a room.

A rare break from the routine comes in the form of Champ of the Camp.

The contest combines quiz show speed,

“American Idol’’ showmanship and movie trivia knowledge into a travelling roadshow that tours the dozens of camps around Dubai week by week for the workers to compete.

The contestants, in teams representing different camps, must first answer a question from the emcee to identify a Bollywood film and tune. Then they perform it to a karaoke soundtrack for the judges. The workers from India, Bangla-

desh, Pakistan, Nepal and other countries may not share the same language but are united in their love of Bollywood.

It’s always a packed house.

On Thursday, thousands of spectators watched the finalists from more than 3,000 contestants who took part in auditions in July and August.

The acoustics are rough. The heat can be stifling. The atmosphere can be somewhat chaotic as the audience divides its attention between the performers and the free goodies offered by sponsors that include an herbal drink company and Western Union, which competes with other exchange houses for the business of Gulf workers sending money home.

The winner, 26-year-old security guard Dhruy Bakshi from Punjab, India, said he tried practicing his vocals in his room after work. But his dead-tired companions objected. So he’d sing while walking through his camp in evenings, even when exhausted.

“After working for 12 hours, six days a week, you can’t have time for activities like singing because at the end of the week we just get time to sleep,’’ he said. “And we can say this is kind of like our hobby, our habit of singing. We usually practice daily while on the job or while everywhere.’’

The competitions began in 2007, launched by the corporate sponsors along with various construction companies and other. Only 30 contestants took part in the first competition. Now, it’s a centerpiece event among Dubai’s migrant workers.

‘Johnny Carson’ a juicy peek inside TV host’s life and the business of staying on top

By Douglass K. Daniel, The Associated Press

Hell hath no fury like a lawyer scorned.

“You must never, ever repeat a word from last night,’’ Johnny Carson told Henry Bushkin after sobering up from a barstool confessional. Bushkin gave a lawyerly assurance to “The Tonight Show’’ host, saying in part, “I would lose my license if during your lifetime I repeated it to a soul.’’

Maybe Carson’s head hurt too much to catch that little caveat. Had he noticed the words “in your lifetime,’’ the entertainer might not have been so keen on hiring a 27-year-old lawyer who likely would outlive him and might one day reveal his personal and professional blemishes.

Is Bushkin’s writing about his famously private client an act of betrayal tinged with revenge? Carson did fire him after nearly two decades of devoted service.

Putting that matter aside, few books like “Johnny Carson’’ have been more engrossing. It’s not just a juicy peek inside a celebrity’s life from the view of a hanger-on. Bushkin’s memoir is also a well-written corporate tale that reveals the tough business of staying America’s favourite late-night host, full of stories of money, sex and skullduggery, peppered with plenty of laughs.

Not that Carson had to worry about being lonely - just being careful.

Sometime around 1970 his skirt-chasing earned him a beating from a mobster’s entourage and a contract on his life.

Bushkin says some high-level talks allowed Carson to walk the streets of New York again without fear of being killed for hitting on the wrong guy’s girl.

Family and finances were sore spots for Carson. His mercilessly cool

mother remained unfazed and unappreciative of his incredible success.

When son Rick landed in a mental hospital for two weeks, Bushkin writes, Carson refused to drive across town to visit. Pleading that the publicity would not be good for either Carson, he sent Bushkin instead.

In Bushkin’s telling, Mrs. Carson 3.0 was willing to sign a prenuptial agreement designed to protect Carson’s fortune. But he balked at the last minute, saying it was a terrible way to start a marriage. “This romantic gesture,’’ his lawyer says, “would cost Johnny $35 million.’’

Bushkin’s memoir adds shading and detail to the portrait of Carson already established. The master of the talk-show medium was often uncomfortable with individuals. In the right mood, he could be witty, generous and

fun to be around—and, in a flash, turn cruel and cold. Late-night TV’s naughty Midwesterner was also a roving husband, unpredictable when drunk, a four-pack-a-day smoker prone to obscenity-laden rants. When he drove a car he usually carried a handgun for protection, the book says.

Carson fired Bushkin over a business matter, the lawyer says, and litigation ensued. All these years later Bushkin seems torn between reveling in their friendship and taking an opportunity to get even. He tries to absolve himself of wielding a literary dagger by imagining that Carson, who he says was suspicious of flattery and sentimentality, would have been happy with this book because it’s accurate.

“Johnny Carson’’ (Eamon Dolan/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), by Henry Bushkin

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

Entertainment

www.OttawaStar.com • PAGE 9

Entertainment News in Brief The Canadian Press

Patti Labelle, Queen Latifah, Venus Williams among honorees for BET’s annual Black Girl Rock!

NH waitress who picked up tab for soldiers during shutdown gets $10K from TV’s Ellen

ATLANTA—Patti Labelle is a known diva and Queen Latifah does not consider herself one, but both will be among those honoured as part of the Black Girls Rock! awards show on BET. Black Girls Rock! founder Beverly Bond announced the show’s honorees in a statement Monday. Other honorees include tennis champion Venus Williams, screenwriter-producer Mara Brock Akil, ballet dancer Misty Copeland, community organizer Ameena Matthews and children’s rights advocate Marian Wright Edelman.

Actresses Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King return as hosts of the ceremony, which will air Nov. 3. It will be taped later this month at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, N.J. Black Girls Rock! is a non-profit organization that mentors young black girls and works to fight negative images of black women in the media.

CONCORD, N.H.—A New Hampshire waitress who picked up the lunch tab of two National Guard soldiers affected by the federal government’s shutdown has

US films to dominate at Rome film festival ROME—American films are dominating the competition lineup for the 8th edition of the Rome Film Festival.

Director Spike Jonze’s “Her’’ starring Joaquin Phoneix and Scarlett Johansson, Scott Cooper’s “Out of the Furnace’’ with Christian Bale and Casey Affleck and the “Dallas Buyers Club’’ by director Jean-Marc Vallee will be competing for top honours.

Festival director Marco Mueller said Monday it’s only natural for American cinema to be represented at the Rome festival. Hey says it’s “Hollywood on the Tiber River, and we are glad, we can definitely boast that we have some of the better films coming out in the next few months.’’

American film director and screenwriter James Gray, who directed “Little Odesa,’’ chairs the Rome jury. The festival runs from Nov. 8-17.

been repaid—more than 300 times over —by television star Ellen DeGeneres.

Sarah Hoidahl, a waitress in Concord, N.H., just wanted to do a nice thing for the soldiers, so she recently picked up their lunch tab. It cost her $27.75.

On Friday, DeGeneres squared the tab and then some, giving Hoi-

dahl $27.75 in cash and a check for $10,000.

An emotional Hoidahl buried her face in her hands and thanked DeGeneres as the talk show host repeated “You’re a good person.’’

Ellen also gave her a 50-inch television.

‘The Lion King’ to set a new milestone soon on Broadway, jumping the $1 billion mark

By Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press

NEW YORK—“The Lion King” has more reason to roar – it’s on pace to end the week as the first Broadway show to earn $1 billion.

According to The Broadway League, the show ended last week with a 16-year gross of $999,267,836, and it regularly pulls in between $1 million and $2 million a week over eight performances at the Minskoff Theatre.

The show, featuring the music of Elton John and Tim Rice, including the Academy Award-winning “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” brought the 1994 animated Disney movie to life onstage in 1997. Director and designer Julie Taymor created the memorable costumes, puppetry and scenic design.

“This humbling milestone is a testament to the vision and artistry of Julie Taymor,” producer Thomas Schumacher, president of Disney Theatrical Productions, said in a statement.

“For nearly 17 years she has been (the) guiding creative force and an in-

Is It Time For A Second Opinion?

spiration to the show’s brilliant cast, musicians and crew. But above all, we thank our loving audiences who continue to be moved and delighted night after night at the Minskoff Theatre and all around the world.”

“The Lion King” has been a model of consistency in its march through records. In April 2012, it swiped the title of Broadway’s all-time highestgrossing show from “The Phantom of the Opera,” despite “Phantom” having almost a full 10 years’ head start.

The Disney show opened in November 1997, while “Phantom” debuted in January 1988.

Overall, the show has made $5 billion across 21 global productions including shows in Japan, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and Brazil. This summer, Disney announced the show’s total touring box-office gross in North America alone had reached $1 billion.

Part of its longevity is due to the movie tie-in, simple-to-understand story, family friendly themes and the fact that it’s a spectacle not dependent on big-name stars—important for attracting tourists whose command of English might be weak. Some 11,215,000 have seen it on Broadway, according to data from The Broadway League.

The show is breathing down the neck of “Les Miserables” for the title of fourth longest-running Broadway show, behind only “Chicago,” “Cats” and “The Phantom of the Opera.” “Les Miserables” closed in 2003 after 6,680 shows and “The Lion King” will end this week with 6,621.

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PAGE 10 • www.OttawaStar.com

Canada

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

Ontario drivers paying up to 90 per cent of road infrastructure costs “If we look at the total cost of driving, including vehicle costs, cost recovery will tend to be closer to 100 per cent.’’

The study, which was initiated and paid for by the Canadian Automobile Association, looked at figures from 2008 to 2010 - the most recent year for which data was available, the Conference Board said.

It notes that municipalities that own and maintain a large part of the infrastructure collect a relatively small portion of the revenues.

The CAA said the study sheds new light on the common misconception that road users are heavily subsidized by taxpayers, as the debate heats up over new levies to relieve congestion in the Toronto-Hamilton area.

“Before any decisions can be made about new revenue tools (tolls, taxes and increased fees), it is essential to understand who pays for our road network,’’ Theresa Di Felice, a director at CAA South Central Ontario, said in a statement.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne insists the province will have to charge new fees to bring in the $2 billion a year that’s needed to upgrade public transit in the Toronto-Hamilton area.

Metrolinx, the transit planning agency, estimates the average household in the region will end up paying $477 more a year in taxes to shave five minutes off the current average daily commute.

It’s recommended a hike in the harmonized sales tax, a five-cent-a-litre regional gas tax, a $350-million-a-year business parking levy and $100 million a year in development charges.

Transportation Minister Glen Murray said the study is useful, but doesn’t include all the costs, such as lost productivity from congestion.

New levies are still needed to expand public transit to reduce household transportation costs by giving people a less expensive option for commuting, he said.

Urinary incontinence problem for 1 in 8 seniors

While the design of this study cannot prove cause and effect—in this case that urinary incontinence causes loneliness—it provides evidence the conditions may be linked.

Seniors who reported having incontinence were about 50 per cent more likely to report loneliness than those who didn’t suffer from the condition, Gilmour said.

The study concludes that addressing the problem of urinary incontinence in seniors would have a positive impact on their lives.

“To me it represents a situation where seniors and their health-care providers can be more aware and understand ‘Well, this is a very prevalent problem but there’s a lot that can be done about it that might have a positive impact on seniors’s quality of life,’’’ Gilmour said.

By Maria Babbage, The Canadian Press

T

ORONTO—Ontario drivers are covering most of the costs of road infrastructure, while those in the Toronto-Hamilton area are paying far more than their share, a new study has found.

The report released last week found Ontario road users driving cars, minivans, SUVs and light pickup trucks are paying 70 to 90 per cent of the costs of the road through fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees and tolls, to the tune of $7.5 billion a year.

But those in the GTHA are paying about $1 billion more in fees and taxes than the annual cost of construction, maintenance and policing, according to the study by the Conference Board of Canada.

“Motorists in Ontario meet at least a large portion of the costs that they impose on the road infrastructure - and in major urban areas probably much more than those costs,’’ it said.

By Helen Branswell, The Canadian Press

TORONTO—At least one in eight Canadians aged 65 and older suffered from urinary incontinence when surveyed in 2008-09, a new report from Statistics Canada reveals.

And one of the authors of the study says the problem is likely underestimated in the work, for a couple of key reasons.

Data for the study were drawn from the 2008-09 Canadian Community Health Survey—Healthy Aging survey, which polled 16,369 adults 65 and older. Their answers are deemed to be reflective of about 4.4 million people in Canada.

But the survey asked respondents whether they had been diagnosed with urinary incontinence. And Heather Gilmour, a senior analyst in Statistic Canada’s health analysis division, said there is good reason to believe many people with the condition never raise it with their doctors so would not have a diagnosis.

“Studies have shown that people really don’t discuss this with their healthcare providers. They might think that there’s nothing that can be done or they might be embarrassed or they might just think that it’s a normal part of aging,’’ Gilmour said in an interview.

Had the question been framed differently—if, for instance, it asked whether respondents had trouble with bladder control—the figures might have been higher, she said.

As well, the survey only polled seniors living in the community—either in their own homes or with relatives.

Those typically would be the healthiest of seniors. If seniors living in long-term care facilities had been included in the survey, again the rates might have been higher, Gilmour said.

As it is, 14 per cent of women and nine per cent of men aged 65 and older reported having urinary incontinence.

And rates were higher still among adults 85 and older; 22 per cent of women and nearly 19 per cent of men reported suffering from urinary incontinence.

Caucus meeting brouhaha Tories throw down gauntlet with media

By Lee-Anne Goodman and Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA—Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservative caucus members are back at work in Ottawa and spoiling, it seems, for a fight—and not just with their traditional House of Commons rivals.

These days, while Liberal and NDP members of Parliament are sporting their share of political shiners, so too are the journalists who cover them.

Sparring between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Parliamentary Press

Gallery is hardly new. But the gloves came off on last wek when a dispute over access to a government caucus meeting turned into a Conservative fundraising pitch.

Most of the media gallery refused to show up for Harper’s speech to caucus members when his office insisted on allowing only photographers and TV cameras to attend—no reporters.

Before the day was out, the Conservatives were using the dispute to raise money—a fundraising letter accused the “Ottawa media elite” of sinking to a “new Continued on page 11

Nigerian students ordered deported after working at Walmart leave voluntarily

By Jennifer Graham, The Canadian Press

REGINA—Two Nigerian students who sought sanctuary in a Regina church to avoid deportation have voluntarily left Canada.

After nearly 500 days of seeking refuge, Victoria Ordu and Ihouma Amadi boarded a plane in Regina on Friday October 18.

“I felt sad to see these two brave, brave, women leave,” said University of Regina president Vianne Timmons, who said goodbye to Ordu and Amadi at the airport.

“But I also am focusing on looking forward and looking at how to advocate and support them on coming back and finishing their degree.”

The two students were told in June 2012 that they had to leave Canada because they took summer jobs off campus without proper student work permits.

The two girls spent a couple of weeks working at a Walmart.

But they only had social insurance cards that allowed them to work on campus. They said they didn’t realize the mistake.

The Canada Border Services Agency did not return a call for comment Friday.

However, the agency has said that the responsibility to understand the limitations of working in Canada lies with international students.

The pair had completed three years of study at the university and had the support of fellow students, the provincial government, the Opposition NDP and Liberal MP Ralph Goodale.

The Saskatchewan government has said it appears the two women made an honest mistake and shouldn’t be kicked out of the country.

In a statement Friday, the Saskatchewan government said it raised the issue with the federal government “numerous times asking for flexibility to allow the students to remain in Saskatchewan.”

“We are told the two students left voluntarily and plan to reapply to come back to Saskatchewan to finish their education. We will continue to do whatever we can to ensure a favourable outcome,” read the statement emailed to media.

Goodale says the deportation order was unfair, especially since the rules have since changed.

“What these girls did by working off campus on a student visa, which was technically against the rules, is now permitted or will be as of Dec. 31 of this year. The rules are being changed so that if they did, after Dec. 31, what they did a couple of years ago, it would be perfectly legal,” said Goodale.

“So, in part, the government is already conceding that the previous rules were a bit archaic and they need to be fixed.”

Canada

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

Facts about Alice Munro The Canadian Press

A

lice Munro has won the Nobel Prize for literature—first Canadian woman to win Nobel Prize for literature

Age: 82 From: Born in Wingham, Ontario. She now splits her time between Clinton, Ontario, and Comox, B.C. First work published: 1968’s shortstory collection “Dance of the Happy Shades,’’ which won a Governor General’s Literary Award.

Most recent work published: 2012’s “Dear Life.’’

Did you know? Munro and her first husband, James, opened Munro’s Books in Victoria’s Old Town in 1963, exactly 50 years ago. The store mainly stocked paperbacks at a time when it wasn’t fashionable to do so. The store has switched locations twice but remains open a half-century later.

Award ceremony: The Swedish Academy says Canada’s Alice Munro won’t travel to Stockholm to collect her Nobel Prize for Literature because of poor health.

A list of Canadians who have won the Nobel Prize The Canadian Press

1923: Frederick G. Banting, Medicine 1949: William F. Giauque, Chemistry 1957: Lester Bowles Pearson, Peace Prize 1966: Charles B. Huggins, Medicine 1976: Saul Bellow, Literature 1981: David H. Hubel, Medicine 1983: Henry Taube, Chemistry 1989: Sidney Altman, Chemistry 1990: Richard E. Taylor, Physics 1992: Rudolph A. Marcus, Chemistry 1994: Bertram N. Brockhouse, Physics 1996: William Vickrey, Economic Sciences 1997: Myron S. Scholes, Economic Sciences 1999: Robert A. Mundell, Economic Sciences 2009: Willard S. Boyle, Physics 2011: Ralph M. Steinman, Medicine 2013: Alice Munro, Literature

Caucus meeting brouhaha Continued from page 10

A look at her life:

Awards Munro has previously won: Three Governor General’s Literary Awards, two Scotiabank Giller Prizes, the Commonwealth Writers Prize, the Man Booker International Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Trillium Book Award, the Rea Award for the Short Story, the Marian Engel Award.

www.OttawaStar.com • PAGE 11

Alice Munro in Toronto on October 21, 2009 Photo: The Canadian Press/Chris Young

low”—in hopes of turning Canada’s love-hate relationship with its journalists to the party’s political benefit.

In closing the door to reporters, the Prime Minister’s Office was surely mindful of the last time it invited the media to a caucus meeting—this one at the height of the controversy surrounding Harper’s chief of staff, Nigel Wright, and his $90,000 cheque to Mike Duffy.

On that day last May, reporters shouted questions at Harper as he entered the room and took the podium, demanding to know more about why Wright—who resigned his post just days earlier—had paid off the embattled senator.

So when reporters were barred from last Wednesday’s caucus meeting, television, radio and print outlets— with the exception of Sun Media—

refused to cover the speech, insisting their journalists be allowed in rather than having to rely on the PMO’s own transcripts.

“It’s about reporters being able to do their jobs,” said Daniel Thibeault, president of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. “You need to see people. You need to see the reaction, the body language …. and in the past, it’s never been an issue.”

A Harper spokesman later insisted “various media organizations were invited to attend to capture the prime minister’s speech, but chose not to.”

Conservatives have long tried to get around the Ottawa press corps, often by reaching out to regional and ethnic media organizations, because they view the mainstream media as hostile to their message, said Harold Jansen, a political science professor at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta.

PAGE 12 • www.OttawaStar.com

World

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

Out of Africa: 1.8 M year old skull shows early human ancestors evolving and on the move

By Seth Borenstein and Sophiko Megrelidze, The Associated Press

D

MANISI—The discovery of a 1.8-million-year-old skull of a human ancestor buried under a medieval Georgian village provides a vivid picture of early evolution and indicates our family tree may have fewer branches than some believe, scientists say.

The fossil is the most complete prehuman skull uncovered. With other partial remains previously found at the rural site, it gives researchers the earliest evidence of human ancestors moving out of Africa and spreading north to the rest of the world, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.

The skull and other remains offer a glimpse of a population of pre-humans of various sizes living at the same time— something that scientists had not seen before for such an ancient era. This diversity bolsters one of two competing theories about the way our early ancestors evolved, spreading out more like a tree than a bush.

Nearly all of the previous pre-human discoveries have been fragmented bones, scattered over time and locations - like a smattering of random tweets of our evolutionary history. The findings at Dmanisi are more complete, weaving more of a short story. Before the site was found, the movement from Africa was put at about 1 million years ago.

When examined with the earlier Georgian finds, the skull “shows that this special immigration out of Africa happened much earlier than we thought and a much more primitive group did it,’’ said study lead author David Lordkipanidze, director of the Georgia National Museum. “This is important to understanding human evolution.’’

For years, some scientists have said humans evolved from only one or two species, much like a tree branches out from a trunk, while others say the pro-

Lordkipanidze and colleagues point out that the skulls found in Georgia are different sizes but are considered to be the same species. So, they reason, it’s likely the various skulls found in different places and times in Africa may not be different species, but Ancient skulls and jaws of pre-human ancestors are displayed at the Georgia National Museum in Tbilisi, variations in one species.

Georgia. AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov To see how a species can vary, just look cess was more like a bush with several in the mirror, they said. nearly 2 million years ago at the former offshoots that went nowhere.

“Danny DeVito, Michael Jordan Soviet republic site. But they disagree that Even bush-favouring scientists say and Shaquille O’Neal are the same spethe same conclusion can be said for bones cies,’’ Lordkipanidze said. these findings show one single species found elsewhere, such as Africa. However,

Ban against use of the word ‘Allah’

by Malaysian Christian minority

By Eileen Ng, The Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—A Malaysian appeals court on Monday upheld a government ban against the use of the word “Allah” to refer to God in non-Muslim faiths, overruling claims by Christians in this Muslim-majority nation that the restriction violates their religious rights.

“Allah” is the Arabic word for God and is commonly used in the Malay language to refer to God. But the Malaysian government insists that “Allah” should be exclusively reserved for Muslims because of concerns its use by others would confuse Muslims and could be used to convert them.

Malaysia’s Christian, Buddhist and Hindu minorities have often complained that the government infringes in their con-

stitutional right to practice religion freely, accusations the government denies.

Last week`s judgment in the Court of Appeals overturns a decision by a lower court nearly four years ago that ruled against the government ban. Anger over that ruling sparked a string of arson attacks and vandalism at Malaysian churches and other places of worship.

The legal dispute stems from efforts by the newspaper of the Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia to use “Allah” in its Malay-language weekly publication.

Roman Catholic representatives deny there are attempts to convert Muslims and say the government ban is unreasonable because Christians who speak the Malay language had long used “Allah” in their Bibles, literature and songs before authorities sought to enforce the curb in recent years.

Judge Mohamed Apandi Ali, who led a three-member appeals court panel, said the use of “Allah” was “not an integral part of the faith and practice of Christianity.”

“It is our judgment that there is no infringement of any constitutional rights” in the ban, he said. “We could find no reason why the (Catholic newspaper) is so adamant to use the word ‘Allah’ in their weekly.

Such usage if allowed will inevitably cause confusion within the community.”

The Rev. Lawrence Andrew, editor of the Catholic newspaper, The Herald, said they plan to appeal Monday’s verdict in Malaysia’s Federal Court, the nation’s highest.

“We are greatly disappointed and dismayed,” he said. “This is unrealistic. It is a retrograde step in the development of law in relation to the fundamental liberty of religious minorities.”

Security Agency gathering contact lists from Yahoo, Gmail, Facebook and Hotmail accounts Continued from page 1

and connections among various foreign intelligence targets. During a typical day last year, the NSA’s Special Source Operations branch collected more than 440,000 email address books, the Post said. That would correspond to a rate of more than 250 million a year.

A spokesman for the national intelligence director’s office, which oversees the NSA, told the Post that the agency was seeking intelligence on valid targets and was not interested in personal information from ordinary Americans.

Spokesman Shawn Turner said the NSA was guided by rules that require the agency to “minimize the acquisition, use and dissemination’’ of information that identifies U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

While the collection was taking place overseas, the Post said it encompassed the contact lists of many American users.

The spy agency obtains the contact lists through secret arrangements with foreign telecommunications companies or other services that control Internet traffic, the Post reported.

Earlier this year, Snowden gave documents to the Post and Britain’s

Guardian newspaper disclosing U.S. surveillance programs that collect vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, often sweeping up information on American citizens.

The collection of contact lists in bulk would be illegal if done in the United States, but the Post said the agency can get around that restriction by intercepting lists from access points around the world.

The newspaper quoted a senior intelligence official as saying NSA analysts may not search or distribute information from the contacts database unless they

can “make the case that something in there is a valid foreign intelligence target in and of itself.’’

Commenting on the Post story, Alex Abdo, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, said in an emailed statement: “This revelation further confirms that the NSA has relied on the pretense of ‘foreign intelligence gathering’ to sweep up an extraordinary amount of information about everyday Americans.

The NSA’s indiscriminate collection of information about innocent people can’t be justified on security grounds, and it presents a serious threat to civil liberties.’’

World

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

www.OttawaStar.com • PAGE 13

World news in brief The Associated Press

Day after election, Saudi Arabia rejects seat on UN Security Council Just hours after winning a coveted place on the U.N. Security Council for the first time, Saudi Arabia did a stunning about-face and rejected the seat, denouncing the body for failing to resolve world conflicts such as the Syrian civil war.

Last week, Nigeria, Chad, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania and Chile won coveted seats on the U.N. Security Council.

The unprecedented move at the United Nations appeared largely directed at Saudi Arabia’s longtime ally, the United States, reflecting more than two years of frustration.

The oil giant and the world’s superpower are at odds over a number of Mideast issues, including how Washington has handled some of the region’s crises, particularly in Egypt and Syria. It also comes as ties between the U.S. and Iran, the Saudis’ regional foe, appear to be improving somewhat.

The Saudis were displeased that the U.S. backed off threats of military strikes against Syria in response to its alleged use of chemical weapons. In Egypt, Washington has been critical of the military after it toppled President Mohammed Morsi, while Saudi Arabia has strongly backed the coup, giving billions of dollars to the new army-backed government.

system will soon be mandatory for federal officials by the second half of next year.

Leaked NSA documents have shown that Brazil is the top Latin American target for U.S. spies. The Brazilian government is also working on developing an encrypted email service for private citizens.

Like Italian food before it, Hispanic food enjoys broad adoption because it is easy for Americans to cook at home. Few Americans will roll their own sushi, but plenty are happy to slap together a quesadilla. Hispanic ingredients also are more common than those of Indian or other Asian cuisines.

Hispanic growth is changing the way America eats

Court ruling that strips citizenship from migrant children condemned

Salsa overtaking ketchup as America’s No. 1 condiment was just the start.

These days, tortillas outsell burger and hot dog buns; sales of tortilla chips trump potato chips; and tacos and burritos have become so ubiquitously “American,’’ most people don’t even consider them ethnic.

With Hispanics making up more than a quarter of the U.S. population today experts say this change is dramatically flavouring the American culinary experience.

Hispanic foods and beverages were an $8 billion market in the last year. And that’s influencing how all Americans eat. Doritos, after all, are just tarted-up tortilla chips.

Popular among the millennials and other generations on the West Coast is the Mexican soda Jarritos, which boasts real fruit flavours ranging from mango to guava. Another Hispanic beverage making ever more rounds in households across America is tequila.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana—A grouping of 15 Caribbean nations is criticizing a court ruling in the Dominican Republic that strips citizenship from the children of migrant workers. Last month, the Dominican Republic’s constitutional Court ruled that it will block citizenship for people born to immigrants without residency permits since 1929. Activists say it would affect more than 200,000 people, nearly all of them Dominican-born people of Haitian descent.

Last week, the Guyana-based secretariat of the Caribbean Community said the ruling renders tens of thousands of people “stateless in violation of international human rights obligations.’’ It calls on the Dominican government to protect the rights of “those made vulnerable by this ruling and its grievous effects.’’

Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Community. The Dominican Republic has declared its intention to join.

FBI assigns terrorism unit to investigate laser attacks on pilots NEW YORK—The FBI announced last week it has assigned its Joint Terrorism Task Force to lead a probe of laser attacks on the cockpits of two planes approaching LaGuardia Airport this week, inviting help from the public as well to fight a growing threat against the nation’s air transportation.

The announcement came along with a report that laser attacks against inbound flights at New York airports have increased 17 per cent so far this year, a rising threat because lasers can temporarily or permanently blind a pilot and crew.

The FBI said in the first attack the laser appeared to originate about a half mile west of the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, striking the plane when it was 2,000 feet above ground, about six miles from the runway.

In the second incident that occurred three hours later the laser originated near the intersection of Broadway and Steinway Street in Queens.

No injuries were reported in either incident, though the FBI noted that several commercial pilots earlier this year suffered significant injuries including a burnt retina.

Catholic Church opens business classes for entrepreneurs in Cuba HAVANA, Cuba—Cuba’s Catholic Church says it has launched classes aimed at training aspiring entrepreneurs to open and run small businesses permitted by the country’s new program of economic reforms.

The Havana Archdiocese said in its official magazine that it is running threemonth workshops and a two-year degree program taught by clergy members on the basics of private business, including sourcing of materials, accounting and tax regulations.

The Catholic Church has been barred from participation in the Communist-run nation’s system of universal free education, despite requests that it be allowed to run schools as it does in other countries.

In 2010, President Raul Castro began opening Cuba’s economy to limited forms of private enterprise, including sections of the real-estate and automobile markets.

Brazil creating encrypted email for government use in effort to battle spying by US, others BRASILIA, Brazil—Brazilian officials say that all government employees will start using an encrypted email service in an effort to stop foreign spies from intercepting emails.

But experts question the ability of Brazil to protect its government emails from the eyes of the U.S. National Security Agency. The entire system is compromised if any user of an encrypted email sends a message to somebody on an outside program, like Gmail.

Nevertheless, Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo Silva said Monday that a new government-created encrypted email

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Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

Diet Coke under pressure from drinkers worried about artificial sweeteners

By Candice Choi, The Associated Press

N

EW YORK—Diet Coke, the country’s No. 2 soda, may be losing some of its pop.

During a conference call with analysts last week, a Coca-Cola executive noted that Diet Coke was “under a bit of pressure� because of people’s concerns over its ingredients, alluding to the growing wariness of artificial sweeteners in recent years.

Steve Cahillane, who heads Coca-Cola’s North American and Latin American business, noted that the issue wasn’t specific to Diet Coke, but that many diet foods and drinks in the U.S. are facing the same concerns. “We believe very strongly in the future of Diet Coke,� Cahillane stressed, noting that the drink was still the No. 2 soda in the U.S, after knocking Pepsi from that perch in 2010. The company still sells twice as much regular Coke as Diet Coke.

Cahillane also noted that the company is investing in boosting Diet Coke’s performance, pointing to recent promotions with singer Taylor Swift as an example.

Soda has been under fire from health advocates for several years now, and Americans have been cutting back on sugary fizz for some time. But in a somewhat newer development, diet sodas are falling at a faster rate than regular sodas, according to Beverage Digest, an industry tracker.

Last year, for example, sales volume for Coke fell 1 per cent, while Diet Coke fell 3 per cent. Pepsi fell 3.4 per cent, while Diet Pepsi fell 6.2 per cent.

Those figures aren’t going unnoticed in Coca-Cola’s Atlanta headquarters. This summer, the company launched its first ad addressing the safety of aspartame to ease concerns people might have. It has also distributed fact sheets on the topic to its bottlers and retailers who sell Coke products.

The Food and Drug Administration says aspartame may be safely used in foods as a sweetener, and the American Cancer Society has said that most studies using people have found that aspartame is not linked to an increased risk of cancer.

Still, the broader trend in the U.S. has been toward foods and drinks people feel are natural or organic. And Coca-Cola is clearly aware of the shift; the company is working on producing sodas made with natural, low-calorie sweeteners. It also launched a version of its namesake drink sweetened with stevia in Argentina this summer. Stevia comes from a plant of the same name.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Co. said that sales volume for regular, full-calorie Coke rose 2 per cent in North America in its latest quarterly results reported on Tuesday. Coke Zero, which is made with artificial sweeteners and targeted more toward men, rose 5 per cent.

The company didn’t break out Diet Coke’s performance, but overall soda volume for the region was flat.

$250,000 donation buys you citizenship in sunny Caribbean Continued from page 1

“Investor visas’’ are offered by many nations across the globe, including the U.S. and Britain. But the Caribbean countries offer a very fast path to full citizenship at a relatively low cost. The whole process, including background checks, can take as little as 90 days in St. Kitts, where there’s no need to ever live on the islands, or even visit.

Some Caribbean leaders are opposed to the sale of citizenship, arguing that it undermines the integrity of

their country’s passport and could dilute national identity. “When you start to sell your citizenship, you will sell anything,’’ St. Vincent & Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told reporters last year.

In Antigua, Spencer said all applications will be carefully reviewed and he’s confident the program will be rigorously managed. He is required to submit a report to lawmakers in six months on how the program is working.

Business

Ottawa Star • October 24, 2013

A quick look at some key parts of the Canada EU trade deal The Canadian Press

O

TTAWA—Canada and the European Union have agreed to free the movement of goods, services, investment and labour with a pact-in-principle that challenges Canadian business to expand overseas.

“This is a big deal; this is the biggest deal Canada has ever made. Indeed, it is a historical achievement,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

But the text of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement or CETA remains a confidential document that still requires “drafting and fine tuning,” a Canadian official said in Brussels on condition he not be identified.

It could be another 18 to 24 months before final European approval is given, and Canada will likely proceed along a similar time frame, officials say.

Ottawa instead released a 44page overview and other summary documents. A look at some of the key measures in the Canada-Europe free trade deal: Overall: The agreement calls for the elimination of about 98 per cent of tariffs on both sides from Day 1 of implementation and 95 per cent of agricultural tariffs. Some tariffs are being phased out over seven years Pharmaceuticals: Canada will partially extend patent protection for brand-name drugs, which would delay the introduction of cheaper generics by up to two years. Officials say it will be eight years before any impact of these changes show up as higher costs for provincial drug plans.

Agriculture: Canadian beef farmers increase their quota by 50,000 tonnes, in addition to 15,000 tonnes for high-quality beef. Pork

farmers will see their quota rise to 80,000 tonnes from the current 6,000.

But producers will have to convert to hormone-free product for the European market, which experts say can add about 15 per cent to costs.

The EU will be allowed to sell an extra 16,000 tonnes of cheese to Canada. This represents 4.2 per cent of Canada’s current market, which officials say is growing at 6,000 tonnes a year. In the two-year implementation process, growth may be able to absorb all or most of Europe’s increased sales.

Automotive: Domestic car producers will be able to increase sales into Europe to 100,000 units from about 10,000 today under relaxed rules of origin. The EU will phase out its 10-per-cent tariff on imports.

Miscellaneous: Europeans will be allowed to keep so-called geographical indicators which essentially patent products produced in distinctive areas, such as Prosciutto di Parma and Prosciutto di San Daniele.

- Punitive European tariffs on fish and seafood products will be phased out, but Newfoundland will need to eliminate its minimum processing requirement that keeps jobs in the province.

- Foreign takeovers of Canadian firms now require a formal review if the deal is worth $1 billion or more, but this agreement will raise that to $1.5 billion.

- Companies will be allowed to bid on major government procurement contracts right down to the municipal level. A joint study showed the new access will give European companies leeway to bid on federal contracts worth between $15 billion and $19 billion an year, and municipal contracts worth $112 billion a year.

www.OttawaStar.com • PAGE 15

Business news in brief The Canadian Press

Pick and pay cable pricing could mean end of some channels OTTAWA—Forcing cable and satellite TV providers to offer pick-and-pay pricing could result in some channels disappearing, and likely won’t mean lower prices for consumers, say industry insiders.

The Conservatives are expected to instruct Canada’s broadcast regulator to require that cable and satellite TV service providers offer a form of a-la-carte pricing, where consumers can choose to pay for individual channels.

The move will be “evolutionary” for Canada’s broadcast sector, say industry watchers who see pick-and-pay as a necessity with broadcasters trying to compete with increasingly popular online services, including Netflix.

But content producers and independent specialty channel operators are running scared.

“We’re very worried,” says a television executive who did not want to be identified. Potentially every broadcaster, at least initially, would be worse off ” under pick-and-pay, he said.

It’s also likely to spark a war among broadcasters and service providers and will certainly mean a ramping up of marketing by the cable and satellite companies to convince customers to stay with bundled packages.

There are already hints of the battles that lay ahead.

Cable companies will demand more “flexible” pricing from the television networks that supply the programming, an executive with Rogers told The Canadian Press.

Beijing agrees to make London hub for handling China’s yuan: British finance minister BEIJING—Britain’s finance minister George Osborne says Beijing has agreed to make London an offshore centre for handling investments in China’s tightly controlled currency, the yuan. Osborne said Tuesday during a visit to Beijing that China’s state-owned banks also will be allowed to expand their activities in Britain.

Osborne said investors in London will be allowed to apply for licenses to invest yuan directly into China. He said the Chinese central bank has set an initial quota for London of 80 billion yuan ($12.7 billion).

Beijing is gradually expanding the yuan’s use outside China as trade and investment grow.

Yuan are traded in Hong Kong and other financial centres are looking at applying for authorization to handle the currency.

pipeline safer mode of transport than rail or truck: Report CALGARY—A report by the Fraser Institute released last week says pipeline is by far the safest way to transport oil when worker injury rates are compared, but it remains unclear which is the safest from an environmental standpoint.

Using data from the U.S. Department of Transportation between 2005 and 2009, the study found the rates of injury requiring hospitalization in the U.S. were 30 times lower among pipeline workers than rail workers involved in shipping oil.

For truck transport, the difference is even more stark, with an injury rate 37 times higher than oil transport by pipeline.

Job is no longer a way out of poverty Continued from page 1

burn said. “Yet all too often the working poor are the forgotten people of Britain.

They desperately need a new deal.’’

The report concludes that 4.8 million workers, often women, earn less than a living wage.

Young people have been especially hard hit by deteriorating economic conditions. The report said that two-thirds of Britain’s poor children now live in families with at least one working adult.

In 1997, that was less than half.

Public spending, particularly tax credits that subsidized stagnating wages, had in the past been the main engine that drove reductions in child poverty, but government austerity following the global financial crisis “removes that prop.’’

“The principal problem is that those working parents simply do not earn enough to escape poverty,’’ the report said, adding that Britain has one of the highest rates of low pay in the developed world.

In a recommendation that will stir controversy, Milburn said that wealthy re-

tirees will have to take a bigger share of the hit from austerity programs. It isn’t sustainable to continue “favouring pensioners over their children and grandchildren.’’

Several government programs in Britain, such as a winter fuel allowance, are given to older people regardless of income and they remain firmly engrained as an entitlement.

Any cutbacks would be politically challenging. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg objected to the idea even before the report was published. “Punishing

When it comes to spills, road transport fared the worst, with nearly 20 incidents per billion ton-miles.

Rail had just over two incidents per billion ton miles while pipelines had less than 0.6 per billion tonne miles.

The report notes that pipelines tend to release more crude per spill than rail, but much of that is often recovered quickly.

True value of loonie is under 88 cents US OTTAWA—The loonie may have slid well below parity during the past few months, but it hasn’t skidded nearly far enough, says a London-based economic organization.

World Economics says at current levels of about 96 cents US, the loonie is still about 10 per cent higher than it should be based on the currency’s purchasing power.

That would mean the true value of the Canadian currency is under 88 cents US. According to the analysis, the most overvalued currency is the euro in France, at 28.8 per cent above true value. Also overvalued are the Japanese yen and the Brazilian Real.

Meanwhile, India, Mexico and China have the most undervalued currencies.

Bank of Montreal chief economist Doug Porter says most of the calculations are similar to his own, noting that last week he put out a price comparison between U.S. and Canada that showed consumer items on average cost 10 per cent more north of the border.

Porter says his own analysis places the loonie at slightly above 90 cents US, and expects the currency to drift toward that mark in the next few years.

pensioners isn’t going to help a single child achieve more in life,’’ he wrote in a piece in the Daily Telegraph.

But the report struck a nerve among anti-poverty campaigners, who noted the need to comprehensively act on the problems of the poor. Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, appealed for government “to help families suffering problems like low pay, lack of full-time work and job insecurity.’’

The commission was set up to monitor the progress of government and others in tackling child poverty and improving social mobility. It has been studying the issue for nine months.

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