4 March 16, 2011 + Over the Edge Government of Canada Becomes “Harper’s Government” Stephen Harper rebrands our nation with his own personal touch on official documents HANNA PETERSEN NEWS EDITOR , . — - at -- =. «= y atl “ee ae “@q Trea. Secrai'¥ Bo Ho, Wiz; arg ofc = fe) ang Hy = Meg; = ‘ ~2lpe,. : Si “OF ip, =—9 Ve; elev: nm {2 i ° rel en 7, ‘e Tr Sac, J Cte, le Ve ONLINE SOURCE Now known as the ‘Harper government’ On documents, memos, and just in general the Canadian government has always signed its name as the “Government of Canada’ which is nice and simple. One might even say it has a democratic ring to it. But when the Conservatives gained their minority government “Canada’s New Government” became the signature and now as the Conservative minority government is not so ‘new’ official documents are being branded with the “Harper Government”. Public servants have confirmed the change on official government documents to the Canadian University Press. Apparently the new phrase, which leaves out any mention of our nations name and identity in favour of name-dropping Stephen Harper, began showing up on documentation in early December 2010. Dimitri Soudas, a spokesman for Harper, stated that the name change is “a long standing practice that accurately reflects the government's leadership, regardless of who is Prime The Humanity Exchange Minister.” However, the opposition has different opinion on the matter, and has said that such a change is unprecedented in Canadian leadership. Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc stated simply that, “it’s not Stephen Harper’s government, it is the government of all Canadians.” Outraged opponents are comparing the name change to something more likely to be seen in North Korea, rather than a liberal democratic nation like Canada. Stockwell Day, Canada’s treasury board president, has glibly expressed that the issue is not important enough to enrage Canadians from coast to coast. However the name change is not inspiring warm fuzzy feelings on Facebook at least. Many groups and pages have been created for people to express their dislike over the rebranding. Many angered people are even posting or reposting a link to a petition against the name cleverly entitled “I am (not Stephen Harper’s) Canadian’. The name change may only be an indicator as to Stephen Harper’s underlying autocratic tendencies. On Wednesday March 9th, House of Commons Speaker, Peter Miliken, ruled that the government may have with held information from a Parliamentary committee and that International Cooperation Minister, Bev Oda, may have misled the house. If the finding is upheld, for the first time in Canadian history, a government and a cabinet minister will be guilty of contempt of Parliament. Bev Oda is accused of lying to Parliament when she said she did not who had ordered funding to a foreign charity cut, only to later admit that she had ordered the change herself. A committee is to report of the house on March 21st on its recommendation on whether the government should be held in contempt for withholding prison costs. A committee will address the issue of Bev Oda misleading the house later on the 25th. The speaker Peter Miliken has stated that, “there is no doubt that the government had failed to comply with a parliamentary committee’s demand for costs related to the Conservative’s crime bills. This is a serious matter that goes to the heart of the house’s undoubted role in holding the government to account.” The ruling will make it harder for “Harper’s Government” to shrug off such controversies and side step debate over accountability to Canadian concerns over the economy and taxes. The road to an election has only been widened by this issue, as opposition parties are inclined to defeat the conservatives on the budget that Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will unveil on March 22nd. Critics of Harper’s government have been accusing it of being undemocratic and secretive for quite awhile. These recent fumbles and autocratic inspired name change only gives the opposition parties more reason to prepare for an election call in the very near future. Students who wish to gain volunteer experience, look here! KATE RUSSEL CONTRIBUTOR Make a Difference in Mexicca Un ove week! Dynamic Tearn! KATE RUSSEL The world is becoming increasingly connected. It is hard to debate this connectivity, except perhaps its extent. As we witness the expansion of social networking, the Internet, tourism, and so forth, we also see a rise in international volunteerism. So where does this leave the student who wishes to gain international experience? After all, international experience on a resume is more than ever becoming an asset. Or what about the student who wants to vacation abroad and also give back to these communities? Well, here’s a solution for this student traveler: “Make a Difference in Mexico --- In 1 Week!” This is a trip facilitated by the Humanity Exchange, which is a dynamic organization that provides impactful exchange experiences whilst contributing to development in partnership with local communities. The Humanity Exchange is leading this group volunteer trip of six to twelve volunteers to Punta de Mita, Mexico, for one week at the end of April 2011. During this trip, participants will engage in volunteer and adventure activities. Volunteers may undertake community beautification, beach clean-up, building a park, and so forth. As well, there is an opportunity for volunteers who possess skills to teach these to women and youth. Throughout this week, volunteers will also partake in adventure activities. These activities include: kayaking and snorkeling off of a beautiful island, zip-lining in the Sierra Madre Mountains, exploring a traditional Mexican village, and more. Thus, each individual’s experiences, within this group dynamic, will be far beyond that of an ordinary vacation to Mexico. There is a program fee ($790 USD) for the “Make a Difference in Mexico --- In 1 Week!” trip. At first, it might seem a bit strange to pay to volunteer. However, consider that this ensures that no financial burden placed on the host organization, whose resources are already strained. You are paying for any training and resources you require whilst volunteering! Furthermore, the program fee also includes your accommodation, breakfast and dinner daily (and several lunches), adventure activities, transportation from the airport, an introductory Spanish language lesion, a fundraising kit, a trained and highly qualified group leader, and in-country support. Good luck finding this low cost anywhere else but with this Humanity Exchange trip. So here is your chance. Why not take it? Need more information - contact Kate by e-mail at kate@thehumanityexchange.org, or The Humanity Exchange by phone at 250-552-1667.