Opinions | The Chronicle Herald

Home
News
- Metro
- Nova Scotia
- Canada
- World
- News Columns
Opinions
Business
Sports
- Sports News
- Sports Columns
Arts & Life
Wheels
Homes
- Homes News
Community
Careers
Classifieds
- Announcements
- Obituaries
- Ads
- Careers
- Wheels
Video

More

Guy Parent, veterans ombudsman: 'Veterans have a right to know why and how decisions are made.' (SEAN KILPATRICK / CP)

Let’s see Ottawa treat veterans with the respect they deserve
New veterans ombudsman, same old result. If the federal Conservative government had hoped that replacing former ombudsman Pat Stogran would mark an end to criticism of its government from the ombudsman’s office, it has received a rude... Read More

Average: 4.5 (10 votes)

More

As a public figure, Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly owes an explanation about his handling of Mary Ellen Thibeault's estate, today's editorial argues. (ADRIEN VECZAN / Staff / File)

Kelly's trustee troubles: Mayor owes explanation
PETER KELLY is a high-profile politician who is presumably running for re-election. Last week, he was the subject of a highly detailed exposé that called into question his character and his competence. The issues raised in the Coast’s... Read More

Average: 4.4 (21 votes)

More

Tony Smith, a former resident of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children, made complaints to the RCMP that failed to produce any charges and then followed up with an individual lawsuit. (TED PRITCHARD / Staff)

Class action gives voice to ex-residents
Why didn’t these children matter? Was it because they were black? Read More

Average: 4.5 (25 votes)

More

Ken Wilson, president of Local 508 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, wants Halifax Regional Municipality to agree to binding arbitration to settle the three-week bus strike. City council has rejected the proposal. (TED PRITCHARD / Staff)

Arbitration's shadow: Labour jitters
IS there an arbitration chill in the air? In this season of labour unrest, are governmental bodies developing an aversion for binding arbitration as the way out of impasses with public-sector unions? Read More

Average: 3.9 (14 votes)

More Headlines

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 4:31am

Tax system unfair The recent news that Nova Scotia is falling behind in attracting people should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with our property tax system. Minister John MacDonell says the Provincial Valuation Service...
Read More

Average: 2.2 (5 votes)

Ins and outs of binding arbitration

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 4:31am | By MATTHEW McPHERSON

As a management consultant, I have acted as chief negotiator in collective bargaining in Atlantic Canada since 1969. Understandably, there seems to be a lot of misinformed rhetoric regarding binding arbitration as the result of the Metro Transit...
Read More

Average: 4 (6 votes)

More to assessment appeal than first meets the eye

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 4:31am | By JOHN WINTERS

It may seem from the rhetoric that the only people who can do anything about high property assessments are the politicians. Fortunately, that is not the case. Over the past three years, I have been researching PVSC (Property Valuation Services...
Read More

Average: 4.9 (8 votes)

Why is province turning its back on key program?

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 4:31am | By DAVID SAMPSON

In this time of painful cuts to the education system, you would think government would grab any opportunity to save money without adversely affecting the education of students. What if I were to tell you a program exists that can better serve a...
Read More

Average: 4.5 (21 votes)

Canada under Conservatives not what it used to be

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 4:31am | By JOAN BAXTER

It is interesting that Laurent Le Pierrès seems to believe Canada hasn’t fundamentally changed, and he can still look his “country in the mirror” (“Justin jumps in where angels fear to tread,” Feb. 17 column). I...
Read More

Average: 3.9 (173 votes)

READER’S CORNER

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 - 4:31am

I’ve been following the recent controversy concerning poor scores obtained by Nova Scotia students in their provincial math exams. It’s interesting to note that the blame seems to fall either on the type of curriculum offered or on the...
Read More

Average: 5 (1 vote)

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - 4:31am

Formula doesn’t add up The public is told the Utility and Review Board uses a formula to determine the price of gasoline in Nova Scotia. Does this formula keep changing? In 2008, when a barrel of oil sold for about $140, Nova Scotians were...
Read More

Average: 3.4 (9 votes)

Refunded municipal income tax: a property tax alternative

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 - 4:31am | By MICHAEL BRADFIELD

Municipalities across Canada — villages, towns and even big cities — have major financial problems: Their tax base is inadequate for their responsibilities or for the needs of their citizens, and is almost entirely dependent on revenues...
Read More

Average: 3.1 (18 votes)

A class-action lawsuit alleges former residents of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children were physically and sexually abused by some staff and a volunteer. (PETER PARSONS / Staff)

Abuse allegations: Shameful legacy

Monday, February 20, 2012 - 4:32am | THE CHRONICLE HERALD | EDITORIAL

WERE a number of former residents of the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children physically and sexually abused by some staff and a volunteer? Those disturbing allegations are part of a potential class-action lawsuit against the home and provincial...
Read More

Average: 4.3 (14 votes)

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Monday, February 20, 2012 - 4:32am

Raise for teachers? It was laudable indeed for current NSTU president Alexis Allen to opine about Nova Scotia’s latest math numbers (“Teachers meeting students’ needs,” Feb. 16). However, perhaps Ms. Allen has a mandate to...
Read More

Average: 3.2 (6 votes)

Doubts about subs continue to surface

Monday, February 20, 2012 - 4:32am | SCOTT TAYLOR ON TARGET

Last week, Canada’s beleaguered submarine fleet suffered yet another embarrassing setback in what even Defence Minister Peter MacKay now admits has been a “spotty” history. What caused the latest momentary media storm was the CBC...
Read More

Average: 3.6 (17 votes)

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews speaks in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday. (CP)

Internet snooping: Slogans and jingoism aren’t enough

Monday, February 20, 2012 - 4:32am | By Dan Leger

There are times in the life of every government when the best tactic is an orderly advance to the rear. That’s where the Conservatives are today after a furious public backlash made them rethink their new online surveillance legislation....
Read More

Average: 4.5 (22 votes)

In memoriam: Pat Lotz

Sunday, February 19, 2012 - 4:32am

Last month, as part of our ongoing Opinions section series on health reform, we featured an article on the crucial yet largely overlooked contribution made by home-care workers.
Read More

Average: 4.8 (5 votes)

The grey-seal population is exponentially larger than it was in the 1960s, so there is no question they are consuming ever larger volumes of cod and other species. (ERIC WYNNE / Staff)

Sunday, February 19, 2012 - 4:32am | THE CHRONICLE HERALD | EDITORIAL

THE debate over controlling the seal population is polarized. As for the government, it seems paralyzed, either by political considerations or by gaps in knowledge.
Read More

Average: 4.1 (7 votes)

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

Sunday, February 19, 2012 - 4:32am

Keep jobs in Canada Recently, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been talking about free trade agreements with China. Free trade with China would be a frightening move that could put Canadian manufacturing companies out of business. Without support...
Read More

Average: 2 (4 votes)