Release Order

theQuestion: Should Metro Vancouver crackdown on Airbnb to address rental crisis?* It should be self-evident that in the midst of a housing crisis — squeezing both purchase and rental — local lawmakers ought to consider a co-ordinated crackdown on Airbnb. While low income renters are always hurt the hardest in an expensive market, many millennials are now also in dire straits. The

theQuestion: Was the province correct in stripping the real estate industry of its right to self-regulate?* Premier Christy Clark threw real estate agents under the bus when she stripped the industry of its right to self-regulate — a right the BC Liberals granted to the industry in 2005. It was a shameful move that in one stroke demonized and diminished over

theQuestion: Is a specialized domestic violence courtroom in Surrey a good idea?* Canada’s courtrooms are ground zero in the war on men. Questions of truth are obfuscated and justice is bent in order to placate notions of inequality and victimhood evangelized by postmodern leftists. Specialized domestic violence courtrooms — like the one just opened in Surrey — serve as a critical battlefield. Its

theQuestion: In the aftermath of Orlando, should Canada revisit its refugee policy?* When bullies etched “Brent Stafford is a faggot” into the door of our high school biology class and later spray painted the same across my car, there were no sexual orientation councillors one could turn to. In 1986, there were only bewildered teachers, heckling classmates and enough hate to

theQuestion: Does Premier Christy Clark’s revelation about her personal experience advance a better understanding of sexual assault?* In my first Duel three years ago, I shared my support for the BC Liberals in the last election because more often than not their positions align with my own. That support holds fast as long as the party and its leaders remember the

theQuestion: Should a new casino be welcomed south of the Fraser?* If you frequent a B.C. casino in this province, you should be disturbed by Petr’s column. Unless you are one of the few that pop in for an “hour of fun” and leave $20, according to Petr, you are likely one of the targeted “poor” and “those with mental illness.” His

theQuestion: Should recent incidents of “manhandling” be admonished?* Liberal media continues its love affair with the term ‘manhandling’ even as it uses it in horror to describe the actions of its beloved Justin Trudeau. It appears our prime minster is guilty of manhandling a Conservative MP on the floor of the House of Commons and accidentally knocking an New Democrat MP

theQuestion: Should ‘special interests’ be considered a dirty phrase in politics?* Petr is both right and wrong when it comes to what “special interests” mean in the world of politics. Special interest groups do indeed influence government policy, but singling out only those interests you disagree with and deeming the process inglorious is half-sighted. “Special interests” is not a dirty phrase. Granted

theQuestion: Is it fair play for the BC NDP to accuse the premier of “laundering” political donations through her party?* Corruption runs rampant in the halls of power, if you are to believe the angry left in this province and those across the country. Progressives have marshalled forces in a righteous war against political and economic corruption — it’s becoming quite

theQuestion: Should Premier Christy Clark fire the Vancouver School Board?* Petr’s defence of the Vancouver School Board’s failure to follow the law and pass a balanced budget is a diatribe against private schooling in this province. No surprise, since he’s an employee of the VSB. When a family chooses to send a child to an independent school over a public school the

theQuestion: Should the Canadian government issue a travel advisory warning of the risks to LGBT people travelling to the United States?* No amount of convincing would have me believe the transgender bathroom controversy is anything but a political wedge issue promulgated by the progressive movement to subvert the intrinsic social, political and economic values underpinning western society since the Enlightenment. There’s hardly

theQuestion: Is delusion driving the Metro Vancouver real estate market?* It’s not often I play the moderate, but this week Petr has afforded me the opportunity. He’s brave to be sure, as he certainly risks being run out of town after arguing Metro Vancouverites’ love of this city is the root cause of the hyper-inflated market. He lays blame on those

theQuestion: Is the recent furor over political donations much ado about nothing?* Winners govern and losers complain. Perhaps it’s a law of nature. It is most certainly a law of oppositional government. The BC NDP have not won an election in 20-years and have sat on the losing side for so long its complaints have become stale and worn. Take last week’s

theQuestion: Should government legislate legally mandated gender quotas for women in Canadian politics?* We need more women in government. It’s true that for too long politics has been a male-dominated enterprise. The feminist movement describes the phenomenon as a “heteropatriarchy” — a sex-gender system that organizes society in a manner that perpetuates the subordination of women and permanently assigns them to

theQuestion: Are the BC NDP being straight with the public about its proposed Housing Affordability Fund and Speculator Fee Act?* The crisis over home ownership in Metro Vancouver has many causes and few easy solutions. What to do about runaway home prices necessitates sellers, buyers, real estate agents and investors take a hard look at their behaviour in the marketplace —

theQuestion: Are the BC Liberals being straight with the public about the George Massey tunnel replacement project?* Left-wing ideologues are grasping at straws. The harangue over supposed BC Liberal government secrecy and the call to restore access and faith in government is nothing short of a snow job. Dippers have no faith to restore and the last thing the BC NDP

theQuestion: Are millennials in B.C. getting a raw deal?* The generation of young people we call millennials used to be known as Generation Y. The reasons behind the rebranding have always eluded me, but I will call them what I believe best describes their attitude and behaviour — Generation Whine. Millennials were born between 1982 and 2004 and are the largest cohort

theQuestion: Are the doctor-assisted suicide recommendations in the new parliamentary report too lax?* To maintain the bonds that bind civil society, government and courts set boundaries constraining an individual’s right to exercise personal autonomy. The actions society prohibits are as equally determinative as what it allows. In a functioning culture, personal autonomy is merely an ideal. If a person is terminally ill,

theQuestion: Should the federal Liberals vote ‘yes’ on a motion condemning the boycott Israel movement?* It’s incongruous to declare support for the state of Israel, while at the same time yield to the existence of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement — a verity the Liberal government appears to have acknowledged. Following a Conservative motion to reject the BDS movement and “condemn

theQuestion: Should Trudeau get a pass for backing away from the Liberals’ balanced-budget promise?* Before you do a double-take, let me assure you the printer has not made a mistake and swapped the bylines for this week’s Duel. Canadian voters should grant Justin Trudeau a pass for backing away from the Liberals’ balanced-budget promise. Trudeau was the only party leader to present

theQuestion: Should the federal Liberals repeal the Conservatives’ controversial labour laws?* Without direct action by the union movement, the great middle class would have never been and neither would have the gains in wage, workplace safety and living standards we enjoy today. But the union movement had its problems. In the late 1970s, it appeared corrupt, entrenched and indolent. Western economies stagnated

theQuestion: Should the province implement the proposed 1.5% vacant landlord tax?* When it comes to a new tax, the devil is always in the details. Such is the case with the plan concocted by a cadre of university academics to combat the scourge of vacant properties littering Metro Vancouver. I agree we have a serious problem. There are countless ghost neighbourhoods with

theQuestion: Would Canada be better off with Mr. Wonderful?* In the dog days of last summer, when many of Canada’s progressive ideologues began frothing at the mouth over Donald Trump’s sudden surge in the polls, I argued in a Duel that Canada would be better off with a Trump — even if only a low-calorie facsimile. Glory be to Mr. Wonderful. Kevin

theQuestion: Is it clever politics to loosen the purse strings before an election?* All any left-wing political commentator has to do to win an argument in this province is simply roll out of bed, pour some Bailey’s into their coffee and spew out several hundred words bashing the BC Liberal government. Thankfully, the only people paying attention are the already converted. No

theQuestion: Is the shine coming off Apple?* Don’t you just love it? That glittering new Apple device you unwrapped over the holiday? Did you lovingly caress it, dreaming of all the wonderful ways it’s about to enhance your life? You are not alone. Apple had another gangbuster holiday season and when the final numbers come out, it’s likely the tech giant will

theQuestion: Did the City of Vancouver make the right call in saying no to wine sales in grocery stores?* I quit drinking three years ago. Had my drinking become a problem? Sure — enough that I decided to quit. No regrets and no enmity towards those who still drink. I’ve simply moved on. But for many British Columbians, it’s not so

theQuestion: Should Canadians who try to injure or kill themselves pay for medical expenses not covered by public health insurance?* Why should everyone else in a private health insurance plan have to pay the medical expenses for another’s botched suicide attempt or deliberate act of self-inflicted injury? Does society not already pay a heavy price when determination is met with success

theQuestion: Is Canada on the verge of disrespecting the Queen?* Canada’s historic allegiance to the British monarchy has Petr so twisted up this week he is passing off anti-monarchist propaganda as fact. While it is true the Crown owns 89% of Canada’s land, it is the federal, provincial and territorial governments that are the landowners. In Canada, Crown land refers to public

theQuestion: Should the federal Liberals go ahead with their campaign to promote the Syrian refugee program?* Political propaganda may be a sharp blade or a blunt tool depending on circumstance and desired outcome. Typically, effective propaganda of the Canadian variety is wrapped in uplifting themes, sunny images and heartfelt appeals calculated to nurture Canadian identity and celebrate diversity. There is nothing wrong

theQuestion: Is training alone enough of a contribution from Canada in the war on ISIS?* The ISIS theatre of war is not limited to Syria — it engulfs Iraq and is metastasizing. The Paris attacks and the downing of a Russian jetliner are a testament to that. The battle has truly gone global, propelled by ISIS’s savvy use of social media and