Release Order

theQuestion: Given that people can self-identify gender should they also be able to self-identify race?* With the horrific slaughters in Paris and Beirut, Petr and I would like to extend our thoughts to the victims, their families and friends. While there is certainly much we could debate, all the facts are not in and it’s too soon for us to expand

theQuestion: Should unvaccinated health-care workers be allowed to work without wearing a mask during flu season?* If a health-care worker is a vaccine skeptic and chooses to deny established science proving the efficacy of the seasonal influenza vaccination program, they should not be allowed to work on the front lines of B.C.’s health-care system. Don’t think the flu is a problem? According

theQuestion: Should Vancouver pass the Renewable City Strategy, which aims to eliminate fossil fuel use for the entire city by 2050?* I suspect the goal for Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and his Vision council is to simply exhaust those who oppose their radical agenda. I know I am experiencing a sad acceptance that nothing might be done to stop an elected

theQuestion: What is the likelihood that the federal Conservatives would hold the reins of power again?* I am feeling a little nauseous. My Duel colleague’s submission this week is filled with spite, venom and hyperbole — demonstrating how even in victory the left only knows the politics of attack and derision. Petr’s diatribe offers nothing to mend wounds or advance discourse.

theQuestion: Do the recent damning reports and teen deaths indicate a failure by the Ministry of Children and Family Development?* Blame should turn to shame for those playing politics over the immense challenge of keeping children and youth safe in government care. The behaviour of BC NDP MLAs in the legislature this session — following a series of teen deaths involving

theQuestion: Does the new law stripping Canadian citizenship from convicted terrorists make Canada a stronger or weaker country?* Why are some Canadians up in arms over the new law that allows the federal government to strip Canadian citizenship from convicted terrorists? I believe it’s because they simply don’t take the homegrown terrorist threat seriously. They refuse to recognize the killing of Warrant

theQuestion: Should niqabs or burkas be banned at citizenship ceremonies?* Furor over the niqab has engulfed the federal election campaign in a debate that leaves many missing the point. The essence of the rule requiring women to remove the niqab or burka at citizenship ceremonies runs deeper than just proving their identity. It is about rejecting a symbol of oppression, antithetical

theQuestion: Based on the leaders’ economic debate, which of the three candidates would be the biggest risk to the economy?* Petr asks the reader this week to imagine the Canadian economy under the direction of Stephen Harper as a vehicle travelling down a steep hill, suddenly losing its brakes and speeding out of control. It’s safe to assume the brake failure

theQuestion: Would the federal NDP’s campaign promise to prioritize manufacturing be good for B.C.?* Choosing a political party and leader to support often boils down to evaluating the portion size of hypocrisy you can stomach. If you are unaware of the hypocrisy then you are suffering cognitive dissonance — the discord between belief and behaviour. Dissonance is rarely transparent — such is

theQuestion: Should police surveillance cameras be installed in neighbourhoods to prevent gang violence?* It’s infuriating to read yet another flippant dismissal of the threat posed by gangs, drugs and guns in Metro Vancouver. My Duel opponent this week argues that mobile police surveillance cameras installed in neighborhoods with a connection to gang violence is an affront to privacy rights and is a

theQuestion: Would Canada be better off with Trump?* Glory be to the Trump. At least for millions of Americans who believe what Trump is selling — he is the saviour who shall “make America great again.” President Donald Trump, it has a nice ring to it. Despite being outright dismissed as a serious candidate for the Republican presidential nomination by the media, political

theQuestion: Should the federal government enact legislation to ban the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel?* I applaud the federal NDP for dumping Nova Scotia candidate Morgan Wheeldon after Facebook comments accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing were revealed. Wheeldon posted last August, “One could argue that Israel’s intention was always to ethnically cleanse the region…A minority of Palestinians are bombing buses

theQuestion: Do we need another ‘War on Drugs’ to fight the recent outbreak of fentanyl overdose deaths?* The recent outbreak of fentanyl-laced overdose deaths is an ominous warning of what lies ahead if the strategy of tolerating illicit drug use and leniency continues. I was a supporter of the City of Vancouver’s Four Pillars drug strategy. The approach is based on harm

theQuestion: Are safe injection sites like Insite in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside good public policy?* I have a lot of sympathy for injection drugs users. Addiction consumes mind, body and soul — without treatment, the disease gets progressively worse, leaving only incarceration or death. That is, unless you frequent Insite, the safe-injection site in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. There, the mortal consequences of

theQuestion: Bombs or blankets — what’s the best strategy for Canada’s involvement in the Middle East?* The 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was an unmitigated disaster. I was living down south during the 9/11 attacks and for the next 18 months watched from the inside as the American public was sold a war based on the false claim Saddam Hussein had

theQuestion: Is Vancouver City Council’s unanimous vote to become a living wage employer a slap in the face to taxpayers?* Where to begin? First, cleanse my discourse of any patronizing tone of the 1%. Wait, I don’t belong to the economic elite. And neither do the small business owners in Vancouver who may be affected by the new living wage ordinance. This fact

theQuestion: Should voters trust NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair after learning he considered working for Stephen Harper and the Conservatives?* The headline was intoxicating and the details delicious. Thomas Mulcair, valiant leader of the federal NDP, was allegedly just a “yes” away from joining the Conservatives as a senior adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Yes, you heard that correctly. In 2007,

theQuestion: Is the B.C. government being impudent in its approval of the Red Chris mine?* It’s wonderful to see my Duel opponent has settled so nicely into his role as attack dog for the raving left. Clearly, his union training is paying off well. Petr’s Duel is ripped right out of the activists’ handbook — demonize, discredit and disavow. Oh, and let’s

theQuestion: Should voters support Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s plan to reform federal elections?* I have been searching for the right word to describe Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s campaign and this week it became painfully clear that it’s “desperation.” Yes, I know this revelation is not likely to win any prizes for deep political insight, but still I wrestled with it. Trudeau has

theQuestion: Should government remove gender identification from birth certificates?* Today’s social activists arrogantly believe mankind can socially evolve over evolution. There is no better example of this than the demand to remove gender identification from birth certificates. Activists believe that by simply not assigning a sex to a child at birth that somehow this will abrogate the physical reality that there

theQuestion: Should Caitlyn Jenner Be Featured On A Box Of Wheaties?* It is one of the most successful product rollouts of all time, the celebrity introduction of Caitlyn Jenner. Or, the death of Bruce Jenner and public birth of what he says is his true self — the suffering 65-year-old woman, long trapped in a male body. Jenner used that male body

theQuestion: Does the passing of Bill C-51 ensure an NDP win in the federal election?* Petr is right this week. It does look as though the NDP is poised to win the federal election this fall and the party’s stand against Bill C51 locks in the win. Wait! Hold on for a second, I’m mistaken. Upon a more careful reading of

theQuestion: Should ‘scientific integrity’ language be enshrined into public-service union collective agreements?* Change has come to the Duel. I’d like to thank Laila Yuile for two great years of debate. It was an honour to lock horns each week and I wish her all the best with her new column in this paper. So who dares take up the gauntlet? Meet Petr

theQuestion: Could the NDP’s win in Alberta be good for the BC Liberals?* Similarities between British Columbia and Alberta politics run deep. We share a predilection for demolishing ruling political dynasties in “it’s time for a change” elections. This is exactly what happened in Alberta last week, where voters wiped out the PC dynasty, replacing it with the province’s first-ever NDP-led government

theQuestion: Does the BC Court of Appeals ruling in favour of the provincial government over the BCTF vindicate Premier Christy Clark and the BC Liberals?* Premier Christy Clark is more gracious than I could ever be. For years the premier has endured a sustained public assault on her character by spittle-spewing hatemongers — reaching a crescendo last year during the ill-conceived

theQuestion: Following a drone strike that mistakenly killed Western hostages, should the U.S. suspend its targeted drone attacks?* One of the key selling points the U.S. used in its pitch for the 2003 invasion of Iraq is that it’s better to fight the enemy “over there” than “here at home.” It’s not a new strategy and the U.S. military certainly doesn’t

theQuestion: Should a list of all people who voted in B.C. elections be provided to political parties?* Allow me to share with you the only things that matter when it comes to winning an election — voter ID and GOTV. Identifying likely voters and then ‘get out the vote’ is what wins elections. Anyone working in professional politics will tell you

theQuestion: Should Google be forced to limit advertising for its new YouTube app for kids?* Allow me to taunt and outrage. Parents can be cheap and lazy — at least those who can afford to. They refuse to pay for quality online video or to take the time to curate a collection of what is suitable and safe for their kids

theQuestion: Does the province's proposed changes to education legislation bring needed change?* Who controls the education system in British Columbia — teachers or the provincial government? For decades, the two parties have battled over this essential question, creating considerable acrimony and ill will in the process. The relationship between teachers and government has grown steadily worse. And there is no love

theQuestion: Is tying the minimum wage increase to inflation a good compromise?* I think it’s safe to say that a vast majority of British Columbians could use a raise. Many of us work harder and longer than we did just a short time ago, only to earn the same amount or less. So, I don’t agree that those working for minimum