Release Order

theQuestion: 2010 Winter Olympics—was it worth it?* I was living in Los Angeles in 2003 when Vancouver won the bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. I remember how excited and proud I was to share the news with my American friends — actually to rub it in — knowing the games would bring significant investment and international recognition to

theQuestion: Should online tracking for targeted advertising be prohibited?* The marketing business has an old saying, half of every advertising dollar spent is wasted — the problem is you don’t know which half. When you consider Canadian companies spend tens of billions of dollars each year to reach consumers, that is a lot of money wasted. This waste is a result

theQuestion: Should B.C. teachers remain unionized?* Can reasonable people disagree in a reasonable fashion? I like to think so. Watching the B.C. teachers’ labour dispute unfold has me beginning to think otherwise. The B.C. Teachers’ Federation’s demands, tactics and rhetoric in bargaining with the province are not reasonable and the BCTF has overplayed its hand. The union has led its membership over

theQuestion: Is an increase in tanker traffic reason enough to stop the Kinder Morgan pipeline?* Pipeline politics is a divisive issue and deciding on which side you stand can make or break your chances of winning a provincial election, as former B.C. NDP leader Adrian Dix woefully learned—it’s thought by many Dix’s flip-flop on Kinder Morgan lost the election. As voters

theQuestion: Should Kinder Morgan be allowed to test the feasibility of a pipeline tunnel through Burnaby Mountain?* Pipeline politics is a divisive issue and deciding on which side you stand can make or break your chances of winning a provincial election, as former B.C. NDP leader Adrian Dix woefully learned—it’s thought by many Dix’s flip-flop on Kinder Morgan lost the election.

theQuestion: Should the issue of class composition be separated from teacher bargaining?* This week marks my first anniversary of joining the Duel. I’d like to thank Laila for a year of rewarding debate, 24 hours for the platform and you the reader for allowing me the opportunity to engage you on the important issues of the day. A year ago in my

theQuestion: As the B.C. teachers dispute escalates, which side is responsible for the disruption in student learning?* Give me a break. Listening to BC Teachers’ Federation president Jim Iker’s press conference last week was maddening. Iker harangued the provincial government over its move to implement a limited teacher lockout, which was announced by the BC Public School Employers’ Association. The BCPSEA is

theQuestion: Considering the results of the Joint Review Panel report on BC Hydro’s Site C dam, should government approve the project?* In the 1960s, B.C. made a long-term investment in hydroelectric power and you have to be proud of what we accomplished. For more than 50 years, hydroelectric power has been an environmentally friendly, inexpensive method of producing the large quantities

theQuestion: Should the federal government temporarily suspend the entire Temporary Foreign Worker Program?* Calling for a suspension and scrapping of the entire Temporary Foreign Worker Program is irresponsible and foolhardy. Those who make this argument reveal a lack of understanding of how the Canadian economy works. The TFW program provides critical labour for companies who cannot fill jobs locally and creates jobs

theQuestion: Should e-cigarette ‘vaping’ be allowed in places open to the public?* I am a smoker. I make this declaration not with pride, but with shame. It’s a horrible habit that certainly has harmed my health, drained my wallet and had deleterious effects on my life. I wish I had never started, but I did and, like many smokers, I still enjoy

theQuestion: Should the government provide more funding for the CBC??* Sometimes only a friend can tell another friend the things they need to hear — this is just such a time for the CBC. It’s time for the public broadcaster to re-evaluate its priorities and face up to reality. I am a friend of Canadian broadcasting and believe it’s high time

theQuestion: Should temporary foreign workers be allowed in B.C.'s LNG industry?* You would be hard-pressed to disagree with the assessment that there have been blatant abuses and exploitation as a result of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program. When you have low-paying, low-skilled jobs to fill, and a shortage of domestic labour to meet the demand, then you must import. Often, these

theQuestion: Are changes to the Agricultural Land Reserve good for British Columbia?* When Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett embarked on the core review of government programs and services he posed a simple question regarding the Agricultural Land Reserve. How can we ensure good agricultural land remains in the reserve and is protected from development, while identifying opportunities on other lands

theQuestion: Are provincial and port authorities justified in taking action to force truckers back to work?* Picking sides is difficult in the Port Metro Vancouver truckers’ strike. Who can argue against truck drivers earning a living wage? I certainly won’t. The strike began when non-union drivers stopped picking up and dropping off containers at port terminals. Since then, unionized truckers have joined

theQuestion: Are unpaid internships exploitation or a good opportunity for young people entering the job market?* Internships matter. A recent college grad may have glowing recommendations, a great cover letter and a killer grade-point average, but without real practical experience they may get left behind in today’s job market. Interns receive the hands-on experience needed to stand out when applying for

theQuestion: Did the strike vote by B.C. teachers help or hurt their cause?* As I watched results come in last week for the strike vote by B.C. teachers I felt sad. There was zero suspense — teachers handed their representative, the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, an overwhelming approval to strike. I feel a deep sense of gloom over this result — not only

theQuestion: Is civil disobedience an acceptable way to stop the Northern Gateway Pipeline?* Twenty years ago when hundreds of B.C. First Nations and environmental protesters stood between logging trucks and the pristine Clayoquot Sound old-growth forest, they were undertaking one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canadian history. The NDP-led provincial government of the day decided to allow clear-cut

theQuestion: Does Russia's behaviour from the Olympics to the Ukraine suggest Edward Snowden is a hypocrite?* Does Edward Snowden wish he could redefine the nature of his relationship with Russia? If he doesn’t, then truly his hypocrisy knows no bounds. In the name of human rights he leaked a mountain of stolen U.S. national security files and then fled, seeking sanctuary in

theQuestion: Should the provincial government appeal the teachers ruling?* I take exception to arguments the provincial government has failed to support families, students and teachers. While the government has been dealt a blow by the B.C. Supreme Court in its ruling that government legislation — which deleted parts of the B.C. Education Improvement Act affecting class sizes — is unconstitutional, it

theQuestion: Should the Canadian Border Services Agency be held responsible for the death of Lucia Vega Jimenez?* Last Friday night, outside the Canadian Border Services Agency’s downtown Vancouver office, an estimated 100 people gathered to protest the death of Lucia Vega Jimenez while in CBSA custody. Jimenez, a Mexican national, was working illegally in Vancouver as a hotel cleaner. She had previously applied

theQuestion: Should the premier cancel the transit referendum and leave planning and funding to the existing process?* My Duel colleague’s submission this week on the upcoming referendum for transit funding in Metro Vancouver reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of where the money comes from to fund government services and infrastructure projects. Laila calls on Premier Christy Clark to cancel the referendum and admonishes

theQuestion: Do the changes in Canada's medical marijuana regulations benefit patients?* Passions run high when it comes to patients and their medical marijuana. Understandably, as many feel enmity towards the justice system and government after winning a long fight to secure the right to use and personally grow their own medical marijuana. For a growing number of Canadians, marijuana is an essential

theQuestion: Should a network of CCTV cameras be installed in public spaces to reduce and solve crime?* It would be easy on the issue of CCTV cameras — in light of the recent tragic event in Surrey — to appeal to raw emotion to win this Duel. I could argue in favour of installing a large, centralized network of surveillance cameras

theQuestion: Should civil liberties be suspended for violent and mentally ill chronic drug users?* The horrific murder of Julie Paskall over the holidays has hit home for many. The randomness and barbarity of the unprovoked attack against the 53-year-old hockey mom — who was waiting for her son outside a Surrey hockey rink — has called into question the basic right

theQuestion: Did the National Energy Board make the right decision in recommending Enbridge’s Northern Gateway project for approval?* All great industrial projects have risks. Evaluating those risks, and the plans made to mitigate their impact, fall to governments and quasi-judicial bodies such as the Joint Federal Panel under the National Energy Board. The panel recommended the Northern Gateway pipeline should be

theQuestion: Is it worth the cost to save home mail delivery in Canada?* The news this past week that Canada Post is phasing out the last vestiges of door-to-door home delivery should come as no surprise to Canadians. For most of us, the concept of home delivery conjures up nothing more than nostalgic feelings of simpler times. About two-thirds of all

theQuestion: Would the proposed Reform Act improve our system of government by redistributing power from party leaders to Members of Parliament?* Democratic systems should not be carved in stone, never to be reshaped or polished to meet the changing ideals of society. That being said, nor should they be tinkered with. This I believe is the case with Conservative backbencher MP

theQuestion: Do the benefits of BC Hydro’s Site C dam outweigh the impacts?* No major industrial project can be undertaken without an environmental impact. BC Hydro’s proposed $7.9-billion Site C dam on the Peace River will indeed impact the land, people and wildlife in the region. However, Site C will also have a positive effect on jobs, the economy and the environment,

theQuestion: Are LNG profits worth the trade-offs in B.C.'s greenhouse gas emissions targets?* When you evaluate Laila’s arguments on LNG, you must first acknowledge her belief that the entire endeavour is foolhardy. She has no confidence in British Columbia’s ability to create a viable LNG industry — one that responsibly balances economic growth and environmental protections. Critics appear to be staunchly

theQuestion: Is food security a valid goal for the Agricultural Land Reserve?* People tend to hear what they want to hear when listening to a debate, or for that matter when reading The Duel. Last month, as Laila and I debated the Agricultural Land Reserve, I argued ALR boundaries should be reviewed, with an easy path provided for the removal of all