It seems like everyone’s getting ready for an election this week on Open Sources Guelph. Here in Canada, the Federal government is doubling down on the war with ISIS while making security the primary issue in the upcoming election. Meanwhile, south of the border, a firebrand junior senator is the first to make his play to succeed Barack Obama as President of the United States. All this, and strange monuments and stranger doings in Ontario adds up to another busy week in the news.
This Thursday, March 26, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz McWhinnie and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:
1) Back to the I.S.I.L. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his intention this week to expand the mission against the Islamic State not just in time, but in geography. Canada’s mission will now include air strikes over Syria, although Defence Minister Jason Kenney is assuring Canadians that we are not getting involved with the still ongoing Syrian Civil War. Both the NDP and the Liberals are against the one year expansion of Canada’s military commitment, but Harper insists that fighting ISIS is an imperative and has now ankled the next Parliament with the fight. Is it worth it?
2) First one in. Texas Senator Ted Cruz became the first politician to officially enter the 2016 U.S. Presidential race on Monday, taking the stage at Liberty University to announce his intention to basically take the Constitution back. Despite being the first one in though, Cruz still has a long way to victory with such heavyweights as Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and Scott Walker still mulling their options. Meanwhile, on the Democrat side, Hillary Clinton’s been stuck in an e-mail scandal, while the Boston Globe none-too-subtly started a draft Elizabeth Warren movement. All this, and Donald Trump too, as we dive back into American politics.
3) Communist Controversy. The Federal government is itching to break ground on a new monument to the victims of Communism. The design promises to make this new memorial the biggest in Ottawa, even bigger than the National War Memorial, but adding to the controversy over size is location, right next to the Supreme Court building. Although the land was supposed to be allocated for a new federal court building named after Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the Harper government, primarily under the direction of Jason Kenney and John Baird, want their new $5.5 million monument there instead. We will be joined by a member of the University of Guelph’s Young Communists League to talk about the matter of the memorial.
4) ‘Round Queen’s Park. From the coming budget crunch, to freeing up restrictions on beer and wine sales, to new anti-harassment ads, to new green initiatives, we’ll be checking in on the goings on at Queen’s Park and what the spring session of the Legislature might have in store for Ontarians.
Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.
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