Politics

Village Consolidation in China: Unequal Outcomes & Next Steps

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In an effort to combat land distortion, improve its food security, and to narrow the gap of the living conditions between urban and rural communities, the Chinese government has implemented the Building New Rural Communities (BNRC) initiative. However, the policy and method used to implement this initiative has led to mixed results due to being rooted in a system without sufficient accountability. This article will put forward the idea that a more democratic process that engages the residents and implementing a bottom-up approach would help to address this issue.

Abortion Access and Federalism in Canada: Old Struggles With New Possibilities

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Despite Justin Trudeau being a self-proclaimed feminist and avid supporter of women’s rights, the province of New Brunswick has continued to undermine access to abortion without significant repercussions from the prime minister. Rather, the issue is being brought to the court system by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. This article will argue that this has been a missed opportunity for the prime minister to make significant feminist change.

OPINION | The Niki Ashton Case and the Need for Balance on COVID-19 Restrictions

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With spiking case counts across the country during the second wave of COVID-19, many Canadians were understandably upset when reports came that a number of politicians jetted off to exotic locales for winter vacations after numerous pleas from politicians to stay at home. This has decreased public trust in government and has lead to individual members of the public not taking the problems posed by COVID-19 seriously. However, the case of New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Niki Ashton highlights that it may be worth questioning how COVID restrictions and regulations could be made more humane in the first place.

On the Fence: Northern Ireland’s Peace Impasse

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Historically, Northern Ireland’s peace walls were built to ensure civility between nationalist (Catholic) and loyalist (Protestant) regions of the country. In recent years however, they are viewed as counterproductive to future peace developments. As a result, there is a growing desire to remove the walls, but in the context of Brexit is there still a need for them? This article will examine how the re-emergence of overt interest in an united Ireland may have reframed the role of the peace walls in Northern Ireland. 

OPINION | Bloody Good News: Scotland Tackles Period Poverty

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Scotland is the first country in the world to make period products free for those who need them. The Period Products (Free Provision)(Scotland) Bill, proposed by Monica Lennon MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament) was approved unanimously by MSPs on November 24 2020. Soon, it will become enshrined in law and I, alongside many others, am delighted that Scotland is tackling period poverty, especially using such an inclusive approach. The Bill will make the service accessible to all who need it and give responsibility to local authorities (councils) and institutions to tailor the service to their population’s needs.  

OPINION | Domestic Violence Leave in Canada: Who Benefits?

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With the anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre and the National Day of Remembrance and Day of Action on Violence Against Women on December 6 and the Global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign having run from November 25 to December 10, now is a good time to reflect on domestic violence in Canada and what can be done to provide better supports. With a focus on domestic leave policies in Canada, this article comments on the gap in equality between women in lower and those in higher paying positions and the implications arising from this gap.

Mothering in Poverty: Has There Been Any Progress in Canada?

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The shift from a Keynesian welfare state and the Canadian Assistance Plan to a neoliberal governance and the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) model in the 1980s and 1990s and then the implementation of the current Poverty Reduction Strategy has had numerous implications for poverty in Canada. With a focus on single mothers in Canada, this article will assess the impact of each of these policy shifts to determine whether or not poverty has in fact been reduced.