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Deals with the activities of the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy for the refederation of Canada. Information on refederation; Background on reform movements; Details on the Clarity Act.

Presents an historical review of the continuing struggle between the western Canadian provinces and those in central Canada. Consideration of how British Columbia joined the Confederation in 1871; Election of lawyer F.W.G. Haultain to the Territorial Assembly of the North-West Territories; How the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was founded in Calgary in 1932.

States that Canadian legislators may be moving away from a criminal punishment system based on rehabilitation only. How Canada compares to the United States in terms of the severity of sentences; Legislation in the House of Commons which would allow judges more discretion in keeping multiple murderers and serial sex criminals in jail for life; Why some legislators feel that the current sentencing rules are already fair and reasonable; Types of sentences that multiple murderers receive currently.

Describes the convention of the Reform Party of Canada (RPC) in London, Ontario, in June, 1998. Comments from RPC leader Preston Manning; How the party has changed since its beginning; Details about Manning's United Alternative campaign and its support at the convention; Votes taken by membership; Criticisms of the campaign; Groups the RPC is targeting; How flexible and hungry the party is for power; The party's principles. INSET: Work hard, play hard, by B.M..

Considers the possibility that the Reform Party in Canada will join with the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party in 1998 to present a viable opposition to the ruling Liberal Party. How the departure of Jean Charest as leader of the PC has opened the door for Reform leader Preston Manning; Manning's willingness to consider an expanded platform to maintain the support of PC members; Reactions to the proposal of an expanded platform; Issues which Reform members are worried will be lost. INSETS: Surfing on Joe's wave;The more things change...;Unite whom, exactly?.

Discusses the changes in political parties in Western Canada as of August 1997. The formation of the Saskatchewan Party, made up of four Tories and four Grits; Reaction of Reform Party of Canada leader Preston Manning; The irrefutable logic of a new right-wing political alternative in New Democratic Party-ruled Saskatchewan and British Columbia; Concern over the Reform Party's expansion into Alberta; More.

Focuses on Preston Manning and the Reform party after the 1997 Canadian federal elections. How the Reform party united the Canadian West; How the Reform party failed to gain the votes it needed in Ontario despite achieving the status of official opposition; Optimism by the members of the Reform party that things will be different next time; Overall results of the elections. INSETS: In the West, the race card was trumped, by Matthew Vadum.;A bad day for National Ralph, by Colby Cosh..

Opinion. Argues that the two main conservative parties of Canada join forces in an attempt to wrest control of the government away from the ruling Liberal Party. The Reform Party in western Canada; The Conservative Party in eastern Canada; The Liberal practice of winning elections while Reform and Conservatives bicker with each other; Support for a joint Reform-Conservative political party; Other nations in which conservatives use coalitions. INSETS: Conservatives around the world use coalitions.;A leg up for the little guys..

Discusses Canada's public pension plan, the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) in 1997. Why the plan appears similar to a pyramid investment scheme; Why the CPP will stop working when the baby boom generation reaches retirement; Federal Finance Minister Paul Martin's 1997 announcement about an increase in contribution rates; Conservative pension expert proposals, including dismantling the CPP and creating a mandatory, private retirement system. INSETS: A tax hike for everyone but the bureaucrats.;A pension prophecy fulfilled..

Contends that the Liberal government of Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien is becoming increasingly autocratic. How the government is handling the farmers who are protesting the monopoly of the Canadian Wheat Board; Whether the government is trying to circumvent due process and is disregarding civil liberties; Legislation in areas of gun control and environmental protection. INSETS: Ottawa's show-trial farmer.;The friendly new RCMP.;Shut up and talk..

Examines the corruption and incompetence of former Progressive Conservative Premier Grant Devine of Saskatchewan, Canada. The fraud charges and trials; Names of government officials convicted of crimes; Question of how these politicians could twice form a government; The accomplishments of the Devine government; Changes made by Tory leader Bill Boyd; Comments of Dick Collver and Howard Leeson. INSET: A sadder but wiser party (Government by winks and nudges)..

Reports on the resignation of Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Sheila Copps and on the status of the Reform Party of Canada as of May 1996. Copps resigning over promises made about the GST; The Reform Party split over the issue of gay rights; Reverberations of alleged racist and homophobic comments made by MPs Bob Ringma and David Chatters; The role of Reform Party leader Preston Manning.

Reports on Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien's proposed unity package points which were poorly received throughout Canada. Details of the proposal, including a two-step process for amending the constitution; Criticisms, including paying lip-service to Quebec; Comments from officials, including Premier Ralph Klein; Demographics of the Canadian provinces; Party reactions. INSET: Keeping Jean on a short leash, by M.J..

Reports on the gun control law, C-68, sponsored by Canadian Justice Minister Allan Rock. Opponents of bill; Claims that bill will allow for the searching of homes; Comments from John Hardy, legal counsel for the Saskatchewan Responsible Firearms Owners; Contentious sections of the act; Drift towards collective security; Statement from Christopher Manfredi, professor at McGill University. INSETS: Shades of raids to come, by S.P.;A $1-billion waste of time, by Robin Brunet.

Announces that the demise of Mel Hurtig-style nationalism doesn't mean the demise of Canada and implies that it may in fact strengthen it. Canada's current gloom; Canada's close economic and military ties; Comments of George Grant, a McMaster University theology professor.

Discusses the broken campaign promises of Canadian Premier Ralph Klein, and focuses on how he did everything to conceal the broken promises. $100-million loan guarantee; Issues at stake; The Cabinet's role and lack of choices in the matter; Reasoning; Klein's unwillingness to admit lies; Comments by Conservative Calgary-Shaw MLA Havelock.

Speculates that for the first time in 70 years, hundreds of thousands of Quebec voters may kick their habit of voting for the party which forms the federal government and instead send to Ottawa as many as 60 MPs whose avowed goal is the destruction of Canada. Contention Bloc Quebecois has all but wiped out the Conservatives as a force in federal politics within the province; Consequences for a minority government; BQ leader Lucien Bouchard; Possible financial crisis; More.

Says that with nostalgia for the '70s currently rampant, Liberal leader Jean Chretien, in a major economic election platform released last week, has promised the `good old days of the 1970s' should his party win the October 25, 1993 election. His pledge to put Canadians to work; His thoughts on keeping deficit spending high; Reaction ranged from bemused to appalled; Centerpiece an infrastructure rehabilitation plan; New spending for business; Economic recovery the Liberal way.

Profiles Kim Campbell, Canada's minister of defence, and currently front-runner for leader of the Conservative Party. Media obsession obscuring what Campbell really believes in; Comments from friends and foes; Agreement Campbell is philosophically hard to pin down; Her background in politics; Her rapid rise in Ottawa; Failure to overhaul the controversial Young Offenders Act; Example of the court appeal case of Haig and Birch.

Discusses the efforts of the three major parties in Canada's parliament to introduce amendments to the Canada Elections Act. Claims of the Reform Party that the rules are designed to protect existing parties and incumbent members of parliament; The new bill and the Charter of Rights; Limiting citizens' ability to pool money for campaigns endorsing or attacking parties or candidates; More. INSETS: Emasculated by lobbyists, by Robert Owen.;But is there a will to reform?, by L.G..

Focuses on the rise and demise of the political group called the Western Canada Federation. Origin; Background on founder Elmer Knutson; Significance of communication to organizations.

Presents news briefs on legislative, political and social issues in Canada as of June 2003. Legislative efforts of Jews in Montreal for their rights to erect religious structures; Implications of a homosexual marriage law to the churches; Criticisms to government-sponsored gambling.

Reports on the impact of women voters on the governments of the United States and Canada. Study of U.S. women that showed men knew more about political candidates than women; Increase in the size of governments since women began voting.

Reports on the impact of women voters on the governments of the United States and Canada. Study of U.S. women that showed men knew more about political candidates than women; Increase in the size of governments since women began voting.

Reports on the impact of women voters on the governments of the United States and Canada. Study of U.S. women that showed men knew more about political candidates than women; Increase in the size of governments since women began voting.

Focuses on the efforts of Reform Minister of Parliament (MP) Eric Lowther to pass legislation in the Canadian House of Commons which would uphold the legal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. How the legislation could impact gay rights in Canada; Support in the House for the legislation; The possibility that the Canadian government will invoke the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian constitution in order to prevent judicial rulings favoring same-sex marriage.

Reports on the dispute over the display of the Canadian flag by some Members of Parliament (MPs) in Canada. Dispute straining the relationship between the Reform Party and House Speaker Gilbert Parent; Argument begun with comments made by MP Suzanne Tremblay over the display of flags at the Olympics in Nagano, Japan; Speaker ruling against the display of flags on MPs desks; Reaction from the Reform Party. INSET: Medals aren't what matters.

Deals with political maneuverings at the August 1996 conference of Canadian premiers. Ontario Premier Mike Harris and Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, who united in an unsuccessful attempt to get a paper drafted by economic professor Thomas Courchene onto the agenda; The argument of Courchene's paper, labeled `A Convention on the Canadian Economic and Social Systems' (ACCESS); Advantages to both Harris and Klein of a mutual alliance; Decentralizing health and welfare; Other details.

Questions if frontrunner Conservative Kim Campbell is temperamentally suited to being Canada's prime minister. Series of strange, intemperate or outrageous remarks made by Campbell in a series of magazine interviews, leadership debates and media scrums; Possible voter conclusion that Campbell is an erratic personality; Campbell's response to the controversy; Examples of her remarks; Questioning what the delegates to the June convention think; Details.

Deals with the impact of Quebec's separation efforts on Canada. Factors contributing to change in Quebec; Control of the provincial government in 1976; Historical background.

Comments on the effectiveness of Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management and Saskatchewan Water Corporation in maintaining water quality in the province. Mention of a government survey detailing water treatment deficiencies; Statement that legislative changes were suggested to shift the legal responsibility for contaminated water to the municipal level; Question of whether losses sustained by Saskatchewan Water in the potato business impede its spending on drinking water improvement.

Comments on the effectiveness of Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management and Saskatchewan Water Corporation in maintaining water quality in the province. Mention of a government survey detailing water treatment deficiencies; Statement that legislative changes were suggested to shift the legal responsibility for contaminated water to the municipal level; Question of whether losses sustained by Saskatchewan Water in the potato business impede its spending on drinking water improvement.

Comments on the effectiveness of Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management and Saskatchewan Water Corporation in maintaining water quality in the province. Mention of a government survey detailing water treatment deficiencies; Statement that legislative changes were suggested to shift the legal responsibility for contaminated water to the municipal level; Question of whether losses sustained by Saskatchewan Water in the potato business impede its spending on drinking water improvement.

Offers opinions on a so-called anti-hate initiative proposed by the town of Prince George, British Columbia. Details of the initiative, which would prohibit groups that express potentially discriminatory opinions from gathering at public facilities; Incident that sparked the policy; Opinion that the initiative violates freedom of speech rights; Other potential problems associated with the initiative.

Offers opinions on a so-called anti-hate initiative proposed by the town of Prince George, British Columbia. Details of the initiative, which would prohibit groups that express potentially discriminatory opinions from gathering at public facilities; Incident that sparked the policy; Opinion that the initiative violates freedom of speech rights; Other potential problems associated with the initiative.

Offers opinions on a so-called anti-hate initiative proposed by the town of Prince George, British Columbia. Details of the initiative, which would prohibit groups that express potentially discriminatory opinions from gathering at public facilities; Incident that sparked the policy; Opinion that the initiative violates freedom of speech rights; Other potential problems associated with the initiative.

Focuses on the political futures of Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Finance Minister Paul Martin. Public opinion of the Liberal party in the wake of financial scandal; Speculation regarding possible successors if Chretien does not run for re-election; Infighting between factions loyal to Chretien and Martin. INSET: Joe shoots off another toe.

Focuses on the Liberal Party task force headed by John Harvard, a Winnipeg, Manitoba member of Parliament chosen by Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Question of why the Liberal Party does not do well in elections; Issue of the Liberal Party's misunderstanding of Western Canada; View of Barry Cooper, a political scientist at the University of Calgary in Alberta.

Comments on the practice of patronage on Canadian politics, or the awarding of government positions to friends and family. Allegations leveled by former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney against current Prime Minister Jean Chretien regarding patronage; Examples of Chretien's patronage practices; How Chretien has extended patronage beyond simple government appointments to businesses in his home district.

Reports that Canada's Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced in January 1999 a Liberal caucus task force for a fact-finding visit to the Western provinces. The task force's membership as mostly being easterners and appointed senators; Criticism by Reform Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Grant Hill, of Red Deer, Alberta; Comments from Manitoba Liberal MP John Harvard, chairman of the task force; Question of whether the federal Liberals will listen to the Western provinces.

Focuses on the United Alternative's research of the experience of the Confederation of Regions Party (CoR). Elmer Knutson's leadership of the prairie-based political movement; The movement's effort to change the constitution of Canada to reflect what it perceived to be natural economic, political and cultural regions of the country; Membership; The proposal for merging the Reform and Conservative parties.

Reports on an independent tribunal's suggestion in summer of 1998 that Alberta's Provincial Court judges get a pay raise. Rejection of the suggestion by Justice Minister Jon Havelock and the Alberta cabinet; Reason the Provincial Court judges mocked the rejection; Calgary Judge John James' reaction; Comment of Mark Milke, Alberta director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Discusses the decision by the Supreme Court of Canada about whether Quebec may legally and unilaterally declare independence. How other provinces benefit from this decision; Need for the federal government to establish negotiating rules regarding Quebec; Factor of the 1995 Quebec referendum; Summary of the court's decision; Pressure for the provinces to be given more power; Views of Reform Party leader Preston Manning.

Profiles Canadian Reform Party politician and former premiere Bill Vander Zalm. The issues addressed by the politician at a rally in Coquitlam, British Columbia; Decision of Zalm to help boost the reform party of BC; His comments over the performance of Liberal leader Gordon Campbell; Speculation over Zalm's political future.

Discusses politics in Canada. Career of Alberta politician Bert Brown. Brown's unsuccessful run for senate in 1989; Supporters; Views on the province's second Senate election; Ralph Klein's initiative to democratize the Senate that many politicians believe would interfere with their own dreams of Senate reform; Mentions Liberal party politician Nancy MacBeth, who has not adopted Senate reform as part of her campaign platform.

Discusses politics in British Columbia (BC). Introduction of the Calgary Declaration into the BC assembly for approval; Efforts of the largest provinces to gain control of the federal government's powers; Hopes of Premier Glen Clark to capitalize on voter anger over the federal government's handling of the salmon dispute; The lawsuit threatened by Premiere Harris over hepatitis-C compensation.

Examines the immigration policy of Canada and calls for the use of English or French by newcomers to the country. Measures proposed by a January 1998 review of the Immigration Act; Language tests; Selection of immigrants on the basis of education and work experience; Classes in English as a Second Language (ESL); The burden of immigrants unable to speak a country's language; Statistics; Details of the 168-page report `Not Just Numbers: A Canadian Framework for Future Immigration.'

Reports on reactions to an announcement made at the finance ministers meeting in Canada. How each of the Canadian provinces will receive $143 million in transfer payments in 1998; Outrage from Ottawan politicians and reasons for this reaction; Fears that the Canadian government is getting ready to announce more spending.

Discusses the call for Senate reform in the Canadian government. Efforts of Senate reformer Bert Brown; Focus on the appointment process; Motions filed by Brown in the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench; Public reaction to the issue of reforms; Case schedule; The Senate being a development of constitutional law.

Discusses the founding convention of the Saskatchewan Party in Canada. Question of whether the party will turn out to be Reform's first provincial wing; Alliances with Reform which would give much-needed help to conservative provincial parties facing sagging electoral fortunes; Background on the formation of the Saskatchewan Party; Party strategies.