Ottawa, June 12, 2017 – The Royal Canadian Mint struck the first test medal on Wednesday, June 7, that will be unveiled as part of the launch of the Senate’s new Canada 150 medals. The medal commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Senate of Canada’s first sitting, on November 6, 1867. Senators will award the […]
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 8, 2017 Liberal Government’s Representative in the Senate agrees to ask government to revisit decision to close Vegreville Case Processing Centre OTTAWA – In Question Period in the Senate today, the Liberal Government’s Representative in the Senate, Senator Harder, agreed to ask the government to revisit its decision to […]
Hon. Betty Unger: Senator Harder, I was disappointed with the replies that you gave to my questions last week about closing the Vegreville immigration Case Processing Centre. Your reply was, with all respect, nothing more than recycled Liberal talking points. You said that 20 per cent of available positions are currently vacant, and yet in […]
Montreal Gazette The federal government’s plan to legalize marijuana has split the country, with most Quebecers opposed to the idea, a new survey suggests. The CROP survey, conducted for Radio-Canada May 11-23, suggests that 54 per cent of the 2,536 respondents across Canada are in favour of legalizing marijuana. But in Quebec, 54 per cent […]
Senator Unger’s Statement on the Annual Grande Prairie “Leaders of Tomorrow” and Volunteer Appreciation luncheon Fellow Senators, before returning to Ottawa earlier this month, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Annual “Leaders of Tomorrow” and Volunteer Appreciation luncheon in Grande Prairie located in the mighty Peace River District of Alberta. Organized by the Grande […]
Vegreville Case Processing Centre Hon. Betty Unger: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Harder, when Prime Minister Trudeau visited Edmonton on May 20, he was met by a group of protesters concerned about the closures of the Vegreville immigration centre. Vegreville is a culturally diverse and vibrant community. The most […]
Today I proposed an amendment to Bill C-16. It was a moderate amendment, designed to address some of the concerns around transgender rights, yet without compromising those rights. The basis of the amendment was simple: Bill C-16 must not disconnect gender expression from gender identity because to do so means that people who don’t even believe they […]
Originally published on April 30, 2016 at www.medicalxpress.com A new study to be presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2016 Meeting found that one in six infants and toddlers admitted to a Colorado hospital with coughing, wheezing and other symptoms of bronchiolitis tested positive for marijuana exposure. The study, “Marijuana Exposure in Children Hospitalized for […]
It is very likely that even without an amendment to Bill C-16, the courts will understand gender rights to be belief-based and interpret those rights accordingly. But Parliament needs to make this explicit. The Hill Times May 1, 2017 PARLIAMENT HILL – When the Senate returns from its Easter break, the Senate’s Standing Committee on […]
While the Trudeau government charges ahead blindly with marijuana legalization for those 18 and over, Health Canada is warning that no one under the age of 25 should use marijuana. Read it for yourself on the Health Canada website: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/marihuana/info/cons-eng.php
IN HIS OWN WORDS: While doing an on air interview with 630 CHED on April 21, 2017, MP Bill Blair, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice noted that marijuana is a mind-altering drug. Yet he still wants to legalize it. Listen here: MP Bill Blair, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice points out that science […]
Edmonton Oilers Congratulations on Making the Stanley Cup Playoffs April 12, 2017 Hon. Betty E. Unger: Honourable senators, on March 28 this year, at approximately 8:38 p.m. Rogers Place in Edmonton was rocked by a roar as the sold-out crowd of 18,347 wildly cheering Edmonton Oilers fans celebrated a long-awaited victory. After 10 disappointing seasons, the Oilers […]
Honourable Colleagues, My home province of Alberta was the economic engine of Canada for decades, but now is in a severe recession. Through our petroleum industry, Alberta provided good paying jobs for hard working people across the country – which included many fine workers from Atlantic Canada. But all of this changed with the downturn […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ottawa, March 14, 2017 – Senator Betty Unger from Alberta today announced her support for Andrew Scheer as Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. From Alberta and appointed to the Senate in 2012, Senator Unger was the first woman elected as a senate nominee. “Today, I proudly announce my support for […]
The Senate is currently debating a Bill which would change the wording of “O Canada”. If the Bill is passed, the wording of our national anthem will be changed from “in all thy sons command” to “in all of us command”. Please take a moment to let me know if you support or oppose this change by […]
SUMMARY: The ongoing debate about gender identity rights has given voice to numerous concerns and anxieties. While no one wants to deny legitimate human rights to trans persons, there are very real questions about the implications of separating sex from gender and enshrining this in law. The two primary concerns center around safety and privacy in […]
Excerpted from Harvard Medical School’s “Medical marijuana and the mind“ Marijuana exacerbates psychotic symptoms and worsens outcomes in patients already diagnosed with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. Several large observational studies also strongly suggest that using marijuana — particularly in the early teenage years — can increase risk of developing psychosis. An often-cited study of […]
Dr. Harold Kalant is a professor emeritus of the University of Toronto’s department of Pharmacology and toxicology. He was director of biological and behavioural research at the Addiction Research Foundation of Ontario (now the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health). Since 1959 Kr. Kalant’s research has been largely on alcohol and cannabis. Following is Dr. Kalant’s […]
Prime Minister Trudeau’s pot legalization plan bad for the country’s young people Edmonton Sun | January 11, 2017 Sen. Betty Unger, Alberta Senator Last summer the Trudeau government established a task force to study marijuana legalization and regulation. Their mandate was to consult with Canadians about developing a framework for legal access to marijuana (cannabis). […]
Published: 2017-01-03 Moncton Times & Transcript It was refreshing to read your December 17 editorial, “Reform needed in Red Chamber”. Rarely does one hear about the need for a Triple-E Senate reform these days. Attention has shifted to the elusive topic of Senate “modernization” while awareness of the need for true Senate reform has all but been lost. As a Senator […]