The Orange Wave was strong in the byelection in Jack Layton’s former riding Monday, as NDP candidate Craig Scott, a professor at York’s Osgoode Hall Law School with a long resume of human rights work, won the riding easily, reported CTV News online March 19. “The orange crush is here to stay,” said a victorious Scott as he took to the stage shortly before 10pm on Monday. Scott said the people of Toronto-Danforth have said “yes” to the party that represents hope and optimism and would take on Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party in Ottawa. “The people of Toronto-Danforth have sent a message to Ottawa that will be heard across the country,” he said. Scott vowed to fight the Conservatives during the March 29 budget debate and onward to the 2015 federal election. Read full story.
The best place to do business: Canada
Michael Bryant, a visiting professor at York’s Osgoode Hall Law School and former Ontario attorney general and minister of economic development, argues this is the ideal time to focus rigorously — “ruthlessly, even” — on promoting our financial industry, reported Canadian Business Feb. 29. “It’s a rare moment in global economic history that people are looking at Canada not for its charm but its expertise,” he said. Read full story.
Air Canada flights could be cancelled
David Doorey, a professor of labour & employment law in York’s School of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, told the Toronto Star that federal back-to-work legislation for Air Canada staff prohibits any labour action, such as deliberately calling in sick. “If Air Canada is correct, and the pilots are making false claims of fatigue as a form of protest, then we are witnessing a very frustrated, very angry set of workers prepared to violate laws they perceive to be unjust,” he said. Read full story.
Drug shortage shows failure of federal leadership, critics charge
Canadians will likely have no choice but to pay higher prices to any company, including one accused of causing its own drug shortage, that receives federal approval to be an alternate source of supply, experts told the Ottawa Citizen March 19. “We got into this situation because Health Canada did not plan in advance, and now we’re being held hostage,” said Dr. Joel Lexchin, a drug-policy expert in York’s School of Health Policy & Management, Faculty of Health. Read full story.
People have right to seek their identity on cyberspace
Professors of York University, Canada, Monday said the people of Kashmir have every right to seek culture, identity and language of their own in cyberspace, reported greaterkashmir.com March 19, in a story about a lecture tour by Professor Emeritus Daniel Drache, senior research Fellow at York’s Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, and Professor Marilyn Lambert-Drache, linguistics professor and associate dean of student relations in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. They are on a visit to deliver special lectures to Kashmir University students and scholars in Srinigar, India. Read full story.
First Coal’s caribou conflict becomes first Twitter moot
Last month saw the world’s first Twitter moot court debate of a case between the West Moberly Nation and the BC government over exploration permits in the habitat of the Burnt Pine Caribou Herd, reported BC’s Tumbler Ridge News March 20. The winner of the Twitter moot was the team from York’s Osgoode Hall Law School, arguing for the West Moberly First Nations. Read full story.
Got tonnes of Facebook friends? You may be a narcissist, study finds
This isn’t the first time a study has been conducted about Facebook users, reported Australia’s The Canberra Times March 20, in a story about a new report from Western Illinois University about Facebook users. In 2010, noted the story, a study published from York University highlighted the differences between how men and women self-promoted themselves on Facebook. Read full story.