The whole tempest-in-a-teapot over the online homophobic backlash of Scott Brison’s Christmas card continues to gain mainstream attention. I think the point deserves to be made, as Brison does, that these comments are coming online from people who don’t have to face Brison to make the remarks personally – which he invites them to do.
Brison also makes the point that other MPs have their families on their Christmas cards – I have ones from Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper with their respective families on the cover. The CBC put all the various cards going around online, and it looks like most of them have pictures of the MPs with their families – providing they’re not using the troops as a backdrop to make a political statement *coughs*Peter MacKay*coughs.* Brison looks forward to the time when this ceases to be an issue – which I will second.
As yesterday was the International Day to End Violence Against Sex workers, lesbian NDP MP Libby Davies has called for a public inquiry into the missing women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. She sent an open letter to Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan on the issue, which can be seen here.
The CBC continues its look into the IRB, and finds a number of adjudicators who are rejecting nearly all of their applicants, and others who are accepting nearly all of them – clearly showing that there is a problem. I’ll have a piece on the demise of Bill C-291 – which would have seen the final implementation of the IRB’s Refugee Appeal Division – on Xtra.ca later today early next week, so this is certainly a big issue.
And finally, Harper is over in Copenhagen, but is apparently keeping a low profile and not speaking out on Canada’s position, or doing anything terribly constructive. Which of course makes me think that he’s only there for the photo ops (and apparently I’ve listened to too many Members’ Statements in the House, because suddenly I have an urge to type “This just proves that he’s not in it for Canadians – he’s only in it for himself.” Spooky).
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