Queer Liberals organize and launch new website in lead-up to party convention

My second piece previewing the Liberal convention this weekend is now up, and it's getting some big-time attention. It's one of the top stories on National News Watch tonight, which is pretty cool, especially since it's a widely read news aggregator.

I've been keeping an eye on this group since November, when the group's new president, Bryn Hendricks, told me that it was starting up. With the convention now just days away, they've ramped into high gear in order to launch themselves there. There was plenty more in our interview, especially some partisan one-upmanship, with refutations of NDP "sanctimoniousness."

There was one thing that couldn't fit into the article, which I thought I'd share here, which was about the role that former MP Sheila Copps has been playing with the group, which includes her role in narrating their inaugural video. 

Hendricks: She helped us initially at the first event that we did, being a spokesperson for us, and to speak on our behalf, and then when we created this DVD and creating the script, we started looking at who would be a good person to narrate, and we knew that a lot of the current MPs and people that are around and have worked on different gay and lesbian issues were going to be interviewed, but we thought that it would be good to take Sheila as a non-sitting, former member of Parliament, to express vocally – because she’s got a great voice and great enthusiasm – but just as somebody who participating in the past who we wanted to include beyond an interview. 

Villeneuve: Sheila’s been a trail-blazer on this issue. She stood up for queer rights when she didn’t have to. There was no reason for her to do that, but she believed that was the right thing to do. So Sheila Copps was the perfect person to narrate this video. It was a testament to the work that she’s done and the work that I know she will continue to do on this issue.

Hendricks: When Svend Robinson came out back in the 80s, Sheila Copps was the only Member of Parliament who stood by his side. So it’s fitting for her to be able to narrate this, and she was absolutely thrilled to do so.

Liberals set to crown Iggy at convention, but party mum on new policy resolutions

I have a piece up today on the national page of Xtra.ca on the Liberal convention in Vancouver this weekend. This is the first of two pieces about the convention, the second hopefully going up later today or first thing tomorrow.

My colleagues in the Press Gallery keep asking if I'll be attending the convention, and alas, I won't be. One of the drawbacks of freelancing, and writing for an organisation that doesn't have the budget for it. Nevertheless, it's been an interesting story to follow, and there was plenty more to talk about that didn't fit into my word-count. Things like the "Council of Presidents" that will be meeting, and more about the party learning how to adapt to new technologies like Twitter and Facebook to get engage with their grassroots.

Something else that unfortunately didn't make it in was this amusing quote from Peter Bochove: "I think their principal thing they may be talking about is the economy and how to beat that son-of-a-bitch that’s currently in power, and that’s fine with me – provided that after the election, we can re-open this dialogue."

MediaStyle Interview

On my way out of the Centre Block yesterday, my friend Ian Capstick from MediaStyle pulled me aside to interview me about blogging from the Hill. Here's the video. Check out the link to also see his interview with Macleans.ca's Kady O'Malley.

Prime Minister playing fast & loose with the law

I have a very big story in the current issue of Capital Xtra, which hits the stands today, and it's also the featured story on the national page of Xtra.ca. On top of that, the online version also has my very first video piece, which I shot and edited (though admittedly it's pretty basic). Nevertheless, it is a bit of an accomplishment.

This was an amazing story to write, if a tad gruelling as I spent the two weeks also reading Court Government and the Collapse of Accountability in Canada and the United Kingdom, hoping that I could perhaps get Donald Savoie's input as well. Sadly, he was out of the country, but I managed to fine more than enough really great experts to interview, on top of the MPs and Senator that I interviewed. In the end, this was a fantastic feature article to write, and yet I feel as though I've barely only scratched the surface for some of it.

Given that I got this far with the piece, I'm hoping to continue working on it for a new and longer version for another venue, which I'm going to work on crafting a pitch for shortly. And hopefully I'll be able to get Donald Savoie's input for said future version...

Here's the video interview:

It is a pretty basic interview, which is why it's as long as it is, but I think it also gives the whole story on his bill, including his ruminations on the larger topic at hand. Nevertheless, it's been a learning experience that I hope to carry forward to new pieces.

Generic AIDS drugs: still not getting from Canada to the world

I have a piece up on the Ottawa page of Xtra.ca today, talking about the Canadian Access to Medicines Regime. I wrote it last Thursday after a visit to the National Press Theatre. It was my first visit actually, as I'd never had the opportunity to attend a press conference there before, though I'd definitely seen it on television before, and I have to say, it's a nice facility - especially since the renovations they did last summer.

I expect to be reporting more on this story as Senator Goldstein's Private Members' Bill begins debate, though I'm not sure at the speed at which these things make their way through the Senate. Stay tuned.

Thoughts From the Hill - April Edition

This month's edition of Thoughts From the Hill looks at the crisis facing the media industries in this country, and what our political parties might be doing about it. In trying to find a topic, I didn't want to just do another "funding for the arts" question, so this one seemed both timely and focused. It was also interesting to see how each different panellist approached the topic, as they were all a bit different in where they saw the difficulty and remedy.

You can read this month's panel in Outlooks' print edition, or in the online edition, which you can download in .pdf format here. (The panel can be found on page 11).