In more than a decade of journalism, political and social issues have been a central focus of my work.
From award-recognized coverage of missing and murdered aboriginal women, to reporting from the election campaign trenches at the federal, provincial and municipal levels, my work has been published in the National Post, Toronto Star, The Tyee, Briarpatch, THIS Magazine, and Vancouver Observer.
Below are some samples from my politics portfolio.
Numerous First Nation bands are alleging that the federal government is threatening them with loss of funding for essential services if they do not, in essence, endorse controversial budget legislation, and chiefs are threatening everything from court action to a United Nations complaint, and one elder has begun a second hunger strike.
Although the BC New Democrats have not released their election platform yet, the party’s housing critic is pushing for the province to take a “leading role at the table” on affordable housing, including direct investment in new social housing units.
What Diana Thompson and her eight-year-old daughter hoped could at least be a tearful goodbye turned to sobs of frustration as her husband was evicted from Canada late last night.
Elouise Cobell may not be alive to see the full fruits of her decade spearheading U.S. history’s largest class action lawsuit–the Blackfoot activist died of cancer in 2011 at age 65–but as the payments from the $3.4 billion settlement roll out across Indian country, those close to her are reminded of her determination.
First Nations from coast to coast of Canada are using strong language in reaction to changes in this year’s financial contribution agreements from the federal government, with one Alberta band even planning to take a complaint to the United Nations if Aboriginal Affairs doesn’t budge, Windspeaker has learned.
Downtown Vancouver may have the equivalent of nearly two-dozen 30-storey condominium towers sitting empty, serving as merely oversized “safety deposit boxes” for the wealthy, according to researchers. But blaming the city’s severe housing prices on absentee foreign investors could just be “this decade’s version of the Yellow Peril,” a UBC business professor has warned.
From stinging minus -55C temperatures in the far-northern Cree wilderness beyond the reach of roads, to the melting woodland snows of temperate Algonquin territory, a remarkable youth journey has made its way by foot and snowshoe this past two months, 1,600 km from James Bay in Québec to Parliament Hill.
What does Liberal leadership candidate Joyce Murray have to say about co-operation, cannabis, climate change — and Campbell’s Cabinet?
As the provincial election campaign churns ahead, a new coalition of businesses, unions and environmental groups are hoping to change the conversation.
“Dismissive.” “Out of touch.” “A travesty for the victims.” With these forceful words, one of the world’s leading human rights organizations fired back at Canada’s national police force and the federal government for their response to the group’s report alleging gang-rape, sexual assaults and other abuses of Native women by those charged with protecting them.
David P Ball 