A press conference from over a year ago where Dion and May agree not to run against each other in their home ridings.

Green leader Elizabeth May clearly states she does not want to be the Ralph Nader of Canada, and does not want to inadvertently help reelect Stephen Harper.  She states,

I have confidence in Stephen Dion.  I have worked with him…

Just remember, the planet is at stake.  This is the time to put aside petty grievances and work together.

Dion expresses his position on May participating in the leader’s debate, relevant given the recent controversy earlier this month.  Dion says,

We are two different parties, two different leaders, and I think she deserves to be at the leadership debate on TV in both official languages.

Oh, and of course the Conservatives rattle on about “leadership.”  There’s probably just jealous that the Left is consolidating and organizing against them.

Red is the new Green.  Vote Liberal to save our planet.

Federal candidates from all parties in London Fanshawe, London North-Centre and London West spoke at the Wolf Performance Hall in the London Central Library.

The event was moderated by Professor Michael Lynk, Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Law, University Western Ontario, and sponsored by People for Peace (London), Global Importune and Amnesty International
(London).

Political representatives included Irene Mathyssen (London-Fanshawe) of the NDP, Paul Van Meerbergen (London North Centre) of the Conservative Party, Sue Barnes (London West) of the Liberal Party, Leonard VanderHoeven (London-Fanshawe) of the Christian Heritage Party, and Steve Hunter of the Progressive Party of Canada.

Omar Ha-Redeye has accepted an invitation to serve on the Advisory Council for the Centre for Public Theology (CPT).

The mission of the CPT, which is housed at Huron College at the University of Western Ontario, is listed on their new site:

Our goal is not advocacy so much as intelligence – in a better informed academy, in a more discerning church and other religious institutions, and finally, in a public that is better educated in the religious and ethical dimensions of societal issues, in full view of a world in which religious conviction is of massive and increasing public importance.

The Centre’s intention is thus to promote critical theological research and publication on issues of concern facing our society in an increasingly globalized world. A cycle of topics relating to politics and justice, human life, and the environment will be examined. Over the next three years, these topics will come to focus in the following: Canada’s role in Afghanistan; HIV infection and AIDS; and finally, the threat of climate change and the question of energy policy.

The CPT is connected to the Global Network for Public Theology (GNPT), which is chaired by Prof. Nico Koopman of South Africa.  The administrative centre for the GNPT is the Centre for Theological Inquiry at the Princeton Theological Seminary.

The purpose of the CPT can be further explained,

The CPT was established through a SSHRC major grant to promote research, reflection and disseminate constructive theological interaction concerning Canadian public life between the academy and other non-traditional University stakeholders include NGOs, Faith-Based Groups (FBOs), Politicians, Media and interested persons in the general public. The Centre, however, is NOT an advocacy group for a religious or theological tradition but a nexus from which Canadian based and international theologians, social scientists and other scholars, together with religious leaders, policy makers, NGO/FBOs, media and the public can engage in constructive dialogue on theological, moral and cultural issues that frame current and historic Canadian context in the area of public life, policy and service.

Omar Ha-Redeye at Marconi Club, London

Liberal Party leader, Stéphane Dion, was in London again last night.

He spoke to a packed room of over 400 people at the Marconi Club, and was joined by Gerard Kennedy, Jacquie Gauthier, Martha Dennis, Sue Barnes, Glen Pearson and Suzanne Van Bommel.

Deb Prothero provided excellent coverage of the event.

A couple short audio clips from the event are available on Law is Cool.

On Sept. 24, 2008, Omar Ha-Redeye participated in the Lerners LLP Cup.  The competition mimics an appellate court, where the issues of law are under dispute, rather than the facts of the case.

The competition discussed a theoretical review of the recent Supreme Court Case R. v. A.M., (2008) SCC 19, over the constitutionality of sniffer dogs in schools.  Omar had coincidentally met with Justice Binnie, who ruled with the majority in this case, and briefly spoke to him about the decision the previous week.

The University of Western Ontario describes the competition,

The Faculty runs an internal appellate advocacy competition called the Lerners LLP Cup. This voluntary competition gives upper-year students the opportunity to argue a hypothetical case before an appellate court. Judges, practicing lawyers and third-year students generously volunteer their time to act as judges for the competition. The top students advance to the final rounds to compete for the Lerners LLP Cup. Doing well in this competition is the gateway to qualifying to represent Western Law in one of several external advocacy competitions.

Omar was selected as one of 8 finalists from 66 competitors from among all upper year students at the school.  His partner in the competition, Lawrence Gridin of Law is Cool, was also selected as a finalist.

He will proceed to the final competitions next week,  which is actually judged by members of the bench from the Court of Appeal.  Although junior lawyers rarely speak at the Court of Appeal, these competitions (called moots) are a good indicator of comfort for the purpose of speaking to motions, a common task for many barristers.

Omar will also be eligible to represent UWO at one of the external moots during the January Term, 2009, which include:

Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, sponsored by McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Laskin Memorial Moot Court Competition (Administrative and Constitutional Law)
Wilson Moot (Constitutional Law on minority Issues)
Niagara International Moot Court Competition, sponsored by Lerners LLP
Gale Cup Appellate Moot Competition (Criminal Law and Charter issues)
Canadian Corporate/Securities Law Moot Court Competition

On three separate days, Omar Ha-Redeye met with undergraduate students at the University of Western Ontario to talk to them about why they should apply to law school.

On Monday, Sept. 22, 2008 he spoke to the Black Law Students Association.

On Tuesday, it was the African Students Association.

On Wednesday, he saw the Caribbean Students Organization.

Omar is the President of the Black Law Students Association at the University of Western Ontario.

The group is a chapter of a larger organization, the Black Law Students Association of Canada (BLSAC), which raises awareness around issues of advocacy relating to minority populations in Canada.

A special thanks to Craig Cameron, Ugbad Farah, and Carly McLarty for making this possible.

Full text of the speech is as follows:

Why ALL of you should apply to law school

My goal today is to convince all of you here today that you should continue your education beyond your undergraduate degree, and that the legal profession is what you should pursue.

What I love best about the law is the ability to challenge and break down stereotypes. For example, Canadians generally overestimate the number of minorities that have committed a crime, which is usually lower than the general population.

However, the 1995 Report of the Commission on Systemic Racism in the Ontario Criminal Justice System stated, it is no secret that “black accused, for example, are more often held without bail”.

The need for advocates to fight this subtle yet pervasive form of discrimination is pressing indeed.

Maybe Criminal law isn’t your thing.

A recent survey indicated that the average salary in Canada was just over $36,000.

The jobs that required a high school education a generation ago now require a bachelor’s degree. The opportunities simply are just not there for recent university graduates without professional and advanced degrees.

Lawyers and legal professionals ranked the highest out of all careers in Canada, with an average of $123,000 for lawyers and $178,053 for judges. Only specialist physicians made slightly more.

But medical schools in Canada are swarmed with applications. There are only 2,400 positions a year across Canada, but there has been a 20% increase in applications recently. Only 0.5% of applicants to McMaster University and 6% at UWO are accepted.

If you have a science background and thought that your only alternative to med school was graduate research, you’re wrong. One of the booming areas of law is intellectual property, and lawyers in this field almost always have a science or engineering background before law school.

That doesn’t mean getting into law school is easy though. You do need a strong undergraduate GPA, and have to worry about this pesky test called the LSAT.

But it’s worth it, unless you are completely content with the status of minority people in Canada.  A legal career allows you to pursue professional goals while maintaining an advocacy role within society.

And because the law affects nearly everything we do, there are areas of law that are of interest to everyone.

Fred Rodell, a former professor at Yale, wrote back in 1939, in a book entitled “Woe unto you lawyers,”

It is the lawyers who run our civilization for us – our governments, our business, our private lives. Most legislators are lawyers; they make our laws. Most presidents, governors, commissioners, along with their advisers and brain-trusters are lawyers; they administer our laws. All the judges are lawyers; they interpret and enforce our laws. There is no separation of powers where the lawyers are concerned. There is only a concentration of all government power – in the lawyers. As the schoolboy put it, ours is “a government of lawyers, not of men.”

It is not the businessmen, no matter how big, who run our economic world. Again it is the lawyers, the lawyers who “advise” and direct every time a company is formed, every time a bond or a share of stock is issued, almost every time material is to be bought or goods to be sold, every time a deal is made. The whole elaborate structure of industry and finance is a lawyer-made house. We all live in it, but the lawyers run it.

And in our private lives, we cannot buy a home or rent an apartment, we cannot get married or try to get divorced, we cannot die and leave our property to our children without calling on the lawyers to guide us. To guide us, incidentally, through a maze of confusing gestures and formalities that lawyers have created.

A legal career is not only the smart move in tomorrow’s volatile markets, it’s the right one.

The deadline for law school applications in Ontario is Nov. 3, just over a month from now. You still have time to prepare your application and get it in.

And if you need any help reviewing or planning your application, please feel free to contact me.

The new Liberal platform was released today called, Richer, Fairer, Greener: An Action Plan for the 21st Century.

The economy is listed as the highest priority, with oil dependency listed as a crucial issue.

Canada uses more fossil fuels per person than any other country in the planet.  This makes our economy more fragile than most.

Through a plan of tax cuts and incentives, the Liberals will strengthen our economy and address pressing environmental concerns.

Canadians living in poverty, especially children, are especially targeted for assistance.  Jobs for all Canadians, and educational opportunities are important steps to achieve this.  Accessibility to health care and affordable drug costs for the elderly are values that Canadians deeply cherish.

Liberals also take special steps to address gender issues, proposing the addition of gender to hate crimes and addressing issues of domestic abuse.   Immigrants are an important part of the Canadian workforce, and skilled trade are needed for a prosperous Canadian future.  Liberals also want to revive the Kelowna Accord, and strengthen relations with First Nations communities.

Perhaps most compelling, the Liberal platform actually costs out their strategy, itemizing each initiative and estimating revenues and expenditures for a four-year period.

The Liberal Party also wants to restore Canada as a voice for peace and justice in the world, as good citizens of the world.  A balanced budget is something Canadians would love to hold their politicians accountable for.

From the October 6, 2008 edition of The Nation:

1. It’s a dangerous world. We face an array of serious national security threats that require an experienced Commander in Chief.
2. The surge has worked. To withdraw from Iraq now would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and embolden Islamic extremists.
3. We cannot allow Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorists. We therefore must redouble our military efforts there or face another terrorist attack.
4. Iran is responsible for much of the violence against US forces in Iraq; by using its proxies in Lebanon and Gaza, it threatens to dominate the Middle East.
5. To talk to the leaders of “rogue” states like Iran and Cuba without conditions legitimizes their position and weakens American leverage.
6. Vladimir Putin’s Russia is an authoritarian state pursuing an anti-American agenda aimed at reconstituting the Soviet Union in the form of a new Russian empire.
7. Because the American military is stretched thin by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we must increase the size of our conventional armed forces.
8. A League of Democracies would create a global coalition for peace and freedom and would enable the United States and its democratic allies to intervene to solve humanitarian and other crises when the UN Security Council is paralyzed.
9. Globalization has strengthened the economy, and we cannot avoid it by hiding behind protectionist walls.
10. The world needs American leadership.

The issue of leadership in the upcoming Federal election is primarily a distraction away from the real issues.

Elections should not be so much about who the leader is, but rather where the leader would take the country.

But the Liberals addressing these criticism anyways with a new video ad:

Dion’s leadership when it comes to environmental issues on the international scene is unparalleled.  The environment consistently pops up as one of the major issues for Canadian voters.   And the Liberal platform has  much more to offer than just the environment.

But Canadians have also been turned off by all leaders, with Harper slipping the most in the polls,

The Ipsos Reid poll, conducted for Canwest News Service and Global News between Sept. 9 and 11, shows Canadians’ impressions of the leaders slipped instead of strengthened, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper had the worst week of them all.

Dirty politics does not pay, and if they continue this way Canadians will eventually see through the Conservative platform if they stop turning a blind eye to them.

See this transcript from NBC’s interview this week with John McCain,

Q: So you have to wait and see if [President (sic) Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero] is willing to meet with you, will you be able to do it in the White House?

McCain: Well, again, I don’t. All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not. And that’s judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region.

Q: Okay, what about you? I’m talking about the President of Spain.

McCain: What about me what?

It’s only a slight improvement from the Bushisms we’ve endured for the past 8 years,

Keep good relations with the Grecians.