Even though Arthur is taking a month off, doesn’t mean the world will too. This exam period, while you are stuffing your brain with knowledge and your bloodstream with Red Bull, so many things will be happening in the news. We can’t write about them: we won’t be here. Much like you, Arthur writers are Trent students who can’t take time for a nap let alone write an informative news piece on the most recent political debacle. Ergo, in preparation for our “Arthur revisited” edition, we have made you a list. A list of stories we’ll be following during the next month, and that we hope you follow too.
1) Kyoto Protocol, who is in, who is out, and what does it all mean?
According to National news sources, the Tories are set to officially reject the renewal of Kyoto Protocol later this month. The Kyoto Protocol, which hoped to resolve the world’s climate change problems, is set to expire in 2012, and the Tories are not going to renew their pledge. Arthur hopes to find out what this means, which other countries are not renewing their pledge, and what excuses the Tories will give the Canadian public.
2) Speaking of those Tories, what is our government going to do about Attawapiskat?
In a recent “drastic move”, Canadian parliament decided to take control of Attawapiskat’s funding by sending in a third party auditor. As a response to complaints of exceedingly poor living conditions, and the publication of this information in major Canadian press, Harper thought it best to take measures into his own hands. However, most Canadians are jeering at the idea that the government is taking land and money rights away from the Cree community in order to “solve their problems.” While opposition tries to push Harper to take the time to visit the community, and truly see what it is like, Harper has been simply throwing government money at the problem and not looking for a long term solution for the growing amount of issues in northern Indigenous communities such as this one. We at Arthur, hope to see a resolution in these coming weeks. This resolution will only start with warmer and better living conditions, but also a resolution that will mean long-term solutions for this community.
3) Politicians tackling bullying, will this really solve young students’ problems?
This past week, Premier McGuinty put forward anti-bullying legislation in Ontario parliament. McGuinty hopes to solve student’s woes by adding anti-bullying to Ontario curriculum. The general consensus of this move is that it is not enough, and not helpful. However, it will be interesting to watch the reactions to this within the next month and how it pans out during these ever-depressing winter months. While McGuinty tries to prove that he is making a difference, he is supporting important groups that already existed within the public school system such as gay straight alliances, and similar programs. Again, though, getting the root of the problem seems to be the be the biggest issue in our Canadian government as usual, as no mention has been made to helping support those children who are the bullies. While McGuinty makes legislation to suspend children who bully, he doesn’t seem to realize that it is these homes that may have fostered the behaviour in the first place.
Who knows what will happen in these next few months, but here at Arthur we are well aware that the world will just keep on moving. So keep an eye out for major issues, react, and pause, because as much as it seems that the world may be only about your paper due at noon today (or even worse, yesterday) there is always so much happening in this world around us and it is very important to remember that.
Editor’s note: This is the last week my co-editor Iris Hodgson will be working for Arthur, and on behalf of our staff and volunteers I hope to extend my deepest gratitude to her and all she has done for the paper this year. Without Iris in these past months, I am positive that Arthur would have been much less than it is now. I only hope the foundation she has set for me, to work alone, will be maintained with the help of our amazing and well trained staff and volunteer contributors. Thank you, Iris.
