i.

Tru-‘do's’ and Tru-‘don't’s:
tracking Trudeau's promises

» What has Canada’s PM done since taking office?

Aaron Guillen
Staff Reoorter

A round two anda half

onths ago, Justin Trudeau
prevailed as the next Prime
Minister of Canada, riding on his
Liberal platform promising “real
change.” But has the new PM
in town carried through with
the promises that won him the
election? Since October, more
than 60 days have passed with
Trudeau in office—and as the
new year has arrived, it’s time to
take a brief look at the long list
of to-do’s that were assured to
the people of Canada.

It’s clearly evident that
Canadians want change as
TrudeauMetre.ca, a non-partisan
collaborative citizen initiative
that tracks Trudeau’s fulfillment
of his electoral platform, is
updated daily. The website
outlines what promises have been
achieved, are still in progress,
have yet to be started, or have
been broken. Among the claimed
196 commitments on the list,
there are currently 12 in progress,
6 achieved, 1 broken, and the
remaining 177 still left to be
started.

Taking a closer look at the
promises in progress, there are
issues such as the legalization
of marijuana, climate change,
and various social issues. In

: regard to legalizing marijuana,

: Trudeau and his government

: have been working on amending
: the key points in the Criminal

: Code that cover consumption

: and possession alongside a new
: approach to the system of sales

: and distribution.

When it comes to climate

: change, Trudeau made specific
: vows on behalf of Canada in

: the Paris Conference, COP21.

: Additionally, the nation is waiting :
: forthe outcome of the Northern!
: Gateway Pipeline, as the PM

: requested crude oil tanker traffic
: on BC’s North Coast to come toa
: standstill.

Recently, the Liberal

: government began a pre-inquiry
: into the case of missing and

: murdered Aboriginal women, a

: controversial, yet pressing issue.

“Within a couple of weeks,

: we'll have to be able to launch

: what we think is the best

: possible process for a pre-inquiry
: engagement,” said Carol Bennett,
: the Minister of Indigenousand —:
: Northern Affairs, to Global News. : so far, his vow to bring in 25,000

: refugees by the end of 2015. By

: early November, it was realized

: that those numbers couldn't be

: crunched, so the Liberal party

: lowered their goal to 10,000. As

: 2016 has arrived, around 6,300

: Syrian refugees have arrived on

: Canadian soil, falling short of the
: Liberal party’s promise.

With a price tag of $40

: million on the examination,
: many are hopeful for a successful
: outcome.

Meanwhile, Trudeau has

: been able to cover ground on

: promises pertaining to taxes,

: government, and military. With
: taxes, Trudeau has lowered

: the middle income tax bracket

: to 20.5 per cent, down by 1.5

: percent. Additionally, a tax

: bracket with a rate of 33 per cent
: was installed for those earning

: upwards of $200,000. Back in

: November, many constraints

: set on government scientists

: were removed, thus giving them
: the ability to talk about their

: valuable research more openly

: Also, a gender-equitous Cabinet
: was appointed—another widely

talked-about promise fulfilled.
In regards to military

: promises, “Operation UNIFIER is

: Canada’s contribution to support

: Ukrainian forces through capacity
: building and providing similar

: training assistance,” according

: to the Government of Canada’s

: website.

“Military assistance is one

: component of Canada’s support
: to Ukraine across development,
: security, democracy, and

: humanitarian aid.”

Unfortunately, though

Trudeau has made promises and
: fulfilled them, he has broken one

Image via huffingtonpost.com

 

Image via thinkstock

Local pet store
continues to gain
negative attention

» Metrotown Pet Habitat location under
scrutiny for treatment of animals

 
 
   
 

Mercedes Deutscher
News Editor
M4 news@theotherpress.ca

local pet store is under

fire for its treatment
of kittens and puppies,
viewed by many to be
neglectful and cruel.

Pet Habitat is a Metro
Vancouver based chain of
pet stores, the most popular
locations being located within
Metrotown.

Local animal rights
activists have been criticizing
the store for years, with the
earliest criticisms being made
public in 2013. In April 2015,
an online petition was started
to end the sale of the larger
animals within the store by
Katie Walker, a concerned
patron.

to a tiny cube with a few holes
for ventilation, water from

a towel in it where the puppies
were expected to urinate and
defecate,” reads the petition.

The most recent actions
taken against the store
involved a protest outside its
doors on December 26, with
protestors urging potential
customers to adopt a pet from
a shelter as opposed to buying
one at the store.

Adding to a list of
concerns was Marie-Kyla
Branston, a graduate from the
Douglas College Veterinary
technology program and

currently a veterinary assistant. :

In an interview with the Other : Habitat could not be reached

: for comment.

Press, Branston criticized Pet

: Habitat for their overcrowding
: of kitten pens and the small

: confinements that the puppies
E are housed in, which she

: said should beat least four

: times larger than they are and

: cleaned more regularly. She

: also suggested that Pet Habitat
: should allow more exercise

: time for the dogs.

“Tm not against Pet

: Habitat selling animals, but I
: would like to see better living
: conditions,” said Branston.

In a recent visit to the

: store, there was no observed

: excitement in the animals.

: Most of the puppies were

: around three months old, with
: the oldest being six months

: old. No puppies were removed
: from the pens for a reason

: aside from observation from

: prospective customers. Each

“Each puppy was confined : Pen hada small toy.

“Our puppies have

: gone through extensive care
hamster bottles, strips of paper : before boarding the plane
: and entering Canada,” reads

‘bedding’ and a small pan with : } BS
: a posting within the store.

: “Our puppies are checked

: weekly by the vet and given

: updated shots. Our Pet Habitat
: team values the health and

: happiness of our puppies. At

: all times, there will be at least

: four staff members taking care
: of the animals. Puppies are fed
: three times a day and water

: is available from a bottle to

: avoid mess. Throughout the

: day, we allow the puppies to

: play outside at least twice to

: receive exercise and gain social
: interaction”

Management of Pet