In the News Taxi Driver Acquittal Rattles Public Confidence This week’s biggest story is still unfolding. The acquittal of Bassam Al-Rawi for the sexual assault of an intoxicated woman, found passed out and mostly naked in his cab, will thankfully be appealed for its legal errors. I won’t attempt to duplicate the excellent coverage of […]
Posted inMorning File
“Fleeting gratification” and the Al-Rawi verdict: Morning File, Tuesday, March 7, 2017
News 1. The Bassam Al-Rawi verdict, justice, and men speaking to men Yesterday, the Nova Scotia Criminal Lawyers Association issued a statement on Judge Gregory Lenehan’s verdict in the case of Bassam Al-Rawi, the cab driver Lenehan acquitted of sexual assault. You can read the whole statement here, but here’s the take-away: A significant amount of criticism in […]
Posted inCommentary
Man Up: Men must speak out against sexual assault
The young man who, in 2011, reputedly gave a thumbs up sign while sodomizing an inebriated Rehteah Parsons has gone on with his life. Ditto the fellow who took a photo of the assault that was then circulated online and unleashed a barrage of “slut-shaming” attacks against the once cheery Dartmouth teenager. No longer able […]
Posted inEducation, Environment
What the frack? Hydraulic fracking may be allowed in Nova Scotian waters
Canada’s push to protect 10 per cent of its marine areas by 2020 won’t face opposition from Nova Scotia’s offshore petroleum regulator. But the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board won’t stand in the way of offshore fracking. Carl Makrides, the board’s resources director, faced questions recently about whether the organization will need to push back on some […]
Posted inMorning File
The last time the Judicial Council issued a decision, it was a slap on the wrist: Morning File, Monday, March 6, 2017
News 1. Canadaland Friday night, Canadaland’s Jesse Brown dropped into The Marquee and asked me and Terra Tailleur “Is Atlantic Journalism Fucked?” As usual, Tailleur came prepared with reams of facts and figures. And also as usual, I opined. It was great fun, and thanks to all the people who made it come together: Brown and Tailleur, to be sure, […]
Posted inCommentary
The Lyle Howe case: ‘If you look hard enough…’
When I was a young CBC reporter back in the 1970s, I got a tip from a source inside the department of health that the RCMP was investigating a Shubenacadie doctor named Ross McInnis for MSI fraud. I didn’t realize it at first, but I would later discover it was the first health care fraud […]
Posted inCommentary
Examineradio, episode #101: transcript
Examineradio – Episode 101 Bousquet: Hello, this is Examineradio, the weekly show and podcast that covers news, politics and all things Halifax. I’m Tim Bousquet, Editor of the Halifax Examiner, which is available online at halifaxexaminer.ca Tailleur: I’m Terra Tailleur. I’m here to talk news. Gragg: And I’m Russell Gragg, Examineradio producer and I’m back […]
Posted inUncategorized
What do you gotta do to get a conviction around these parts?: Examineradio, episode #101
Haligonians are outraged at this week’s decision by a Nova Scotia judge to acquit a cab driver of sexual assault. Judge Gregory Lenehan determined that the Crown hadn’t provided sufficient proof of lack of consent, despite the testimony of an expert witness and the fact that the alleged victim was unconscious at the time of the […]
Posted inMorning File
Thousands of people are complaining about Judge Gregory Lenehan: Morning File, Friday, March 3, 2017
Tonight, Jesse Brown brings his Canadaland to Halifax for a live taping. Brown will be talking with me and King’s College journalism prof Terra Tailleur. The show at the Marquee starts at 7pm, but doors open at 6pm. Entry cost is $10, with all proceeds going to CKDU. Iris and Tempa will be hawking Examiner swag, […]
Posted inCommentary
Equity in transit and the “why” of our transportation infrastructure
I was excited for Shift, the annual conference organized by Dal planning students even before speaking to Monica Tibbits-Nutt, the Boston-based transportation planner who will deliver a keynote address Friday morning. Tibbits-Nutt shared my enthusiasm for the slate of presenters coming to town to speak on this year’s transit theme, but then pointed out another […]