A 91ŃÇÉ« political science prof says it's hit or miss. "Populism is an overused term," said . "It means having ordinary people making decisions rather than experts – it's appealing, but I think it's often a type of smokescreen for a set of policies that's not going to satisfy ordinary people, but elites," he said. "To those of us who are involved in academic life, it's frightening. It implies that information and facts can be ignored if you have a 'common sense' approach to things."

In the case of Ignatieff, voters get the sense they don't know him well, Drummond said. "But do they know Stephen Harper or Jack Layton?" he asked. "They come across as more ordinary folk. There are times when Harper does look stiff, but the sweater and the piano playing probably does help him."

Being an intellectual can be problematic in this election, simply because many people make an assumption that Ignatieff may be aloof and "probably doesn't think of himself as ordinary folks."

"That may be unfair to him, that's why...all these photo opportunities of him doing things he doesn't do very often are supposed to give him a common touch, but it doesn't work well if you look stiff and uncomfortable doing it," Drummond said.

Ignatieff is pulling out all the stops to project a more down-to-earth image, but time is against him. "He's visiting a lot of places where people get to see him up close and personal, but I don't think you can do a lot during a campaign to make that sort of dent," he said. "It's not the type of campaign in the 19th century where people appeared in person a lot – a lot of it is televised or online pleas."

Drummond's research explores public policy with a specific focus on provincial politics. He is a frequent media commentator during elections.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91ŃÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin

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Justice Susan Himel struck down all three Criminal Code provisions that had been challenged – communicating for the purposes of prostitution, pimping and operating a common bawdy house.

The decision will take effect in 30 days unless Crown lawyers return with arguments that are strong enough to persuade her to grant a further delay, Judge Himel said.

“We got everything,” yelped a 91ŃÇÉ« law professor behind the challenge, of , as he scanned the judgment seconds after it was released. “We did it.... Finally, somebody listened.”

Judge Himel specifically rejected a request from the Crown to suspend the effects of her decision for 18 months on the grounds that doing so would force sex-trade workers to continue working under hazardous conditions. She said the 30-day delay gives the Crown one last chance to persuade her that she should suspend her judgment.

Young said that, in light of how uncompromising Judge Himel’s findings were, the Crown faces a tough uphill battle in obtaining an additional stay. “In 30 days, the ruling kicks in and people can start growing their businesses,” he said.

Regardless of whether or not the decision is appealed, it is likely to plunge Parliament back into a divisive debate over criminalizing the operation of an activity that is itself perfectly legal.

Young warned the press and public not to fall for an inevitable onslaught of misinformation and scare stories that government officials will issue as it bids to prop up the law. “This was a big bite out of the heart of government,” he said. “They are going to feel this one. I don’t know what this means now; whether or not we will see five-storey brothels like the ones in Germany.”

However, Young also said that the public need not fear that prostitutes and pimps are about to run amok in their communities. Nor, he said, should people allow any distaste they may have for prostitution to cloud the central issue in the case. “This case is all about protecting the security and safety of people working in the sex trade, regardless of what you think of sex-trade work,” he said. “We have had a moral aversion to the sex trade for hundreds of years, but any time you can do something that increases peoples’ safety, you have done something good.”

Both sides in the case spent years amassing a vast body of international evidence, including dozens of witnesses.

Several cities – including Toronto, Victoria, Windsor, Calgary and Edmonton – charge fees to license body-rub establishments despite the general understanding that many sell sexual services.

Young ridiculed them on Tuesday for hypocritically reaping licensing fees while pretending not to know that they are fronts for prostitution. “For a decade, they have been charging exorbitant licensing fees for rub-and-tugs,” he said. “Now, at least we won’t have to charge them with living off the avails.”

Young was also interviewed in the Globe about the Pickton trial context for this challenge Sept 29:

A historic challenge to the country’s prostitution laws would likely have failed without the backdrop of serial killer Robert Pickton’s murderous activities, according to the lawyer behind the case.

Osgoode Professor Alan Young said Tuesday that he purposely delayed his challenge until after the Pickton trial because there could scarcely be a more dramatic illustration of the plight prostitutes are placed in when the law forces them to work on the streets.

“Pickton brought it to light,” Young told a press conference. “I had been developing arguments for many years, but I needed something more. Facts drive a case, and when they started to find bodies on that pig farm in 2002, it became extremely apparent to everyone that it is dangerous for sex-trade workers to work on the street.”

He characterized the prostitution challenge as a David and Goliath battle fought by a small band of lawyers who worked pro bono, 20 91ŃÇÉ« University law students and three tenacious litigants.

Over a five-year period, he said that his team assembled dozens of boxes of evidence and persuaded a sizable group of academics, community workers and prostitutes to testify without payment.

A win at the trial level was critical since the litigants and their legal team would not have been able to obtain funding for an appeal otherwise, Young added.

The case was also covered on , , the , , , , , and , among others.

You can stay current on this developing story by .

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams with files courtesy of YFile – 91ŃÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The Conservative leader said that, while the agency has expanded, it has yet to fulfil its central mandate by producing a long-term energy plan.

But one energy expert says the OPA doesn’t deserve all the blame. 91ŃÇÉ« Professor Mark Winfield, of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, says the Liberal government hasn’t enabled the OPA to fulfil its mandate.

“There’s no direction from the government to the OPA,” Winfield said. “There’s no overall vision or strategy about where we’re going.”

The Toronto Sun quoted Professor in its :

The Ontario Energy Board thinks you’re not paying enough for hydro so it’s yanking another $60 out of your wallet.

Ontario hydro ratepayers — already hammered by the HST, time-of-use pricing and rate hikes — will pay an added $240 million a year, the Ontario NDP says.

Officials at the provincial crown agency — whose salaries are paid for through hydro bills — decided earlier this year that utilities should be able to boost their rate of return to 9.85% from 8.39%.

. . .

Gordon Roberts, a professor at the Schulich School of Business at 91ŃÇÉ«, who made a submission to the OEB on behalf of , recommended a lower rate. “It’s generous,” Roberts said. “Clearly, if the answer comes out on the generous side (for utilities), it’s less fair for the ratepayers.”

Roberts also spoke about the hydro profits issue on CBC Radio and CBC-TV, Sept. 23.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile – 91ŃÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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The Star was only one of Toronto's papers to cover.

“Everybody knows somebody like that,” Mehdizadeh, a psychology student in 91ŃÇɫ’s Faculty of Health, told the Star. “They’re updating their status every five minutes. They’re telling you what celebrity they look like. They’re posting pictures of themselves in a bikini.”

Her article was also covered in the , , , The Canadian Press online (via ) and . It was reported by Toronto’s 680 NEWS, CFRB Radio, and radio stations in Calgary, Regina, Edmonton and Moncton.

On Sept.22, the study was covered in New 91ŃÇÉ«, NY's .

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, with files courtesy of YFile– 91ŃÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Diabetes risk among immigrants from South Asia is three to four times higher than in immigrants from western European countries, says a study released Monday by the .

But , a well published 91ŃÇÉ« professor in the School of Health Policy & Management in the Faculty of Health, says he has been studying the same finding for years. “Just about every group in Canada outside of white European people are identified as having a greater risk for Type 2 diabetes and it’s even higher around the world in populations where they’re having difficult life circumstances with poverty and equality,” Raphael said.

“If you want to understand which populations around the world are more likely to have diabetes, it’s usually people with difficult life circumstances. The one commonality is all these groups experience greater unemployment, greater poverty and greater stress as immigrants,” Raphael said.

Raphael said the solution to curbing the risk of diabetes in immigrant populations is to ensure everyone has enough economic resources to have a better quality of life.

The

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91ŃÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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A 91ŃÇÉ« study about has caused considerable stir in the media. The study, published in the journal Infancy, suggests that six-month-olds know when someone is teasing or manipulating them. But they also understand if someone is trying to help, but can’t because of factors beyond the adult’s control.

Coverage featuring PhD student Heidi Marsh from the in the appeared in or on:

• at ParentCentral.ca on Feb. 8.
• The on Feb. 11.
• on Feb. 10.
• on Feb. 10.
• on Feb. 10.
• on Feb. 8.
• CFRB’s “”
• CKEM-TV’s “” in Edmonton on Feb. 9
• CJOB-AM’s “” in Winnipeg on Feb. 8.

Edited by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files from YFile – 91ŃÇɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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