Dawson Defends Expulsion of Al-Khabaz
Montreal’s Dawson College expelled computer science student Ahmed Al-Khabaz after he discovered vulnerability in the college’s student portal. The college cited this as a violation of the department’s code of professional conduct. As the student portal is shared with other CEGEPs, the error compromised the personal information of 250,000 students. On Jan. 20, Al-Khabaz’s case came to the public’s attention when the National Post reported on his expulsion.
A statement released by Dawson College charges that the National Post article is “inaccurate.” The statement further suggests that Al-Khabaz was issued a ‘cease and desist’ order following his initial discovery of the vulnerability, which he contravened, attempting “repeatedly to intrude into areas of College information systems that had no relation with student information systems.”
Al-Khabaz maintains that he was only trying to help Dawson fix a serious security flaw in its system. He pointed out that in running his scans of the system, he never attempted to conceal his identity. Since his expulsion was first reported, Al-Khabaz has received 12 job offers, as well as one scholarship from Skytech, the company which designed Dawson’s website.
Ontario elects first female premier
Last Saturday, Kathleen Wynne was elected as Ontario’s first female premier at a convention devoted to choosing a successor for former Premier Dalton McGuinty. Wynne beat out former Windsor Member of Provincial Parliament Sandra Pupatello, with a vote of 1,150 to 866 during the third ballot of the convention.
Wynne, who represents the Don Valley West riding in Toronto, is also the province’s first openly gay premier. She faces several challenges as she takes office, including an ongoing dispute with the province’s teachers’ unions, a $12 billion provincial deficit, and a provincial election that may be called as early as this year. The premier has said that she hopes to avoid an early election by working with the opposition.
With Wynne’s election, female premiers now represent 87 per cent of the Canadian population, holding the leadership in six of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories.
Rob Ford Stays On As Mayor
An Ontario Divisional Court ruled in favour of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford last Friday, in an appeal of a court decision in November that would have removed him from the mayor’s office.
Ford’s legal woes stem from a 2010 report by the city integrity commissioner, which obliged Ford to pay back $3,150 in donations from lobbyists and corporations, given to his private football foundation. On Feb. 7, 2012, Ford voted in a city council motion that absolved him of the obligation to return the $3,150.
Ford admitted last September that he had never read the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, which forbids a member of council from voting on motions in which the member has a financial interest, nor a handbook given to city councillors regarding conflict of interest.
Last Friday, the court accepted Ford’s argument that city council did not have the authority to impose a personal financial penalty on Ford, as the donations had been accepted by his football foundation, and not Ford personally.
Chief Spence Ends Hunger Strike
Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence ended her hunger strike last Wednesday, after subsisting on fish broth and medicinal tea for 44 days. Her hunger strike was an effort to press for a meeting between First Nations leaders, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Governor General David Johnston. Johnston has refused to meet with First Nations leaders, citing his inability to shape government policy.
The end to the hunger strike came after Liberal, NDP, and First Nations leaders agreed on a 13-point declaration to present to the government. NDP Member of Parliament Romeo Saganash, who helped to negotiate the declaration, and who was a prominent Cree public figure prior to entering politics, expressed frustration at the federal government’s lacklustre response.
“This is Canada, and this is 2013,” Saganash told the CBC. “We shouldn’t beg to have our rightful place in this country.”
The declaration calls for “an immediate meeting … between the Crown, Federal Governments, Provincial Governments, and all First Nations.” It also calls for greater enforcement of treaty rights, environmental oversight, and a review of the constitutionality of the omnibus budget bills passed by the Conservatives.
Keystone XL Pipeline One Step Closer to Reality
Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved an alternate route to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline last Tuesday. Heineman’s decision was praised by TransCanada, the Calgary-based pipeline company heading the project, as well as Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver, and Alberta Premier Alison Redford.
The old route also went through Nebraska, but the new route avoids an environmentally sensitive area, where erodible sand dunes heighten the risk of groundwater contamination. Nebraska has been a site of fierce opposition to the pipeline, as landowners and activists raised alarm over possible pollution of the Ogallala aquifer. The new route still crosses part of the aquifer.
The $7 billion project now awaits a decision by the U.S. State Department. The fate of the pipeline will lie in the hands of Hillary Clinton’s expected successor, U.S. Senator John Kerry, who has a reputation for being a dedicated environmentalist.
The day after Heineman’s decision, 53 senators signed a letter urging President Obama to approve the Keystone XL project. Polls show that a majority of Americans also support the pipeline.
The U.S. State Department does not expect to reach a decision before April.
