News for November 12th, 2015

November 12 2015 // News

LOCAL
By Saturn De Los Angeles

The National Assembly passed a bill on Tuesday that will change how Quebec citizens get healthcare.

According to CBC News, the bill will include an increase in the number of patients that doctors need to deal with, and restricting access to in vitro fertilization for women. 

Despite these challenges, Health Minister Gaetan Barrette, who introduced the bill last year, said that doctors still need to find a way to guarantee that 85 percent of the province has a family doctor by 2017. 

In response, the Federation des medecins omnipracticiens du Quebec stated that they will provide some solutions such as superclinics, and ensuring that patients won't have to wait longer than three days to see a physician. 

 

NATIONAL

By Julia Bryant
 
Canada's new Veteran Affairs Minister is urging the country to commemorate soldiers who committed suicide after serving in the Afghanistan war. 
 
According to the Globe and Mail, 59 Canadian soldiers took their own lives after returning from Afghanistan -- more than a third of the number who died fighting in the war itself. 
 
Veteran Affairs Minister Kent Hehr made the announcement at the Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on Wednesday. 
 
Hehr said that he will be meeting with former soldiers over the next few months to discuss how to honour their fallen comrades. 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL
By Emeline Vidal

After a 2-year delay, Europe has set guidelines for the labelling of products made in Jewish settlements in occupied territory.

According to the Globe and Mail, the labels "made in Israel" or "made in the West Bank" will need to be more precise to indicate whether goods were made in Israeli settlements or by Palestinians.

Many Israeli political figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, openly criticized the measures, citing anti-semitism and possible further boycotts.

While Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau positioned himself against boycotts of Israel in his campaign, new labelling guidelines may be a possibility.

The Canadian government sides with the Geneva constitution and regards the West Bank Israeli settlements as illegal. 

 Such measures are already used in the UK, Belgium and Denmark.