Your hosts this week, Lynn, Levon, and Marc
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What if the “Ethics Commissioner” is herself in a conflict of ethics.
Mary Dawson is considering investigating complaints that the Prime Minister may have breached ethics rules.
The problem is that her term in the position is almost up for renewal and that would have to come from the Prime Minister.
Democracy Watch, an advocacy group NGO. says Mary Dawson must divulge whether she is asking the prime minister to renew her term of office at the same time as she is investigating him.
Lynn spoke to Duff Conacher, co-founder of the group
More and more news of advances in computer technology are being announced all the time. Among them is the feverish effort to develop ‘Artificial Intelligence’, or AI.
These are computers that will learn and perhaps ‘think’ for themselves.
Some experts say this is a dangerous path. Computers that can control other computers, make and control new programmes and machines ever better, faster, more intelligent. They say perhaps the computers might decide at some point that humans are inferior and uneccessary which could lead to unfortunate consequences.
Jim Davies is not quite so convinced of this. He is an associate professor in the Institute of Cognitive Science and School of Computer Science at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. Marc spoke to him in this edited version. The full conversation is elsewhere in the highlights section.
Canadian music: David Francey came to Canada with his family while still a child. He had worked as a labourer and had no formal musical training. (Francey website)
It was only in his 40’s that he decided to devote himself to music, a very wise decision. He’s won several Canadian music Juno awards.
At the recent Canadian Folk Music awards he has just been named as solo artist of the year, and also won the title of contemporaty album of the year for his just released 11th album “Empty Train”.
From that here are two songs, the lively “Alli’s Wedding”, and the thought-provoking acappella tune ” Money Boys”
Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently gave federal permission for the development of two pipelines across vast distances of Canada.
That decision has divided Canadians. It has also created some divisions within aboriginal groups.
Canada’s Assembly of First Nations is the national voice for over 600 aboriginal tribes in Canada and advocates for their rights.
Many First Nations groups are strongly against building the pipelines because of the potential environmental damage from spills. Some 39 chiefs however have signed deals with the pipeline companies saying it will bring jobs and money to their communities.
Levon spoke with AFN Chief Perry Bellegarde about this division within their ranks.
Images of the week
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