Prime Minister Stephen Harper: MONTREAL The Conservative Government

Religious Persecution Dept: Prime Minister Stephen Harper first pledged to create the post in the 2011 election, but the government has had difficulty finding someone to fill the top position in the new department, which will have a $5-million budget and a mission to highlight issues of religious persecution throughout the world, according to The Star. A spokesman for Baird would not confirm details of the event, but said that the initiative is a priority for our government and is part of our principled foreign policy. MONTREAL The Conservative government is set to announce an ambassador to promote religious freedom next week in the Toronto area. After several rounds of consultation with leaders from various religious communities, the creation of a largely dormant Facebook page and several boasts that an announcement was just around the corner, Foreign Minister John Baird s office has formally invited faith leaders to an event set for next Tuesday, according to Peter Bhatti, the brother of a Pakistani Christian lawmaker murdered in 2011 for questioning the country s blasphemy laws. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.