The Department of Labour commissioned secret interviews with non-union workers at federally-regulated job sites for unreported breaches of the Canada Labour Code, according to Access To Information records. The research is to conclude by September 28: "The final report will not be shared with the public." READ MORE
The Liberal Party will not disclose independent costing of its campaign promises, the only major party to do so. Party headquarters yesterday would not take questions: "We are leaving it up to the parties." READ MORE
Consumers are wary of a Department of Finance proposal to permit data mining by banks, says in-house research. The department since January 11 has reviewed the merits of what it calls open banking: "Almost all do not like it." READ MORE
Cabinet has quietly rewritten terms of reference for a new corporate ethics ombudsman to prevent any future government from firing the officer. No reason was given for the change: "We are in what I call continuous improvement mode." READ MORE
Environment Canada omitted 100 years’ worth of weather data from a federal website intended to illustrate climate change. Staff also used “modeling” instead of actual temperature readings to plot dramatic graphs, but said the result was not intended to be misleading: "It is simulated." READ MORE
A pro-carbon tax group says it will not register with Elections Canada despite broadcasting YouTube ads ridiculing opponents. The Elections Act forbids unregulated advertising for or against any political issue during a campaign: "The provision does not apply to us." READ MORE
A New Democrat candidate for the 43rd Parliament was twice cited for ethics breaches as a public office holder, according to records. “It was irresponsible and reckless,” wrote a City of Toronto Integrity Commissioner: "I just can't believe it." READ MORE
There’s a proverb that reform movements are like bees: they sting and then they die. My friends and I set out to kill the Conservative Party – and we damn near did it! Today Reform principles have been erased in Ottawa; there is really nothing of the original values that remains. The hunger for change was genuine. We won 2,559,245 votes from Canadians who sought to reform forever the way Ottawa worked. It’s a shame we failed to do it.
