A federal delegation on tour in China urged battery electric car makers to increase Canadian demand for their vehicles, according to a report to Parliament. Automakers with assembly plants in Canada have warned a guaranteed five-year quota of 278,989 Chinese imports will cost jobs here: "Unfettered access, even if limited by quotas, will weaken Canada’s ability to protect its people." READ MORE
The Assembly of First Nations says it rejects any fixed deadline under Prime Minister Mark Carney’s legislated plan to speed approval of “nation building” projects. The group in a report to parliamentarians dismissed Carney’s deadlines as a pressure tactic: 'It is aggressive.' READ MORE
Many Ukrainian war refugees let into Canada are expected to return home “when it is safe to do so,” says a Department of Immigration briefing note. The document set no quota but estimated over 308,000 Ukrainians arrived in Canada under a special aid program: "Temporary in-Canada measures remain in place until March 31, 2027." READ MORE
A third of affordable housing in Canada is in poor or fair condition, CMHC said yesterday. Problems identified by the federal insurer included plumbing, electrical and roofing in need of repair: "1 in 3 units are in fair or poor condition." READ MORE
A Nova Scotia jail guard has been sentenced to three years in a federal penitentiary for smuggling marijuana for inmates. The fact Parliament legalized recreational marijuana in 2018 was no excuse, the Court ruled: "Our community does not accept this type of behaviour." READ MORE
An executive who questioned why Canadians “glorified this idea of homeownership” yesterday was named chair of cabinet’s latest housing agency, Build Canada Homes. Evan Siddall as $459,000-a year CEO of CMHC also financed research into a home equity tax but dropped the scheme when Blacklock’s made it public: 'Mr. Siddall brings deep experience.' READ MORE
Telefilm Canada yesterday budgeted $1.5 million to install a temporary Canadian pavilion on the French Riviera, at the Cannes Film Festival. It follows the Prime Minister’s pledge to the Liberal caucus to banish “wasteful spending.” READ MORE
I was representing a person who won a $2,000 award in Small Claims Court. The other side appealed. The judge heard the case, required us to make a full presentation over this $2,000 and reserved judgment, that is, took it under consideration. Years later, the judge had still not issued his judgment on this $2,000 claim. I waited. The judge died. It was unbelievably unfair to the client.
