Widening restrictions on federal employees’ right to strike are a bid to weaken labour, says the Customs and Immigration Union. Employees are suing cabinet to overturn an order declaring as many as 1500 new employees “essential” and forbidden from striking: “That is their larger plan”.
A confidential cabinet memo cautions Canadians in certain occupations will have trouble finding work over the next decade. Industry Canada compiled a list of careers projected to flatten by the year 2022: “There will likely be pressure”.
Health Canada must amend “silly” rules under the Food and Drugs Act that regulate some types of lipstick in the same manner as cancer drugs, says a manufacturers’ group. Industry appealed for further amendments to a bill now before the Commons: “I have never met anyone who thinks this makes sense”.
Legislation governing migrant labour must prevent conditions akin to human trafficking, says an independent report. The study concluded the system is rife with abuses including five-figure recruitment fees charged by offshore recruiters: “It’s time we start taking this very seriously”.
Cabinet is being taken to Federal Court by employees on a claim it overreached in limiting workers’ right to strike. It is the first lawsuit of its kind stemming from no-strike provisions of an omnibus budget bill signed into law this past winter: “I think its completely ridiculous”.
A new federal privacy bill gives corporations “subjective” leeway in deciding when and where to divulge breaches of clients’ information, analysts say. Bill S-4 is the largest rewrite of federal privacy law since 2001: “This has been a long, long time coming”.
A 90-year lifespan will soon be commonplace for Canadians, says the Office of the Chief Actuary. Authorities said projections will see Canadians grow to be among the oldest people on earth: ‘How is the government planning to cover the costs?’
Cabinet has named a $127,000-a year “financial literacy leader” in an initiative critics described as pointless. The posting falls under the government’s Financial Consumer Agency that draws 85% of funding from banks and other financial institutions: “It is not obvious why this is necessary”.
There are 6.7 unemployed Canadians for every vacant job, according to a new Statistics Canada report. The federal agency identified a steady rise in the proportion of job-seekers to positions.
The impact of budget cuts at Canada Border Services Agency is “like climbing Everest”, authorities admit in staff documents. Files released through Access to Information confirm the agency cut programs including detection of counterfeiters, and dog teams assigned to track drugs and guns: “Tough times are looming”.
Citizenship & Immigration Canada confirms it will spend millions compiling an electronic database of records dating from 1950, amid fears of privacy advocates. The department is to digitize 4.7 million files including names, photos and key dates: “Everything about this raises red flags”.
The Canadian Transportation Agency has rejected noise complaints from an MP and 17 constituents over round-the-clock construction on a rail line. New Democrat Mike Sullivan appealed to regulators for relief from the 80-decibel ruckus: “Children can’t sleep; people can’t work.”
Health Canada must step-up consumer warnings on the risks of common acid-reducing prescription medications amid “unconscionable” delays, says a Conservative MP. The warnings concern one of the most popularly-prescribed class of drugs: “There is no question of the danger”.
Canada’s privacy commissioner is monitoring a breach of tax accounts hacked at Canada Revenue. Authorities confirmed 900 tax-filers had their Social Insurance Numbers stolen off an electronic database. Business accounts may also have been breached: “Any bug that comes along is going to get lots of data”.
Bitcoiners are appealing to the Senate for regulation of the pseudo-currency after complaining they are being boycotted by Canadian banks. The country’s main bitcoin exchange said every major bank in the country has declined its business: “Banks will not deal with us”.
