Canada Revenue Agency cannot expect small business owners to perform audits it could do with “fingertip access” to its own records, says a Tax Court judge. The ruling came in a dispute over pension payments by a British Columbia janitorial company: “You’d think it would be easier dealing with CRA”.
Health Canada in what it calls a “high priority” initiative is expanding a program to warn health care workers of the dangers of radon and other indoor pollution. The $380,250 program follows data that few homeowners test for radon: “People tend to believe their doctor”.
A court ruling on a Cold War-era law has Draconian implications for private patent holders who quit public service, cautions a lawyer in the case. The Court of Appeal ruled the 1954 Act requires that employees report inventions to the Crown even after they’ve retired from paid work: ‘A lot of people out there have no idea they are still ‘public servants’, and why would they?
Budget cuts left the Canada Border Services Agency with little choice but to curtail full security checks on exports, says the union representing customs officers. The Auditor General earlier estimated fewer than one percent of Agency staff are assigned to export controls: “I can guarantee you we’ve been impacted strongly”.
The close of a costly seven-year trade dispute on meat exports to the U.S. has yet to see Canadian producers on the path to recovery, industry executives say. Trade groups estimate they suffered more than $6 billion in lost sales and some $5 million in legal fees in overturning a U.S. regulation on labeling: “They’re still being cautious”.
Ecologists are questioning delays in enacting a federal ban on a cosmetic additive voted environmentally toxic by Parliament. Environment Canada will wait till 2019 to ban the sale of products with plastic particles called microbeads: “This should happen a lot faster”.
Parks Canada is seeking corporate sponsors for Canada 150 celebrations after complaining cabinet failed to provide funding for public programs. The agency earlier proposed asking oil and chemical companies to sponsor facilities at national parks: “Be innovative”.
A Senate committee seeks to reopen aquaculture hearings to press cabinet for a bill to federalize licensing of fish farms. The chair of the fisheries committee has blamed current regulations for declining industry revenues: “The Act must legitimize the aquaculture industry”.
A new bill would see Parliament appoint a chief science officer following elimination of a post for a cabinet advisor in 2008. The bill’s sponsor said the new appointee, similar to an officer of the U.K. Parliament, should have full staff and a $3 million annual budget: “It’s a good investment”.
Transport Canada for the first time in 40 years is updating safety requirements for the nation’s commercial fishing fleet. New regulations will cost the industry at least $1.4 million a year: “It has to be economically sound”.
The new 2016 census will include the most detailed questionnaire to date on aging Canada’s disabilities and mental health. Canadians over 65 now comprise 15 percent of the population: ‘It’ll paint a better picture of what is going on in Canadian society’.
Animal test bans in the cosmetics industry would promote “social consciousness”, the Senate has been told. Conservative senators are attempting to ban manufacturers’ use of animal test data, noting most research is done outside the country: “Testing cosmetics on animals is known as the ugly face of the beauty industry”.
A bid to block steep hikes in Maritime shippers’ pilotage fees has failed at the Canadian Transportation Agency. Regulators said they did not have sufficient information to investigate a complaint of excessive charges by the Atlantic Pilotage Authority: “It’s a juggling act”.
Senators are again attempting to repeal a little-noticed Conservative bill granting cabinet the power to borrow money without pre-approval from Parliament. Critics have tried and failed to repeal the bill four times in the past six years: “They don’t like the idea of having to face the people”.
Cabinet faces a “stiff test” in the Conservative-dominated Senate to repeal contentious union bills, the Commons has been told. Liberals are attempting to speed the repeal of two bills on labour finances and certification: “It’s payback time”.
