A beautician who had thousands in savings seized by the Canada Border Services Agency has lost a Federal Court lawsuit to recover her money. A judge ruled the cross-border traveler failed to prove the cash kept in a grocery bag was not the proceeds of crime: ‘It came from the recent sale of her nail salon.’
Vaccines used by fish farmers may be ineffective, says new research co-authored by University of Waterloo biologists: “If we want to eat fish, we need to do a little more work.”
The Department of Fisheries in a secret 2017 memo says invasive lake species are costing taxpayers and industry hundreds of millions a year. Staff said costs are conservative estimates, and warned any spread of aquatic pests to Western lakes would be disastrous: “Aquatic invasive species can have profound impacts.”
A federal judge for the third time in a year has faulted Public Sector Integrity Commissioner Joe Friday for mishandling whistleblower complaints. The Commissioner’s office ignored key evidence in dismissing allegations of workplace reprisal, the Federal Court ruled: “Crucial aspects of the complaint were not investigated.”
The federal Competition Bureau is suing for records in the latest chapter of a six-year investigation of sales practices in water heater rentals. Actions to date have included million-dollar fines against companies that rent heaters to homeowners: “We don’t think people should be locked into rental agreements.”
Municipalities cannot conduct public business in private, an information commissioner has ruled. The judgment came in the case of a Newfoundland & Labrador town council that concealed records of public consultation on a multi-million dollar land development project: “There is a desire to hold the activities of a public body to public scrutiny.”
Francophones hold an average one-third of executive positions in federal departments and agencies, according to newly-released Treasury Board data. The figures drawn from payroll records were released through Access To Information: “The two linguistic groups do not stand on equal footing in practice.”
A private Conservative bill to repeal a requirement that only landowners may serve in the Senate will require distinct treatment for Québec, say Library of Parliament researchers. The Commons abolished a similar privilege for property owners 144 years ago: “In 1867 it meant quite a lot.”
The Canadian Coast Guard will not disclose total costs of cleaning oil from a cargo ship that sank off Newfoundland & Labrador in 1985. Legal deadlines for recovering costs from the vessel’s owners expired 28 years ago: “If this wreck was in Ottawa’s backyard the wheels probably would have moved a bit faster.”
Treasury Board advisors in an Access To Information memo say managers need to “bring greater consequences” to federal agencies with harassment issues and poor employee morale. The review followed a survey on attitudes within the public service: “They show negative and little to no change in several areas.”
Public complaints prompt 40 percent of charity audits, a Canada Revenue Agency official has testified in Tax Court. The Agency audits as few as 0.75 percent of charities annually: “Its mandate is normally limited to checking the reasonableness of the fees.”
Cabinet will not revive a 2014 Liberal bill mandating multi-million dollar fines for Canadian companies engaging in corrupt practices abroad. The trade department yesterday proposed to appoint an ombudsman to field complaints against mining companies and others: “If you can’t compel them to do anything then it isn’t going to mean too much.”
The Department of Indigenous Affairs will publish an art book promoting its multi-million dollar collection of aboriginal photographs, paintings and sculptures. Staff plan a print run of up to 10,000 books, a bestseller by Canadian standards: “If it goes to the export market 10,000 is not enough.”
Health Canada yesterday confirmed scheduled delays in assessing risks of three common pesticides. Staff said in arranging a technical briefing that scientific reviews originally promised this past December 31 require more consultation: “We let the science speak.”
The Department of Justice in confidential briefing notes predicts legal marijuana could result in more traffic deaths. The notes prepared for Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould were obtained through Access To Information: ‘The number of fatally-injured drivers in Colorado with cannabis in their blood increased 32 percent.’
