A cabinet bill purported to repeal an unconstitutional speech gag on charities may actually tighten restrictions, MPs yesterday told the Commons finance committee. The bill followed a July 17 court ruling that faulted the Canada Revenue Agency: “We will need to grill the CRA.”

Liberal and New Democrat MPs yesterday co-sponsored a private Conservative bill offering aid to jurors. The bill followed tearful testimony at the Commons justice committee that saw ex-jurors describe the trauma of attending gruesome trials: “You have no idea.”

Cabinet yesterday confirmed it will review “increases in stringency” of its 12¢ per litre carbon tax on gasoline. Proponents have said at least 22¢ is needed to meet federal emission targets: “The overall approach will be reviewed by early 2022.”

Union executives yesterday questioned a feared loophole in a long-promised Pay Equity Act. The labour department did not explain the nine-word reference on the 342nd page of Bill C-86: ‘Our lawyers are looking at that.’

The billion-dollar failure of a federal payroll system has now garbled cheques for 62 percent of employees, Auditor General Michael Ferguson yesterday told the Commons public accounts committee. Ferguson estimated workers this year were shortchanged by more than a third of a billion dollars: “How do we know this won’t be repeated over and over again?”

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers last night called for members to refuse all overtime just weeks ahead of the profitable Christmas parcel season. Canada Post has warned of a general slowdown nationwide due to a series of rotating strikes: “We’ve had it.”

Media groups testifying at the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee yesterday criticized a cabinet Access To Information bill as weak. The Halifax-based Centre for Law and Democracy earlier rated Canadian legislation worse than Bulgaria’s: “We recommend it be rejected out of hand.”