A cabinet bill on workers’ paid sick leave should have more generous terms, New Democrats said yesterday. Amendments are “so important to protect the worker, the family and also to protect the public,” said MP Peter Julian (New Westminster-Burnaby, B.C.).
Pandemic health precautions may last “months, possibly even years,” warns Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. His remarks to reporters followed questions over whether Duclos’ department will now redefine full vaccination to include a third Covid shot for millions of people: “May Canadians be expected to get a shot every six months consistently going forward?”
A federal bank predicts food prices will keep rising into the foreseeable future. Net price increases by wholesalers average more than eight percent, it said: “We believe food inflation will remain elevated for the foreseeable future.”
A Liberal MP who tweeted “every skinny aboriginal girl is on crystal meth” has been named parliamentary secretary for Crown-Indigenous relations. The appointment carries an $18,100 bonus to the $185,800-a year salary for MP Jaimie Battiste (Sydney-Victoria, N.S.): “Why do I assume every skinny aboriginal girl is on crystal meth or pills?”
Cabinet will consider whether the Canada Labour Code should apply to federal contractors, says Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan. MPs pressed for clarification on whether vendors including small suppliers must comply with standards mandated for Canada’s largest corporations: “How far do we go? Contractor to a contractor? The aunt or wife of an uncle of a contractor?”
Young men and boys aged 12 to 29 should no longer take a Moderna shot after millions of doses were already administered, says a federal panel. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization cited a rare but troubling incidence of heart inflammation: “Pfizer-BioNtech is preferred to Moderna.”
At Walmart,
passed on the self-checkout
and stood in line for the cashier.
Followed her red-and-purple nail polish
as she placed my socks, toothbrush, and cat food
in the plastic bag.
At the Royal Bank,
skipped the ATM and
asked the teller for my balance.
She circled the number on the printout,
inquiring about my experience with
online banking.
At Pearson International,
ignored the check-in kiosk and
handed my papers to the attendant.
Nodded as he showed me
how to do it myself
next time.
Saved three jobs today.
(Editor’s note: poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, writes for Blacklock’s each and every Sunday)
Cabinet yesterday invited taxpayers to vote for their favourite design of a multi-million dollar tribute to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The monument will commemorate the “daily sacrifices” of diplomats, said Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly: “It is essential.”
Governor General Mary Simon delivered a horrendous, lackluster and monotone Throne Speech, a Conservative MP said yesterday. Other MPs protested the critique was a breach of rules akin to insulting the Queen: “I found the words offensive.”
Cabinet yesterday declined comment on federal loans for coal mines even as the Prime Minister promised to curb coal for the sake of climate change. The departments of environment and finance did not reply to questions: “Climate action can’t wait.”
Too many taxpayers are still filing returns by mail, complains the Canada Revenue Agency. In-house research found millions of paper filers resist change: “They are simply not interested in switching. Therefore the Agency will have to demonstrate the value of switching.”
One of the nation’s largest fish farmers has been fined $500,000 for dumping fuel in salmon habitat. The maximum fine under federal law is $4 million: “A fine should be sufficiently high to deter the corporation, small or large.”
Cabinet’s promotion of electric vehicles sounds good but is impractical, says an internal briefing note at the Department of Industry. Management said converting its own fleet of cars, trucks and vans to electrics was unrealistic despite federal climate change targets: “Green technology is not readily available.”
Boycotting China’s Winter Olympics is pointless though the country is to blame for human rights atrocities, Liberal MP and former Olympian Adam van Koeverden said yesterday. The Commons has voted to petition the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2022 Games: “I don’t think our athletes are being used.”
The Member of Parliament for Canada’s most populous riding yesterday said weighting of votes is frustrating electors. Conservative MP Mike Lake (Edmonton-Westaskiwin) noted in his riding nearly 89,000 voters cast ballots while in rural Atlantic Canada Liberals won seats with as few as 9,700 voters: “Each of those votes should matter as much as any other.”
