Three political aides yesterday would not comment over an attempt to censor Facebook links to a 2021 Sun column critical of the government. Aides implicated in the failed scheme did not respond to questions: ‘They tried to have it banned as misinformation because it was embarrassing to them.’
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem yesterday ruled out any interest rate relief this year despite risk of a recession. Bank data show rate hikes have cost households billions: “Income spent on interest payments will continue to rise as homeowners renew their mortgages.”
Cabinet yesterday granted municipalities two years to meet retroactive payment of union wages at the RCMP. However local authorities will be charged interest: “Jurisdictions may require additional time to repay the total amount owing due to financial hardships.”
Laziness is not a firing offence, a federal labour board has ruled. The decision came in the case of a prison guard who performed night shift duties while relaxing on a mattress: “She had a lax, nonchalant attitude toward a very serious situation.”
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault’s department spent more than $79,000 polling Canadians on whether they preferred the phrase “climate change,” “extreme weather” or “climate crisis.” Results were inconclusive: “Duh, of course the climate changes.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday blamed unnamed critics he identified only as “those people” for discrediting the taxpayer-subsidized Trudeau Foundation. The group’s CEO and board of directors abruptly resigned weeks after admitting to accepting a $200,000 donation from China: “It is a shame to see the level of toxicity and political polarization that is going on in our country these days.”
Black men in Canada typically earn less today because “Black people were seen as a source of cheap labour” in the 18th century, says a Department of Justice report. The claim contradicts Statistics Canada data showing most Black families in Canada immigrated here after 1971: “However their slavery and exploitation were part of Canadian society for over 200 years.”
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland yesterday pledged ongoing subsidies to Ukraine until it “wins the war.” Cabinet re-announced additional loans and grants detailed in Freeland’s March 28 budget that bring total taxpayer aid to $8 billion and counting: “We will be there until Ukraine wins the war.”
Cabinet budgeted dental care grants for children at more than quadruple the typical cost, according to Canadian Dental Association figures. Grants were a maximum $650: “Overall 96 percent of all claims submitted for children under age 12 were for less than $650.”
Canadians expect to suffer from food inflation and high interest rates for years to come, say federal data. “There was a sense of pessimism about the future of the economy” well into 2025, said a Department of Finance report: “There was a mentality of having to ‘ride it out,’ of things getting worse before they get better.”
Canada is short thousands of oil and gas workers, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan says in a report to Parliament. The industry payroll must grow by at least 13 percent, he said: “How many more workers does the government estimate are needed in the oil and gas industry?”
The Canada Revenue Agency despite millions in upgrades to call centres says taxpayers still have only a 50-50 chance of speaking to a live agent within 15 minutes. Cabinet in 2018 budgeted $206 million in five-year funding on a promise of “fewer delays and more timely and responsive services.”
Taxpayers are sharply divided over ongoing financial aid for Ukraine, according to internal research by the Department of Finance. Canadians were more likely to oppose than support additional loans, subsidies and credits: “Support for Ukraine has helped the government continue to operate in the face of Russia’s illegal invasion.”
Canadians’ right to privacy includes firefighters on emergency calls, a Privacy Commissioner has ruled. The decision came in the case of a request for photos of volunteer firefighters on the job in Pouch Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador: “Pictures taken while fighting a fire show expressions and actions in a dangerous situation.”
Sunwing Airlines owes taxpayers almost a third of a billion, according to Department of Transport records. Repayment over five years was a condition of cabinet’s approval of a takeover of Sunwing by WestJet Airlines: ‘There was a significant risk Sunwing would not be able to repay the loans.’
