Hitting cabinet’s target of an extra 3.9 million new housing starts will “require structural changes,” CMHC said yesterday. The comment followed Housing Minister Sean Fraser’s claim he would “be the person" to fix housing: "I am not asking anyone to believe promises." READ MORE
Parks Canada on Saturday is reopening John A. Macdonald’s historic Kingston, Ont. home with “racism and sexism” tours. Admission is $9. “Bring an open mind,” the agency said. READ MORE
Managers in Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly’s department yesterday dismissed an internal audit that found they breached contracting rules 26 percent of the time. “We generally do comply,” one executive told MPs: "We can do better." READ MORE
Federal auditors yesterday detailed more costly irregularities in the hiring of consultants, this time at the Department of Agriculture. One MP questioned why federal managers spent millions more on consultants after hiring thousands more employees: "We have more public servants, so why use more consultants?" READ MORE
Liberal MPs yesterday opposed disclosure of payments to pharmaceutical companies for “safe supply” opioids. Police confirm narcotics bought at taxpayers’ expense are being diverted to the black market at drug dealers' profit: "Is this true?" READ MORE
Mandating vaccination of employees who worked exclusively at home during the pandemic was unreasonable, a federal arbitrator has ruled. The decision came in the case of 37 Canada Post employees suspended without pay: "These employees had no reasonable prospect of coming into physical contact with the workplace." READ MORE
An ArriveCan executive yesterday admitted to drinking and dining with contractors in breach of ethics rules but said he never talked about money. Chulaka Ailapperuma, a Canada Border Services Agency director, was given a Public Service Award of Excellence for his work on the $59.5 million program now the subject of numerous audits and investigations: "So five people who only have ArriveCan in common sit down in a bar." READ MORE
Competitive sports are a great preparation for life’s many challenges. Schools today that have no competitive sports programs are missing out. I played varsity golf and hockey at Princeton University and learned endurance, patience and sportsmanship. When do you stop golfing? The day before your funeral. My stepfather had a hole in one at age 94. I golfed six weeks after open heart surgery following my 75th birthday and still shot an 82. I’m a member of the Canadian Seniors Golf Association, which has 140 emeritus members over age 80. It is a marvelous game that’s been a joy and influence in my life.
