The Commons yesterday by a 295 to 22 vote rejected a New Democrat bill to impose new restrictions on military trading with the United States. However 15 Liberal MPs defied cabinet in voting for the measure described by Foreign Minister Anita Anand as “irresponsible.” READ MORE
The Department of Foreign Affairs has hired another Washington consultant for tips on how to “communicate information” to Americans, records disclosed yesterday. The department has 16 offices and 486 employees in the United States but was unsure how Americans “consume information online,” according to a contractor's notice. READ MORE
Two-term New Democrat MP Lori Idlout (Nunavut) yesterday defected to the government caucus five days after appearing as guest speaker at a Party rally for leadership candidate Avi Lewis. “Our love is an infinite thing,” one New Democrat said in describing the event. READ MORE
The president of the nation’s leading LGBTQ rights group yesterday abruptly resigned on complaints the community has failed to confront anti-Semitism. Federal agencies would not say whether funding for Egale Canada would be reconsidered: "The minister now has an option to immediately terminate a contract." READ MORE
Cabinet yesterday formally repealed its 100 percent tariff on Chinese battery electric cars as promised by Prime Minister Mark Carney. The industry department claimed Chinese manufacturers would “create new auto manufacturing jobs” in Canada but provided no details: "These are the most affordable and energy efficient and innovative vehicles in the world." READ MORE
Cabinet is trying to “put the house in order” on borrowing, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said yesterday. Champagne did not explain past misses on deficit targets: "We are a nation that does big things." READ MORE
The Commons government operations committee yesterday in a rebuke to cabinet voted 5 to 4 to recommend reinstatement of ex-Budget Officer Jason Jacques a week after his dismissal. Liberal MPs opposed the motion: "You know something is going to break." READ MORE
Competition in journalism rests on fair play, transparency and integrity. Parliament in 2019 amended the Income Tax Act to subsidize daily news media on a promise taxpayers’ aid was temporary and transitional. Temporary, transitional aid is now a permanent, secret subsidy for 141 news corporations. It is the only federal program of its kind that does not mandate disclosure of actual payments. If recipients of $2,500 Canada Student Loan subsidies are named under proactive disclosure, taxpayers are owed similar transparency for newsrooms receiving payroll rebates up to $29,750 per employee.
