Debt levels for the working poor are now “staggering,” says one of the country’s largest credit monitors. Equifax Canada yesterday in a report to the Commons industry committee said financial circumstances for millions are much worse than headlines indicate: "This gap has widened drastically." READ MORE
Newly-declassified records show cabinet's 2005 decision to send Canadian troops into combat in Afghanistan followed cursory discussion. Casualties would number 2,229 including 158 killed in action: "The Canadians would be the best equipped task force in Afghanistan." READ MORE
Opposition members yesterday compelled the Commons public safety committee to address the detention of an accused Chinese-Canadian spy at NATO. “Canadians need answers,” said Conservative MP Frank Caputo (Kamloops-Thompson, B.C.): "What happened?" READ MORE
The Canadian Embassy in Washington yesterday had no comment after it interrupted trade negotiations to celebrate Justin Trudeau’s dating habits. “Kinda chic to date Katy Perry,” staff posted on the Embassy’s official Instagram account: "I get the PR value but it just doesn’t seem very prime ministerial." READ MORE
Operators of a radio service for German-speaking Alberta farm families yesterday won federal approval to expand programming to “satisfy demand for local content,” said the CRTC. It follows Census data showing French outside Québec has been eclipsed as a second, third and fourth language in many provinces: 'One in four Canadians had a mother tongue other than English or French.' READ MORE
Heritage Minister Marc Miller on a July junket to the United Kingdom scheduled confidential briefings on a Labour Party proposal to promote “social cohesion,” according to an Access To Information memo. A Labour report targeted individuals it called “digital grifters” and “politicians of grievance.” READ MORE
Cabinet’s $90 billion regional high speed railway faces new barriers, specifically land use restrictions at federally-designated historic places along the proposed route including a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Parks Canada in an Access To Information memo expressed concern over “possible impacts.” READ MORE
I was representing a person who won a $2,000 award in Small Claims Court. The other side appealed. The judge heard the case, required us to make a full presentation over this $2,000 and reserved judgment, that is, took it under consideration. Years later, the judge had still not issued his judgment on this $2,000 claim. I waited. The judge died. It was unbelievably unfair to the client.
