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Book Review — The Welfare State

Poverty is called a trap, though millions of Canadians have escaped it using subtle methods. The Department of Employment, an anti-poverty agency, is not good at this. “The welfare state, which imposes order from above and requires specific outcomes, fails on many levels,” write Joe and Stephanie Mancini. “Access to basic necessities of life is often denied because someone does not fit into bureaucratic categories, or because they cannot navigate complex rule-based systems.” The Mancinis’ Transition To Common Work is a crisp critique of the welfare state written by a devoutly Catholic husband and wife committed to aiding the poor. This is not a rant about the dole. It is an eloquent account of the subtle, human remedies for despair. READ MORE

No Comment On New Lake

An international agency, the Great Lakes Commission, yesterday had no comment after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the renaming of Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” The purported change takes effect in 30 days: "This is official." READ MORE

Fresh Air Puzzle Cost $99,927

The Department of Health paid a pollster nearly $100,000 to ask Canadians what environmental steps they took to get fresh air in the home. The most popular response: “Open a window.” READ MORE

Feds Silent On Tariff Rewrite

Cabinet yesterday abruptly revised its list of American imports subject to retaliatory tariffs to remove 25 percent duties on fish and seafood products. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne gave no reason when asked by reporters: "What message does it send to Americans?" READ MORE

Hajdu Failed Workers: Audit

An internal report is faulting Labour Minister Patty Hajdu’s department for poor service and growing backlogs of unresolved complaints under the Canada Labour Code. “Backlogs have increased significantly,” wrote auditors. READ MORE

Paid $488M For 228M Trees

Taxpayers paid $487.9 million to plant 228 million trees under the now-disbanded Two Billion Trees Program, records show. Official figures counted millions of saplings scheduled for planting in national parks that were not actually planted: "The program made strong progress." READ MORE

Challenge PM On Google Tax

A newly-registered Commons petition yesterday challenged Prime Minister Mark Carney to reinstate a $3.7 billion Google tax he suspended 14 months ago as “part of a bigger negotiation” with the United States. Collapse of trade talks cleared the way to revive the tax approved by Parliament, wrote petitioners: "This tax concession has yielded no lasting benefit." READ MORE

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Guest Commentary

Todd Doherty, MP

Everybody Wants You

I tell friends, never miss an opportunity to tell your family how much you love them, and how grateful you are that they’re part of your life. I think of Fabian every time I spot a camper on the highway – Fabian loved camping – or hear Eddy Murphy’s laugh. At home, I pass by the cemetery where he rests multiple times a day. A friend once told me, when you pass away nobody mourns you longer than family. It was a reality check. We were talking about work-life balance. Mine had been way out of balance for a long time.