The Department of Agriculture in a rare admission has cited unnamed employees for scientific malpractice. Government-wide, no federal agency to date has attempted to document instances of plagiarism in federal science: "Examples of breaches may include but are not limited to fabrication, falsification or misrepresentation of research data." READ MORE
Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday urged Canadians to join in “sending a message” by holidaying at home. The Prime Minister’s Office would not explain why Carney vacationed in Italy in August: "Every time we choose to buy Canadian and travel in Canada we’re sending a message." READ MORE
Lawyers in five months filed more than 2,300 constitutional challenges of an immigration law intended to speed deportations, according to figures detailed yesterday by the Federal Court. All applications were ordered into case management: "The Court has experienced an increase in urgent applications and constitutional challenges." READ MORE
Few high schoolers have any interest in trades despite labour shortages industry-wide, says a Department of Employment survey. The figures follow earlier research that found teenagers considered the work too hard, boring and undervalued: "Certain groups are more likely to plan for a trades career." READ MORE
Preferential in-house hiring that excludes white heterosexuals does not breach anti-discrimination clauses in federal contracts, the Public Prosecution Service said yesterday. The Service acknowledged issuing job postings that told white applicants they would not be hired “before others.” READ MORE
Cabinet will lay off about 500 federal executives in each of the next two years as an austerity measure, says a Treasury Board memo. Departments and agencies hired nearly 3,000 new appointees in the past decade to a total 10,077, doubling the executive payroll to $1.9 billion a year: "Will there be tough choices to make? Definitely." READ MORE
Tom Pitfield, a Liberal campaign organizer named to the Senate two months ago, has yet to take up his official duties. Cabinet aides and family declined comment on the peculiar lapse. Senate Administration still lists Pitfield's seat as "vacant." READ MORE
EuroMoney in one year said I was the best finance minister in the world. One year later, same guy, same policies, same government, I’m the worst in the world! And where were they when I was trying to get the deficit down? They hit us over the head every time: “This is the worst thing those hard-hearted skinflint Tories are trying to do; they’re ruining the country.” You deal with what you can.
