A federal board had no expertise in helicopter transport prior to a fatal air accident that killed 17 people, a Senate panel has been told. The testimony came at Senate environment committee hearings on legislation affecting Atlantic petroleum regulation: “It wasn’t deeply immersed in the day-to-day regulation”.
Airlines are disputing “shocking” claims that Transport Canada has falsified safety inspection data.
Inspectors and other Transport Canada staff earlier reported they “seldom if ever” conduct unannounced inspections.
Authorities had told Parliament nearly 14,000 air safety inspections have taken place over the past decade: “It’s critical that we get to the veracity of that particular number”.
MPs propose to simplify reporting of deaths to federal agencies following a critical auditors’ report that complained of numbing bureaucracy for grieving families. MP Frank Valeriote sponsored the bill that mirrors a U.K. program Tell Us Once: “What a shame that this couldn’t be made easier”.
Unhappy freight customers have every right to contest dubious railway “service” charges under a Supreme Court ruling, analysts say. The judgment came in the case of CN Rail that changed its fuel surcharges only days after signing a coal shipper to a two-year contract at a disadvantaged rate: “This will have significant impact”.
Cabinet must provide Statistics Canada with new funding and direction to upgrade crucial labour market information for employers, students and job-seekers, says a think-tank report: ‘Tell them a thousand times and they catch on right away’.
Grain millers and four major farm groups are reviving appeals for contentious government approval of genetically modified wheat in Canada. The issue has divided growers for years amid fears of crop contamination and foreign boycotts: “Trials are underway”.
A bill introduced in the Commons would limit public authorities’ ability to trademark phrases and images in perpetuity without appeal. Liberal MP Geoff Regan proposed to curb “weird” practices under the Trademarks Act that have seen groups legally monopolize words like ‘penny’ and ‘teachers’: “There ought to be an examination of what the public interest is”.
MPs are expressing support for a bill to deny Canada Pension Plan survivor benefits to claimants who kill family members. The legislation follows review and study dating back fifteen years: “To 100% of Canadians that will sound bizarre”.
Canada’s export credit agency must do more to meet eco-impact targets, says the auditor general. Export Development Canada was cited for loose tracking of greenhouse gas emissions: “There’s clearly more to be done”.
New research confirms if Canadians pay too much for U.S. imports today, they paid too little when the dollar collapsed a decade ago. Statistics Canada reported the latest price gaps are significant, but noted consumers were never charged what they should have been when the dollar was worth 62¢: “People should inform themselves”.
The Treasury Board faces far-reaching effects of a Federal Court case for army, navy and air force members forced to move from base to base, say advocates. An Afghan War veteran won $73,000 in compensation for real estate losses: “We support our troops”.
The Senate is suing to quash a human rights complaint by a former employee who said she was driven to tears by an abusive Senator. Authorities refused comment on the lawsuit filed in Federal Court. Parliamentary attorneys have acted in the past to exempt Senators and MPs from workplace regulations: “A political staffer working in the office of a Senator has no legal entitlement…”
Health Minister Rona Ambrose says she “struggled” with exempting natural health products from new legislation on unsafe medicines. Ambrose said homeopathic products should be regulated like pharmaceuticals: “I thought everyone should be under the same legislation”.
Prince Edward Island has become the seventh province to regulate payday loans under a 2007 Act of Parliament. The Island cabinet gained authority to set rates on short-term loans under the Criminal Code: “The criminal interest rate is too high”.
Unnamed “influencers” and media critics are undermining Canadian aquaculture, a Senate panel has been told. Nova Scotia fish farmers claimed misinformation over the sector’s eco-impact has hurt growth and sales: “They’re very skilled at using the internet”.
