Blacklock's Reporter

The agency responsible for Canadian air traveller’s safety has been cited by a federal judge for deception, favoritism and unfair contracting. And the auditor general’s office hints a special examination of the agency may be pending. The uproar followed court evidence suggesting management at the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority misled its Board of Directors and broke its own rules in unfairly awarding a $40.5 million contract for airport X-ray screeners: “Astonishing”.

Conservative MPs have agreed in committee to see unions decertified on the votes of as few as 40% of members. And they endorsed repeal of a decades-old labour card check system claimed to foster union bullying, though a senior official confirmed labour intimidation is virtually unheard of in Canada: “The statistics speak for themselves”.

The Supreme Court has upheld a ruling that a B.C. crusader became a defamer with a vitriolic campaign against fish farming. Justices confirmed a $75,000 judgment against the website operator who falsely claimed farmed salmon causes cancer: ‘This may prompt Canadians to be more careful in making comments’.

CBC management has become “its own worst enemy” in the wake of lost hockey revenue, says a former broadcast regulator. The ex-CRTC official said the network must narrowly focus its programming after losing its 60-year monopoly on NHL revenues: “It has not articulated clearly and precisely how it intends to thrive”.

Legislators are expressing alarm over “rumours” of expiring subsidies for co-op housing. Executives of Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation appearing at Senate committee hearings offered no new pledges on sustaining funds due to wind down over the next five years: “There are a lot of people who are really worried”.

Agriculture Canada after years of consultation has persuaded the nation’s icewine makers to comply with international regulations on the definition of “ice” and “wine”. Québec objections over the prescribed method of freezing grapes had been a stumbling block: “It’s been a long time coming”.

Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, claiming the all-clear under privacy law, says his department is amassing what will become the largest non-criminal fingerprint database in Canadian history. However the government’s own privacy commissioner remains worried by the scheme to compile 2.2 million individuals’ biometric data in the name of national security: “These are individuals who have not been charged with any criminal offence”.

Cabinet is amending a Conservative labour bill that critics caution will make it “virtually impossible” to form a new union in a federally-regulated industry. Confidential amendments to C-525 were to be submitted today to MPs studying the bill that repeals decades-old rules on union certification: “It’s my right as a legislator”.

Industry Canada has reconsidered rate hikes on federal loan guarantees for small business, but approved millions in new paperwork fees. Changes to the Canada Small Business Financing Program will see borrowers pay an average $4.9 million a year in higher fees, though interest rates remain capped: “We’d prefer the banks are not putting their hands in the till”.

Construction material, industrial waste and other garbage will more easily be dumped at sea under new Environment Canada regulations. The department already permits disposal of some 4 million tonnes a year in ocean waters: “The assault on the environment is non-stop; It is unremitting”.

The Supreme Court is to weigh class-action lawsuits that seek compensation from 10 financial institutions for secret commissions on currency conversions. Attorneys argue the nation’s largest banks charged customers without ever telling them: “Who regulates the payment industry in Canada?”

Finance Canada is granting beekeepers the same preferential tax treatment it gives dryland ranchers amid apiary losses due in part to pesticides. The promise came as a Senate committee was told of staggering losses in the nation’s bee colonies: “Last year was a rough year”.

New restrictions on foreign workers will cause more disruption for employers who rely on migrants to fill jobs Canadians won’t take, says a business advocacy group. Finance Canada said the Temporary Foreign Worker Program will see more regulations to restrict hiring: ‘An unemployed autoworker from Windsor is not moving to Estevan to take a job at the pizza place’.

New budget cuts to retired federal employees’ benefits on the eve of contract talks are rated “disgraceful” by the Public Service Alliance of Canada. The union expressed dismay over provisions that will see retirees pay twice the cost of health benefits and face new restrictions on eligibility. Finance Canada said the cuts will save taxpayers $1.2 billion a year.

MPs are being warned of “collateral damage” from a private Conservative bill to speed decertification of unions. Witnesses at hearings on Bill C-525 rebuked MPs for the contents of the legislation, and their method of repealing decades-old provisions of the Canada Labour Code: “If they think they’re going to legislate unions out of existence, good luck to them”.