A Conservative MP, ending months of silence, named Attorney General Rob Nicholson as his legal advisor on a contentious labour bill. MP Russ Hiebert said the attorney general okayed C-377 that compels unions to publish confidential data. The MP earlier told Blacklock’s he could not identify his legal counsel because “I’m not sure they want to be named.”
Cabinet is ignoring its own ultimatum in a threatened U.S. trade war. Agriculture Canada had sworn retaliation if Washington did not repeal a $5 billion unfair trade practice by a Thursday deadline, which passed without incident: “It’s extremely frustrating.”
Canada’s privacy laws lack balance and require overdue reform, says a federal commissioner. A new report on weak compliance tools came as MPs opened Second Reading debate on a bill that would require mandatory reporting of data breaches.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq is silent after being sued by one of the country’s largest pharmaceutical companies. Bayer Inc. filed the claim in Federal Court over confidential data. Neither the minister nor her department would explain their conduct: “It’s the most bizarre thing.”
The Senate is reviewing the CBC for the second time in eight years amid complaints of elitism and inadequate news coverage. Quebec Liberal Senator Dennis Dawson, sponsor of the probe, complained of an “intellectual class” in Toronto and Montreal that monopolizes public broadcasting, he said.
Industry groups are protesting an Alberta MP’s claim that Canadian business is uncompetitive and marks up prices 100 percent. The complaints came as witnesses appeared to testify at the Commons finance committee on budget provisions: “I was shocked.”
Cabinet broke the law in its drive to cut costs at the Canadian Border Services Agency, says a federal panel. The Treasury Board was found to have violated labour legislation as it searched for ways to save $58 million: “This is very, very troubling.”
Federal meat inspectors are enforcing new rules on burger safety. It comes as a Department of Agriculture panel continues a closed-door probe of the biggest beef recall in Canadian history. Inspectors urge prompt reporting of “unusual” patterns of E.coli contamination.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is urging its 84,000 members to lobby MPs over amendments to legislation that will bar disclosure of senior public employees’ salaries. Cabinet amendments would conceal large six-figure payments: “We are just getting scandal after scandal.”
Cruise ships can dump more than 100,000 litres of waste water every day under new Transport Canada regulations intended to curb pollution at sea. The department acknowledged its regulations were “minimal.” The transport minister would not take Blacklock’s questions.
The Canadian Transportation Agency has issued its first fines under a fare disclosure law. The regulations were introduced five months ago. One travel agency was fined $40,000 for repeated violations despite a formal warning: “I’d say this gets their attention.”
Canada’s investment in research and development is rated “poor” and has been in decline for more than a decade, says a federal panel. The Science, Technology & Innovation Council ranked Canada behind Slovenia and Estonia in spending on R&D: “We are falling dramatically behind other countries.”
Environment Canada despite intense lobbying is restricting its mandated use of renewable fuels as too costly. The regulation will save consumers, truckers and industry the equivalent of $14.7 million a year. One MP called the promotion of corn-based biofuel a “disguised subsidy for corn growers.”
The Consumers’ Association of Canada, the oldest advocacy group of its kind, has had its charitable status revoked by Canada Revenue. An official called it an orderly reorganization of the group, founded in 1947. The association is credited with helping create the federal Office of Consumer Affairs: “Those were the good old days.”
Ratings on the provinces run from A to D in a national report on standards for migrant labour. The study by the Canadian Council for Refugees follows a federal crackdown on abuses of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Canadian employers filled 202,510 jobs with migrant labour last year.
