Billionaire Guy Laliberté has lost a tax ruling by the Federal Court of Appeal that a 2009 space junket was a deductible business expense. The founder of Cirque du Soleil attempted to write off millions he spent to fulfill a “childhood fantasy”: “He failed.”
Parliament’s Budget Office can find no evidence of 20,000 projects subsidized with billions in federal tax dollars. Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna’s department would not document where funds were spent, the Commons government operations committee was told: “I don’t have proof that they exist.”
MPs have ordered the Department of Health to disclose records on mismanagement of its $300 million national stockpile of pandemic equipment. The Commons government operations committee voted 10-0 to compel release of evidence, including how many million pandemic masks were thrown away by the Public Health Agency: “This is a national scandal.”
Cabinet’s $2,000 pandemic relief cheques are paid out with “very little oversight” and appear generous enough to attract bogus claims, says Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux. Payments can be “much more attractive” than finding work, he said: “The numbers keep rising.”
The Canada Revenue Agency says its 1-800 lines are an “essential service” though millions of callers never get to speak to an agent. Records show average wait times are so long – nearly ten minutes – taxpayers were told by the CRA to phone their Member of Parliament instead: ‘They’re just trying to file their taxes.’
TV pandemic updates by cabinet ministers are a poor substitute for parliamentary accountability, says the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Daily televised news conferences see ministers read scripts and take questions from media selected by political aides: “There’s no question there’s an absence of accountability.”
Cabinet borrowed more than a third of a trillion dollars in 27 days, the Commons finance committee was told last night. The unprecedented borrowing was to finance pandemic relief programs: “Brace for the coming storm.”
Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna yesterday would not tell Parliament how much was paid in six-figure bonuses to a former CEO of the Canada Infrastructure Bank. The executive abruptly resigned April 3: ‘Is this a good way to spend taxpayers’ money?”
Less than one percent of consumer complaints against airlines ever get a federal hearing, data show. The Canadian Transportation Agency yesterday would not comment on its backlog of thousands of complaints of lost luggage, cancelled flights and poor service: “Passengers will not get a dime.”
Pandemics are trickier in real life than in the movies where “you can easily follow the trail of bodies”, says Canada’s deputy chief public health officer. Dr. Howard Njoo made the comment in a YouTube appearance in which he also divulged the national infection rate is likely to be three times greater than claimed by the Public Health Agency: “It might actually be easier if it’s like, you know, some of the movies.”
A key pandemic relief program intended to save business payrolls has not worked as planned, the Department of Finance admitted last night. Cabinet is expected to introduce more changes to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy: “Why do you think that is?”
A multi-billion dollar pandemic relief program intended for post-secondary students will pay jobless teenagers whether or not they are studying. High school graduates need only mail a student application to a college or university to qualify for federal cheques, according to regulations detailed yesterday: “I admit this is not a perfect system.”
The Canadian Red Cross yesterday defended a federal shipment of pandemic supplies to China, saying Chinese donors have since given three times as much equipment back to Canada. “Everything is of quality,” the Commons health committee was told.
Cabinet yesterday acknowledged its costliest pandemic relief program was under-subscribed by small businesses. Widening the wage subsidy program will not increase costs, the Department of Finance said: “It came too late.”
A parish hall that refused to accommodate a Pride Week fundraiser must face a human rights hearing, a British Columbia adjudicator has ruled. The Catholic Church complained the banquet would have featured drag queens and same-sex dancing: “There are significant facts and issues in dispute.”
