A federal labour board has upheld a four-day suspension for a Yukon Customs officer caught smoking in the office. The woman explained it was too cold to duck outside for a cigarette. The daytime high was -26°: “It is a simple, straightforward rule.”
A cabinet official yesterday dismissed disclosures the Prime Minister’s Office boasted of being able to “line up” newspaper editors and columnists to write Liberal-friendly commentaries. Cabinet in its March 19 budget has proposed to detail a half-billion subsidy program for media deemed reliable.
“Did they suggest there were appropriate ways in which the actions that could be contemplated could be communicated to the public? Absolutely,” said Senator Peter Harder (Ont.), Government Representative in the Senate.
Jody Wilson-Raybould in February 27 testimony at the Commons justice committee recounted the boast by the Prime Minister’s Office seeking to quash a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. The former attorney general cited a remark by Katie Telford, chief of staff to the Prime Minister, at a December 18, 2018 meeting: “If you are nervous, we would of course line up all kinds of people to write op-eds that what she is doing is proper.”
The names of agreeable journalists on the Liberal list were not disclosed. Senator Linda Frum (Conservative-Ont.) yesterday in Senate Question Period questioned the reach of the Prime Minister’s Office into newsrooms.
“Is that a common practice of the Prime Minister’s Office, to instruct pundits and editors to write and publish favourable op-eds for the government?” asked Frum. “She will know from her acquaintance with the journalism profession that those attempts are rarely successful,” replied Senator Harder.
“This government is ready to hand out half a billion dollars to so-called qualified media outlets, and now we have the Prime Minister’s right-hand woman openly bragging about her ability to use those same favoured media outlets for political cover,” said Senator Frum: “How can Canadians be confident that this promised aid to the media is not a way for the Trudeau Liberals to buy themselves political cover?”
“The honourable senator will know by the criteria with which funding for media is being contemplated, that any direction from ministers would be impossible to achieve,” said Harder.
No criteria for subsidy seekers have been detailed. Cabinet in a November 21 Fall Economic Statement proposed a $595 million, five-year bailout of news media with a government-appointed “independent panel of journalists” to determine criteria, take applications, and “define professional journalism and determine eligibility” for aid.
“It is insulting to think that journalists can be bought off,” Finance Minister Bill Morneau told the Commons last November 22. The Prime Minister said November 28: “The Conservatives think Canadian journalists can be bought. We do not. We know their work is essential to democracy.”
By Staff 
Three provinces yesterday told the Senate energy committee Parliament must quickly amend an oil and gas bill or face costly consequences. Cabinet has sought passage of the bill with ten work weeks left before Parliament adjourns for an October 21 election campaign: “That simply is bad for business.”
The Senate banking committee yesterday rated earthquakes a systemic risk to the nation’s financial sector. The Department of Finance is conducting an ongoing review of the impact of a catastrophic quake on insurers and banks: ‘I gather the plan is to hope the government will bail it out.’
The Commons agriculture committee yesterday opened hearings on criticism of farmers by media and animal welfare groups. One Liberal complained of social pressure: ‘These advocates are outside what one would consider as normal.’
A federal agency yesterday commissioned research on the impact of climate change on Ottawa. The city is the coldest G7 capital with an average annual temperature of 6.6°, according to Environment Canada: “Ottawa’s climate is predicted to continue to become warmer.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Finance Minister Bill Morneau and nine other officials sought to quash a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. to save Liberal seats in Québec, MP Jody Wilson-Raybould yesterday told the Commons justice committee. “I am an MP in Québec,” the former attorney general quoted Trudeau as stating in a private meeting: “Political issues came up like the election in Québec.”
Public Works Minister Carla Qualtrough yesterday told the Commons government operations committee she could not name a single federal contractor other than SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. to be offered a waiver from blacklisting. Cabinet approved the deal in 2015 even after a former company executive pleaded guilty to bribery in a Swiss court: “It’s a relatively rare process.”
Illegal immigrants now spend an average two years in Canada waiting to determine if they’ll be deported, a Department of Immigration official told the Senate national finance committee. The department complained of a severe backlog of cases: “Their cases last much longer.”
It may be unsafe for the Senate energy committee to conduct cross-country hearings on an oil and gas bill, says the chair. The Senator yesterday complained of “increasingly hostile” protests to the bill: “I’m deeply concerned for the security of senators.”
It takes an average three years to hire and train a federal Customs officer, says a Canada Border Services Agency internal audit. The Agency disclosed each year it spends $40 million to hire 258 new officers, the equivalent of $155,000 for every successful recruit: “It is taking too long.”
The Commons justice committee has approved a private Conservative bill to aid jurors traumatized by testimony at gruesome trials. A former jury foreman told MPs he suffered nightmares and anxiety attacks long after serving at a murder trial: “I left the courthouse stunned.”
MPs on the Commons ethics committee yesterday questioned the trustworthiness of a cabinet appointee, Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick, on an election security task force. Wernick earlier criticized a Conservative senator for “unacceptable” comments, and said he feared anti-Liberal assassination plots: “I’m not sure that trust exists right now.”
Federal collectors see trouble with nearly a quarter-million student loans, the Department of Employment yesterday told the Senate national finance committee. Write-offs of just 30,000 accounts cost $163.5 million this year: “Should we expect write-offs will be higher?”
Former governor general David Johnston says he had “a real concern” about the Senate while in office. Johnston, 77, retired two years ago. His remarks came in wide-ranging testimony at a Senate committee hearing in which Johnston lamented the U.K. Brexit referendum, and pondered peacetime conscription: “During my early years as governor general, I had real concern.”
