The Department of Natural Resources says it’s still calculating costs to homeowners from a plan to mandate energy retrofits of existing properties. One federal researcher told the Senate energy committee it could average $35,000: “There will be a cost analysis done on that.”
The Department of Canadian Heritage in an Access To Information memo estimates its $10 million-a year journalism fund would create 80 jobs. A total eight daily newspapers have folded in Canada in the past decade: ‘They noted the challenge.’
The Auditor General is citing the Department of Transport for poor oversight of a Crown corporation, the nation’s only federally-owned coal terminal. Management at Ridley Terminals Inc. of Prince Rupert, B.C. hired and spent in breach of the Financial Administration Act: “This is the problem with big government.”
The Commons has passed a bill mandating Australian-style plain packaging of tobacco. MPs noted no similar restrictions apply to marijuana: “The tobacco industry has few options left.”
Just enough snow
to cover roads
with slime.
I listen to the radio,
weighing my options.
Innes Road bumper to bumper.
Rockliffe a parking lot.
Riverside brought to a halt.
Montreal Road a bottleneck.
On 417, a crawl.
On the bridges, chaos.
Easy to choose when informed.
(Editor’s note: poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday)
Employers yesterday appealed to the Senate social affairs committee to permit random workplace drug testing under a bill to legalize cannabis. The Supreme Court five years ago ruled companies could not randomly test employees without cause or consent: “Are we ready?”
A federal whistleblowers’ investigator yesterday told the Commons government operations committee the number of allegations of government wrongdoing increased 81 percent last year. Public Sector Integrity Commissioner Joe Friday said he had to hire more staff: “We will be hitting a wall.”
A European trade pact cost Canadians more than half a billion dollars in higher prescription drug fees, the Parliamentary Budget Office yesterday reported. Health Canada managers earlier acknowledged higher drug prices, but stopped short of detailing figures: “I think we’re stuck with it.”
Members of the Commons industry committee yesterday questioned the fairness of treatment for authors and publishers under the Copyright Act. The Association of Canadian Publishers said licensing fees fell 89 percent under a provision of the Act that permits free photocopying for educational purposes: “We are suffering real time damage.”
The Commons trade committee yesterday recommended Canada charge the GST on sales by internet vendors. Tax-free status for eBay sellers and other foreign electronic retailers is unfair to Canadian business, said the committee chair: “There has to be some sort of responsibility.”
Police have all the tools they need to enforce new federal regulations permitting home cannabis cultivation, a Liberal MP yesterday told the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee. The testimony by MP Bill Blair, former Toronto police chief, was contradicted by law enforcement: “You are one of the only police officers to tell us that.”
The Commons health committee yesterday amended a Senate bill to ban food advertising to children. MPs lowered the age of the targeted audience from children under 17, to those under 13, on fears of a legal challenge: ‘It’s a lobbyists’ dream.’
The Department of Finance yesterday would not disclose the impact of a legal cannabis tax on 270,000 licensed medical marijuana users. Medicinal cannabis is taxable for the first time under a legalization bill now before the Senate: “That’s a fairly significant issue.”
A restaurateur has been fined $10,000 and ordered to post a sign for breaching Ontario’s Human Rights Code. A tribunal ruled the eatery broke the law when its employees asked four Black patrons to pay in advance for their meals: “There was never any intent to discriminate.”
Federal agencies last year paid bonuses to 284 executives including a deputy minister at Shared Services Canada, the department faulted by MPs for bungling changes to employees’ email accounts. The program is now in its sixth year: “It’s bound to fail.”
