Federal employees, even a Crown prosecutor, may campaign for a political party off duty, a federal labour board has ruled. The Public Sector Labour Relations & Employment Board upheld a grievance by a prosecutor forbidden from handing out pamphlets and lawn signs in the 2015 federal election: “She would only identify herself by her first name.”
Federal managers should be compelled to testify under oath when taking legislators’ questions, the Senate national finance committee was told yesterday. The proposal by a Conservative senator came as auditors discussed the $1 billion Phoenix Pay System failure: “They can’t lie, they can’t mislead, they can’t give you talking points.”
Members of the Commons public accounts committee yesterday flayed Canada’s senior civil servant for dismissive treatment of an audit on federal bungling. Michael Wernick, secretary to cabinet, described auditors’ remarks on the Phoenix Pay System failure as “an opinion piece”, adding: “We have the most effective public service on the planet.”
Taxpayers have paid nearly $10.5 million in overtime for communications employees at federal departments and agencies since 2016, say newly-disclosed records. Cabinet explained staff often worked late hours publishing Tweets and monitoring news media: “This government is really focused on image.”
Pacific fish farms have only a 1 in 6 chance of being federally inspected annually, according to data. The inspection rate follows an audit that faulted the Department of Fisheries for poor monitoring of the industry: “It’s very, very alarming.”
Parliament must impose a “market correction” on free use of material under the Copyright Act, says a Liberal MP. The Commons industry committee yesterday was told middle-class creators have disappeared with loss of income under the Act: “Many live at or below the poverty line.”
Canada Revenue Agency employees snooped through private files belonging to more than 39,000 individuals this past tax season, say newly-disclosed records. A Conservative MP who requested the data expressed outrage: “This is absolutely stunning.”
Allegations of bid-rigging at Library & Archives Canada yesterday collapsed with the acquittal of one former manager, and a stay of charges against another. Prosecutors claimed employees conspired in a $3.5 million scheme on consulting contracts. The most senior manager charged in the case was found not guilty on all counts: “There is no evidence the government actually suffered any deprivation.”
Federal agents are attempting to have Canadian pensioners buy the Trans Mountain oil pipeline nationalized by cabinet, the Commons finance committee learned yesterday. The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board said it was approached only days after cabinet agreed to buy the 1953-era line: “Has there been any pressure whatsoever?”
Flood victims suffer anxiety years after their property is damaged, says a University of Waterloo study. Researchers said lost work time and mental stress remain incalculable costs from extreme weather related to climate change: “It’s just an awful, awful experience.”
A federal anti-workplace harassment bill is unlikely to come into force until after the next election, Labour Minister Patricia Hajdu yesterday told the Senate human rights committee. Hajdu appealed to senators to quickly pass the bill without amendments: “Getting these things in place might take a year or more.”
Cabinet is quiet on the fate of its national carbon tax after 2.3 million Ontarians elected a government opposed to the levy. Conservative leaders in two other provinces with elections pending have sought intervener status in a Saskatchewan challenge of the tax: “It’s just a bad tax.”
Newly-disclosed Health Canada research shows a federal marijuana education campaign is ineffectual. Teenagers questioned by government pollsters said they assumed legalization signaled Parliament’s approval of cannabis.
“I guess if it’s going to be legal it can’t be that bad,” pollsters with Corporate Research Associates quoted one respondent in Health Canada focus groups. “Is weed really addictive?” asked another. “Pot is moving from a criminal offence to a socially acceptable activity,” said a third.
Findings were based on twelve federal focus groups with teenagers in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Sudbury and Québec City. The health department paid $87,372 for the research Social Media Focus Groups With Youth.
“The upcoming legalization of marijuana is clearly top of mind and a topic of considerable interest to youth,” said Social Media Focus; “Some questioned where it will be purchased, and how it might interact with alcohol use.”
The report also questioned the value of Health Canada education campaigns geared to social media advertisements. Cabinet last year committed $9.2 million in annual funding for cannabis awareness ads, mainly on Facebook and other social media sites. Only a fraction of funding, some $1 million, has been spent to date though a legalization bill is awaiting final passage in the Commons.
“Ads on social media are considered an annoyance to most youth and something they try to avoid,” wrote Corporate Research. “Most do not use an ad blocker, but rather simply skip or ignore the ad whenever possible.”
“Youth do not profess to look for health-related information,” said the report; “They do not want to feel as if they are being ‘force fed’ information”; “Youth consistently expressed frustration with the high volume of advertisements on social media and, in most cases, consider them a significant annoyance. Youth are clearly cynical of ads and work to avoid or ignore them whenever possible.”
Researchers noted Canadian teenagers remain hostile to social media marketing though they use the medium constantly. “Most, in fact, keep their Smartphones close 24 hours a day, seven days a week, typically taking their Smartphone to bed with them at night,” said the report.
Bill C-45 An Act Respecting Cannabis passed the Senate June 7. The bill would permit unlimited private storage of dried cannabis, public possession of up to 30 grams, and home cultivation of up to four marijuana plants subject to local option. Two provinces to date, Manitoba and Québec, have proposed to ban home grows.
The Commons will take up the Senate’s version of the bill this week. “We feel very confident that we had a very good piece of legislation,” Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor told reporters.
By Staff 
Federal data show 1 in 4 Canadians still suffer wireless bill shock five years after regulators introduced a national consumers’ code. Research by the CRTC found many Canadians remain unaware of the 2013 Wireless Code: ‘It’s seen as a kind of entrapment.’
A federal judge has approved a $17.5 million government payout to settle a class action lawsuit by Canada Student Loan borrowers. The Department of Employment was blamed for misplacing a hard drive with personal information on 585,236 Canadians. The data loss remains unsolved: ‘It is unlikely the contents are in circulation on the dark web.’
