Municipalities face billions in costs to replace lead water lines, the Commons infrastructure committee was told yesterday. Expert witnesses testified as many as 500,000 homes nationwide are exposed to lead-tainted tap water: “It’s a significant problem.”
Federal authorities say they are struggling with estimates of how many billions are hidden offshore by tax evaders. The Canada Revenue Agency yesterday said they will complete a first-ever study next year: “This is not easy for people to calculate.”
A 2016 pay equity settlement with female staff at Statistics Canada will cost $46.4 million, by official estimate. Women who were underpaid for years have received average settlements of $3,800 to date. Cabinet has promised to introduce 2018 legislation mandating pay equity: “We are making every effort.”
The CRTC after four years of review is recommending telecom firms block so-called “spoofing” calls with fake identification. Regulations are needed to intercept unwanted nuisance calls from underground telemarketers, said the agency: “Can it be done effectively?”
Canada Post says it has “no plans” to ship marijuana to U.S. addresses but cannot explain how it will police any cross-border ban. Federal legislation would permit public possession of up to 30 grams of dried cannabis: “This allows for a more or less unimpeded transfer of up to an ounce of cannabis through international mail.”
Cabinet yesterday promised legislation mandating aid for social housing and rental subsidies for low-income households. No text of the bill was released under the long-promised National Housing Strategy: “Affordability is a huge issue.”
Former jurors in tearful testimony yesterday appealed to the Commons justice committee to mandate counselling for citizens summoned to attend gruesome trials. MPs said reforms will be recommended: “It’s like a plane crash”
The Royal Bank has lost a multi-million dollar tax appeal over charges paid to mail monthly statements to customers. The British Columbia Supreme Court noted the Bank charged clients a statement fee. The Commons in 2014 exempted banks when it voted to ban paper billing fees by telecom companies: “This is what they call customer appreciation.”
The Canada Revenue Agency would be compelled by law to publish a yearly blacklist of tax evaders under a private Liberal bill introduced yesterday in the Senate. The proposal would also mandate annual accounting of the value of unpaid tax: “Senators are properly outraged.”
2016 marked the first year since Confederation that Canada did not export a penny’s worth of seal products, say authorities. Exports fell from $34.3 million a year to zero under a 2009 European Union ban on Canadian seal products: “In 2016 no seal exports were reported.”
Canada Revenue Agency call centres are so dysfunctional, management hid data to claim the Agency met service standards, auditors yesterday reported to Parliament. Taxpayers have only a 1 in 3 chance of speaking to a live operator, while callers who do get through are likely to get bad advice: “Canadians expect services to be available when they need them.”
Time is short to enact promised reforms to election leaders’ debates for a 2019 campaign, says Minister of Democratic Institutions Karina Gould. The Minister yesterday told the Commons committee on House Affairs that legislation is possible only if MPs act quickly: “There are a lot of questions.”
Environment Canada says its long-awaited carbon tax bill may not be introduced until the New Year. The legislation will give Canadians their first glimpse at technical applications of the tax on all gasoline, diesel, natural gas, propane, aviation fuel, heating oil and coal: “Legislation will be tabled in the coming months.”
Canadian programs to save the public from drug-resistant infections are uneven across provinces, the Commons health committee was told yesterday. Health Canada says it has no estimate on how many patients die each year due to antimicrobial resistance: “We need to know what bugs are out there.”
The Coast Guard says it will take at least 14 years for its icebreaking fleet to be fully operational. MPs yesterday criticized management of the agency: “It’s amazing they actually admit they won’t even come close.”
