A member of a federal advisory panel on electric cars says a government target to boost sales will be difficult. Cabinet has budgeted a total $182.5 million to promote plug-in recharging stations, though electrics account for less than 1 percent of auto sales: “It would be very, very challenging.”
Health Canada says Parliament must meet a July 1, 2018 date to legalize marijuana. The deadline is fixed though department memos said drafting of complex regulations requires more research: ‘Canada Day is our country’s birthday, not a festival for dope smoking.’
A Transport Canada manager says a federal law requiring Air Canada to offer bilingual service puts the airline at a competitive disadvantage. The Commissioner of Official Languages in a 2016 Special Report To Parliament said the carrier is in habitual breach of the Act: “That comes at a cost.”
Cabinet is trying to avert a break-up of its omnibus budget bill over Senate complaints of a rush to approve a $35 billion Canada Infrastructure Bank. Senators said the 292-page bill may be split or amended to tighten scrutiny of Bank funding and operations: “Look, it’s not a huge emergency.”
Federal mortgage insurers say only a 1983-style recession with high unemployment could result in serious losses. “We remain confident,” CMHC executives told the Senate national finance committee: “The events would have to be cataclysmic.”
Cabinet is budgeting $1.1 million a year for a national program to clear harbours of derelict vessels. The funding would barely cover the cost of removing a single abandoned fishing boat, said an MP: “This money is not going to go far.”
Transport Canada has ordered a national review of the Pilotage Act. It follows a critical audit of one Crown maritime agency that complained of recurring deficits and conflicts of interest by board members: “This is not a mom and pop operation.”
Costly smart meter programs have marginal impacts on households’ actual electricity use, says a University of Waterloo study. The analysis of more than 20,000 customers found demand for power in peak daytime hours declined by a fraction: “What’s the point?”
More than 15,000 Canadians have been charged with marijuana possession since the government was elected on a promise to legalize cannabis, new data show. An MP who requested the records said arrests point to confusion in federal policy: “Why aren’t you doing anything to shut down these marijuana dispensaries?”
Restoration of union card checks in federally-regulated industries is the will of the voters, says the Government Representative in the Senate. Conservative legislators noted Liberals were elected with 39.5 percent of the popular vote: “The government is fulfilling an election promise.”
One of Canada’s last Crown-owned transport companies prices its service at less than half of actual cost, says an Access To Information document. The Transport Canada research said subsidies paid to ferry vehicles by Marine Atlantic Inc. cost taxpayers up to $800 a customer per trip: “I can’t see a fix.”
Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly says she is studying the impact of a regulatory decision that media creators say will cost millions. The ruling by the CRTC can be legally overturned by cabinet: “There is a disaster looming in media.”
The Commons public accounts committee yesterday urged Transport Canada to commit in writing to improve oversight of auto safety. The report follows a critical audit that found regulators were too close to industry lobbyists: “We seem to be a laggard when it comes to the consumer.”
A national carbon tax will result in “controversial” impacts on different industries, says a federal memo released through Access To Information. Staff at the Department of Natural Resources cautioned, “Industry impacts are likely manageable, but need to be carefully considered.”
The Commons finance committee last night voted to amend cabinet’s budget bill. MPs expanded the rights of legislators to scrutinize federal spending through the Parliamentary Budget Office: “This is hasty backtracking by the government.”
