Critics of the Trans-Pacific Partnership have launched an internet campaign to bypass federal “consultations” on the trade pact. Opponents said parliamentary hearings to date have been dominated by business and institutional groups: ‘The more Canadians find out, the less they like it’.
School board polices are to blame for poor French immersion rates that have flat-lined for a generation, says bilingualism commissioner Graham Fraser. The remarks follow new federal research to promote the “economic benefits” of learning French 47 years after Parliament passed the Official Languages Act: “How long is it going to take?”
Policing costs per capita have nearly doubled since 1993 with 80¢ of every police department dollar going to salaries and benefits, says new Statistics Canada data. A former executive director of the federal Police Sector Council described rising costs as unsustainable: “I’m paying a $92,000-a year cop to stand on a corner directing traffic”.
The Coast Guard is testing a drone to spot Atlantic “ice conditions”. Officials would not confirm the device is intended to monitor this spring’s seal hunt, the first since Parliament imposed a 1.9-kilometre media quarantine around the annual kill: “You have no business being out there”.
Any greenhouse gas tax to offset the “social cost of carbon” would total $38 per tonne, according to federal memos obtained through Access To Information. Canadians each produce 23 tonnes a year on average – the equivalent of $874 worth of emissions — with driving, home heating and other everyday activities that burn fuel, by federal estimate: “It is inherently uncertain”.
Companies carrying on business as “tour operators” can book and sell airline tickets on third-party aircraft without a federal license, regulators have ruled. The decision revives Winnipeg-based discounter NewLeaf Travel Co. that offered low-cost flights on aircraft it had no license to operate: “It seems an extraordinary action”.
Canadians have nothing to fear from eating canned foods exposed to toxic bisphenol A, says the Department of Health. Research by Environmental Defence and other groups found 67 percent of foods randomly selected at grocery stores tested positive for traces of the chemical in can linings: “We want stronger action”.
Cabinet’s pledge of $20 billion in long-term funding for renewable energy must avoid costly mistakes that saw Ontarians pay billions too much for renewable power, says an energy consultant. One Ontario program guaranteed rooftop solar panel owners more than ten times the retail price for electricity: “Don’t let this happen to you”.
Transport Canada next month will complete a year-long study of mandatory audio and video recorders in all railway locomotives, says a senior official. The research followed a fatal 2012 VIA Rail derailment that killed three crewmen: ‘We will make a recommendation’.
New federal funding for immunization programs should include tracking data on actual vaccination rates, says the Canadian Medical Association. Cabinet’s 2016 budget promises $25 million in new five-year grants: “No one is keeping track of this”.
The tentative Trans-Pacific Partnership offers negligible trade benefits at the expense of foreign reach over intellectual property, former BlackBerry CEO Jim Balsillie has told the Senate trade committee. The testimony follows sharp criticism of the pact by Unifor and Ford Motor Co. of Canada: “We keep getting fooled in these agreements”.
The Canada Border Services Agency is faulted for “outrageous” misconduct by senators pressing for new oversight of the customs service. A Senate bill would see appointment of an inspector general to investigate complaints at the Agency: “The pendulum has swung too far”.
Thousands of employees at 60 of Canada’s smallest federally-regulated airports face RCMP background checks under new security measures. Similar regulations at larger airports have seen employees fired without charge or trial for public marijuana use or consorting with alleged criminals: ‘Vulnerabilities could be exploited’.
A 2016 budget pledge of $200 million to clean up contaminated mines and industrial sites is a fraction of funds needed, say advocates. Remediation costs nationwide are put at more than $4.7 billion, according to a Finance Canada memo earlier obtained through Access To Information: “Costs are revised, generally upwards”.
The sponsor of a Senate bill to repeal property requirements for appointees says the initiative isn’t personal. Senator Dennis Patterson was ordered to repay $950-an hour legal fees he billed the Senate to clarify his own qualifications for appointment in 2009: “I’m not going to be a senator forever”.
