Official figures grossly misrepresent the actual number of poor seniors in Canada, says a confidential Department of Finance memo. The true number is about half, and possibly as little as a fifth of what Statistics Canada claims, according to the memo obtained through Access To Information: “Statistics overestimate the actual number of seniors living in low income”.
Canadian National Railway Co. seeks to waive federal caps on certain freight revenues in British Columbia. The railway has been fined six times in the past 10 years for excess profits on grain shipments under the Canada Transportation Act: “We have no comment”.
MPs for the second time in two years will consider a bill to federalize shipwrecks. The proposal would see the Canadian Coast Guard assume costs of salvage and clean-up of wrecked and abandoned vessels nationwide: “They can act fast”.
Municipalities nationwide seek tighter federal scrutiny of telecom providers in local property disputes, according to submissions to the CRTC. The appeal follows long-running feuds over placement of cellphone towers: ‘They don’t know conditions on the ground’.
The Department of Public Works says it’s prepared to fingerprint federal contractors under a so-called “integrity regime”. Officials also maintain a confidential database of subcontractors without individuals’ consent, according to documents obtained through Access To Information: “It was gut-wrenching when I saw that letter”.
The Supreme Court has cleared the way for a class action lawsuit over hip replacements. The case follows the 2013 lapse of a Senate bill to create a national registry of medical devices: “Anybody who has an artificial implant would like to know”.
Canada Revenue Agency cannot expect small business owners to perform audits it could do with “fingertip access” to its own records, says a Tax Court judge. The ruling came in a dispute over pension payments by a British Columbia janitorial company: “You’d think it would be easier dealing with CRA”.
Health Canada in what it calls a “high priority” initiative is expanding a program to warn health care workers of the dangers of radon and other indoor pollution. The $380,250 program follows data that few homeowners test for radon: “People tend to believe their doctor”.
A court ruling on a Cold War-era law has Draconian implications for private patent holders who quit public service, cautions a lawyer in the case. The Court of Appeal ruled the 1954 Act requires that employees report inventions to the Crown even after they’ve retired from paid work: ‘A lot of people out there have no idea they are still ‘public servants’, and why would they?
Budget cuts left the Canada Border Services Agency with little choice but to curtail full security checks on exports, says the union representing customs officers. The Auditor General earlier estimated fewer than one percent of Agency staff are assigned to export controls: “I can guarantee you we’ve been impacted strongly”.
The close of a costly seven-year trade dispute on meat exports to the U.S. has yet to see Canadian producers on the path to recovery, industry executives say. Trade groups estimate they suffered more than $6 billion in lost sales and some $5 million in legal fees in overturning a U.S. regulation on labeling: “They’re still being cautious”.
Ecologists are questioning delays in enacting a federal ban on a cosmetic additive voted environmentally toxic by Parliament. Environment Canada will wait till 2019 to ban the sale of products with plastic particles called microbeads: “This should happen a lot faster”.
Parks Canada is seeking corporate sponsors for Canada 150 celebrations after complaining cabinet failed to provide funding for public programs. The agency earlier proposed asking oil and chemical companies to sponsor facilities at national parks: “Be innovative”.
A Senate committee seeks to reopen aquaculture hearings to press cabinet for a bill to federalize licensing of fish farms. The chair of the fisheries committee has blamed current regulations for declining industry revenues: “The Act must legitimize the aquaculture industry”.
A new bill would see Parliament appoint a chief science officer following elimination of a post for a cabinet advisor in 2008. The bill’s sponsor said the new appointee, similar to an officer of the U.K. Parliament, should have full staff and a $3 million annual budget: “It’s a good investment”.
