The Senate last night passed a union decertification bill C-525 as one Conservative, the former corporate counsel for Irving Oil Ltd., suggested lawmakers had failed in their duty: “The bill is flawed and defective”.
A bill proclaiming a yearly Pope John Paul II Day has passed the Senate after contentious debate over sex scandals in the Roman Catholic Church, and Vatican policies on women and homosexuals: “The Pope, according to doctrine, is infallible”.
Canadian negotiators are being faulted again for failing to press trademark claims in a trade pact with the European Union. The Commons agriculture committee said Canada should have sought so-called “geographical indicators” to protect producers. MPs, including a supporter of the pact, said the agreement now appears to be “unravelling”.
A bill to compel cabinet to fix greenhouse gas emission targets will be back before the Commons in 2015. It follows Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s claim that cabinet would be “crazy” to regulate petroleum industry emissions with $56 oil: “The provinces are making greater headway”.
Health Canada proposes to lift restrictions on saccharin, though a biochemist in the Senate says he won’t personally use the sugar substitute. The department gave notice it is sanctioning the coal tar derivative as a table-top sweetener: “I would prefer to drink my beverages without saccharin”.
Canadians likely won’t notice a $330 million increase in tariffs in 2015 despite cautions from retailers, says Finance Minister Joe Oliver. The tax hike will see higher prices for imports from food to tools and housewares: “Consumers will demand answers”.
Use of unpaid interns in the Canadian workplace would be regulated under a new private bill introduced in Parliament. It follows an appeal from the Commons finance committee for more research on workplace abuse of student labour: “There is unease”.
Natural Resources Canada is attempting to calculate the cost of climate change. The department awarded a $99,000 contract to a U.S. consultant to project energy costs and consumption rates consumers will face to the year 2040: “It’s a complicated question”.
Statistics Canada is citing “very significant” research pointing to a narrowing income gap between immigrants and Canadian workers. The findings were disputed: ‘This study is somewhat suspect’.
Federal law offers practically no protection to Canadians who face discrimination from insurers or employers over their family medical history, a Senate panel has been told. A bill currently before the Upper House would forbid insurance companies and federally-regulated employers from demanding DNA test results: “Is that the kind of society we want?”
Parliament can expect up to five petition-driven debates a year under a proposal to accept electronic appeals from Canadians. MPs heard a similar U.K. system has seen debates on everything from welfare cuts to proclaiming the Muslim observance Eid a public holiday: “Did e-petitions make sure that debate happened?”
Enactment of a contentious union bill C-525 is now delayed months after Senators identified technical flaws due to sloppy drafting. Labour groups have opposed the bill, which would make it easier to decertify unions in federally-regulated industries: “We will kill the bill by sending it back”.
RCMP should name an ombudsman to investigate complaints against the force, including those from its own members, says a minority report on Parliament Hill. The advice comes as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on whether Mounties can unionize: “I don’t want to see this one end up on the shelf”.
An investment in bitcoin has cost the chair of the Senate banking committee 28 percent in eight months. Senator Irving Gerstein invested $100 in the pseudo-currency as his committee opened hearings on bitcoin last April 9: “There goes dinner”.
Senators are consulting legal advisers on whether a bill to “weaken unions” is technically flawed and may stall before passage. Supporters had sought quick approval of Bill C-525, a private Conservative measure that would make it easier to decertify unions: “There is a real problem”.
