A federal agency proposes to build an underground Senate parkade at the cost of $1 million a spot, a committee was told yesterday. One Senator called it an outrageous expense from the same agency that built an $8 million solar-powered warehouse at Rideau Hall: “There would be inflation. That was really a rough estimate.”
Cabinet yesterday introduced a promised bill to ban use of replacement workers in the federally regulated private sector. Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan expressed uncertainty when asked if the bill would pass before the next election: “We’ll see. I don’t know.”
A Liberal MP accused of giving Opposition benches the finger during a Commons vote upholding the carbon tax complains he was bullied on social media. “I will continue to stand up for what is best for the people in my riding,” said MP Ken McDonald (Avalon, Nfld. and Labrador).
A judicial inquiry into foreign interference today issues a call for participants in hearings. The Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference would not say whether it welcomed counsel from the Chinese Embassy: “Follow the evidence.”
The chair of a federal foundation last night acknowledged she voted to award her own company a $217,000 grant at taxpayers’ expense. Annette Verschuren, chair of the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology, testified at the Commons ethics committee she did not consider it improper: “I think you need a refresher on what a conflict of interest really means.”
The Liberal Party yesterday appointed its re-election campaign committee. No mention was made of a vote pact with New Democrats that was to run to 2025 on “a guiding principle of no surprises.”
All Canadians have a duty to condemn hatred of Jews, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday. His remarks followed violence targeting Jewish schools and community centres: “For too many days now we have seen a terrible rise in anti-Semitism.”
Cabinet yesterday in a legal notice confirmed a buyback of prohibited firearms has been pushed off until after the next federal election. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he did not want to “criminalize people” like hunters and sports shooters in his rural New Brunswick riding: “I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”
The Commons yesterday by a 292 to 30 vote rejected a New Democrat motion to remove the GST from all home heating. “New Democrats have the backs of people,” Party leader Jagmeet Singh told the House. “We are not backing down.”
Treasury Board President Anita Anand yesterday promised details “very soon in the coming days” on cuts to spending on consultants. Her remarks followed disclosures that federal managers paid $669,500 to a consultant for advice on how to save money on consultants: “I will show very soon in the coming days the progress we are making.”
New Democrats yesterday introduced a Commons motion to lift the GST on home heating. Critics noted the Party six years ago voted against a similar bill to remove the GST on the carbon tax: “All of us opposition parties should not only be in opposition but in proposition.”
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault yesterday said Canadians must do more to meet climate targets. The remark followed a warning by Canada’s Environment Commissioner that targets are not on track to be met despite carbon taxes, clean fuel mandates and coal mine closures: “It has spent billions of dollars.”
Federal departments are avoiding electric cars as too costly, says a federal report. The finding follows in-house research by the Department of Natural Resources that most drivers are also reluctant to buy zero emission vehicles: “Electric vehicles and the infrastructure obviously are an important part of addressing the climate crisis.”
Nearly 900,000 English Québecers and those speaking a foreign language left the province since 1966, Statistics Canada said yesterday. The migration could have been larger but there were comparatively few English-speaking people in the province to begin with, analysts said: “We count 672,903 English speakers and 220,448 people who had a non-official language as a mother tongue such as Greek or Italian who left Québec.”
Liberal MP Pam Damoff (Oakville North-Burlington, Ont.) admits she discussed a Commons farm bill with a Party donor prior to lobbying against the legislation on the company’s behalf. Executives with Earth Fresh Farms Inc. of Burlington did not reply to questions: “You and I met several months ago.”
