Senators are complaining of poor service from one of the country’s largest insurers. One Senator said his wife spent more than an hour and a half on the phone trying to explain a routine medical expense claim to Canada Life Assurance Co.: “I don’t know who the idiot was who decided this was a good program.”
Federal authorities Saturday would not comment on revocation of the Order of Canada for Buffy Sainte-Marie as a fake Canadian. Full members must be Canadian citizens under a 1967 cabinet order: “The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General does not comment on the possibility of honour terminations.”
A judicial inquiry into use of emergency powers against the Freedom Convoy cost $17.5 million, new records show. The Privy Council to date has refused to disclose how much went to lawyers: “Applicants who requested funding provided varying degrees of detail.”
CMHC admits it must “do better” after building 12 homes in eight years under a federal program to convert surplus Crown lands into affordable housing. “That does take some time,” an executive told the Senate banking committee: “We want to do better for sure.”
Cabinet should launch a job matching service for discharged soldiers, sailors and air crew, says the Commons veterans affairs committee. MPs complained even the Department of Veterans Affairs doesn’t hire veterans: “These are men and women who have served our country with distinction.”
In her cave,
Ula the Neanderthal
tries to calm her baby.
“Gases. Again. Tried everything!”
She looks at her man.
Oug sits by the entrance,
gazing at the billion stars.
He appears to be thinking.
“One day,” he says,
“they will find a solution.
It may take many sunrises,
but they will solve this problem.”
“And the common cold too”, says Ula,
sneezing.
By Shai Ben-Shalom
The Commons government operations committee yesterday ordered disclosure of 12 years’ worth of federal contracts involving selected suppliers. It followed testimony from a Québec subcontractor who said he could prove sweetheart dealing involving “bad apples” in senior ranks of the federal public service and favoured suppliers: “I think personal benefit is something that could be the cause of this.”
Former Opposition Leader Erin O’Toole yesterday asked MPs to find whoever hid evidence of Chinese interference against Conservatives in the 2021 campaign. O’Toole said his staff warned election monitors of suspicious activity including voter intimidation and saw no action taken: “Who made the decision to say there was no significant cause for concern in the 2021 election?”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday removed the carbon tax on home heating oil in Atlantic Canada until after the next election. Atlantic voters last elected 24 Liberal MPs: “This is an important moment where we are adjusting policies so they have the right outcome.”
The Commons human resources committee yesterday rejected a $54 million-a year tax on real estate investment trusts. Critics including cabinet’s Housing Advocate blamed current tax breaks for “financialization of housing.”
A windfall profit tax on oil and gas companies would raise $4.2 billion, the Budget Office said yesterday. Green MP Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre), who requested the figures, said Parliament must impose heavier taxes on energy firms: “We are not going to ask.”
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault yesterday promised federal regulators will not step into provincial jurisdiction on impact assessments. The comments followed two court challenges by Ontario against interference in local projects: “What is going to happen to projects that aren’t just in federal jurisdiction?”
The economy will be worse in 2024 than expected, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said yesterday. Macklem six weeks ago predicted there would be no recession but said now it cannot be ruled out: “We expected a slowing. We’re seeing a little more slowing. It’s hard to be super precise why it slowed a little more.”
The Commons yesterday by a 208 to 115 vote passed a private Liberal bill to ban junk food advertising to children. Advertisers said the ban would cost a billion a year: “Those revenues, nearly $1 billion, would be lost by Canadian media operations.”
The Covid recession caused more business closures than the 2008 financial panic, Statistics Canada said yesterday. Data confirmed the phenomenon of “zombie businesses” whose owners never filed for bankruptcy but simply walked away: “Formal insolvencies are not the whole story.”
