The Department of Health has completed more than 20 internal audits and reports on pandemic mismanagement but will not release them, records show. Data “revealed critical weaknesses and gaps,” said a department memo: “We continue to take stock of the lessons learned.”
Cabinet will not disclose a confidential federal blacklist of Nazi fugitives. Departments declined to answer questions over release of the confidential list promised by cabinet seven weeks ago: “What could possibly be in it that still needs to be classified?”
Parliament should consider federalizing firefighting after a record year for property losses, the Commons defence committee was told. Army volunteers were insufficient, said Alberta’s deputy premier: “As much as we love our armed forces they have very basic training when it comes to firefighting.”
Cabinet will spend more than a million on its statutory review of legal marijuana, records show. A final report is due in 2024: “It is important.”
The passport office in a report to Parliament graded itself a solid B for customer satisfaction. The claim followed mayhem at passport offices that saw record lineups with police summoned to quell angry crowds: “They claim some sort of success despite the disaster we’ve seen.”
The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed as irrelevant five legal challenges of now-expired vaccine mandates for air and rail passengers. Lead plaintiffs in the case included People’s Party leader Maxime Bernier and Brian Peckford, former premier of Newfoundland and Labrador: “Courts should refrain from expressing opinions on questions of law in a vacuum.”
The Canadian Bankers Association wants electronic access to confidential federal tax records to verify borrowers’ income, it says. The Association in a submission to the Senate banking committee claimed the measure would reduce costs: “The mortgage industry is begging for it.”
Canada’s last recognized source of exports for seal products is now marginal, the Senate fisheries committee was told. “It’s very hard to sell a product that tugs at the hearts of people,” said an executive with a Nunavut authority representing Inuit hunters: “These are highly emotional campaigns.”
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney privately complained his cabinet members were incompetent spokespeople and had to be instructed to “keep the message simple.” Newly-declassified records show cabinet drafted a 56-point memo on how to explain itself: “Communications remained the government’s greatest failure.”
A germ
found on Mars
would force a rethink of
history, science, even
the Bible.
At the flu shot clinic,
the nurse swabs my skin
with alcohol.
She wants to kill the germs.
By Shai Ben-Shalom
Blacklock’s Reporter pauses for Remembrance Day observances with gratitude to all who honoured our country. Thank you for your service — The Editor.
Anti-Israel protesters jumped on a Senator’s car during demonstrations outside Parliament, legislators were told yesterday. Senator Donald Plett (Man.), Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, recounted the incident he called frightening. “I think the public should know what is happening here and how unsafe we in fact feel,” he said.
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).
