The Competition Bureau yesterday in a mea culpa acknowledged its approval of corporate mergers in the grocery trade did not benefit consumers. Lack of competition let grocers hike profit margins by “modest yet meaningful” amounts, up to a billion a year, said the federal anti-trust agency: “There is some truth to that.”
A senator who threatened to sue Canadian media over China coverage took more state-sponsored trips to the People’s Republic than any other parliamentarian, records show. Senator Victor Oh (Ont.), a Mississauga developer, accepted six junkets at China’s expense to promote trade and “cultural exchanges.”
Immigrants taking the citizenship oath at federal ceremonies receive as keepsakes a maple leaf pin made in China, records show. The Department of Immigration last year ordered a quarter-million pins from a Chinese vendor: “This is our national symbol.”
Drug impaired driving rates have doubled since Parliament legalized marijuana, says a Department of Justice report. Legalization was accompanied by Bill C-46 An Act To Amend The Criminal Code that allowed random roadside drug testing: “The rate of drug-impaired driving offences increased 105 percent from 2017.”
Electric cars may pose a fire hazard, says a National Research Council report. The Council said it did not know how many fires were caused by vehicles’ lithium batteries since federal regulators do not collect the data: “There are still questions regarding the fire safety of electric vehicles.”
A labour arbitrator has upheld a firing over $34. An employee at Casino Regina was dismissed after 21 years with the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation in what the arbitrator acknowledged was an isolated incident: “I must decide credibility questions, not duck them.”
Anti-trust lawyers are investigating what they claim are faked consumer reviews for Amazon products, Federal Court records disclose. The Competition Bureau in a Court filing said it suspected hundreds or thousands of reviewers were paid to praise Amazon: “I believe that certain product reviews and star ratings on the Amazon platform are likely fake reviews.”
Canada’s largest newspaper chain is asking suppliers to volunteer for 12 percent price cuts, according to a confidential email from its chief financial officer. The executive did not respond when asked to confirm the urgent appeal. It follows the resignation of the executive chair of Postmedia Network: “Reduce costs to help Postmedia’s performance.”
Less than half of billions paid out under a corporate subsidy program will ever be recovered, says the Department of Industry. The $7 billion Strategic Innovation Fund was launched six years ago by then-Industry Minister Navdeep Bains on a false claim it would create 56,000 jobs: “Terms are fairly flexible on the whole.”
The Department of Employment will offer a 50 percent bonus on loan forgiveness for medical students who agree to work in the country. The $3.2 million-a year cost is necessary to increase the number of rural doctors and nurses, it said: ‘Shortages are acute.’
A Muslim charity stripped of its tax status for allegedly hosting radical speakers has regained its registration with the Canada Revenue Agency. Auditors said they “reconsidered” the charitable status of the Ottawa Islamic Centre and Assalam Mosque: “We ended the political activities audit program.”
I suggest nominating this manager
for the Outstanding Leadership Award.
In last month’s staff meeting,
he came closer than ever to telling the truth.
Barely any lies about the merger,
human resources, budget.
It was our finest hour.
By Shai Ben-Shalom
The Senate yesterday amended the Citizenship Act to permit citizenship judges to perform their duties by “electronic means.” The Department of Immigration refused comment following its proposal to allow immigrants to swear allegiance to Canada by clicking a box on a federal website: “The negative concerns I have heard about this idea are legion.”
An Ontario senator yesterday did not comment on a report he wanted to counter media critics who “insist there are Chinese spies” in Canada. Alleged remarks by Senator Victor Oh followed the May 8 expulsion of a Chinese spy: “The situation has escalated.”
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce yesterday was fined $3 million for billing irregularities affecting more than 130,000 credit card customers. “The total number of customers affected and total dollar amounts involved were relatively high,” wrote regulators: “It is damaging to confidence.”
