Health Minister Patricia Hajdu flew six times aboard a federal jet to her Thunder Bay home, Transport Canada disclosed yesterday. The department said Hajdu used the aircraft so often pilots were able to meet their minimum hours for annual certification: ‘Our pilot inspectors must maintain their flying proficiency.’
The Public Health Agency in a January 29 briefing note advised Canadians traveling in pandemic quarantine zones in China not to wear a mask despite local mandatory mask orders. Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public health officer, for weeks told the public masks were pointless and risky: “You have to be careful you’re not putting your finger in your eye.”
The Commons ethics committee yesterday by a 6 to 4 vote rejected a motion that cabinet members disclose all personal and family ties to We Charity. Disclosure was too broad, said critics: “That’s your shame.”
A $10.5 million federal program paid climate change researchers for studies that were never written, and other reports that were little read. “The program faces many challenges,” wrote auditors with the Department of Fisheries.
Commons finance committee arithmetic suggests We Charity awarded members of the Trudeau family more than $560,000 in speaking fees and expenses including free trips to London for the Prime Minister’s mother. Charity executives yesterday would not disclose actual payments including commissions paid to the Trudeaus’ talent agency: “I understand that in hindsight this is a significant issue.”
A We Charity-run program promising jobless students up to $5000 for volunteerism would have seen “very few” students get $5000, the Commons finance committee was told yesterday. Marc Kielburger, co-founder of the charity, said actual payouts would have been as little as a third the size of what cabinet promised: “Volunteering can be a fantastic way to build skills.”
The Canada Revenue Agency will claw back baby bonus payments from any parent who fails to file a 2019 tax return within thirty days. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier pledged parents should not be “worrying about the bills”.
The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday faulted staff at Canadian missions overseas for sloppy bookkeeping, awarding contracts to themselves and selling laptops in a garage sale. Ongoing audits of missions follow the 2017 discovery of a fraud ring at the Canadian embassy in Haiti: “The audit found deficiencies.”
A small business stung by malicious online comments from an unhappy customer cannot sue for defamation, Ontario Superior Court has ruled. Internet trash talk under the guise of customer reviews is protected free speech, said the Court: “Now with the internet everything gets a grade and a review.”
MPs yesterday threatened co-founders of We Charity with subpoenas after the Kielburger brothers told the Commons finance committee they could only spare an hour for questioning on their ties to cabinet. Craig and Marc Kielburger were ordered to testify today for four hours under threat of a summons: “There are tons of unanswered questions.”
A Liberal-appointed senator yesterday cited Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for “ethical failings” in dealing with We Charity. “Did the Trudeau government want to use public funds to come to the rescue of the organization?” said Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne (Independent-Que.): “The conflict of interest is glaring.”
The Senate yesterday passed into law a bill granting a $600 tax-free bonus to Canadians with disabilities. Senators approved the bill grudgingly, calling it a measly payment four months after the World Health Organization declared a pandemic: “It seems awfully meager.”
The Canada Revenue Agency says it does not know if corporations under investigation for tax fraud have claimed pandemic subsidies. More than 269,000 companies have claimed $22.3 billion in federal grants under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program: “We didn’t want to judge.”
Federal prison researchers in a profile of young inmates say convicts under age 22 are typically high school dropouts from bad neighbourhoods who “take pride in criminal exploits”. The Department of Public Safety has estimated career criminals cost taxpayers more than a million dollars by age 30: “You can add up the costs.”
Taxpayers paid $73,220 to jet Health Minister Patricia Hajdu home for weekends in Thunder Bay even as her department told the public to avoid non-essential travel. Disclosure of the costs came as Hajdu again instructed Canadians to follow the rules: ‘It’s normal to be confused.’
