The Department of National Defence in a climate change initiative is spending $200,000 to study replacement of diesel generators in the North with mini-wind turbines. Diesel currently powers 100 percent of electricity in Nunavut, according to the National Energy Board: “There are major hurdles to overcome.”
Cabinet has upheld a CRTC ruling dubbed a $20 million subsidy for Rogers Media Inc. The corporation was awarded a lucrative license to broadcast multilingual news programs despite 2013 cuts to its existing service: “The Commission caved.”
A new species
has emerged
in the United States.
The Base.
Comprises predominantly
white, uneducated males,
who appear heterosexual
but hate females.
They cheer a leader who calls women
dogs, low IQ, disgusting pigs.
They blame the victims
of sexual assaults.
They block access
to safe abortion.
They hate scientists too,
or anyone who speaks about
evolution,
vaccination,
climate change.
They hate Russia
but admire Putin.
Hate North Korea
but adore Jong-un.
They see “some very fine people”
on the side of Alt-Right and KKK.
Their own ancestors
came to America
from foreign countries.
Now they hate those
coming to America
from foreign countries.
In a bid to seal their borders
they reinforce walls,
call in the military,
separate mothers from children
at the ports of entry.
They believe
Mexicans are rapists,
Muslims are terrorists,
and U.S.-born congresswomen
should go back
to where they came from.
The Base
is forever hungry.
It must be fed
twice a day.
A favourite meal is 140 characters
mixed with fake news, manufactured crises
and a dose of bigotry.
Its ideology of
fear, hatred and intolerance
echoes in Europe,
Australia,
Brazil.
Canada watches,
waits.
(Editor’s note: poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday)
The Department of Natural Resources in an internal audit says a billion-dollar climate change program failed to meet all targets. “Lessons learned,” wrote auditors who found subsidies were paid to companies that went bankrupt or “struggled at some point with the profitability of their operations”.
Cabinet yesterday served notice it will eliminate Senate filibusters if re-elected October 21. The “government has withstood procedural obstruction” and proposes to ban the practice, said a report from the Government Representative in the Senate: “Limit purely procedural obstruction.”
The Canada Revenue Agency complains it must “improve the quality” of anonymous tipsters who call a federal snitch line to report tax cheats. Agency research found most taxpayers never heard of the service, and resented the program as an invitation to score-settling by nameless informants: “Don’t rat people out.”
A federal labour board has overturned a suspension given a Customs officer for colourful language on the job. There is no need to “dance daintily around the actual words that were used”, ruled the Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board: “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
The Liberal majority on the Commons ethics committee yesterday voted to block any further investigation of lobbying by SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. “You bet they are powerful,” said one MP: “Powerful men have powerful friends.”
Parks Canada is budgeting $100,000 to select new colours for its trademark green signs as part of a ‘brand refresh’. Replacing thousands of signs would cost another $40 million. The agency yesterday complained too many Canadians only think of parks when they hear of Parks Canada: “The full potential of the brand is not maximized.”
Cabinet yesterday sped final approval of environmental assessment regulations just eight weeks after Parliament passed legislation. Environment Canada said it had to meet a deadline to enact new rules by summer’s end: “We listened to everyone.”
A physician defamed in comments posted on a website RateMDs.com has been awarded $100,000 in costs and damages. An Ontario Superior Court judge described the internet posts as “derogatory and degrading”.
Co-chairs of a charity that received $250,000 in federal election-year funding for civic literacy tweeted “joy” over the Conservatives’ defeat in the last campaign, and said opponents of the carbon tax were “happy to have their grandchildren fry”. The Department of Canadian Heritage approved the grant: “Pay attention to the groups Mr. Scheer is in cahoots with!”
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna in a constituency commentary says the 12¢-a litre carbon tax will create thousands of jobs. The claim was attributed to a study whose author yesterday said there are limits to carbon tax benefits: “It is complicated.”
The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld denial of Employment Insurance benefits to a receptionist fired for drinking off-duty. The woman was employed by a British Columbia First Nation with an alcohol ban: ‘It showed little tolerance.’
Dinners out with a spouse are not deductible, Tax Court has ruled. The judgment came in the case of a Halifax couple who claimed thousands in write-offs “eating by themselves” where they claimed to discuss a family business that never turned a profit: “My wife and I talked about the business so that it would be included for tax purposes.”
