A private Conservative bill to repeal a requirement that only landowners may serve in the Senate will require distinct treatment for Québec, say Library of Parliament researchers. The Commons abolished a similar privilege for property owners 144 years ago: “In 1867 it meant quite a lot.”
The Canadian Coast Guard will not disclose total costs of cleaning oil from a cargo ship that sank off Newfoundland & Labrador in 1985. Legal deadlines for recovering costs from the vessel’s owners expired 28 years ago: “If this wreck was in Ottawa’s backyard the wheels probably would have moved a bit faster.”
Treasury Board advisors in an Access To Information memo say managers need to “bring greater consequences” to federal agencies with harassment issues and poor employee morale. The review followed a survey on attitudes within the public service: “They show negative and little to no change in several areas.”
Public complaints prompt 40 percent of charity audits, a Canada Revenue Agency official has testified in Tax Court. The Agency audits as few as 0.75 percent of charities annually: “Its mandate is normally limited to checking the reasonableness of the fees.”
Cabinet will not revive a 2014 Liberal bill mandating multi-million dollar fines for Canadian companies engaging in corrupt practices abroad. The trade department yesterday proposed to appoint an ombudsman to field complaints against mining companies and others: “If you can’t compel them to do anything then it isn’t going to mean too much.”
The Department of Indigenous Affairs will publish an art book promoting its multi-million dollar collection of aboriginal photographs, paintings and sculptures. Staff plan a print run of up to 10,000 books, a bestseller by Canadian standards: “If it goes to the export market 10,000 is not enough.”
Health Canada yesterday confirmed scheduled delays in assessing risks of three common pesticides. Staff said in arranging a technical briefing that scientific reviews originally promised this past December 31 require more consultation: “We let the science speak.”
The Department of Justice in confidential briefing notes predicts legal marijuana could result in more traffic deaths. The notes prepared for Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould were obtained through Access To Information: ‘The number of fatally-injured drivers in Colorado with cannabis in their blood increased 32 percent.’
Employment Canada is hiring consultants to upgrade security at federal offices in Ottawa and Gatineau, Que. The initiative follows union warnings of repeated incidents involving hostile visitors: “We’ve had members of the public come in and threaten to shoot employees.”
A federal whistleblower yesterday appealed for changes to legislation sought by a Commons committee in 2017. A review of the former employee’s complaint of workplace reprisal is now in its seventh year after a successful Federal Court of Appeal ruling: “Nothing will change if there aren’t very important fixes.”
Two oil companies have lost a Court bid to conceal public data under the Privacy Act. The Federal Court of Appeal ruled the companies’ claims trivialized legal protections of privacy: “One wonders what this debate is really about.”
Selected small and mid-sized manufacturers are exempt from the national carbon tax under draft legislation detailed yesterday. The exemptions follow warnings of layoffs and factory closures: “When we import our fuels, we export jobs.”
Government attorneys say enforcing a promised ban on children’s food advertising would be “increasingly difficult”. The health department in Access To Information documents also warned food companies and restaurant chains will oppose a ban promised by cabinet in 2015: “Non-regulatory approaches are having limited impact.”
The Department of Health yesterday acknowledged failure in its 11-year program to save billions in medicare costs through salt reduction in processed foods. Sodium levels in some grocery items actually increased under the voluntary program with industry: ‘Limited success demonstrates stronger efforts are needed.’
An official military periodical rates Canada’s search and rescue capability as obsolete and inadequate. The Canadian Military Journal warned of a “frightening reality” that lives have been lost due to inadequate programs: “A boater in the water screaming for help into a cellphone would not receive assistance…”
