Transport Canada is accused of a “sneaky” bid to conceal new rail regulations from municipalities and the public. Caucus members said they were never told of the repeal of a federal law requiring 90 days’ advance public notice of key regulatory changes: “It’s sneaky”.
The Supreme Court in a 7-0 decision has ruled federal employees are subject to provincial law in workers’ compensation claims. The judgment came in the case of a national park warden who argued he was unfairly denied benefits under narrow terms of Alberta law: ‘Benefits will vary from province to province’.
Canadians today begin paying among the highest postal rates in the world with the price of a domestic letter stamp now double what it cost in 1994. The $200 million rate increase will sharply impact independent businesses and charities, critics said: ‘We are not an unlimited pot of money’.
An amendment in a rail reform bill is being cited as the most far-reaching development in shipping since the privatization of Canadian National Railways. Bill C-30 would give shippers in one part of the country more options to choose between rival railways: “We believe in the marketplace”.
MPs are expected to vote tomorrow to kill an anti-corruption bill compelling Canadian energy companies to disclose all payments to foreign governments. The private Liberal bill mirrors U.S. law: “I wish not to be discouraged but I am”.
In a secretive move critics likened to a court-packing scheme, cabinet proposes to put every major federal tribunal under its direct supervision. The plan includes special measures to strip a federal labour board and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal of their autonomy: “Independence is now lost to cabinet’s puppet”.
The Commons is expressing all-party support for a bill to tighten recalls of prescription drugs amid the influence of Big Pharma lobbyists who “infest Parliament Hill”, says the legislation’s sponsor: “They have power and influence”.
The first federally-licensed medical marijuana farms are in business effective midnight tonight under a Health Canada privatization scheme. The department warns patients with expiring permits to grow their own must destroy their plants or face police: “Health Canada is monitoring the market closely”.
Canadians will no longer get advance public notice of new rail safety rules. Cabinet is quietly repealing a federal law that it give a heads-up on planned regulatory changes, including one implicated in the Lac-Mégantic disaster: “They were the victims of a corporate act of terror”.
An information website aims to examine Canada’s power use and consumption by province, says its Senate sponsor. The lawmaker said the internet data is prompted by public difficulty in finding reliable information: “How do we use our energy?”
A Conservative senator is challenging chemical manufacturers to justify claims their products are environmentally safe amid Health Canada warnings on toxicity. JoAnne Buth, a former Canola Council president, pressed industry executives over pesticides: “You have a vested interest”.
Cabinet is at a loss to explain a federal memo instructing border guards to save time and money by ignoring shipping containers suspected of containing illegal drugs. The directive urged guards to focus on stolen cars instead: ‘It is the Minister’s responsibility to be on top of all smuggling’.
The Department of Finance says bitcoin is not illegal in Canada and may not even require federal regulation. A senior official told the Senate banking committee that bitcoin, like a Canadian Tire coupon, is in the eye of the beholder: “We don’t stand up and say they can’t do that”.
Natural Resources Canada has faced a federal judge over allegations it concealed records that would confirm copyright violations by its own staff. Attorneys challenged the department to justify withholding records of what it did with an Alberta firm’s licensed surveys: “It’s not fair”.
Cabinet says it will accept new applications for public works subsidies in four days though critics note crucial details of the program remain hidden. The New Building Canada Fund is to be launched amid municipal complaints of inadequate information: “So, we don’t have a deal, do we, frankly speaking?”
