The Canadian Bankers Association wants electronic access to confidential federal tax records to verify borrowers’ income, it says. The Association in a submission to the Senate banking committee claimed the measure would reduce costs: “The mortgage industry is begging for it.”
Canada’s last recognized source of exports for seal products is now marginal, the Senate fisheries committee was told. “It’s very hard to sell a product that tugs at the hearts of people,” said an executive with a Nunavut authority representing Inuit hunters: “These are highly emotional campaigns.”
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney privately complained his cabinet members were incompetent spokespeople and had to be instructed to “keep the message simple.” Newly-declassified records show cabinet drafted a 56-point memo on how to explain itself: “Communications remained the government’s greatest failure.”
A germ
found on Mars
would force a rethink of
history, science, even
the Bible.
At the flu shot clinic,
the nurse swabs my skin
with alcohol.
She wants to kill the germs.
By Shai Ben-Shalom
Blacklock’s Reporter pauses for Remembrance Day observances with gratitude to all who honoured our country. Thank you for your service — The Editor.
Anti-Israel protesters jumped on a Senator’s car during demonstrations outside Parliament, legislators were told yesterday. Senator Donald Plett (Man.), Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, recounted the incident he called frightening. “I think the public should know what is happening here and how unsafe we in fact feel,” he said.
A federal agency proposes to build an underground Senate parkade at the cost of $1 million a spot, a committee was told yesterday. One Senator called it an outrageous expense from the same agency that built an $8 million solar-powered warehouse at Rideau Hall: “There would be inflation. That was really a rough estimate.”
Cabinet yesterday introduced a promised bill to ban use of replacement workers in the federally regulated private sector. Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan expressed uncertainty when asked if the bill would pass before the next election: “We’ll see. I don’t know.”
A Liberal MP accused of giving Opposition benches the finger during a Commons vote upholding the carbon tax complains he was bullied on social media. “I will continue to stand up for what is best for the people in my riding,” said MP Ken McDonald (Avalon, Nfld. and Labrador).
A judicial inquiry into foreign interference today issues a call for participants in hearings. The Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference would not say whether it welcomed counsel from the Chinese Embassy: “Follow the evidence.”
The chair of a federal foundation last night acknowledged she voted to award her own company a $217,000 grant at taxpayers’ expense. Annette Verschuren, chair of the Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology, testified at the Commons ethics committee she did not consider it improper: “I think you need a refresher on what a conflict of interest really means.”
The Liberal Party yesterday appointed its re-election campaign committee. No mention was made of a vote pact with New Democrats that was to run to 2025 on “a guiding principle of no surprises.”
All Canadians have a duty to condemn hatred of Jews, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday. His remarks followed violence targeting Jewish schools and community centres: “For too many days now we have seen a terrible rise in anti-Semitism.”
Cabinet yesterday in a legal notice confirmed a buyback of prohibited firearms has been pushed off until after the next federal election. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he did not want to “criminalize people” like hunters and sports shooters in his rural New Brunswick riding: “I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”
The Commons yesterday by a 292 to 30 vote rejected a New Democrat motion to remove the GST from all home heating. “New Democrats have the backs of people,” Party leader Jagmeet Singh told the House. “We are not backing down.”
