Federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs have cost more than a billion since 2016, newly-disclosed records show. Grants included Department of Agriculture subsidies for “cultural vegetables” and Veterans Affairs funding for Congolese war veterans: ‘We conducted a search in our grants and contributions management system using the keywords ‘equity,’ ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion.'”
Foreign Minister Anita Anand will not tell Parliament what groups her department is financing in Gaza. Anand invoked “confidentiality” in refusing a request by one MP to detail who has received taxpayers’ aid under a little-known Canada Fund for Local Initiatives: ‘What are details of each grant?’
Prime Minister Mark Carney yesterday said he was “a great tax and budget expert” but would not disclose this year’s deficit. His comments in a Question Period exchange followed notice from the Budget Office that the deficit is “absolutely higher” than cabinet promised.
There will be no recession this year, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said yesterday. Macklem acknowledged the economy shrank in the spring but predicted “slow growth” will offset losses: “It is growth.”
Canadians should brace for billions in new borrowing to be detailed next week in an updated five-year estimate of overspending, Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques said yesterday. Testifying at the Commons government operations committee, Jacques said there was no question cabinet’s 2025 deficit will be much steeper than indicated: “The government wants to take 10 months before they put up an Excel spreadsheet that indicates what their deficit estimates are for the next five years.”
Criminal investigations are underway into nine separate cases of suspected IT billing fraud at federal departments and agencies, the highest figure disclosed to date. A majority were referred to the RCMP following a separate 2024 police raid at the offices of a lead ArriveCan contractor: “The RCMP will not be providing any further information.”
A cabinet bill that grants postal inspectors new powers to open mail without a warrant is unlawful, Conservative critics said yesterday. “It is an assault on all Canadians,” said MP Roman Baber (York Centre, Ont.).
A CBC reporter’s on-air outburst against Jews was “normalizing hatred,” Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said yesterday. Climate reporter Elisa Serret was suspended following anti-Semitic comments in a French-language news program: “It risks normalizing hatred in deeply dangerous ways.”
Governor General Mary Simon billed more than $1,100 for shoes last year in a continued expansion of her wardrobe at taxpayers’ expense. Disclosures of the latest accounts followed MPs’ warning to stop the spending: “We are in dire need of more transparency.”
Management of the Canada Dental Care Plan has cost taxpayers nearly a half billion so far. The figure, concealed for years by cabinet, was disclosed yesterday: “I’ve heard rumours floating around that it’s quite excessive.”
Investigators by year’s end will answer suspicions on whether ArriveCan emails were intentionally destroyed, Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard said yesterday. Deliberate destruction of records sought under the Access To Information Act is punishable by two years in jail: “This is a very complex investigation involving very serious allegations.”
Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon yesterday urged opposition MPs to vote as they’re told. The suggestion came ahead of an October budget bill with a “substantial” deficit, he said: “We have a mandate to execute.”
Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault yesterday acknowledged “unacceptable” irregularities in the April 28 vote including misplaced ballots, website crashes and random poll closures. Public complaints were up 64 percent compared to the 2021 general election, from 9,410 to 15,400: “We saw things we hadn’t seen before, errors that we hadn’t seen before.”
The Public Health Agency is ordering a first-ever audit of compensation for vaccine injuries. Auditors would ensure payouts were timely under a multi-million dollar fund that has seen successful claims triple in two years: “Canada has a system that provides financial support to those who have sustained serious and permanent vaccine injuries.”
Most Canadians are indifferent to cabinet’s attempt to blacklist plastic products as toxic, says in-house Department of Environment research. A Federal Court of Appeal ruling is pending on whether the listing is lawful: “For all activities that would reduce plastic waste and pollution, intent is higher than action.”
