Blacklock's Reporter

The Senate yesterday by a vote of 56 to 22 passed into law a bill mandating that Facebook and Google surrender a portion of news-related advertising revenues to government-approved media corporations like the CBC. Facebook immediately announced it would halt all links to Canadian news content: “If Facebook pulls out of news in Canada as they have indicated it will have a devastating impact.”

Canadians hid their vaccination status when questioned by federal pollsters, says an in-house Privy Council Office memo. Researchers cited the “social desirability” of claiming to fully comply with public health orders at a time when unvaccinated people were denied access to public services and threatened with job losses: “Respondents tend to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favourably by others.”

The Department of Finance will not say if it is dumping taxpayer-owned shares in a Beijing bank dubbed a Communist Party front. Department managers testifying at the Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations were silent on the nature of a cabinet “review” of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank: “I am not able to answer questions.”

The Commons yesterday gave Second Reading to a private Conservative bill threatening jail for animal rights protesters who trespass on farm property. A similar bill lapsed in the last Parliament: “There has to be a line in the sand.”

TV stations must clearly tell viewers the difference between news and advertising content, a national ombudsman ruled yesterday. The decision came in the case of a Montréal morning show that praised a sponsor’s product without clearly explaining the pitch was advertising: “It will be fine for you!”

A company implicated in an alleged national bread price-fixing scheme yesterday was fined $50 million after pleading guilty to breach of the Competition Act. The alleged conspiracy involving Canada Bread Co. and others was worth up to $5 billion, according to Court records: “We are doing everything in our power to pursue those who engage in price-fixing.”

The Commons Access To Information committee yesterday demanded sweeping reforms of federal censorship of public records. The system is broken, said Conservative MP John Brassard (Barrie-Innisfil, Ont.), chair of the committee: “The recommendations that are in this report are meant and designed to fix what is a broken system.”

Liberals on the House affairs committee yesterday grilled a reporter they blamed for the caucus resignation of MP Han Dong (Don Valley North, Ont.). MPs demanded unwritten details of a Global News story on Dong’s confidential contacts with Chinese envoys: “I stand by the story.”

Parliament must mandate disclosure of universities’ dealings with Huawei Technologies and other Chinese partners, the Commons science committee was told yesterday. “We need to stop these terrible deals,” testified one witness. “End them now.”

A first-ever bill to mandate bilingualism in the federally regulated private sector yesterday was signed into law. Bill C-13 An Act To Amend The Official Languages Act will “reverse the decline of French,” said Languages Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor: “It’s a good day for official languages.”

Statistics Canada yesterday added the price of charcoal barbecues but removed DVD players from its benchmark inflation calculator. Revisions to the Consumer Price Index reflect changing times, said analysts: “Spending patterns change.”

Maxime Bernier, ex-foreign minister, last night lost a third bid for a seat in Parliament as leader of the People’s Party. Bernier lost by almost 15,000 votes in Portage-Lisgar, Man., one of four stand-pat byelections won by incumbent parties: “I’ll be back.”

Governor General Mary Simon burned through almost 25,000 litres of jet fuel to deliver a climate change speech in Finland, records show. Simon said the world must “act now” to save the planet: “What we do as stewards of the Arctic both Indigenous and non-Indigenous has a direct impact globally.”

There is no evidence retailers and wholesalers are profiteering from inflation, the Bank of Canada said yesterday. Research showed companies appeared to be passing on higher costs without suspicious markups: “The cumulative growth of markups of consumer-oriented firms was close to zero.”

Covid closures of churches, temples and mosques were a justifiable infringement on religious freedoms, the Manitoba Court of Appeal ruled yesterday. The province at the height of the pandemic limited attendance at weddings and funerals to five people: “Freedom of religion can be limited when the exercise of it can interfere with the rights of others.”