The Senate has given Second Reading to a bill allowing police to intercept parcels in the mail. Federal law dating from the Confederation era prohibits police from opening suspicious packages in transit: “This ban is far too broad.”
There were “clearly strange practices” in the nomination of MP Han Dong (Don Valley North, Ont.) as a Liberal candidate in 2019, David Johnston yesterday told the House affairs committee. Johnston admitted he never questioned Dong about his dealings with Chinese officials: “There clearly were strange practices, unusual practices going on,”
David Johnston, 81, yesterday testified he did not see “every bit of information we would like to” before absolving cabinet of any wrongdoing in its handling of suspected election fraud involving Chinese agents. Members of the House affairs committee expressed astonishment that Johnston never bothered to talk to Elections Canada: “Are you saying you didn’t have all the material evidence?”
Canadians want “stronger legislation” to regulate legal internet content, says a report by Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez’s department. Findings were based on comments from groups handpicked to attend Department of Heritage meetings on censorship: “There was support among participants for creating an online safety regulator.”
Cabinet has awarded millions more to Baylis Medical Technologies Incorporated on a sole sourced service contract, records show. The firm previously run by ex-Liberal MP Frank Baylis (Pierrefonds-Dollard, Que.) in 2020 was a subcontractor on a $237 million deal for Covid ventilators: “When the crisis hit my partner and I, we took a decision.”
Profit margins for landlords in Canada average eight percent, the Commons human resources committee was told yesterday. Witnesses disagreed over means to increase the national housing supply: “We have a large task in front of us.”
The Privy Council Office in a secret memo said Covid vaccine injuries and deaths “have the potential to shake public confidence” and must be carefully managed with “winning communication strategies.” A federal compensation fund to date has paid out millions on injury and death claims: “Government messaging following an adverse event will be important.”
Former governor general David Johnston yesterday agreed to take MPs’ questions over his role at the Trudeau Foundation. Johnston for weeks ignored requests that he appear before the Commons public accounts committee and narrowly avoided a summons last Thursday: “It’s not easy.”
The Department of Public Safety issued a false security bulletin claiming it had “confirmation” Freedom Convoy protesters ransacked federal office buildings, Access To Information records show. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s office yesterday said it had nothing to do with the disinformation: “There’s a danger.”
Conservative MPs yesterday introduced 904 amendments to the budget as a filibuster entered its second month. Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre said MPs would use all means possible to block the budget bill until cabinet caps the carbon tax and commits to eliminating the deficit: “If the government does not meet these demands we will use all procedural tools at our disposal to block the budget.”
Only a tenth of air travelers are using the costly ArriveCan app since it was made voluntary, records show. Use of the app had been mandatory until last October 1: “Canadians have been able to cross the border without it for decades and even centuries.”
The Privy Council in an Access To Information memo proposed a legal requirement that the CBC broadcast government messaging in a “national crisis.” Cabinet aides complained they had to buy advertising during the pandemic: “There could be new possibilities to create partnerships to respond to future crises.”
The Privy Council secretly polled Canadians on pandemic vaccination tactics, Access To Information records show. Researchers tested options from paying Canadians to take a Covid shot to punishing the unvaccinated by denying them access to “certain activities.”
A month-long Conservative committee filibuster of cabinet’s budget bill has spilled into the House of Commons. MPs on Friday voided a whole day’s worth of debate on Bill C-47 as cabinet fumed: “It was actually a point of order on the process for raising points of order during points of order.”
Jobseekers polled by the Department of National Defence rate a new recruitment campaign as too technical and “a bit desperate.” Researchers said the air force, navy and army face a “highly competitive job market.”
