A Muslim charity stripped of its tax status for allegedly hosting radical speakers has regained its registration with the Canada Revenue Agency. Auditors said they “reconsidered” the charitable status of the Ottawa Islamic Centre and Assalam Mosque: “We ended the political activities audit program.”
I suggest nominating this manager
for the Outstanding Leadership Award.
In last month’s staff meeting,
he came closer than ever to telling the truth.
Barely any lies about the merger,
human resources, budget.
It was our finest hour.
By Shai Ben-Shalom
The Senate yesterday amended the Citizenship Act to permit citizenship judges to perform their duties by “electronic means.” The Department of Immigration refused comment following its proposal to allow immigrants to swear allegiance to Canada by clicking a box on a federal website: “The negative concerns I have heard about this idea are legion.”
An Ontario senator yesterday did not comment on a report he wanted to counter media critics who “insist there are Chinese spies” in Canada. Alleged remarks by Senator Victor Oh followed the May 8 expulsion of a Chinese spy: “The situation has escalated.”
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce yesterday was fined $3 million for billing irregularities affecting more than 130,000 credit card customers. “The total number of customers affected and total dollar amounts involved were relatively high,” wrote regulators: “It is damaging to confidence.”
Canadian diplomats abroad have spent more than $139,000 on circus tickets, concerts and galas, newly-released records show. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in her 2023 Budget proposed a 15 percent cut in unnecessary spending to show cabinet was “fiscally responsible.”
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.”
