The Bank of Canada yesterday predicted continued low interest rates and years of economic hardship as the nation crawls out of it worst postwar recession. The forecast came as a federal agency confirmed oil and gas activity has fallen to its lowest level in nearly sixty years: “This is the deepest decline.”
The Senate proposes to ban legislators from making catcalls or embarrassing remarks under an anti-harassment policy. It follows a rich history of name-calling in the Chamber: “You’re an idiot.”
Next year’s Census for the first time will ask Canadians if they identify neither as male nor female. Cabinet in a statement said it “supports the use of innovative approaches to surveying small populations.”
A federally-funded group in a report to the United Nations cites Canada for “anti-China sentiment and white supremacy”. The Prime Minister has failed to combat a “surge of hateful violence” fueled by the pandemic, said the Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic: “Anti-Chinese racism associated with fear of disease has a long history in Canada.”
Health Minister Patricia Hajdu repeatedly flew home by government aircraft on weekends while advising Canadians not to travel. Flight records show Hajdu made solo trips from Ottawa to her residence in Thunder Bay even while telling the public: “Do not go visit your family, do not visit your friends, do not go out and about unless it’s essential.”
The Department of Transport is withholding figures on the most heavily subsidized transportation service of its kind in Canada. Taxpayers overall pay a subsidy of nearly $400 for every vehicle aboard federally-owned ferries in rural Atlantic ports, according to auditors: “The funding program does not align well with Transport Canada’s policy.”
The Canada Revenue Agency should publicly disclose the scope of fraud under the $71.3 billion Canada Emergency Response Benefit program, the Senate national finance committee said yesterday. The Agency to date has refused to detail the number of false claims for $2,000 pandemic relief cheques: “Some individuals may be taking advantage.”
The Public Health Agency of Canada yesterday said a Covid-19 vaccine will not be publicly available until 2021 at the earliest. “We can’t remain in lockdown forever,” said Dr. Howard Njoo, deputy chief public health officer.
The Government Leader in the Senate has finally put personal investments in a blind trust five months after being named a cabinet advisor. Senator Marc Gold (Que.) had refused to say which stocks he bought, sold or held: “The conflict of interest guidelines for senators remain so weak.”
The Commons health committee last night ordered the Public Health Agency to surrender all records regarding its mismanagement of a $300 million national stockpile of pandemic supplies. The Agency had invoked national security in refusing to disclose documents or explain why it landfilled millions of masks prior to the pandemic: “Open up, be transparent.”
Cabinet was to pay Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s favourite charity “about $20 million” to manage a national grant program. The Department of Employment yesterday would not detail terms of the sole-sourced contract cancelled following a public outcry: “It is not surprising to me they got paid.”
Taxpayers in pre-pandemic polling told the Department of Finance they were vaguely worried about federal overspending. The research was conducted only weeks before the Covid-19 recession saw cabinet run the biggest deficit in Canadian history: “If the government seemed oblivious to the deficit when the economy was doing well, what would happen when the government might have to deal with a recession down the road?”
More than a quarter of Canadian marijuana users, 26 percent, acknowledge driving under the influence. Twelve percent also admit to buying cannabis from drug dealers instead of licensed retailers, says Department of Public Safety research: “A full transition to the new market will take time.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it’s placing long-term orders for steel bulletproof doors at embassies and missions abroad. Diplomats would not disclose the cost, though it follows $2.5 billion in budgeted security upgrades since 2007: “I used to be in this business.”
The Commons health committee today will vote on whether to compel Health Minister Patricia Hajdu, the Prime Minister and staff to disclose documents on pandemic preparedness. Internal records show Hajdu’s department boasted it was ready for Covid-19 even after throwing away millions of masks and other supplies: “We need to get to the bottom of this.”
