The Commons languages committee yesterday explored the prospect of fining Air Canada for bilingualism complaints. MPs questioned two federal agencies on how to deal with scofflaws: “We’re not talking about the private sector.”
Repeal of a ban on recreational marijuana is closer with approval of two cannabis bills by House committees. MPs adopted technical amendments in anticipation of a July 1, 2018 legislative deadline, and dismissed a Conservative proposal for a national referendum on legal cannabis: “I dare you.”
The Department of Finance paid researchers $55,756 for real-time emotional responses to Minister Bill Morneau’s March 22 budget speech, according to newly-released records. Morneau’s repeated references to “middle class” were rated tiresome: “The speech used too many buzz words.”
The Senate social affairs committee yesterday approved a private Conservative bill to ban animal testing by cosmetics companies. The bill would not take effect until four years after its passage: “The world is actually moving this way.”
Federal research cites occasional discrimination and harassment of Indigenous government employees. Nearly 1 in 5 who quit their jobs told researchers, “I felt like an outsider”.
Builders propose a permanent tax credit for homeowners’ renovations to meet climate change targets. A one-time tax credit introduced by the previous Conservative cabinet cost $2.3 billion: “That program was very good for a variety of reasons.”
Finance Minister Bill Morneau says cabinet will have to “figure out” how to tax legalized marijuana. Morneau yesterday told Senate Question Period that taxes should not be so steep they fuel illegal production: “I just don’t know.”
The Commons transport committee last night voted to exempt train crews from federal privacy law. The panel’s Liberal majority rejected amendments to restrict railways’ access to data from mandatory locomotive video and voice recorders: “Most of us don’t work under constant surveillance.”
The Commons transport committee yesterday rejected amendments to an air passenger rights bill to spell out actual terms of service and compensation. Transport Canada says it needs flexibility to consult with airlines: ‘We have every intention to have this regime in place in 2018.’
Newspaper publishers yesterday shamed federal managers for spending more government ad dollars in California than local Canadian markets. Departments last year spent 10 times more on Google, Facebook and Twitter ads than they did in Canadian dailies: “Many publications are going to die.”
The Commons public accounts committee yesterday challenged five federal agencies to explain why most employees did not receive “mandatory” ethics training. Scofflaws included Public Works, the last department implicated in a fraud ring: “How is that possible?”
All airlines in Canada should be required to provide fully bilingual service, the Commons official languages committee was told yesterday. Currently only Air Canada, a former Crown corporation privatized in 1988, is subject to the Official Languages Act: “Look, if you do this, you pay this fine.”
MPs yesterday began lengthy clause by clause review of a marijuana bill Conservative critics described as “fundamentally flawed”. The Liberal majority on the Commons health committee rejected numerous amendments: ‘There is quite a hurry to get through this.’
The Senate’s banking, trade and commerce committee should probe the hacking of Canadians’ financial data at Equifax Inc. as part of any new hearings on cybersecurity, says the chair. The credit agency yesterday estimated files on 8,000 Canadian customers were breached, not the 100,000 originally claimed: ‘This has caused much concern.’
Transport Minister Marc Garneau yesterday acknowledged a proposed ban on Pacific coast oil tanker traffic formalizes a voluntary moratorium in place since the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. Critics faulted the bill: “It is 20 pages of empty symbolism.”
