The Senate yesterday voted to strike a special committee on the Arctic. The motion’s sponsor warned Northerners face “unbelievable challenges” with climate change: “Canada needs a well-articulated Arctic policy that puts Northerners first.”
Long lineups at airport passenger screening will not improve without federal action, says the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. The agency has complained of inadequate funding to eliminate wait times: “They set our budget.”
A Canada Revenue Agency investigator has received a 6-day suspension for taking home private records on nearly 3,000 taxpayers. The staffer earlier successfully appealed a 40-day suspension for breach of the Income Tax Act and an Agency Code Of Conduct: ‘Her manager routinely took home work on CDs.’
Transport Minister Marc Garneau says MPs should rewrite an auto safety bill to erase Senate amendments. Senators earlier approved what they described as small business-friendly changes to the bill on vehicle recalls: “It doesn’t cost the government a nickel.”
Tax Court has unraveled another “detax” scheme, this one involving claims of hidden government funds for newborns. A tax filer appealed reassessments after claiming she was told the treasury kept secret savings accounts for every baby born in Canada, but that “nobody knew about the loophole”.
Cabinet appears determined to stall a Senate bill guaranteeing prompt payment to federal contractors, says the author of the legislation. Witnesses told committee hearings that trades and subcontractors are forced to wait months, even years to be paid for public works: “Clearly they are doing an end run here.”
Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi says he can’t build a “one-stop shop” for public works subsidies. The Senate national finance committee faulted cabinet for a bewildering array of programs run through 31 separate departments and agencies: “Why?”
The Commons public accounts committee yesterday issued a 120-day deadline to have visa and border officers step up corruption monitoring. The Auditor General in a May 16 report found no evidence of criminality, but concluded training was weak: “The committee was shocked.”
Federal attorneys have lost a Court ruling in a five-year dispute over private parking in an Alberta national park. Documents cited traffic mayhem in ski season, including injury accidents involving frustrated drivers: ‘They are aggressive and erratic.’
Legalized cannabis will result in more drug-impaired driving, police yesterday told the Commons justice committee. Law enforcement appealed to legislators to slow passage of a marijuana bill scheduled to become law in 10 months: “Police are not prepared.”
A female executive at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is suing after being named as a workplace harasser in an unprecedented report by the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner. Two male executives earlier cited for gross mismanagement at the Agency said they were assured of anonymity: “The way they do investigations, or non-investigations, is very disturbing.”
A senior Liberal MP is urging passage of a Conservative bill mandating prompt payment to trades and subcontractors on public works. Cabinet has publicly opposed the Senate measure as likely unconstitutional: “Lawyers can always find a reason why something is bad.”
MPs yesterday denounced amendments to the Access To Information Act granting staff more powers to censor and conceal public records. Cabinet hinted it expected legislators to rewrite the bill: ‘It gives the government new excuses for not divulging information.’
A new University of Waterloo study is questioning the long-term impact of costly, subsidized international sporting events. Researchers said claims that building world-class facilities inspire amateur sports may be overstated: ‘Taxpayers need to go into these events with realistic expectations.’
CMHC says it has no policy on withholding taxpayer-backed mortgage insurance for homes built on flood plains. Federal authorities have said they must “rethink” aid programs amid mounting claims for flood damage blamed on climate change: “CMHC has not taken the position.”
