The Parliamentary Budget Office predicts home prices will level off though costs continue to rise in most cities. Analysts yesterday told the Commons finance committee they believed housing has peaked: “This leveling off will reduce the risk of the bubble bursting.”
Cost of a national carbon tax will depend on where Canadians live, says the Department of the Environment. Authorities yesterday declined to release data on the dollar-per-household impact of the tax to be mandated on provinces starting in 2018: “What will this mean for me directly?”
A new National Holocaust Monument in downtown Ottawa will have the tightest security of any memorial in Canada, say Access To Information memos. The National Capital Commission fears it will be targeted by hate groups: “Potential for a violent confrontation is a reality.”
Cabinet attempts to boost softwood lumber exports to Asia will not compensate for punishing U.S. tariffs, say analysts. One MP yesterday described Asian promotions as a scramble in the face of 19.9 percent cross-border duties: “We don’t want to be in the same position five, ten years from now.”
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna vows cabinet will “do a lot better” in protecting national parks following a critical United Nations report. UNESCO faulted Canada for failing to guard the nation’s largest park from illegal logging, hydroelectric dams and mining: “That’s not very reassuring.”
The nation has lost nearly half a million manufacturing jobs since 2001, says new Statistics Canada data. Factory payrolls were cut in 14 of the last 16 years: “The big issue will be how the new U.S. administration reacts with respect to trade.”
A federal labour board has upheld the firing of a prison guard who pled guilty to possession of 4.2 kilograms of marijuana. Employees have a duty to obey the laws they enforce, ruled the Public Service Labour Relations & Employment Board: ‘He did not act in the best interests of Canadians.’
More than 1 in 10 Canadians are victims of online theft, says in-house research by the Department of Public Safety. Crimes included misuse of credit card information, and hacking of bank and PayPal accounts: “Have you ever suffered financial loss?”
Cabinet promises new steps to ensure a 14-year old Act of Parliament is not “overlooked” in cases of workplace death or injury. A union executive said the pledge appeared thin after years of weak enforcement: “What is it the government is going to do exactly?”
Northerners mistrust of a multi-million dollar food subsidy program that will cost taxpayers $78.3 million this year. Research by the Department of Indigenous Affairs concluded most residents suspect retailers are pocketing subsidies intended to lower the cost of essential foods: ‘There is a lack of confidence the subsidy is passed on to the consumer.’
He works the bowflex to
build his body,
expand chest circumference,
add mass to biceps, triceps.
The other guy
works to burn calories,
reduce belly circumference,
take away pounds from hips, thighs.
They take turns on the scale.
(Editor’s note: poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday)
A federal agency breached Treasury Board directives in awarding a six-figure contract to a speechwriter, records show. The Superintendent of Financial Institutions gave the sole-sourced contract to a former spokesperson. A procurement ombudsman will examine the award: “There was an administrative error.”
A retired federal researcher alleges Health Canada is withholding documents on the impact of radio waves from cellphones, Wi-Fi and other wireless devices. The biologist in a Federal Court application asked that a judge compel the department to release all records under the Access To Information Act: “I worked for government and we kept meticulous records.”
A Tax Court dispute gives a glimpse into the working lives of flight attendants at Jazz LLP, an Air Canada subsidiary. New hires are paid a base salary of $23,000 with a “three strike rule” for staff who fail to show up for irregular shifts on as little as 2 hours’ notice.: “If employees are not reliable those persons are likely to lose their job.”
The Canada Border Services Agency faces another federal lawsuit over the seizure of unreported cash from travelers. The Supreme Court to date has declined to hear appeals of the Agency policy that’s brought revenues averaging more than $5.3 million a year: “I received the Queen’s Jubilee medal and am a law-abiding citizen.”
