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.”
Canada should not shrink from controversy in commemorating historical figures, says the chair of the Historic Sites & Monuments Board. The agency approved a plaque for former governor general John Buchan, a Nazi appeaser described by one Canadian critic as virulently anti-Semitic: “I think it is important to step back.”
Conservative and New Democrat MPs will attempt to amend a cabinet bill that tightens disclosure of public records. Cabinet had promised in a 2015 Ministerial Mandate letter that federal records should be open by default: “I have bad news.”
Most Quebecers have never heard of a provincial aid agency though it opened 12 years ago, says new research. The office of Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions has 139 staff and a $37 million annual budget: “The agency’s mission is very poorly known.”
Government attorneys have filed another federal lawsuit to recover public funds required to clean up a derelict vessel. One MP said Parliament must pass a law to manage environmental hazards in harbours nationwide: “All of this is at taxpayers’ expense.”
Health Canada is urging families to “talk to your teens about cannabis”, and hiring bloggers to participate in a winter social media campaign on marijuana education. Parliament has yet to pass a cabinet bill repealing a ban on recreational cannabis use: “We still have to vote on it.”
Poor people are so intimidated by the Canada Revenue Agency they’d sooner forego benefits than file a yearly tax return, says federal research. The study followed an appeal from Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier to simplify forms: ‘It elicits feelings of fear, skepticism and concern.’
The Senate yesterday opened debate on a bill promising to bar political meddling at Statistics Canada. Three former chief statisticians have criticized the bill as inadequate: “Canadian legislation has been among the worst in the developed world.”
Cabinet says a breach of the Privacy Act on a government website was an honest mistake. The Privacy Commissioner yesterday disclosed the site that invited visitors to complete an anonymous questionnaire in fact tracked users’ IP addresses through Facebook: “We’ll make sure that privacy is at the very top of our list.”
Natural Resources Canada says owners of older homes should be subject to first-ever retroactive “energy-ready codes” by 2022. Members of the Senate energy committee warned homeowners would be forced to pay staggering renovation costs: “For some people it will be crippling.”
Air fares will rise with a national carbon tax, says the Air Transport Association of Canada. The Association yesterday told the Commons finance committee the levy, to be introduced in 2018, will also drive business to tax-free jurisdictions in the United States: “It’s another blow.”
