Federal agencies are unprepared for cyberattacks due to aging technology and poor coordination, says a government managers’ periodical. The warning follows newly-released Access To Information files acknowledging federal systems are “coming under attack”.
Pleading an honest mistake is no defence against enforcement by the Canada Border Services Agency, a federal judge has ruled. The decision came in the case of a couple whose car was seized after a shopping trip to Walmart: “He tried to explain the situation but the officers were aggressive.”
Mineral and soil samples are being analyzed by federal scientists to fully measure the chemical fallout from one the most polluted industrial sites in Canada. Peat and lake sediment will be microscopically examined to measure arsenic from 75 years of gold mining at Yellowknife: ‘It becomes like a history book.’
The Department of Finance sees difficulties in mandating a national carbon tax on provinces, says a secret memo. The document cited “challenges” detailed through the 8-page document, virtually all of it censored before its release under Access To Information: “This note highlights some of the difficulties.”
Canada’s Poet Laureate has republished on a Parliament of Canada website a poem casting Shakespeare as a black rapper “out of the ghetto”. Professor George Elliott Clarke said the work by a Nova Scotia poet depicting Shakespeare as “a little nigga” speaks to relevant social issues: “Good poetry ought to be provocative.”
A national agency has filed a legal claim against a tanker that ran aground off Cape Breton, N.S. The Ship-Source Oil Pollution Fund sought a federal warrant to impound the vessel as a precaution against environmental damage: “I have issues with vessels like this.”
A federal agency can order employees to surrender airline vouchers received while traveling on public business, a labour board has ruled. The judgment follows complaints from two Canada Border Services Agency employees who won travel vouchers while escorting a deportee out of the country: ‘The directive is clear and unambiguous.’
VIA Rail will lose money for at least another decade even with a multi-billion dollar refit, says an Access To Information memo. The Department of Finance said the Crown railway will not be profitable until 2027 at the earliest: “VIA is at a critical juncture.”
A federal tribunal has cited Health Canada as intransigent and uncooperative in its aggressive enforcement against a small company’s mosquito repellent. Regulators had little evidence to substantiate claims the firm committed a serious violation of the Pest Control Products Act, an adjudicator ruled: “I am trying to earn a living.”
The Canada Revenue Agency faces a constitutional challenge of its audit powers. A private equity firm is resisting auditors’ demands for tax records as part of what it calls a criminal investigation without charge: “It’s beyond the power of any police force in Canada.”
A Commons bill would make a national observance of “buy local” food promotions. The initiative comes three years after MPs rejected a proposal to promote local food purchases in federal contracting: ‘There are economic benefits.’
Senior Canada Revenue Agency management imposed a news blackout on court proceedings against a Liberal lobbyist during the 2015 election campaign, records show. Access To Information files disclose the Commissioner of Revenue sought a media ban on the case as politically sensitive. Staff questioned the unusual secrecy: “The person in question is politically involved.”
Canadian companies and federal agencies with business in New York should test compliance with new U.S. regulations on cybersecurity, says the chair of the Senate banking committee. The rules follow reports of daily electronic threats to Canadian banks from hackers and criminals: “My belief is the Canadian government is the least prepared of all.”
The birthplace of Confederation is to be gutted this year in a multi-million dollar repair job coinciding with the Canada’s 150th anniversary. Parks Canada budgeted $5 million for year-long maintenance work at Charlottetown’s Province House: “It is sad.”
A Supreme Court judgment leaves more questions than answers on the liability of government regulators, says an intervenor in the case. Judges in a 5-4 decision ruled a regulator was not liable for damages on allegations it tried to punish a landowner: “There needs to be further litigation to test this.”
