The government aims to collect more than $20 million a year off foreign air travelers under a new visa scheme, records show. The electronic program will impact 7 in 10 airport visitors to Canada, though authorities admit they don’t know how it will affect tourism: “This is something that was done in haste”.
Two Conservative senators have proposed a fatal amendment to Bill C-377 that would exempt provincial and municipal unions from having to divulge confidential data. The surprise tabling was introduced last night as the Senate opened final debate on the bill: ‘This will go in front of the Supreme Court, you can be sure of that’.
Climate change poses a heat risk to sub-Arctic Canada, says the Department of Health. Regulators awarded a six-figure contract to train physicians, nurses and health inspectors on coping with extreme heat: “This is the future”.
Censorship of 19th century documents by a provincial government agency is drawing protest from researchers and historians. A British Columbia rule, the first of its kind, compels Canadians to get a court order to see public records dating from the 1880s: “This is very, very, very odd”.
A federal search of the Arctic for 19th century English shipwrecks has led to another mystery — the actual cost of the expedition. Cabinet will not disclose how many millions were spent by the army, navy and Coast Guard, according to accounts tabled in Parliament: “It’s pretty disappointing”.
Cabinet has quietly passed a new order making it easier to fire or re-hire its Veterans’ Ombudsman. Amendments to 2010 rules repeal a condition granting the ombudsman a minimum five-year term on appointment: “I’m concerned”.
MPs have agreed to tweak the Commons code on conflict of interest but concede more work is needed on legislators’ ethics. The 41st Parliament saw two Commons resignations over irregularities: “There’s still a lot more to do”.
The RCMP is compiling an electronic database of “problem” employees. The program comes just five months after the Supreme Court ordered the Mounties to repeal a 1920 ban on unions: “To be sure there has usually been grumbling”.
Health Canada aims to cut Canadians’ sugar consumption 30 percent with a quarter-billion dollar revision to food labeling. The department proposes long-promised reforms – but only to take effect in 2022 or so: “Sugar is in most of the foods we eat everyday”.
Conservation groups should seek corporate sponsorships to save threatened species, says an Environment Canada official. The appeal follows a confidential Parks Canada plan to have oil and gas companies sponsor activities in national parks: “He who pays the piper calls the tune”.
Marketing executives are accused of misleading lawmakers in opposing a national ban on TV food ads that target children. Lobbyists were cited for “bafflegab” at Senate obesity hearings after claiming a 35-year Québec ban has been ineffectual: “I am a bit skeptical of the industry”.
A 21-year old free trade pact with Mexico has yet to produce expected results, says a Senate study. Canada’s bilateral trade with Mexico remains less than half the traffic with Michigan, according to Statistics Canada: ‘It has yet to reach its full potential’.
Canada’s scientists
claim their government silences them.
An interesting hypothesis;
but let’s check the facts.
Just yesterday, on national TV,
a distinguished professional
with a degree in atmospheric sciences
got prime time
to deliver the weather forecast
and he did so
without any censorship,
delay,
or interruption.
None.
(Editor’s note: poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday)
Parliament’s oldest MP is retiring at 78 after declining to give a goodbye speech to the House of Commons. “I’m not big on farewell speeches,” said Ray Boughen.
“Age is an accident of birth,” said Boughen (Conservative-Palliser, Sask.); “I feel 50ish, but I’m 78 and that’s too old to become a senator – not that it’s a good idea given the current circumstances.” Senators must retire at 75.
“If you do this job properly, four more years is a long time,” said Boughen. “Seventy-eight plus four, that’s too old to be a parliamentarian.”
Forty-three members of the 41st Parliament have resigned, retired or lost their nominations to date. Boughen said the work of an MP “can get to be a hundred hours a week pretty quick”; “Some days are pretty long,” he said.
“I’d say to new MPs, watch what you do; don’t rush to judgment,” Boughen added; “It’s a busy life and you must rely on your family and the folks at home.”
Boughen, a former two-term mayor of Moose Jaw, said he planned to retire to his home province. “I’ve lived there all my life,” he said.
The all-time record as Parliament’s oldest legislator is held by Georges-Casimir Dessaulles (Liberal-St. Hyacinthe, Que., pictured top right), who served in the Senate till 102. Dessaulles died in office after escaping a 1930 house fire in his hometown. He was survived by 43 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Another senator, David Wark (Liberal-N.B.), served to 101. Wark spent fifty-nine years in public life as a New Brunswick MLA and Senate appointee. Wark delivered his last speech in the Senate at 100, and once told a reporter his key to longevity was to skip lunch. Confederation-era rules that saw senators appointed for life were repealed with a 1965 mandatory retirement amendment to the Constitution Act.
“This doesn’t have to be a young person’s game; it’s about commitment to do the best job you can do,” said Boughen. “Do you have to be a certain age to handle the stress? That’s relative. I’ve never found it all that stressful.”
The Commons record for seniority is held by William Black (Conservative-Halifax), who died in office in 1934 just two months short of his 87th birthday. Black served four terms as MP and a brief stint as Minister of Railways in 1926.
By Tom Korski
Health Canada’s national Food Guide has been compromised by lobbyists and must be revised, Senate obesity hearings have been told. Physicians said the Guide has Canadians drinking too much milk, and substituting sugary juices for raw fruit: “Get industry away from the table”.
