Transport Canada says it does not have the rail inspectors it needs to enforce safety rules. A senior official said the department has to date been unable to hire inspectors promised by cabinet a month ago: “It’s a bit of a challenge to attract people”.
British Columbia halibut fishermen have lost their last legal bid challenging a Department of Fisheries ruling that even staff and caucus said smacked of “political lobbying”. The Supreme Court declined to hear the fishermen’s complaint over a contentious decision on quotas: “Nobody is happy with the process”.
Air industry executives are expressing alarm over a little-noticed clause in a budget bill they warn is federal over-reach that compromises a 20-year old airports policy. The amendments were inserted in the 315th page of a 478-page omnibus bill: “Everything is thrown in there and there’s very little time to really analyze”.
Scientists say they’re relieved a cost-saving proposal to apply marine conservation methods to freshwater fish is being carefully scrutinized by a federal panel. The Science Advisory Secretariat urged caution in adopting the scheme that alarmed marine biologists: ‘The gut reaction was concern’.
Transport Canada has granted railways more than two years to comply with new licensing regulations inspired by the Lac-Mégantic disaster. The department adds it will only revoke licenses for “extreme” safety violations: “These regulations are even more concerning”.
Meat processors say changes to federal rules on migrant labour pose the “greatest threat” to the industry. A lobbyist testifying at a parliamentary committee blamed reforms to foreign worker permits for hundreds of unfilled jobs in processing: ‘We have tried to hire Canadians, unemployed youth, refugees or Aboriginals, whatever’,
Cabinet proposes new environmental controls on mercury but specifically exempts mining and smelting companies cited for releasing thousands of kilograms of the toxin. The regulations follow the breach of a mine tailings pond in British Columbia that dumped mercury into nearby waterways: ‘It is very toxic’.
Canada’s largest labour organization is crediting cabinet with terms of new federal apprenticeship loans. Regulations would see apprentices in skilled trades qualify for loans of up to $4,000 per course: “It’s a first down”.
MPs say they are wary of fraud and privacy breaches if Canadians are permitted to submit electronic petitions to Parliament. The Commons received 2,650 petitions last year, all on paper: ‘How do you authenticate they’re actually real Canadian citizens and not just bogus names?’
A federal bill granting the RCMP commissioner more powers to manage the force will see closed-door hearings on grievances, and threats of five-figure fines on police who fail to answer questions for alleged misconduct. Organizers attempting to unionize the force said regulations would see police with fewer rights than the public: “We said from the beginning the bill was flawed”.
An exasperated Nunavut judge has cited a senior federal agency, the Privy Council Office, for “bureaucratic inertia” over extraordinary delays in what’s become the longest-running litigation in territorial history: ‘Seven years later they had not even started to review documents’.
An energy firm pressing for regulatory approval of an oil pipeline proposed to compile confidential files on the Council of Canadians and environmental groups in a bid to “pressure” opponents. TransCanada Corp. also planned to co-opt media to publish pipeline-friendly stories: “We will not apologize”.
Canadians rate the National Film Board one of the best-loved government agencies with nearly 8 in 10 saying it deserves taxpayers’ funding, according to federal research. Only 14% said its budget should be revoked: ‘It’s a hidden treasure’.
Home builders are appealing to cabinet to adjust a Mulroney-era sales tax rebate to keep pace with rising house prices. It follows new data the average cost of a new home in Canada is now $419,699: “It’s obviously a revenue stream for the federal government”.
Most grocery products meet federal safety guidelines though the Canadian Food Inspection Agency laments that wholesalers and stores have no obligation to report violations. The agency yesterday released the results of tens of thousands of tests on goods from meat to herbs: ‘Foods are usually available to consumers before the results are known’.
