Vancouver has a 30% chance of seeing a destructive earthquake within 50 years, says the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. Ottawa and Montreal face a 15% risk. The confidential report warned local authorities should expect little help from cabinet: “There are concerns about the preparedness of the federal government”.
More than a third of Canadians want cuts to immigration, according to confidential polling data by Citizenship Canada. The research shows people are more likely to advocate cuts when they’re told how many immigrants Canada takes each year: ‘The purpose was to measure attitudes’.
MPs returning from summer recess September 15 will see a new private bill proposing a modified carbon tax with “dividend”. The Green Party said it will introduce legislation creating a fixed fee on pollution-generating fuels: “Is it going to cost us money? Absolutely”.
MPs will consider legislation to curb an “urban heat island” phenomenon identified by scientists. The private bill would see federal regulators act to curb punishing heat waves with promotion of urban parks and mass transit: “Save as much as 20% on energy”.
Canada Revenue Agency has tried and failed to use forensic science in a Tax Court dispute one attorney likened to a TV crime drama. Auditors cited chemical ink analysis in claiming a B.C. trucking executive backdated a document to avoid $477,546 in payments: “It is not proper when so much is at stake to rely on unreliable, highly questionable techniques”.
The Department of Fisheries is detailing first-ever regulations sanctioning the use of pesticides and other chemicals in fish habitat. The proposal follows appeals from the aquaculture industry for exemptions from a chemical ban in the Fisheries Act: “We have to be able to manage pests”.
The Public Prosecution Service will not say how much time and money it’s spent pursuing Canada’s multi-billion dollar trade in counterfeit goods. Prosecutors noted unspecified “economic crimes” took up 10% of the budget last year: “Counterfeiting is huge but I don’t think people are actually seeing it as a problem”.
Armoured car guards are again appealing for standard, federalized regulations following the latest spectacular holdup, the second in ten weeks. Unifor, representing some security employees, said the thefts underscored the lack of regulation: “Here we go again”.
Canada Border Services Agency in a mammoth security sweep is ordering credit checks on all employees. A confidential management bulletin says reviews of workers’ debts, credit cards and mortgages are to determine the “trustworthiness” of staff. Blacklock’s could find no similar policy in any police department in Canada: “This is atrocious”.
Natural Resources Canada says in a confidential report that farm fertilizers, road salt and other everyday chemicals pose a greater environmental risk than shale gas fracking. The department did not cite any data supporting its claim, and the author declined an interview: “We’ll get back to you”.
Advocates say pressing questions remain unanswered over federal disclosures a domestic spy agency improperly intercepted private communications by scores of Canadians. Communications Security Establishment Canada acknowledged it kept files on the private electronic conversations of 66 unidentified people: ‘Are we getting all the information?’
Data grabs by Bell Canada prompted more than third of all public complaints to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner last year, according to a new report. Overall complaints were up 17 percent: “Why do you want the information? What are you going to do with it?”
Warning of “food security” in a hungry world, the Department of Agriculture in confidential memos is urging first-ever federal scrutiny of farmland sales to foreigners. Authorities note Canada has no national ownership restrictions, registry or even statistics on buy-ups by Chinese and other offshore investors: “Where are things going?”
Police have no evidence Canada’s bitcoin exchanges are being used by organized crime, according to confidential documents. However the Department of Finance says many exchanges “do not conduct customer due diligence”, and caution the business is beyond the scope of Canadian money-laundering monitors: “There are no rules”.
Canada Revenue should follow a U.K. lead in imposing new fines and criminal penalties on taxpayers who hide income offshore, says a Senate critic. The U.K. has ordered all tax evaders to declare offshore income or face sanctions including jail and 200% fines: ‘Canada goes for the low-hanging fruit’.
