A Commons committee probe of rail safety prompted by the Lac-Mégantic disaster now appears to be going out with a whimper, says an MP. Transport Minister Lisa Raitt asked for the investigation last November 18: “It’s a game”.
The Nunavut Planning Commission is protesting an end to federal funding for land use hearings that have reviewed environmental impacts and resource claims in the territory. Local authorities say they require a budget to complete a longstanding land use plan this autumn: “It is a commitment”.
A federal judge has cited FINTRAC, the federal anti-terror watchdog, for fining a realtor $27,000 for inadequate paperwork. Authorities found no evidence of criminality, but charged the broker for failing to fill out forms and train his staff in detecting terrorist financing: “It is not fair; we are trying to make a living here”.
Property owners face higher insurance costs under new federal guidelines on earthquake coverage, says a senior actuary. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions has ordered national insurers to set aside billions in new reserves to cover possible claims from twin quakes in Québec and B.C.: “You’re being required to buy more reinsurance than you need”.
The Department of Justice has opened another front in a multi-million dollar court battle over alleged favoritism in airport X-ray screener contracts. Government lawyers filed an appeal over the award of costs to Rapiscan Systems Inc., a supplier of X-ray machines that complained of contracting by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority: “It’s decision was unfair”.
Canada must establish a national panel on education, says the Council of Chief Executives. The group in a critical report noted Canada is feeble in higher learning compared to other federations like Switzerland: ‘We are the only country in the world without a national ministry of education’.
Canadians receiving tax refunds and benefits cheques will not be denied payment if they refuse to surrender bank account information to the government, says Public Works Canada. The department said a website notice that Canadians “must” enrol in direct deposit does not reflect policy: “Everyone will receive the payments that are owed”.
Transport Canada is ordering railways to publish secretive safety plans following union complaints of concealed self-regulation. New rules will see CP Rail, Canadian National and VIA Rail divulge details of their Safety Management Systems to unions, and guarantee no reprisals against workers who report infractions: “It’s a complete rewrite”.
A photojournalist has lost a court bid against paying CBC legal costs in a case stemming from the network’s breach of the Copyright Act. Catherine Leuthold saw the CBC broadcast her photos without permission, then faced some $80,000 in attorneys’ fees after refusing an out-of-court settlement: “I’ll let others judge whether the CBC should pursue this”.
Port authorities must plan for earthquakes and tsunamis, a 2014 Port Security conference has been told. Geologists and insurers caution Atlantic and Pacific ports are vulnerable to disaster near the nation’s two most dangerous earthquake zones: “We have to get the carriers all together”.
The Department of Fisheries says water temperature, not favoritism, prompted an order that’s angered Prince Edward Island lobster harvesters attempting to recover from a disastrous season. Fishermen complain they were never consulted on seasonal adjustments affecting their livelihoods: “We should have known the policy had changed”.
Analysts are questioning an abrupt Industry Canada decision to set aside a large portion of wireless spectrum for smaller cellphone companies. Cabinet yesterday made the unexpected announcement it would fix a quota for small operators: ‘Why mess up the market?’
Introduction of engineered wheat is “inevitable” despite liability fears and consumer backlash, say confidential Agriculture Canada documents. Senior officials secretly drafted “plausible scenarios” for licensing the product, though a similar attempt a decade ago ended in protests that included a million-name petition from Japanese consumers. The documents were obtained through Access to Information: “It’s very troubling”.
Public Works Canada is at a loss to explain a strong-arm notice that taxpayers must surrender their bank information to receive benefits. Department research shows 1 in 4 oppose the plan, and most others never heard of it: “Canadians generally don’t respond to ultimatums very well”.
The Supreme Court has denied one lawyer’s appeal against police seizure and search of personal computers on allegations of objectionable downloads. The case confirms the right of police to search hard drives on suspicion of wrongdoing: “Searches are conducted all the time”.
