The Supreme Court will hear landmark cases that will determine whether a 1920 ban on an RCMP union will stand. The Mounties are forbidden from forming any bargaining unit under a cabinet order that dates from police strikes in Winnipeg, Boston and Liverpool: ‘It’s an opportunity to clarify freedom of association’.
Farm groups are pressing the Senate to forestall any curbs on bee-killing pesticides rated 10,000 times more toxic than DDT. A Health Canada review of the chemicals is now underway: “We don’t agree with the knee-jerk reaction”.
Canadian shippers seek hidden details of a European trade pact they fear could threaten jobs in domestic freighting. Transport Canada says the treaty lifts restrictions on European container ships freighting cargo from Halifax to Montréal: “How many jobs would you say would be at stake?”
Health Canada is proposing new meat labeling and cooking instructions prompted by the nation’s biggest beef recall: “Unfortunately we see a lot of work done when there’s a crisis”.
Credit card executives are appealing to MPs not to regulate their fees despite complaints of heavy charges on merchants. The nation’s largest credit issuers told the Commons finance committee that fee caps might upset the “balance” of their business: “We recommend against any further government role”.
Environment Canada is determining whether to have taxpayers pay to clean a PCB-laden combat vessel earmarked for sinking as an artificial reef. Authorities did not explain why they failed to check for the banned chemical before the ship was sold to the Artificial Reef Society of B.C.: “There is no scientific evidence that sinking ships is good for the environment”.
The agency responsible for Canadian air traveller’s safety has been cited by a federal judge for deception, favoritism and unfair contracting. And the auditor general’s office hints a special examination of the agency may be pending. The uproar followed court evidence suggesting management at the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority misled its Board of Directors and broke its own rules in unfairly awarding a $40.5 million contract for airport X-ray screeners: “Astonishing”.
Conservative MPs have agreed in committee to see unions decertified on the votes of as few as 40% of members. And they endorsed repeal of a decades-old labour card check system claimed to foster union bullying, though a senior official confirmed labour intimidation is virtually unheard of in Canada: “The statistics speak for themselves”.
The Supreme Court has upheld a ruling that a B.C. crusader became a defamer with a vitriolic campaign against fish farming. Justices confirmed a $75,000 judgment against the website operator who falsely claimed farmed salmon causes cancer: ‘This may prompt Canadians to be more careful in making comments’.
CBC management has become “its own worst enemy” in the wake of lost hockey revenue, says a former broadcast regulator. The ex-CRTC official said the network must narrowly focus its programming after losing its 60-year monopoly on NHL revenues: “It has not articulated clearly and precisely how it intends to thrive”.
Legislators are expressing alarm over “rumours” of expiring subsidies for co-op housing. Executives of Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation appearing at Senate committee hearings offered no new pledges on sustaining funds due to wind down over the next five years: “There are a lot of people who are really worried”.
Agriculture Canada after years of consultation has persuaded the nation’s icewine makers to comply with international regulations on the definition of “ice” and “wine”. Québec objections over the prescribed method of freezing grapes had been a stumbling block: “It’s been a long time coming”.
Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, claiming the all-clear under privacy law, says his department is amassing what will become the largest non-criminal fingerprint database in Canadian history. However the government’s own privacy commissioner remains worried by the scheme to compile 2.2 million individuals’ biometric data in the name of national security: “These are individuals who have not been charged with any criminal offence”.
Cabinet is amending a Conservative labour bill that critics caution will make it “virtually impossible” to form a new union in a federally-regulated industry. Confidential amendments to C-525 were to be submitted today to MPs studying the bill that repeals decades-old rules on union certification: “It’s my right as a legislator”.
Industry Canada has reconsidered rate hikes on federal loan guarantees for small business, but approved millions in new paperwork fees. Changes to the Canada Small Business Financing Program will see borrowers pay an average $4.9 million a year in higher fees, though interest rates remain capped: “We’d prefer the banks are not putting their hands in the till”.
