The Senate has passed into law a first-ever federal ban on replacement workers in strikes and lockouts. Senator Frances Lankin (Ont.), a longtime union executive, called it the historic fulfillment of labour rights sought since Confederation: 'I hope you feel the weight of history.'
Federal hiring practices are buried in paperwork, says a Public Service Commission survey of government managers. Nine out of 10 rated it “burdensome.”
Doctors have “huge advantages under our tax system” and can afford to pay more, Health Minister Mark Holland said yesterday. His remarks followed a warning from the Canadian Medical Association that changes to capital gains tax rates would cost most doctors nationwide: "A nurse should not be paying a higher marginal tax rate than a multimillionaire."
Governor General Mary Simon had staff contact Attorney General Arif Virani’s deputy before holding a conference in support of a Liberal bill on internet censorship, records show. “The Governor General is a force for good in this country,” Virani wrote in denying partisan interference.
Interest rate hikes will make many mortgage holders poorer for years to come, a Bank of Canada report said yesterday. Researchers estimated by 2027 disposable incomes for borrowers will be lower on average: "Pressure on consumption from rate hikes could last longer than the rate hike cycle itself."
Marijuana dealers owe more than a quarter billion in unpaid tax, new figures disclose. Tax delinquents include an insolvent cannabis dealer whose paid directors included Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre), parliamentary secretary for health: "The total amount of unpaid cannabis excise duties has continuously been rising since legalization."
An Arctic patrol vessel HMCS Margaret Brooke was on a secret military mission when it docked in Cuba, Defence Minister Bill Blair said yesterday. There was nothing inappropriate in calling on Havana at the same time as the Russian navy, said Blair: "This was a military mission."
The CBC was flooded with a record number of complaints last year over its Mideast coverage with thousands citing anti-Jewish bias, says a report to the board. Audience complaints numbered 4,785 last year, “a 45 percent increase in volume from 2022.”
The Prime Minister’s vote pact with New Democrats has prompted industrial employers to file a formal complaint with a United Nations agency. Employers say cabinet breached a labour rule it ratified more than a decade ago: "The Government of Canada has engaged in conduct that is in clear breach of its obligation to consult."
Witnesses who lie to parliamentary committees face a minimum six months’ jail and threat of a $50,000 fine under a private bill introduced Friday. “It is a mechanism to restore Canadians’ confidence in our democratic institutions,” said Conservative MP Michael Barrett (Leeds-Grenville, Ont.), the sponsor.
Drug-impaired driving is now commonplace since Parliament legalized marijuana six years ago, says in-house Department of Health research. Findings were drawn from questionnaires with daily cannabis users: "Legalization increased social acceptance."
Arctic Canada now has a total 34 public charging stations for seven electric vehicles, says the Department of Natural Resources. Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut combined are the first region to achieve 100 percent charging capacity: 'This represents a ratio of less than one electric vehicle to charger.'
Poet Shai Ben-Shalom writes: “Canada’s cattle industry receives federal support. Investments in forage improvement, breeding programs, insurance coverage…”
Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have criminal records, typically for drug and property crimes. Many become model citizens. A few even wind up in Parliament. Retired two-term Liberal MP Ivan Grose (Oshawa, Ont.) was a convicted bank robber. The late New Democrat MP Frank Howard (Skeena, B.C.) was jailed for armed robbery as a youth. Ex-Conservative MP Guy Lauzon (Stormont-Dundas, Ont.), a recovered alcoholic, had two convictions for drunk driving.
Yet exceptions don’t make the rule, note authors of After Prison: Navigating Employment And Reintegration. Many parolees are shunned in the workplace long after their debt to society is paid. Authors cite one employers’ survey that found most considered parolees to be weak, lazy or dishonest.
“Gainful employment, in essence, provides the foundational ‘building block’ that former prisoners require to transition successfully into society post-release,” authors write. “Employment, beyond a means to sustain a lifestyle in a free society, is a central source of identity.”
Taxpayers out millions' worth of sweetheart corporate subsidies have a right to expect their money back, Deputy Industry Minister Simon Kennedy said yesterday. Kennedy’s testimony followed an investigation that counted 186 conflicts at the board of Sustainable Development Technology Canada: "Funding was provided and it needs to be recovered."
