Directors of a federal agency dubbed a “green slush fund” had conflicts of interest 186 times, auditors disclosed yesterday. In 90 cases they voted for subsidies benefiting friends and associates: "The federal government is unable to follow its own laws."
Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault yesterday denied acting as an Edmonton contractor while serving in cabinet. The Ethics Commissioner said he was reviewing Global News reports that an executive called “Randy” was named in texts between executives of a company in which Boissonnault held shares: "I do not know."
Federal managers beginning June 18 will scope the extent of defaults under a $49 billion pandemic loan program managed by Export Development Canada, records show. An audit of the Canadian Emergency Business Account Program is already underway: "Outstanding principal is $31.5 billion."
“A few” parliamentarians have spied on colleagues including one MP known to be an informant for a foreign government, a federal committee said yesterday. Felonies may have been committed, said a report: "I want to be careful not to comment."
David Johnston, 82, is out as acting chief of the Federal Leaders’ Debates Commission. Cabinet in a pre-election order did not fire Johnston outright but voted to replace him with an employee in case of “absence or incapacity.”
The Department of Public Works yesterday said it sent letters to contractors asking for repayment of at least part of the $59.5 million cost of the ArriveCan program. The department did not specify when it expected an answer: "Letters to that effect have gone out."
The Public Health Agency auctioned $22,000 ventilators as scrap metal for pennies a pound because they couldn’t give them away, documents show. The Agency said the costly StarFish Medical devices were declared surplus within months of their purchase: 'Why were they sold as scrap?'
The Treasury Board yesterday said it knew of 163 cases of in-house conflicts in contracting in the past two years. The number applied only to federal managers who voluntarily disclosed conflicts: "You don’t have the dollar amount?"
Canadians are embracing home economics in a bid to beat high grocery prices, says Department of Agriculture research. Data show more consumers are canning, freezing and planning meals to save money: 'The need for home economics has influenced purchase behaviour.'
Canadians may share media passwords without payment or permission, a federal judge has ruled. The decision by Federal Court Justice Yvan Roy came in the case of a Government of Canada manager who bought a single Blacklock’s subscription then shared the password with nine people: “There is a significant public interest in reading articles.”
The United Nations is being used by countries that “don’t share our values,” says a Department of Foreign Affairs briefing note. It follows Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's public praise for the UN while waging an unsuccessful 2020 campaign for a temporary seat on the Security Council: "Send the message that Canada is back."
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada is no help to consumers, say members of the Senate banking committee. The protests follow Access To Information records showing the Agency did not answer a single one of 27,323 consumer complaints it received since 2019: "It was a disaster."
An air passengers’ visa program intended to keep dangerous foreigners out of Canada instead drove up refugee claims to record levels, Budget Office data show. The number of refugee claims by travelers who bought a $7 electronic visa is up 672 percent, said analysts: 'The average cost for each asylum claimant is $16,500.'
School boards nationwide should rewrite curricula to include education on seal hunting, says the Senate fisheries committee. Senators said lessons are needed to revive an industry that is “no longer economically viable.”
Poet Shai Ben-Shalom writes: “By the entrance, names of employees and their whereabouts. Andy went for a dental appointment; Shawn is in a conference; Barbara on vacation…”
