Cabinet yesterday budgeted nearly $190 million in pandemic funding for VIA Rail. The Crown railway reported disastrous losses with the collapse of passenger revenues: "VIA Rail has managed its expenses responsibly."
Cabinet yesterday introduced a bill allowing municipalities to ban handguns under threat of two years’ imprisonment. “Gun ownership in this country is a privilege and not a right,” said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair: "We rely on the rule of law, not the end of a gun."
A meatpacker that admitted to mistakenly selling turkey sausage containing chicken has lost a Federal Court bid to block disclosure of inspection reports under Access To Information. The processor said it feared media would publish “sensationalistic articles” on the contents of sausage: "The unfair manner in which the media will publish the identifying information will exacerbate the economic harm."
Ongoing legal expenses from Julie Payette’s brief term as Governor General have cost taxpayers a quarter million, according to accounts. Payette abruptly resigned January 21 following complaints of workplace harassment: "Participants used the expressions ‘climate or reign of fear or terror.’"
The federal Leaders’ Debates Commission yesterday said it is hiring a TV producer in anticipation of a snap election call. The Commission said more than two debates may be held, but did not comment on its censure by a federal judge for running a media blacklist: "They botched it."
The Department of Health in three weeks of spot checks found $1,440,000 in counterfeit medical products, records show. The Canada Border Services Agency said it also intercepted shipments of fake pandemic masks from five countries: "They should start going after the people importing this."
Travel agents have been so hard hit by Covid-19 most are living on federal pandemic relief, an industry group told the Commons transport committee. “Many storefront agencies are now closing permanently,” said the Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors: "The travel industry was the first to be shut down and will be one of the slowest to recover."
A Montréal judge has certified a class action lawsuit claiming refunds for anyone who lost money playing poker on a Loto-Québec website. Québec Superior Court was told a software glitch allowed some players to see their opponents’ face-down cards at the end of each hand: "Do they bluff?"
Calls for disclosure of $4.6 billion worth of contracts with vaccine manufacturers have prompted a cabinet filibuster. Liberal MPs on the Commons health committee delayed a vote to compel release of the terms to legislators: "We were elected to govern and we were elected to lead."
A Liberal MP who sent internal emails criticizing federal pandemic management says he has no regrets the correspondence was made public. “Damn right,” MP Dr. Marcus Powlowski (Thunder Bay-Rainy River, Ont.) told the Commons health committee: "What are you supposed to do, not send such things to your own Party?"
Political aides have misled Canadians on pandemic management, the Commons health committee was told. An MP cited internal emails by James Fitz-Morris, a former CBC reporter now working as director of communications to the Minister of Public Works: "Mostly true!"
Ballot boxes should not be placed in police stations, says the New Democratic Party. Elections Canada confirms electors in one riding were asked to cast their votes in a police station in the 2019 campaign: "It is hard to contemplate a greater threat to the voting franchise than to force electors to enter a police station."
Cross-border drivers who fail to show proof of a Covid test may face criminal prosecution under pandemic controls introduced at midnight last night. “There may be substantial fines going up to as much as $3,000 or even a criminal prosecution,” said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair: "Cancel your vacation plans. Stay home."
Poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday: “The newspaper promises to put readers’ interest first while making an impact on people’s lives. I turn to the Science section…”
The Senate will spend $150,000 on new desks for employees working from home. Critics questioned why staff could not use kitchen tables or other common household surfaces: "It sounds good in theory."
