Poverty rates for seniors are at historic lows with most pensioners better off than the rest of Canadians, says an Access To Information report by the Department of Employment. The memo follows data that retirees own more, and owe less, than Canadians under 35: "Those of us born in the 1950s won the lottery."
Coastal salmon farms continue to pose a risk to wild fish stock, the Commons fisheries committee was told yesterday. A British Columbia biologist citing Access To Information records said regulators appeared powerless to halt the spread of viruses from farmed fish: "The rules are unenforceable."
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale yesterday denied stalling a bill for independent oversight of the Canada Border Services Agency. Access To Information records indicate cabinet tried to shelve a Senate bill to have an Inspector General investigate public complaints: "It doesn't seem to wash."
A first-ever federal investigation of fake election news has come up empty. A byelection hoax traced by the Commissioner of Elections to a Tel Aviv software company saw Canadian investigators question the broker, an Israeli daily today reported: "The item was published in good faith and without malice."
The Canada Revenue Agency has gone to extraordinary lengths to deny legitimate claims for credits, say tax consultants. The Agency proposes to cap consultants’ fees in a move that would curb Tax Court challenges of its rulings, said advocates: “People had nothing, they will get nothing.”
Canada Post is again raising stamp rates by $8.8 million after winning cabinet approval for a $26 million increase last January 14. Management cited “challenging weather” in justifying its rates.
Health Canada will license the retail sale of cannabis edibles as early as December 17. The trade raises “fundamental concerns” about drug consumption in the workplace, employers earlier warned: "There are no obvious smells."
The Senate has passed a cabinet bill to appoint a Commissioner of Indigenous Languages. More than 60 Indigenous dialects are spoken nationwide, by official estimate: 'Five generations have brought us to where we are today.'
Poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday: “Andrew Scheer faces a delicate task…”
Cabinet yesterday said it will never raise the 12¢-a litre carbon tax on gasoline though the Parliamentary Budget Office warned at least 23¢ is needed to meet emission targets. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna did not explain how targets will be met: "The price will not go up."
The Senate budget committee yesterday endorsed an independent audit of its $114 million administration for the first time since 2012. It follows disclosures Senate managers broke contracting rules in spending $95,000 for doormen and ushers: "Troubles begin."
The Department of Finance yesterday rejected additional funding for the Office of the Auditor General despite a cut of nearly fifty percent in the number of yearly audits. “They weren’t stonewalled,” said Assistant Deputy Finance Minister Nicholas Leswick: "They didn't receive nothing."
Cabinet yesterday rejected a key Senate amendment to the Fisheries Act sought by farm lobbyists, and cut short debate to speed the bill into law. “We are planning to get things done,” said Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson.
A bill to curb dogfighting for sport yesterday was endorsed by the Senate social affairs committee. Attorney General David Lametti said the bill “does not go far enough” and should prompt other animal protections: "There is much more work to be done."
Cabinet faces a rare petition to overturn a CRTC decision dubbed a $20 million subsidy for Rogers Media Inc. “The Commission caved,” said a rival applicant for a lucrative license to broadcast multilingual news programming nationwide: "Any other decision would have been better."
