A federal judge yesterday approved a billion-dollar settlement of sexual harassment claims by ex-military that will see assault victims receive a maximum $150,000 in compensation. Fees for five law firms that handled the case total $26,560,000: 'The legal fees are fair and reasonable.'
The Department of Justice in a jarring memo claimed European anti-Semitism was fueled in part by “incontrovertible” evidence of Jewish “financial power”. The 1987 memo marked secret was released by the national archives through Access To Information. The department had no comment: "We knew even in 1987 those are loaded terms."
Canada Post will not disclose the cost of a decades-old pay equity claim for fear it “could be prejudicial” to the Crown corporation. Management settled last May 12 with the Canadian Postmasters and Assistants Association in a dispute dating from 1992: "Information will not be provided."
Alberta’s Human Rights Tribunal has awarded a Calgary millwright more than $100,000 in damages and back pay after he was suspended for failing a drug test. “Human rights damages are on the rise,” said the Tribunal.
A national press ombudsman has rejected complaints over newspaper editors’ campaign endorsements, calling it an old election tradition. One federal study found few voters recall endorsements: "About two-thirds of the voters interviewed had no idea."
Transport Minister Marc Garneau yesterday would not confirm cabinet is drafting back-to-work legislation to end a national rail strike. Parliament forced an end to six previous rail shutdowns dating from 1950: "We are convinced there is a solution."
Cabinet yesterday said it will not rewrite two contentious energy bills passed by Parliament last June 20. One measure is currently the target of a constitutional challenge in the Alberta Court of Appeal: "Look, the legislation is now in force."
Federal judges have sharply criticized the Office of the Information Commissioner for a ten-year delay in processing an Access To Information complaint. “The administrative procedure in question constitutes a gross and outrageous abuse,” said the Federal Court of Appeal.
VIA Rail in Access To Information records indicates one commuter train ran late 173 business days in a row though management claims on-time performance of seventy to eighty percent. The Crown railway yesterday did not comment on its definition of punctuality: "Passengers want to be on time."
The Department of Public Works yesterday placed a rush order for new windows at the Supreme Court of Canada, though the building will undergo a billion-dollar refit in 2023. The Court did not comment: "We like working here."
Transport Minister Marc Garneau yesterday predicted a quick end to a three-day national strike at Canadian National Railways. “We think there is a possible solution,” said Garneau: "I’m not going to predict whether it’s hours, days."
A federal review of the Broadcasting Act must address industry complaints over the CBC and Canadian content rules, says an Access To Information memo from the Department of Heritage. “The Canadian broadcasting system continues to experience significant disruption,” wrote staff.
The Competition Bureau yesterday would not disclose total cost of its failed anti-trust investigation of the Vancouver Airport Authority. Expenses included $1.32 million in legal costs paid to airport managers falsely targeted with anti-trust allegations: "Who did what?"
Environment Canada has pressed a $100,00 fine against a First Nation for breach of federal green laws. Saskatchewan’s Big River First Nation pleaded financial hardship, though Court records showed it had a surplus of $1.2 million: '$100,000 would not cause hardship.'
New Democrats yesterday vowed to oppose any measure to speed back-to-work legislation to end a national rail strike. The walkout by 3,200 Teamsters is the first to confront a minority Parliament in forty-six years: "These workers have serious concerns."
