An employers’ group yesterday told the Commons finance committee a “flexibility” clause in cabinet’s Pay Equity Act poses no harm to underpaid women. A coalition of unions has predicted lengthy court battles if Parliament does not delete the reference: "I’m concerned about potentially over-dramatizing this."
Parliament should proclaim two federal Indigenous holidays instead of one, the Commons heritage committee was told yesterday. A New Democrat MP expressed caution: "What I’ve learned is that better is the enemy of the good."
The Commons human resources committee yesterday approved a bill to mandate barrier-free access to federally-regulated workplaces including airports, banks and railway stations. Critics noted the bill does not fix firm enforcement deadlines: "They take what they can get."
Parliament must correct unconstitutional loopholes in cabinet’s Pay Equity Act or face court challenges, the Commons finance committee was told yesterday. One part of the bill is similar to a Québec law struck down 14 years ago: "We will end up before the courts if this section remains."
Statistics Canada yesterday defended a proposal to collect personal banking information on 500,000 households – the equivalent of more than a million people – without individuals’ consent. “We have to have high-quality data,” Chief Statistician Anil Arora told the Commons industry committee.
Cabinet has awarded more than $24 million in low-interest corporate loans for electric car recharging stations though few Canadians use them, accounts show. A third of loans went to a single Québec company: 'It is to increase awareness.'
Election Commissioner Yves Côté says he could prosecute media for breach of federal law in a case similar to the National Post’s defamation of an Alberta Conservative candidate. The newspaper paid $650,000 for publishing a mid-campaign commentary by then-columnist Don Martin, now host of CTV News Channel’s Power Play program: "A charge could be laid."
The Senate transport committee last night expressed support for a federal bill to clear Canadian harbours of wrecked and abandoned boats. Transport Canada counts some 500 derelict freighters, barges, fishing boats and other vessels with millions in environmental clean-up costs: "It’s not fair to put that load on the taxpayer."
Canadians rich or poor will receive identical carbon tax rebate cheques next year, officials yesterday told the Commons environment committee. The Department of Industry in an Access To Information memo earlier warned of greater impact on “vulnerable groups”.
A federal Pay Equity Act allows cabinet to exempt whole industries from correcting wage rates, says the labour department. Officials told the Commons finance committee the provision was intended to promote flexibility: "I’m just reading what’s on paper."
Union executives yesterday urged the Senate national finance committee to quickly repeal curbs on federal employees’ right to strike. The Supreme Court in 2015 struck down a similar Saskatchewan law as unconstitutional: "This must be taken off the books once and for all."
Trends in drug prices are unsustainable, a federal regulator yesterday told the Commons health committee. Canadians spent $16.8 billion on brand-name medicines last year: "The best drug in the world won’t bring value to society if no one can afford it."
Omnibus budget bills are now so unwieldy MPs are voting on legislation they haven’t read or don’t understand, say critics. The Speaker of the Commons yesterday ordered that the latest 851-page bill be split into separate votes at Second Reading: "Mistakes can be made."
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna’s claims of climate change fatalities are contradicted by new data. McKenna repeatedly pointed to a surge in deaths in a July heat wave in Québec as proof of the need for a national carbon tax. Figures show the death rate in July was the same as last year. “You see extreme heat that’s literally killing people.”
Cabinet proposes to name and shame scofflaw banks that breach consumer protection regulations, and increase 20-fold the maximum penalty for violations. The provisions in omnibus budget bill C-86 follow complaints of weak enforcement by the federal Financial Consumer Agency: "We were promised a financial consumer code."
