A federal judge has approved a $17.5 million government payout to settle a class action lawsuit by Canada Student Loan borrowers. The Department of Employment was blamed for misplacing a hard drive with personal information on 585,236 Canadians. The data loss remains unsolved: 'It is unlikely the contents are in circulation on the dark web.'
Federal agencies should give preferential treatment to contractors with “socio-economic objectives”, says the Department of Employment. Staff launched a two-year pilot project on social procurement, but would not release the policy: 'It leverages the government’s buying power.'
Poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday: “Cast-iron stoves became standard in 19th century America. Over half a million produced in 1874 alone…”
The Senate last night voted 56 to 30 to legalize cannabis. Even supporters expressed wariness over far-reaching consequences of the bill, which now returns to the Commons for final debate: "My heart still worries."
Lobbyists are pressuring Parliament to oppose a universal pharmacare program, a Liberal MP yesterday told the Commons health committee. Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor did not comment. The committee endorsed a pharmacare plan in principle in an April 18 report: "There is a lot of pressure coming from insurance companies."
The Department of Public Works yesterday said it has not questioned ex-deputies who oversaw the Phoenix Pay System. Members of the Commons government operations committee expressed incredulity that no managers have been held to account for the costly failure: "Well, I wasn't there and I don't know."
Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard yesterday appealed for new funding to ease a heavy backlog of complaints over federal concealment of records. Maynard said her office has a backlog of 3,489 complaints and receives new requests for investigations at the rate of more than 2,000 a year: "It's a vicious circle."
A Senate ban on junk food advertising to children would cost industry $2 billion, a Conservative MP yesterday told the Commons health committee. Health Canada said it’s up to restaurateurs and food companies to comply with the bill if it becomes law: "This is going to be a massive cost."
Weak federal legislation has eviscerated middle-class copyright owners, the Commons heritage committee was told yesterday. Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly promised reforms to “ensure that our artists are paid fairly for their work”, but did not elaborate: "I find this testimony very upsetting."
Cabinet has no interest in compelling grant applicants to agree with government policy, Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos yesterday told the Commons human resources committee. Records show 1,559 applicants for Canada Summer Jobs grants were rejected for failing to sign a federal oath: "It's very important."
The Department of Northern Affairs forecasts spending of $98.7 million this year on an Arctic grocers’ subsidy dubbed a failure by MPs. Reforms of the Nutrition North program have been promised since 2016: "This is a program that desperately needs to be fixed."
Federal departments and agencies since 2016 have spent $1.76 million on fake news content ghostwritten and edited by government employees, say newly-released accounts. Staff distributed unsigned stories free of charge to newsrooms: ‘They shed crocodile tears for print media and then do things like this.’
Health Canada paid $42,990 distributing climate change questionnaires to family doctors on the perils of extreme heat, according to records. Physicians said the research was irrelevant. Canada’s deadliest heat wave occurred in 1936: "It's a very rare problem."
The Senate has given Second Reading to a bill mandating greater disclosure by the Canada Revenue Agency. Senators described the Agency as ineffectual and untrustworthy: "There is something wrong at the Agency."
Finance Minister Bill Morneau yesterday said cabinet has fully costed its decision to nationalize the Trans Mountain pipeline, but would not disclose figures when asked 12 times by members of the Senate national finance committee. “I don’t have the exact number in my head,” said Morneau.
