Top tax rates for high-income earners have become a competitiveness issue, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada yesterday told the Commons finance committee. Seven of ten provinces – all but Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario – now tax top earners at 50 percent or more: 'It's the overlooked part.'
The Commons health committee yesterday considered regulatory curbs on the sale of caffeinated alcohol. The debate followed the March 1 death of a Québec schoolgirl: "We’ve been complaining about these products for 6 or 7 years."
Federal Court managers say they have disciplined an employee for editing a plaintiff’s Wikipedia page amid ongoing legal proceedings. Administrators did not say if the misconduct was directed by a lawyer in Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould’s department: “Who could have made the change?”
The Department of Natural Resources says it's still calculating costs to homeowners from a plan to mandate energy retrofits of existing properties. One federal researcher told the Senate energy committee it could average $35,000: "There will be a cost analysis done on that."
The Department of Canadian Heritage in an Access To Information memo estimates its $10 million-a year journalism fund would create 80 jobs. A total eight daily newspapers have folded in Canada in the past decade: 'They noted the challenge.'
The Auditor General is citing the Department of Transport for poor oversight of a Crown corporation, the nation’s only federally-owned coal terminal. Management at Ridley Terminals Inc. of Prince Rupert, B.C. hired and spent in breach of the Financial Administration Act: "This is the problem with big government."
The Commons has passed a bill mandating Australian-style plain packaging of tobacco. MPs noted no similar restrictions apply to marijuana: "The tobacco industry has few options left."
Poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday: “Just enough snow to cover roads with slime. I listen to the radio, weighing my options…”
Employers yesterday appealed to the Senate social affairs committee to permit random workplace drug testing under a bill to legalize cannabis. The Supreme Court five years ago ruled companies could not randomly test employees without cause or consent: "Are we ready?"
A federal whistleblowers’ investigator yesterday told the Commons government operations committee the number of allegations of government wrongdoing increased 81 percent last year. Public Sector Integrity Commissioner Joe Friday said he had to hire more staff: "We will be hitting a wall."
A European trade pact cost Canadians more than half a billion dollars in higher prescription drug fees, the Parliamentary Budget Office yesterday reported. Health Canada managers earlier acknowledged higher drug prices, but stopped short of detailing figures: "I think we're stuck with it."
Members of the Commons industry committee yesterday questioned the fairness of treatment for authors and publishers under the Copyright Act. The Association of Canadian Publishers said licensing fees fell 89 percent under a provision of the Act that permits free photocopying for educational purposes: "We are suffering real time damage."
The Commons trade committee yesterday recommended Canada charge the GST on sales by internet vendors. Tax-free status for eBay sellers and other foreign electronic retailers is unfair to Canadian business, said the committee chair: "There has to be some sort of responsibility."
Police have all the tools they need to enforce new federal regulations permitting home cannabis cultivation, a Liberal MP yesterday told the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee. The testimony by MP Bill Blair, former Toronto police chief, was contradicted by law enforcement: "You are one of the only police officers to tell us that."
The Commons health committee yesterday amended a Senate bill to ban food advertising to children. MPs lowered the age of the targeted audience from children under 17, to those under 13, on fears of a legal challenge: 'It's a lobbyists’ dream.'
