The RCMP wrongfully fired an Alberta constable who admitted having sex on duty, says the Federal Court of Appeal. Management acted unfairly and relied on hearsay and inadmissible evidence, the Court ruled: "It's not the first time."
The Department of Public Safety is buying a fleet of drones for deployment on border patrol. Staff said drones were needed in part for wildlife surveys, but declined further comment: "I wouldn’t be surprised if there are drones being used right now."
Apple Canada Inc. has filed a federal lawsuit over the charging of royalties on music webcasts. The dispute follows a 2014 Commons committee report that complained composers' work has become a "pennies business" with collapsing CD sales: 'They are feeling the squeeze.'
The Department of Citizenship in 2018 will begin compiling the largest non-criminal fingerprint database in Canadian history. The initiative follows a 2013 pilot project approved by the previous Conservative cabinet to collect prints and photos from all temporary residency applicants: "Information will only be shared in a manner that respects Canada’s privacy laws."
The national carbon tax will cost $5.8 billion next year, says the Conference Board of Canada. Annual revenues will rise to $30 billion by 2022, the equivalent of about $2,300 per household: "Policy makers really need to communicate to Canadians the scale of how this transformation will impact their everyday lives."
Department of Health research shows many Canadians ignore mothers’ advice and skip breakfast. Federal focus groups also concluded the department’s benchmark Canada Food Guide is outdated and influenced by food lobbyists: "Eating seems to have become more of a chore."
Federal employees fear being branded as rats or snitches if they report wrongdoing, says a report commissioned by the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner. The Office declined to say how much it paid for the psychoanalytical study: "This sends a chilling message."
Parks Canada in a directive coinciding with Canada 150 observances says it is no longer buying historic properties. Authorities blamed insufficient funding. The agency added it has no plans to revive a 2007 program that offered subsidies to property owners to restore historic buildings: "It’s linked to a budget plan that we don’t have."
A federal ombudsman appointed to answer consumers’ banking complaints did not levy a single fine in 2016, according to its latest Annual Report. The Financial Consumer Agency did not comment: "Nobody has reviewed how this benefits Canadian consumers."
The Canadian Transportation Agency has referred 8 in 10 complaints from air passengers to mediation where customers were offered modest settlements like frequent flyer points. One MP questioned the close relationship between the regulator and commercial airlines: "That's not consumer protection."
A Liberal senator says a cabinet bill promising greater independence for Statistics Canada still sanctions political coercion. Three former chief statisticians have protested the bill fails to outlaw cabinet influence in data gathering: "The public would not be aware."
A Tax Court judge has dismissed thousands of dollars in business write-offs claimed by a former child actor. Claims included $4,256 for DVDs and theatre tickets written off as “research and development”.
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Comptroller General Bill Matthews says fraud occurs within the federal government, though total costs are unknown. Matthews’ testimony at the Commons public accounts committee followed an audit that faulted federal agencies for a lack of staff ethics training: "There is no reliable estimate on the financial impact of fraud."
Attorneys and executives yesterday urged the Commons industry committee to rewrite a 2014 anti-spam law. MPs were told current regulations are too broad, target the wrong people, and are largely ineffectual in combating malware: ‘It is breathtakingly large in scope.’
