Bank Loss Provision Up 54%

A federal insurer that protects bank customers’ deposits is raising its loss provision by 54 percent. The Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation said the sharp increase was prompted by “probability of default” and other factors. Canada hasn’t seen a bank failure since 1985: "You have to be a little bit forward-looking."

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$56K Human Rights Award

An Alberta tribunal has ordered a small business to pay $56,000 in damages for breaching the Human Rights Act in a conversation. The judgment, one of the largest of its kind, followed an unsuccessful job interview: "I should have had a witness there; it was my mistake."

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Nothing “Sneaky” In Oil Bill

Transport Minister Marc Garneau says there is nothing “sneaky” in executive powers sanctioned in a bill restricting Pacific oil tanker traffic. Bill C-48 An Act Respecting The Regulation Of Vessels allows cabinet to grant waivers to a tanker moratorium: "We're not going to be talking about sneakily trying to develop tanker traffic."

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Questions Over RCMP Union

An RCMP union already the subject of a 15-year court battle is mired in another legal quandary. Québec organizers say they may challenge a federal Act that does not give consideration to French-speaking Mounties: 'We just want to have a voice.'

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$35K For Homeowners’ Code

The National Research Council says introduction of a retroactive energy code in 2022 could cost homeowners up to $35,000. Enforcement will be up to provinces, researchers told the Senate energy committee: "I don't want to put fear in people's minds."

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MP Uneasy With “Machine”

A Liberal MP is uneasy with a federal proposal to give cabinet new powers to bypass public scrutiny in drafting regulations. A parliamentary committee was told the proposal is so broad it leaves Canadians at the mercy of “the machine”: "The machine always wins, and the citizen always loses."

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Defeat GST-Free Carbon Bill

MPs have rejected a bill to exempt the national carbon tax from the GST. One legislator estimated the treasury will collect more than a billion a year from the tax on tax: "That is a significant amount of additional GST revenue."

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Ask Senate To Delay Pot Bill

Conservatives are looking to the Senate to block or amend a cabinet bill repealing a ban on recreational marijuana. The Commons’ Liberal majority is expected to pass the legislation within days: "Quite frankly, it's a mess."

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MPs Examine $5B Rail Refit

The Commons transport committee will hold hearings to examine VIA Rail’s proposals for a multi-billion dollar refit. MPs approved a New Democrat motion to “conduct a study on Canada’s requirements for passenger rail services.”

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“Bananas On The Street”

Poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday: “I’ve heard humans and bananas share fifty percent of their genome…”

Bombardier Sues On Records

Bombardier Inc. is in Federal Court to block disclosure of taxpayers’ subsidies. Bombardier attorneys have waged a six-year campaign to withhold details of funding for the company under a now-disbanded Department of Industry program: "I was concerned then and I'm much more concerned today."

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MPs Ponder Death Of Crown Corp., Called ‘Absolute Mess’

MPs are questioning whether to wind up a Crown corporation so dysfunctional it failed three audits and fired its CEO. Members of the Commons public accounts committee yesterday cited “jaw-dropping” misconduct at the agency: "This is a Crown agency. Wow."

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MPs To Hold Steel Hearings

The Commons industry committee will vote to hold hearings on development of a national steel policy. Steelmakers blame cheap state-subsidized imports and weak procurement policies for Canada’s declining share of world production: "Is Canada going to be in steel?"

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MPs To Rewrite Spam Law

Anti-spam legislation has failed to combat malicious emails, MPs yesterday told hearings of the Commons industry committee. A statutory review of the 2014 law is expected to result in amendments: "Everybody has told us it is way too broad."

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Union Visits Too ‘Emotional’

The Federal Court of Appeal has ruled union organizers have no automatic right to hold jobsite walkthroughs or meetings during business hours. The ruling followed complaints from a Health Canada manager that discussion of union business made staff “emotional” and talkative.

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