The Canada Border Services Agency yesterday served notice of a new program to train officers to board fugitive vessels in Canadian waters. Managers did not specify whether the initiative was prompted by U.S. complaints of lax security at the border: "Officers are required at times to board vessels which are underway."
The New Democrats’ lone MP east of Ontario has sponsored a petition to boycott all trade with Israel. Québec MP Alexandre Boulerice (centre) earlier described Israel as a “boot crushing a human face.”
Millions paid to a British Columbia First Nation to recover suspected children’s graves at an Indian Residential School were instead budgeted for publicists and consultants, documents show. The Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations attempted to conceal the financial records under the Access To Information Act: "We are not seeking to intervene in this matter but are trying to understand."
Chrystia Freeland’s last budget as finance minister was rated by Canadians as “mediocre,” “unfocused” and “smoke and mirrors,” says in-house focus group research by the Department of Finance. Pollsters hired by the department said taxpayers, especially older Canadians, were upset by unchecked deficit spending: "Words used to describe the budget included ‘insufficient,’ ‘mediocre,’ ‘meh.'"
Cabinet’s promise of $250 pre-election cheques is dead, says Public Works Minister Jean-Yves Duclos. Speaking as the Prime Minister’s “Québec lieutenant,” he said the $4.7 billion giveaway was now untimely: "We have concerns."
Cabinet has extended a $1,034,000,000 line of credit to the post office. The loan is to “maintain its solvency and ensure it can continue its operations,” the Department of Public Works wrote in a terse notice: "The corporation must be put on a path to viability."
Many Ukrainian war refugees will likely remain in Canada permanently, Immigration Minister Marc Miller told reporters Friday. Miller said Canada had “limited capacity” though only a third of 962,612 war refugees granted permission to enter Canada landed here: "I am not sending them back to Ukraine as long as the war continues."
Poet Shai Ben-Shalom writes:: “The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis. A black-and-white photo shows Jesse Jackson reading the Chicago Daily Defender…”
Genevieve Fuji Johnson, a political scientist, spied the land for democracy. Not the raucous democracy of Parliament, but the beautiful democracy envisioned by ancient Greeks. Her search ended badly. The result is this crisp and engaging book. There is nothing like disillusionment to inspire compelling non-fiction.
“Deliberative democracy is a rich ideal,” writes Fuji Johnson, associate professor at Simon Fraser University. “It invokes a democratic system of governance in which citizens actively exchange ideas, engage in debate and create laws responsive to their interests and aspirations.”
“Ideal” is the key word here. Many Canadians think of democracy as the right to dissent and be left alone. Democratic Illusion went in search of something finer.
Liberal leadership candidate Karina Gould yesterday said she opposes her cabinet’s proposed $17.4 billion increase in capital gains taxes. The Burlington, Ont. MP did not explain why she voted for the measure seven months ago as Government House Leader: "I don’t think we got the capital gains tax increase right."
An anti-Israel advocacy group says it forced CBC-TV to issue a correction over whether the bombing of Gaza was "genocide." The incident followed thousands of complaints alleging biased coverage at the Crown broadcaster: "Such an admission by our public broadcaster is rare."
Attorney General Arif Virani yesterday confirmed cabinet will file an intervenor’s brief in a landmark Supreme Court case on government powers versus religious freedom. The Court agreed to hear appeals of a 2019 Québec law that restricts public display of religious symbols by public employees on duty including Muslim hijabs or Sikh turbans: "That will have an impact right across the country."
Canada will “definitely be looking at those words” after U.S. President Donald Trump said NATO member countries should more than double their rates of defence spending. Canada currently spends proportionately only slightly more than Luxembourg and Slovenia on military preparedness: "Is that realistic?"
The Canada Revenue Agency yesterday said it will extend a deadline on 2024 tax credits for charitable donors to February 28. Charities nationwide had complained a work stoppage at the post office before Christmas disrupted contributions at their busiest time of year: "The Agency is confirming."
Homeless people should not sleep in city parks, Housing Minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith said yesterday. Sleeping on sidewalks was also unacceptable, he told reporters: "I’ve got two young kids."
