The federal Court Challenges Program yesterday said it funded Supreme Court intervenors in support of the carbon tax in the name of “human rights.” The Program refused to say which pro-tax advocacy group received a taxpayers’ grant to speak in favour of the federal tax on fuel: "We will not be making additional information available."
Transparency in federal spending “reached a new low” under ex-finance minister Chrystia Freeland, the Budget Office said yesterday. Analysts expressed anger over concealment of financial accounts that confirmed dramatic overruns in deficit spending: "Was there any political pressure?"
New Democrats favour a review of a decades-old treaty that restricts illegal immigrants in the United States from filing refugee claims in Canada, Party leader Jagmeet Singh said yesterday. New enforcement measures against 10,990,000 illegal immigrants in the U.S. were “really scary,” he said: "It's really sad for folks in the States right now."
The Hill Times, Canada’s most heavily subsidized weekly, yesterday likened the election of a Conservative Parliament in 2025 to the “beginning of Nazi authoritarianism.” The newspaper earlier criticized Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre for opposing subsidies to newsrooms like the Hill Times: "All we need is a Reichstag fire for our rights to be suspended and to never return to democracy without a fight."
A federal program paid intervenors to take the federal government’s side in a 2021 Supreme Court of Canada challenge of the carbon tax, records show. The Court Challenges Program yesterday would not discuss subsidies paid to advocacy groups to argue in favour of cabinet's fuel tax: "“It is no simple matter to tinker with the Constitution."
Cabinet may not “go ahead with the consumer carbon price,” Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said yesterday. He called the carbon tax "very unpopular." The rate will jump an average 20 percent effective April 1 to 21¢ per litre for gasoline: "What went wrong?"
Canadians will have to mind their brand of ketchup if U.S. President Donald Trump starts a tariff war, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday. Trudeau invoked a decade-old blacklist of American imports to be targeted with retaliatory tariffs including ketchup: "French’s was still using Canadian tomatoes."
Parliament cannot remain shuttered for another nine weeks while Canada is threatened with a trade war, Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre said yesterday. Parliament is prorogued until March 24 at the Prime Minister’s request: "Canada has never been so weak."
Secret complaints prompted a Canada Revenue Agency audit of one of Canada’s leading Jewish charities, according to Access To Information records. The Jewish National Fund, a registered charity since 1967, was stripped of its tax status last August 10: 'Complaints tainted the audit.'
U.S. President Donald Trump last night said 25 percent tariffs will be imposed on Canada February 1. His comments came after signing an Executive Order to investigate “persistent annual trade deficits” like Canada’s $100 billion-a year net surplus on cross-border trade: "Canada's a very bad abuser."
The passport office continually fails to meet its own service standards despite doubling the number of employees, says a Service Canada briefing note. Management blamed mysterious "system outages."
TikTok promotes teen-oriented videos to encourage young Canadians to rely on the Chinese app “as their primary source of ‘unbiased news,’” says a federal affidavit sworn by national security analysts. The Intelligence Assessment Secretariat of the Privy Council called it a long term strategy to “influence future leaders.”
Shared Service Canada, the federal IT department, counted more than 300 employee conflicts of interest last year, says a cabinet briefing note. The disclosure follows testimony by one public servant that it's “fairly common” for federal employees to moonlight as contractors: "What informed your perception that many government employees run side hustle businesses?"
Fewer Canadians support decriminalization of cocaine and other narcotics following a failed experiment in British Columbia, says a Department of Health report. Researchers confirmed a majority of the public believe decriminalization perpetuates dangerous drug use: 'It increased five points.'
Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.) yesterday praised cabinet as being “careful with Canada’s money” under her four-year tenure as finance minister. Freeland five weeks ago tabled budget records confirming her last deficit went 55 percent over target: "These bread and butter issues are more important today than ever."
