Police will see more drug-impaired drivers if cabinet legalizes marijuana, says a secret Department of Justice memo. Cabinet has promised a bill within a year to decriminalize cannabis for the first time since 1923: "There is no legal limit for drugs".
CMHC is budgeting $3.5 million on a “branding” campaign after 70 years in business as a Crown insurer. The spending appeared a waste of money amid ongoing shortages in affordable housing, said one MP: "I see firsthand the way CMHC has let down communities".
Cabinet opposes passage of Canada’s first DNA anti-discrimination bill despite all-party support in the House and Senate. Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould yesterday said the bill as written is probably unconstitutional: 'We have some concerns'.
The finance department in a secret memo says information is lacking on how a federal carbon tax will impact Canadians, but cautions the “tax would cascade throughout the economy.” Cabinet proposes to tax greenhouse gas emissions beginning in 2018: “Markets do not function as predicted by simple economic theory”.
Aquaculture sales rebounded 23 percent last year, new federal data show. The figures followed Senate committee complaints of cumbersome regulations on fish farm operators: "We are so far behind".
Cabinet has issued a protective order for nesting grounds of an endangered seabird near an offshore oil and gas field. Environment Canada said the federal order should not affect industry: "I do worry".
The cash-strapped Canadian Coast Guard is appealing for private icebreakers to aid its aging fleet. The notice followed cabinet complaints of breakdowns that compromised service: “That is not the way to run a billion-dollar corporation".
Canada could become a preferred destination for climate change refugees, says a government think-tank. Officials in a policy statement described the prospect as an economic opportunity for the nation: "It's pretty bizarre, really".
MPs fear cabinet will amend a DNA anti-discrimination bill despite unanimous support on Second Reading in the Commons. Supporters expressed alarm the bill would be rewritten to protect insurers: "We have started to hear rumours the government may have reservations about this bill".
A bill to rewrite the national anthem faces serious opposition in the Senate after speeding through the House of Commons. Revising the anthem with gender neutral lyrics is “tinkering with history”, said Senator Nicole Eaton (Conservative-Ont.): "Let’s not tamper with iconic pieces of our historic past".
Cabinet is promising answers on whether it contemplates cuts to Crown pension plans. The finance department in 2014 began drafting proposals to strip retirees' benefits to save costs: "You see a trend to moving away from defined contributions to targeted benefits as a cost-cutting measure".
Federal agencies in the past year have charged taxpayers nearly a quarter-million dollars in penalties for failing to pay their phone and cable bills on time. Late fees at the CBC cost nearly $12,000. The government’s IT department billed more than ten times as much.
The finance department in a secret memo warns Canadians will see less take-home pay and fewer jobs with a planned 20 percent increase in Canada Pension Plan premiums. The “negative impacts” will last for years, the memo said: 'It will reduce workers’ take-home pay and increase employers’ wage bills'.
Senators are questioning a cabinet bill that allows automakers to negotiate out-of-court settlements for selling defective vehicles. The Department of Transport could not name a single criminal prosecution of any automaker in Canada, including cases linked to deaths and injuries: "There has to be a fail-safe here for the protection of consumers".
Cabinet within weeks will outline new proposals on employers’ use of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, says Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk. Migrant hirings fell 23 percent last year following curbs on permits: "It's very close".
