Veterans’ groups are protesting a cabinet plan to honour War of 1812 casualties in the nation’s most revered hall of remembrance for war dead. Canadian veterans of the Vietnam War, who are disqualified from a similar tribute, said the decision smacked of a double standard: "I don't understand this".
An Arctic grocers’ subsidy is undergoing a promised review to find if discounts are benefiting consumers. The Department of Northern Affairs yesterday said it will contract a claims processor to randomly check subsidy payments: "The objective of the program is to pass the subsidy on".
A federal employee mistakenly paid thousands of dollars in bonuses must return the money though it took the government seven years to notice the error, a tribunal has ruled. The dispute followed automatic payments to a former Department of Veterans Affairs manager of financial benefits: "It was most unfortunate".
MPs say they are unable to reach a consensus on a report citing the perils of marijuana. Health Canada’s own surveys show many Canadians are ambivalent about cannabis use: "It was no longer seen as a substance that only the ‘druggies’ use".
A minor change in Health Canada label regulations that was 10 years in the making is being hailed by health advocates. The department says it will clarify which oat products can be promoted as gluten-free: "It sounds like a tiny distinction but it is actually significant".
Friends Of Canadian Broadcasting has settled a copyright claim after republishing media news content without the owners’ permission or licensing agreement. The advocacy group claimed “fair dealing” under the Copyright Act in freely publishing paywalled news on its website: “Reporters deserve to be paid for their work”.
The full Senate is taking up Bill C-377 for the first time since a failed bid by the Conservative majority to limit debate on private bills. Current rules permit any filibuster of the contentious bill that would force all unions to disclose confidential data: "Once you force a vote, the majority will win every time".
Cabinet in a financial first will abolish monthly fees charged by banks to issue paper statements to customers. Finance Minister Joe Oliver yesterday promised the consumers' initiative. Oliver’s department could not say the last time a Canadian cabinet forced repeal of any bank service fee: "Stay tuned".
The Government of Canada will not collect and store photos and fingerprints of citizens, authorities promise. The pledge comes as lawmakers review amendments sanctioning the largest fingerprint database in Canadian history: "I could care less about the people that aren't breaking the law".
Federal regulators should consider a cull of fish-eating birds to preserve wild stocks of Atlantic salmon, the Commons fisheries committee has been told. A Nova Scotia conservation group said a cull of cormorants should be investigated: "Canada has to do better".
Cabinet is widening a legal battle over whether Senate vacancies must be filled by the Prime Minister. The government is appealing a Federal Court ruling that the case proceed after federal attorneys argued the claim was frivolous: ‘Can the Senate wither away into nothingness?’
A contentious bill to compel unions to disclose confidential information is being challenged on a legislative technicality. Liberal and Conservative critics said C-377 will cost taxpayers millions of dollars, violating the scope of private bills: "Does Parliament have the right to do this?"
The fisheries department privately warned of “high” environmental risks from made-in-the-lab salmon despite public assurances, documents reveal. The disclosures were made in court documents filed in a federal lawsuit by two environmental groups: "It is incredibly frustrating to see this being kept from public view".
Pipeline corporations are praising a cabinet bill that caps the industry’s liability at $1 billion in case of an oil spill. However executives of the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association contradicted each other on whether the coverage would actually cover costs of an eco-disaster: "Call it a worst-case scenario".
The federal Student Loan Program has lost a bid to force repayment of thousands in debts from a jobless graduate. The ruling in a Saskatchewan court allowed a bankrupt student with a Bachelor of Arts degree to avoid $33,870 in federal loans: "I am not satisfied she obtained a benefit from her education".
