Health Canada must adopt a “bill of rights” for naturopathic medicine, says an award-winning actor who has sued the department over the Food And Drugs Act. Nick Mancuso said federal regulations requiring tests of natural food products that make medicinal claims are arbitrary and harmful: "We have the right to heal our bodies as we wish".
Industry Canada is being panned over an “unambitious” scheme to promote broadband hook-ups nationwide, including rural subscribers. Analysts said announced investments fall far short of earlier promises of internet service from coast to coast: "This is not a very efficient way to use funds".
Eight years into a smoking ban in federal prisons, the Correctional Service of Canada is renewing a contract for hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of Nicorette gum for inmates. The service declined comment on the contract to supply the nicotine-laced chewing gum: "No one is contesting that second-hand smoke is harmful".
Telecom firms are being summoned by the federal broadcast regulator to justify fees charged customers for paper invoicing. The action by the CRTC follows years of consumer complaints: "If you can't get your bill out how else do you expect to have it paid?"
Bombardier Inc. is suing the federal government to withhold details of funding it received under a contentious program disbanded as overly secretive. The Montréal-based conglomerate is asking a federal judge to prohibit the release of confidential funding under Technology Partnerships Canada: "Taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being managed".
A federal board in a “novel” motion is asking a federal judge to abolish copyright on data received from a licensed contractor. The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board seeks a Federal Court order striking ownership of millions of dollars’ worth of marine seismic mapping: "This would be a tremendous blow to the energy industry".
A federal board has ordered Netflix to pay royalties to Canadian composers and artists whose music is featured in film and TV programs broadcast via the internet. The Canadian Copyright Board set a 1.9 percent revenue tariff on Netflix to compensate creators: "Why am I taking a 90% cut in royalties compared to the guy sitting in San Diego?"
Canada Border Services Agency promises to improve security assessments following a critical audit. Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney said border guards and RCMP will do better after being faulted for a lookout system that saw some 15% of fugitives and high-risk travelers evade scrutiny: "It's a little late".
One of the largest professional organizations in the country is being cited for unfair treatment of an applicant taking a management exam. Ontario Divisional Court upheld a complaint from a hopeful accountant who protested he was denied due process by the professional standards group: 'Where livelihood is at stake a high standard of justice is required'.
One in six Canadians has replaced a credit or debit card in the past year due to fraud, according to new research. A study by a debt counselling agency identified 17% of Canadians surveyed said they’d had to destroy a card due to a security breach: "All of a sudden they have your data".
The Supreme Court may have to weigh if cuts at the hockey-less CBC breach federal law, says Canada’s languages commissioner. Graham Fraser said the Crown broadcaster is mandated by the Official Languages Act to maintain French-language programming: 'The CBC has responsibilities'.
Canadians remain sharply divided over cabinet’s promotion of oil pipeline expansion, according to in-house research by the Department of Natural Resources. Authorities spent nearly $300,000 on polling and focus group research on the topic in the past six months: "The main concerns about pipelines tended to be oil spills".
RCMP kept secret Cold War surveillance on Canadians who visited Cuba, Germany and other destinations deemed suspicious in the 1950s and ‘60s, according to newly-released Ottawa archives. The files detail a spy network of informants and police operatives who kept tabs on a La Presse editor, a CBC producer and a committee led by a future Canadian premier: “What was the purpose of it?”
Canada should introduce more rigorous standards on drinking water to monitor chemicals and industrial releases, says an environmental group. Ecojustice reported Canada fails to regulate scores of contaminants deemed a health risk in other countries: "It's the municipalities that will have to fork over the money".
Naturopaths have lost a Federal Court bid to strike down Health Canada regulations on natural food products that make medicinal claims. Advocates asked a judge to find that federal rules on vitamins and dietary food supplements are unconstitutional: "You're going to need a prescription to buy vitamin C -- that's where we're headed".
