Industry Minister James Moore says Canada’s largest telecom firms might gain “unhealthy” influence if not for limits on corporate campaign contributions. Corporations are forbidden from financing any political party under the Canada Elections Act: 'It would be unhealthy'.
The Fraser Institute reports Canada suffers less “economic freedom” than destinations like Hong Kong and Singapore, though one has no minimum wage and the other relies on horse racing for billions in tax revenue: "We don't measure policies that may be 'good' or 'bad.'"
Department of National Defence budgeting for armoured vehicles is “unwise” in an age of guerrilla warfare, say military analysts. Two think-tanks proposed that cabinet scrap a program to buy up to 30 battlefield vehicles suitable for the "symmetrical wars" of yesteryear, they said.
Parks Canada paid more than $94,000 to the CBC and put an icebreaker at the network's disposal for “excellent" coverage of a Parks Canada story by anchorman Peter Mansbridge and other staff, documents show. Parks Canada confirmed the payments. CBC management declined interviews.
Wine doesn't have to be 100% Canadian to qualify for 100% domestic tax exemption under a Department of Finance rule, a federal judge has decided. A vintner persuaded the court its wine is purely Canadian for tax purposes though it's sweetened with syrup imported from Poland: "Ridiculous."
In a further sign of an economic slowdown, new data show Canadian job-seekers are competing for fewer vacancies. In one province, Ontario, the rate grew by more than a quarter: "While there's fewer job vacancies overall, the number of unemployed has not changed much."
Fish and other marine life are responding to global warming with uncommonly high rates of migration to colder water, research shows. Analysis of historical data indicate climate-inspired movement is underway: “We are seeing changes in Canadian waters.”
A contentious Conservative labour bill returns to the Senate Oct. 16 after Tory dissenters blocked its passage. Bill C-377, which compels unions to publish confidential data, is now back where it started in the Senate: "We'll see how that goes."
A political round-table of wireless industry stakeholders convened amid complaints Canada is the "Third World" of telecom regulation. It follows a cabinet order restricting big telecom firms from expanding their 80% share of bandwidth.
Health Canada proposes to mandate “kill” warnings on chemicals linked to bee deaths. The department concluded particular insecticides are affecting the environment and should be subject to tightened regulation: "The new rules are doable."
Federal researchers have rallied against funding cuts and purported censoring of scientists at Environment Canada, the National Research Council and other agencies. Investigators are probing complaints of a research gag: "Change comes from basic science."
Cabinet gets a poor reception as a communicator despite spending $10 million in TV ads to promote its 2013 budget. A confidential Department of Finance survey found most Canadians couldn't recall the ads, or had vague memories of seeing a maple leaf and hearing the word "jobs".
The Canadian Coast Guard is reviewing its costs in advance of an anticipated hike in 2014 service fees for commercial shippers. Fee revenues now total $40 million a year: "The Coast Guard has not been a model of efficiency."
Canada Revenue has won a ka-pow judgment against a cartoonist assessed a 10% penalty for repeatedly underreporting his taxable income. Auditors cited a Toronto animator who claimed a "simple oversight" when he failed to declare $55,702 in earnings: "The 10% penalty is devastating."
Factory, foundry and mill work continues to flatten with manufacturing jobs remaining below 10 percent of the national payroll, according to government analysts: "Companies don’t want to invest a lot in human capital when there is uncertainty out there."
