Billions of dollars budgeted for 9/11 security were never spent for their intended purpose and cannot be traced, says the auditor general. Michael Ferguson warned, despite the investment, Canada still appears ill-prepared for cyber threats with a Response Centre that keeps shorter hours than a fire hall.
The Department of Finance is repealing tariffs on water skis and trampolines in a “healthy living” campaign. Authorities also promised tax relief for archers, curlers and trapshooting enthusiasts. The amusement tariff cuts were detailed for the first time in a budget bill tabled in Parliament.
Reliability of the nation’s search and rescue service is threatened by aging aircraft, deficient computer systems and looming personnel shortages, says the auditor general. Defence Minister Peter McKay told the Commons, "We have to do more."
An RCMP officer is going to Federal Court after being demoted for throwing a pair of mittens. The Commissioner ruled the Mountie violated “core values” when he tossed the mittens in an argument with his estranged wife eleven years ago. The case comes as Parliament debates a bill granting the Commissioner new powers to discipline members.
Cabinet has repealed a policy blamed for costing thousands of Canadian entertainment jobs under its contentious Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The repeal follows other complaints the program was abused in the banking and mining sectors. Data show most foreign workers are from the Philippines, Mexico and the United States.
Legislation in the Senate to register all Canadians using medical devices is cumbersome and ineffective, say manufacturers. But a patients’ rights group says Parliament “has to take responsibility” for product safety. Some 1.4 million devices from pacemakers to oxygen tanks are currently sold in Canada.
The Department of Justice admits it used misleading data to promote a crime bill targeting the mentally ill. “The research changed,” a department official told Blacklock’s. Attorney General Rob Nicholson cited the inflated figures in proposing a new criminal category: high-risk mentally ill who commit "brutal" crimes.
Raises in municipal police salaries are prompting fears of future layoffs as MPs examine the cost of keeping the nation’s streets safe. A federal agency forecasts police budgets will cost a record $17 billion within two years. "Don't price yourself out of a job," one Conservative MP told police.
The advocacy group Bad Science Watch is lobbying regulators to stop licensing homeopathic vaccine "alternatives" called nosodes. Federal policy allows the sale of "non-specific" homeopathic mixtures without evidence they're effective. Neither Health Canada nor the Canadian Society of Homeopaths would take Blacklock's calls.
Canada’s centuries-old seal hunt is being compared to asbestos mining as a doomed industry. “The secret is out,” said Ontario Liberal Senator Mac Harb; “It is over.” The Senate adopted a report advocating a cull of 73,000 grey seals in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. Senators also recommended Canada develop Asian markets for seal products as pet food, and include seal oil in the Canada Food Guide.
A unique study has concluded over-fished species are more resilient than previously thought, but delaying remedies reduces the likelihood of recovery. The research spanned 153 species worldwide: "It should provide good incentive to take strong action even if politicians don't want to do it."
Federal inspectors confirm detectable amounts of a drug unfit for human consumption were discovered in ground beef sold in Quebec. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it did not warrant a consumer recall. The latest incident came as cabinet extended a probe into the biggest beef recall in Canadian history.
A federal agency has issued an unusual gunfire warning to mariners plying the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River system. Shippers were told to beware of gunshots, firecrackers and "crackling rockets" near Montreal as hydro crews battle nests of cormorants.
A bill to create a national day for Pope John Paul II is a step closer to becoming law. The measure passed the Commons heritage committee following an appeal from its Polish-born sponsor: "It's not meant for Catholics, it's not meant for the Polish -- it's meant for all Canadians."
Canada is counting on the U.S. for help in a catastrophic oil spill, says the coast guard. Scrutiny of emergency planning follows a federal report that criticized preparedness for a tanker spill on the Pacific or Atlantic coasts: "What do we have in place? Do you think it is adequate?"
