A defence department campaign to recruit more women will take years to reach its targets, the Commons defence committee was told yesterday. Female focus groups uncovered strong negative views of military life: 'We're not seeing much progress.'
The Commons has given quick Second Reading to a jurors’ aid bill co-sponsored by Conservatives, Liberals and New Democrats. The bill followed agonizing committee testimony from jurors who attended murder trials: "You don't know what you're getting into."
Records on costly construction and design defects in newly-opened Parliament buildings run to more than 100,000 pages, says the Department of Public Works. MPs and senators complain of numerous errors, from doors that don’t open to sound systems that don’t amplify. Renovations cost more than $1.1 billion to date: “We are looking for at least five years to process a request that is over 100,000 pages.”
The Department of Agriculture spent more than $200,000 on focus group tests of Twitter ads including a gag on cow burps, accounts show. Researchers stressed the importance of “fun facts” about farm science: "I really like the cow burps."
The Senate energy committee has voted to hold cross-country hearings on a federal rewrite of oil and gas regulations. One Senator proposed lawmakers “go and see the devastation” from Alberta industry: "That would be new information that I would like to look at."
Hockey Hall of Famer Eric Lindros yesterday told MPs that body-checking should be banned in minor hockey under age 15. Hockey Canada permits checking by players as young as 13: "Why are we starting to hit when not everyone has gone through puberty?"
A labour board has upheld the firing of a federal employee who went on leave for seven years. Managers cannot wait indefinitely for staff to return to work, said the Public Sector Labour Relations & Employment Board: "The employer was under no duty to do anything more."
The Commons heritage committee yesterday endorsed a bill to create a new federal statutory holiday, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples Day. The Canadian Labour Congress earlier noted the country has comparatively fewer holidays than other nations: 'We're honouring survivors."
Federal carbon tax rebates should be income tested, the Canadian Public Health Association said yesterday. Taxpayers rich or poor will receive identical rebate cheques this year in four provinces without a carbon tax: 'It is a wasted rebate for people that don't need it.'
The Commons ethics committee yesterday voted to summon Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould for questioning over cabinet's plan to monitor foreign and domestic “disinformation” this election year. Gould on January 30 announced surveillance of Facebook posts, online news coverage and editorials: "The government seems to have announced it on the fly."
Parliament could cut 1 in 4 federal regulations without any impact on Canadians’ health or safety, business advocates yesterday told the Commons industry committee. A 2015 red tape reduction bill was “too narrow and needs to be expanded”, said the Canadian Federation of Independent Business: "The system rewards regulators for being regulation makers."
Liberal and New Democrat MPs yesterday proposed Parliament create a Special Committee on Animal Rights. The proposal followed testimony at the Commons justice committee on a cruel practice called trunking: "We can see a government piece of legislation that implements much broader reforms."
Cabinet yesterday introduced a bill to appoint a Commissioner of Indigenous Languages. Ancient languages and dialects are most common on the Prairies, where the number of Cree speakers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan outnumber francophones by 69 percent: "We should have done it before."
A Public Health Agency of Canada panel recommends municipalities talk to their lawyers before fluoridating the water supply. Mandatory fluoridation “raises ethical concerns” though it’s been commonplace in Canada since 1945, said a report: "The legal validity of such a policy is a distinct question."
Cabinet in an Access To Information memo has cautioned a $15,000-a week federal panel reviewing the Broadcasting Act to “avoid any real or perceived conflict of interest”. Four of seven panelists are current or former lobbyists.
