The Canada Revenue Agency has a legal right to pocket interest owed on pre-payment of disputed tax assessments, says a federal judge. The ruling came on appeal by an Alberta businessman who lost more than $160,000 worth of interest kept by the tax department: "This is a normal right of the taxpayer".
Regulators must eliminate “mind-boggling” barriers to interprovincial trade, says the Senate banking committee. The panel yesterday proposed a 2017 deadline to boost trade between provinces, including one recommendation that drew protest from the Canadian Labour Congress: 'These barriers are ludicrous'.
An appeals court has approved a first-ever trial on whether government-regulated casinos owe a duty of care in cases of gambling addiction. A judge likened casino corporations to barkeepers who “enjoy large profit margins” from customers who drink and drive: 'More may be expected when an individual is out of control'.
The finance department won’t commit to regulating bank fees more than a year after promising to abolish charges for mailing monthly statements. The previous Conservative cabinet in 2015 had vowed to abolish paper statement fees but never amended the Bank Act: "We are paying close attention".
RCMP management has a right to run the police force without negotiating every aspect of operations with unionized members, says Commissioner Bob Paulson. “What is so sinister about having someone in charge of something?” Paulson said; “I just don’t get it.”
A hunter who landed in a constitutional quagmire after shooting a polar bear has won acquittal in court. Government attorneys disputed whether the bear fell under federal or provincial jurisdiction when it ran onto sea ice off the Labrador coast: "Only in Canada".
Clients give the National Research Council mixed reviews four years after the agency was pitched as a “concierge” for industry. A customer survey obtained through Access To Information cited complaints the Council is slow, costly and poorly managed: "Speed it up".
Pay equity legislation for federally-regulated firms with as few as 15 employees would be a burden to small business, says an industry group. A Commons special committee has urged the law be enacted by 2018: "We'll get another level of bureaucracy".
Removing a Criminal Code ban on single sports betting would reap millions for provinces, cabinet has been told. Two provinces pleaded for repeal of the ban, according to newly-released Access To Information records. MPs are scheduled to debate repeal this Thursday: "It represents millions of dollars annually that could be used to bolster our provincial economies".
A federal judge will review a decision by regulators to allow airline ticket sales by unlicensed companies. A passengers' advocate was granted go-ahead from the Court of Appeal to challenge the ruling of the Canadian Transportation Agency: "What if they cancel flights? Who is held liable?"
Cabinet has won a three-year Federal Court challenge by one of the nation’s largest tire manufacturers over a toxic additive. A judge dismissed an appeal by Goodyear Canada Inc. under the Environmental Protection Act: "It is not the role of the Court to resolve disputes among scientists".
Chemical manufacturers will pay 30 percent of Health Canada costs to review new pesticides under a formalized fee schedule. The department has said full cost-recovery would be a “disincentive” to manufacturers: "Costs have gone up".
Poet Shai Ben-Shalom, an Israeli-born biologist, examines current events in the Blacklock’s tradition each and every Sunday: “Rogers promotes its new 4K network; four times the resolution of a high-definition TV. Imagine…”
Parliament must legislate pay equity for more than 1.3 million Canadian workers within 18 months, says a Commons committee. Cabinet immediately distanced itself from the recommendation, saying a bill was no “silver bullet” to resolving inequity: “It’s difficult to say”.
The health department has quietly dismissed a Senate report that it exclude lobbyists from influencing its benchmark Canada Food Guide. A senior official said consultations with industry “stakeholders” are already underway. Health Canada yesterday declined comment.
