Blacklock's Reporter

When Idle No More protestors shut down the country’s main rail line and besieged the Prime Minister’s Office, Canadians were heard to mutter: Why can’t we solve Indigenous issues? Author Christopher Alcantara finds one answer in Negotiating The Deal, a step-by-step recounting of the maddening process that passed for land claim settlements. It was not really a process at all, and more of a game to drive mice crazy.

Alcantara documents a made-in-Canada fiasco called In All Fairness, the system developed by Parliament to settle claims by Indigenous people who never signed colonial treaties but lived here for millennia and clearly had legitimate demands. Only in 1973 did the Supreme Court recognize such claims, prompting then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau to marvel: “Perhaps you had more legal rights than we thought.”

Suspending a $3.7 billion Google tax opposed by U.S. President Donald Trump was not a giveaway, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said yesterday. LeBlanc denied cabinet made concessions to the White House, saying cabinet acted in the best interest of the nation: "I don’t think I’ve called them concessions. I’ve called them decisions."

Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault yesterday said his agency will try to stop misplacing ballot boxes. MPs on the House affairs committee questioned numerous irregularities in the April 28 election including 822 mail-in ballots that went uncounted in Coquitlam, B.C.: "A ballot box got lost. How can that possibly happen?”

High schoolers have the “ability to form analytically-sound independent decisions” and should be allowed to vote, Senator Marilou McPhedran (Man.) yesterday told the Upper House. Senators adjourned debate on a bill sponsored by McPhedran to give the federal ballot to 16-year olds: "It is scientific fact."

Costs of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s increase to defence spending will be detailed soon, the Budget Office has told MPs. Expenses would be on top of this year’s estimated deficit of $68.5 billion: 'It's more than what Trudeau forecast.'

The union representing Coast Guard employees says members never signed up “to become militarized.” The Union of Canadian Transportation Employees yesterday told MPs it had no warning prior to cabinet’s decision to transfer control of the Coast Guard from the fisheries department to the Department of National Defence: "Can you imagine the surprise?"

Interim Budget Officer Jason Jacques last night likened federal spending to reckless driving on a narrow road. Testifying at the Senate national finance committee, Jacques said troubles facing taxpayers are unlike anything he’d seen in 30 years: "We are not sure what will happen."

Legal immigrants say Canada has let in too many immigrants, says in-house Privy Council research. Foreigners in focus groups rejected cabinet claims that record high immigration quotas were required to ease labour shortages: "Several felt differently."

Public Works Minister Joel Lightbound yesterday told Canada Post management to “cut the fat.” His remarks followed cabinet’s approval of deep service cuts to mail delivery: "Come back with savings, efficiencies."

An internal federal complaint line intended to stem whistleblower leaks to media drew few calls, Access To Information records show. The Department of Immigration was the first to encourage employees to raise anonymous grievances internally instead of contacting reporters: "Media are likely to learn of the new dissent channel."

The Senate yesterday unanimously passed a bill proclaiming each September Ukrainian Heritage Month. Senators called it a tribute to 1.3 million citizens of Ukrainian ancestry at home and kin at war abroad: "Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is check my WhatsApp to see if my family there has survived the night."

The Privy Council only days before Prime Minister Mark Carney called an election polled Canadians’ support for an energy boycott of the United States, records show. Focus group respondents said cabinet should do what it took to protect the nation's sovereignty: "They were presented with a list of actions that could potentially be taken by the Government of Canada."

The Mounties from 1955 kept a blacklist of Canadian addresses designated as “potential hideouts” for traveling Communists, declassified records show. The list included homes, cabins, motels, fishing lodges, farms and trailer parks in seven provinces, and was updated annually for years: 'We have noticed Communists visiting out of the way places to spend vacation.'

Labour Minister Patty Hajdu faces Commons human resources committee questioning over cabinet’s unprecedented use of the Canada Labour Code to quash lawful strikes, an issue currently before the Federal Court. One Liberal MP called hearings a political ploy to embarrass the government: "This is a hot issue right now and everybody is talking about it."

The Canada Border Services Agency for years at a time intercepted only a handful of stolen vehicles at the nation’s largest port, records show. Agency managers admitted they had no idea how many vehicles were exported by thieves: "There are areas for improvement."