A Supreme Court ruling likely dooms a Commons bill that would disqualify unilingual lawyers from appointment, analysts say. Legal scholars said the Nadon ruling makes it clear MPs cannot arbitrarily change the rules for Supreme Court nominees: "How can you have a federal institution that is not bilingual?"
Whistleblowers who face reprisals for exposing government wrongdoing deserve greater protection, says the sponsor of a reform bill. MP Mathieu Ravignat cited the case of an employee fired for disclosing payment of bonuses to Employment Insurance managers who achieved quotas on benefit cuts: 'The law is not sufficient'.
Railways facing new regulations say private grain brokers must take their share of blame for delays in deliveries. The finger-pointing came as Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz accused industry across the transport sector of holding growers hostage, he said: "Come with your cheque books".
Maritime fisheries are plotting new marketing schemes amid dramatic declines in exports to Europe, the world’s largest buyer of fish and seafood. Newly-released figures show sales to the E.U. are down in every province but New Brunswick: "We are all negligent".
There is no evidence federal radiofrequency limits endanger public health, concludes a Royal Society of Canada panel. The finding commissioned by Health Canada followed public complaints of illness caused by wireless: "It doesn't surprise me".
The Bank of Canada is trying to recover a fortune in funds held in trust that it mistakenly paid out to an unnamed charity. The central bank declined to say if any employees had been fired. Authorities refused an interview but provided details to Blacklock's on condition that all questions and answers be exchanged in writing: "We can't address this publicly".
Cabinet won't say how much it proposes to charge employers who abuse the Temporary Foreign Worker program. The Department of Employment would not disclose details of penalties proposed in an omnibus budget bill: "It is going to have to serve as a deterrent".
Transport Canada is accused of a “sneaky” bid to conceal new rail regulations from municipalities and the public. Caucus members said they were never told of the repeal of a federal law requiring 90 days’ advance public notice of key regulatory changes: "It's sneaky".
The Supreme Court in a 7-0 decision has ruled federal employees are subject to provincial law in workers' compensation claims. The judgment came in the case of a national park warden who argued he was unfairly denied benefits under narrow terms of Alberta law: 'Benefits will vary from province to province'.
Canadians today begin paying among the highest postal rates in the world with the price of a domestic letter stamp now double what it cost in 1994. The $200 million rate increase will sharply impact independent businesses and charities, critics said: 'We are not an unlimited pot of money'.
An amendment in a rail reform bill is being cited as the most far-reaching development in shipping since the privatization of Canadian National Railways. Bill C-30 would give shippers in one part of the country more options to choose between rival railways: "We believe in the marketplace".
MPs are expected to vote tomorrow to kill an anti-corruption bill compelling Canadian energy companies to disclose all payments to foreign governments. The private Liberal bill mirrors U.S. law: "I wish not to be discouraged but I am".
In a secretive move critics likened to a court-packing scheme, cabinet proposes to put every major federal tribunal under its direct supervision. The plan includes special measures to strip a federal labour board and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal of their autonomy: "Independence is now lost to cabinet's puppet".
The Commons is expressing all-party support for a bill to tighten recalls of prescription drugs amid the influence of Big Pharma lobbyists who “infest Parliament Hill”, says the legislation’s sponsor: "They have power and influence".
The first federally-licensed medical marijuana farms are in business effective midnight tonight under a Health Canada privatization scheme. The department warns patients with expiring permits to grow their own must destroy their plants or face police: "Health Canada is monitoring the market closely".
