MPs yesterday said they doubted whether taxpayers will ever see repayment of billions in emergency loans for the post office. Cabinet in 13 months awarded a total $2.04 billion in credits to maintain mail deliveries: "Taxpayers are not going to see that money." READ MORE
A cabinet proposal for regional high speed rail is “sexy” but expensive, the CEO of the Crown corporation responsible for the venture yesterday testified. Martin Imbleau acknowledged taxpayers were “suspicious and skeptical.” READ MORE
The fisheries department yesterday said it’s assessing whether to raise a proposed $10 fee on boaters to finance national clean-up of abandoned and wrecked vessels. Enforcement by 2028 is “likely,” it said. READ MORE
Former prime minister Brian Mulroney personally petitioned the Liberal cabinet to approve full combat benefits for Canadian veterans of the Persian Gulf War, newly-disclosed Access To Information records show. Cabinet dismissed the appeal: "They must not now be forgotten." READ MORE
Cabinet will send taxpayers’ aid to Cuba, the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. The pledge came as Cuba’s Ambassador to Canada said fuel and food shortages had ground the island to a standstill: 'It's important to be there for the people.' READ MORE
The Persian Gulf War rates as a “smaller, less costly conflict” that doesn’t warrant inscription on the National War Memorial, according to Access To Information records from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Recognition has been sought by Canadian veterans of the war that ended 35 years ago this week: "They did lobby." READ MORE
Cabinet will “bring more order” to labour relations at Canadian ports, Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon said yesterday. His remarks followed a succession of cabinet orders quashing legal strikes by port workers: "Canada must urgently solve this." READ MORE
In small-town Saskatchewan in those days if your parents didn’t own a farm or a business where you might work there were few choices, actually. One was to join the RCMP. Another was to join the military. The third option was to get a job in a bank, so that’s what I did. I started off as a ledger keeper and finally got promoted as teller. Banking was very different then. You basically took people’s money, looked after it, and if you did lend it was only to customers with a huge amount of collateral.
