Forgot To Check For Results

A federal agency that spent $37.8 million last year to lower greenhouse gas emissions did not keep track of whether it cut emissions or not, says an internal report. Auditors complained of a lack of focus at the Clean Energy Innovation Research Centre: "Emissions are not consistently measured." READ MORE

Feds Cost Thousands Of Jobs

Policies enacted by two successive immigration ministers cost thousands of Canadian students' jobs, says a federal memo. The Department of Employment for the first time admitted an 18 percent jobless rate for Canadian students was due to “large numbers” of foreign students, contradicting earlier claims by Ministers Sean Fraser and Marc Miller: "Labour market outcomes have been worsening for youth since early 2023." READ MORE

Agency Confirms Ballot Error

Hundreds of voters abroad were improperly registered to cast ballots in the 2025 federal campaign, according to Access To Information records. Elections Canada did not say what if any impact irregularities had, though results were close in four ridings that went to judicial recount: "We will take necessary steps to ensure that automated preventive measures are in place before the next election." READ MORE

Libertarians Off Fed Ballot

Elections Canada has stripped the Libertarian Party of its federal registration for failing to meet a filing deadline. The Party’s leader said he was quitting political life: "It has been a very frustrating experience on my part." READ MORE

Ottawa Lost: A PM’s Refuge

Alexander Mackenzie, Canada’s first Liberal prime minister, lived near Parliament Hill in a beautiful Gothic Revival home.  He was an honest, thrifty fellow who helped transform the country yet could not stand parliamentary life. “Politics is very low,” he wrote. Today the house is gone and forgotten, just like Mackenzie. READ MORE

Book Review: System Failure

If mushrooms killed or hospitalized 10,700 Canadians every year MPs would order committee hearings and mushroom regulations would fly like confetti. Now replace the world “mushroom” with “traffic” and consider the fact accidents claim 10,700 casualties every year. This does not include 150,000 minor injuries. Parliament for years has not enacted a single new traffic safety initiative. A bill that would have required installation of side guards on heavy trucks, C-344 An Act To Amend The Motor Vehicle Safety Act, died in the Commons in 2011. Ontario’s chief coroner said it would have saved bicyclists and pedestrians from being dragged to their deaths. Author Neil Arason attempts to bring the country to its senses. No Accident is a compelling, plain-spoken appeal for what at first glance seems an incredible goal: to eliminate virtually all traffic fatalities. READ MORE

Guest Commentary

Kim Campbell

Don’t Push Those Buttons

We all have buttons you can push. In Canada the regional buttons are there to be pushed. But the problem is once you push the buttons what are you left with? Are you left with a configuration of people who can solve problems? Or are you left with simply a fragmentation of power and the people who’ve been angry and said, “We’re going to show you.” Our time in government had been very tumultuous. We were in a recession, the economy wasn’t growing. There were just a lot of things happening, and people were mad. And who do you take it out on? You take it out on the government.