Gov’t Quietly Tests Digital ID

Cabinet has quietly begun testing digital ID apps on an experimental basis, says a Department of Employment briefing note. It repeated assurances that no mandatory national ID system was contemplated, a measure long opposed by Canadians "distrustful of public institutions." READ MORE

Feds Create Jobs In Michigan

A portion of Canadian tolls on the Gordie Howe International Bridge at Windsor, Ont. will now be used to create jobs in Michigan, Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged yesterday. What was good for Michigan “is also good for Canada,” he said. READ MORE

Spied On Campus “Marxists”

Newly-declassified records show the RCMP spied on 1970s anti-apartheid groups in Canada including the Toronto chapter of Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress. Police in secret memos described participants as campus activists with a “Marxist perspective.” READ MORE

NDPer Sorry For Photograph

A New Democrat photographed while smiling pleasantly with the Israeli Ambassador yesterday said he felt compelled to apologize to supporters over “the immense hurt” he caused. Federal Party leader Avi Lewis did not comment, but earlier said New Democrats must beware of an “incredibly active” Jewish lobby. READ MORE

House Starts Falling: CMHC

Housing starts are on track to fall below 2025 levels and remain nowhere near targeted construction rates needed to restore affordability, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation figures confirmed yesterday. Data follow in-house research indicating Canadian are skeptical of federal promises on housing: "It would take a long time for actions taken by the federal government on this front to begin to produce tangible results." READ MORE

Backlash Over Gaming Ads

A large majority of Canadians, 80 percent, call sports betting ads a threat to youth, says in-house research by the Department of Canadian Heritage. A third say they are convinced bribery and match manipulation now occur in professional sports: "Sports betting ads are widely viewed as a threat." READ MORE

Judge Rejects Tax Challenge

A federal judge yesterday dismissed a legal challenge of a contentious policy that sees the Canada Revenue Agency enforce tax changes before they become law. The Federal Court offered sympathy but no satisfaction for tax filers stung by a 2025 mix-up over capital gains: "This makes no sense at all." READ MORE

Guest Commentary

Tom Kmiec

Democracy Won And Lost

We hold sacred the right to vote. The first ballot cast by my brother and I was discussed around the dining room table. We talked about whether a government was good or bad. My parents cherished those conversations because we were free to have them. This shaped my family’s outlook on life. We were taught that Poles lost democracy because they did not cherish freedom enough. When it comes to democracy, there’s a difference between theory and practice.