Nearly half of Canadians surveyed distrust the federal government to “make good decisions in the public interest,” according to in-house Privy Council research. The study documented growing public skepticism: "On the whole, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way democracy works in Canada?" READ MORE
Federal agencies have warned a mass attack targeting Canadian Jews may occur in coming months, the Senate human rights committee was told yesterday. Senators did not question the testimony: "This is not theoretical." READ MORE
Communities targeted by public disorder have “lost confidence” in police, prosecutors and the courts, Toronto’s Deputy Chief of Police yesterday told the Senate human rights committee. The testimony followed complaints of repeated, violent attacks on Jews: 'When a Jewish school is shot at, social damage resonates widely.' READ MORE
Cabinet has no plans to update a federal grant program for schoolchildren that's been unchanged for decades, says a report by the Department of Social Development. It follows complaints the Canada Education Savings Grant hasn’t kept pace with costs: "This is a way to help our grandchildren given that parents are struggling to make ends meet." READ MORE
Taxpayers face Olympic-sized debts from hosting FIFA Men’s World Cup matches in Vancouver and Toronto, the Budget Office said yesterday. Thirteen games scheduled through June and July will cost the equivalent of $82 million apiece: "Federal support will be $473 million with the remainder of $593 million funded by other levels of government." READ MORE
The Department of Foreign Affairs spent more than $32 million on an iceberg-themed pavilion at the Osaka World Fair, records show. Expenses included $164,279 for questionnaires and $50,000 on "creative concept options" even as Prime Minister Mark Carney appealed to Canadians to make sacrifices: "We won’t play games." READ MORE
Statistics Canada yesterday said it’s revising how it calculates inflation for its benchmark Consumer Price Index but wouldn’t discuss what changes are contemplated. The agency in the past has removed or added check-out items to reflect changing spending patterns, it said: 'The Index can only reflect changes in consumer expenditures when basket weights are updated.' READ MORE
Martial arts have been part of my life since I was a schoolboy, and it’s made me a better MP. It taught me patience and discipline. I closed my studio on winning election to Parliament in 2011, but the discipline is with me every day: Focus, try to avoid inflammatory language, step back when angry, and always maintain a posture that is fair and open. While I may fail — and I often do — I remember that success in martial arts, like life, is more about being willing to try again, no matter how many times it takes.
