Curbing auto theft is up to carmakers, says the Prime Minister’s former parliamentary secretary for border security. Liberal MP Peter Schiefke (Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Que.) yesterday told the Commons public safety committee the “onus is on the people making that car.”
Immigration Minister Marc Miller yesterday called Israeli military action in Gaza “the largest hostage taking in the world.” He made no mention of some 130 Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists: "We are all failing Gazans at this point."
Cabinet effective 11:30 pm Eastern last night reinstated mandatory visas for air passengers from Mexico. The change followed a dramatic rise in Mexican refugee claims: "They are significant and they have increased dramatically in the last year or two."
Two Chinese-Canadian scientists fired by the Public Health Agency kept secret contacts with Beijing and maintained a Chinese bank account, documents show. Cabinet yesterday disclosed a 614-page report confirming the husband and wife given top clearance at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg were security risks: 'Asked what she would so if approached by the Chinese government, Ms. Qiu responded, ‘Well, it depends.'
Treasury Board President Anita Anand yesterday said ArriveCan contracts “did not cross my desk” when she was Minister of Public Works responsible for federal contracting. Anand’s remarks came as the Commons outvoted Liberal MPs 170 to 149 for full disclosure of ArriveCan costs: "Did you know about any of this?"
The Freedom Convoy posed a “risk of serious violence” that justified emergency measures, says Attorney General Arif Virani. His remarks came five weeks after a federal judge ruled use of the Emergencies Act against peaceful demonstrators was unjustified and unlawful: "There was a risk of serious violence."
A federal Taxpayer Bill Of Rights is not in fact a bill and does not convey any rights, says a Tax Court judge. The Court recommended cabinet rename it to avoid confusion: "It would probably be better if the document were given a different name."
Fewer immigrants are applying for citizenship despite record immigration, new data show. Statistics Canada yesterday said it was at a loss to explain a 30-point drop in citizenship rates: "At this point the reasons are not well known."
Evidence in Federal Court details the practice of account churning at Canadian banks by employees paid on commission. Parliament outlawed the practice in 2018: "This was fundamentally dishonest."
The RCMP yesterday acknowledged it never interviewed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or had access to secret cabinet records before dismissing obstruction charges in the SNC-Lavalin Group scandal. The admission came under questioning at the Commons ethics committee: "We still don’t know to this day all the information that is out there."
The ongoing federal bailout of money-losing news corporations perpetuates media failure, journalists yesterday told Commons heritage committee. Soliciting and pocketing subsidies has only damaged newsrooms’ credibility, witnesses said: "Lobbying for government money and accepting it does little to enhance confidence."
The Commons yesterday by a unanimous 318-0 vote gave Second Reading to a bill banning replacement workers in the federally regulated private sector. One MP noted the bill if passed has little chance of coming into force before the next election: "Tabling it and passing it are two different things."
Cabinet does not want to subsidize “smaller apartments that are maybe not suitable for everybody,” a Department of Finance executive said yesterday. A GST break for builders subsidizes all new rental housing regardless of price: 'Any limit like $500,000 would favour smaller apartments that are maybe not suitable for everybody.'
Immigration Minister Marc Miller yesterday named two colleges he accused of “unacceptable” recruitment of foreign students. Miller complained of 982,880 foreigners granted federal study permits nationwide too many were jumping immigration queues by claiming asylum: "You have the Conestoga’s, the Seneca’s of the world."
Conservative MP Kelly McCauley (Edmonton West) yesterday without fanfare obtained a rare House order compelling two reluctant ArriveCan witnesses to testify or be taken into custody. The two partners in GC Strategies Inc. have 21 days to surrender: "The Sergeant-at-Arms shall take Kristian Firth, Darren Anthony or both of them into his custody."
