Payments system ‘integral’ to Canadian economy, 24 billion payments worth $44-trillion made every year
The following is a speech Finance Minister Jim Flaherty gave at the 15th Payments Panorama Conference in Quebec City, Que., on June 8, 2012. The speech was edited for length and style. It was two years ago at this conference that I announced the appointment of Pat Meredith as Chair of the Task Force […]
Payment system operators violating Competition Act, says Commissioner Aitken
Current payment processing practices violate the Competition Act and should be changed to give merchants more choice and consumers fairer prices, but banks issuing credit cards with premiums and perks on them say it’s the cost of doing business. “Payment cards are a cheaper and a safer payment system than using cash, and the […]
Government’s food inspection overhaul ‘ambitious’ move, CFIA needs resources to deliver
The federal government quietly introduced legislation to overhaul Canada’s food inspection system in June, and while some organizations support the bill, they question whether the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will have the resources to effectively implement the legislation. “The legislation is good. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, but our concern is that they […]
Public policy consultation favours big business, not consumer groups: Whitehurst
Consumer interest groups in Canada are not adequately resourced or funded to allow Canadian consumers’ voices to be a meaningful player in government consultations over prospective policies, resulting in a “systemic issue” of imbalance between big business and everyday consumers at the consultation table, says the Consumers Council of Canada. “There actually needs to be […]
Household debt at all time high, but banking industry says it’s making prudent decisions
Low credit default rates reflect industry and consumer prudence, says the Canadian Bankers Association, but the federal government continues to urge consumers to curb borrowing as household indebtedness reaches all-time highs. Terry Campbell, president and CEO of the Canadian Bankers Association, said that his industry agrees with the federal government’s emphasis on curbing consumer borrowing, […]
Petro-politics heats up following Enbridge fine
Industry and government are looking to triple oilsands output by 2030, but environmental groups are raising concerns over the rapid expansion of the oilsands following a fine levelled against Enbridge last week. Despite assurances from industry, public concerns over the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline project peaked last week after the project’s proponent, Calgary-based Enbridge […]
Human-caused global warming: has the Harper government chosen denial over science?
SURREY, B.C.—It doesn’t take a climate scientist to realize that something is terribly wrong on the climate front. In Canada, as elsewhere, high temperature records are being broken, Arctic ice is melting at an alarming rate, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, the oceans are becoming more acidic, and insect infestation (once controlled […]
Fisheries Committee to issue final report on invasive species in the Great Lakes this fall
Conservative members of the House Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans are satisfied with their government’s efforts to address invasive species in the Great Lakes, but the Commissioner of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission warned the committee in June that the lakes now contain 185 non-native species. The committee began its study of invasive […]
House Environment Committee report calls for a national conservation plan
The House of Commons Committee on Environment and Sustainability is recommending the creation of a national conservation strategy following its latest study, but opposition committee members say that the report is another example of the Conservative government’s disregard for environmental law and scientific evidence. On June 28, the committee published a report entitled, “Study […]
Senate Energy, Environment Committee to release major report on Canada’s energy future this week
The Senate’s Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee will release a major report this week on Canada’s energy future, after three years of study, some 100 committee meetings and after hearing from more than 250 witnesses. The study will be released on July 19 in Ottawa. The report is the committee’s first substantial report […]
