Not enough data on election misinformation, say experts, as critics warn of government censorship
While a government amendment to its struck-down election misinformation law is one solution put forward, some MPs say want more in terms of study into how to combat false claims during election campaigns. On May 4, Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull (Whitby, Ont.) put forward a motion for the Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) to […]
National security threats ‘greater than ever,’ Canada must ‘step up its game,’ says PM’s adviser
As Canada grapples with increasing threats from state and non-state actors, pandemics, and accelerating climate change, Canada’s national security and intelligence community “needs to evolve, and it needs to adapt,” says Vincent Rigby, national security and intelligence adviser to the prime minister. “The world is at an inflection point. It’s experiencing seismic political and economic […]
Working group struck to review Red Chamber’s opaque environmental policy
A new group of four Senators will be working this summer to review and make recommendations to update the Red Chamber’s almost 30-year-old environmental policy, an internal document first adopted in 1993 about which little is apparently publicly known. “There is a need for every organization to show commitment to and leadership on sustainability, and […]
Senator’s ‘good faith’ journalism royalties bill flawed, say media watchdogs
A Senate public bill aims to give royalties to journalistic organizations that see their work disseminated on digital platforms, but detractors point to issues with its implementation that could impair its ability to help. In the lead-up to Bill S-225, Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault (Laurier–Sainte-Marie, Que.) said he would table legislation to ensure huge […]
Feds seek approval for another $24-billion in spending for 2021-22
The first supplementary estimates of the year were tabled on May 27, outlining another $41.2-billion in federal spending, of which $24-billion requires approval from Parliament. Employment and Social Development Canada is set to get the biggest boost, with almost $12.9-billion in additional statutory and voted funding set out, bringing the department to $95.3-billion so far […]
Canada hopes for a bolstered G7 in a post-Trump world
With G7 leaders heading to England for their first meeting in nearly two years, the Canadian government is hoping the group has renewed importance in showcasing the value of the rules-based order at a time of growing authoritarianism around the world. The leaders of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, and […]
‘Brutal, cowardly, and brazen act of violence’: MPs, leaders demand action after four members of Muslim family killed in what police are treating as a hate-motivated crime in London, Ont.
Politicians uniformly condemned the “terrorist attack” in London, Ont., that killed four members of a Muslim family, with one Liberal MP reflecting on the “desperately bad place” the country and community is now in. Father to seven- and 10-year-old boys, Liberal MP Arif Virani (Parkdale-High Park, Ont.) said he felt shocked, outraged, fear, and “frustration […]
Union demands ‘transparency’ on quarantine hotel program after women, racialized workers let go amid pandemic
A British Columbia hotel tapped by the federal government to serve as a COVID-19 quarantine site came under scrutiny Monday, with critics saying the hotel laying off a mainly female and racialized workforce amid the pandemic calls into question Ottawa’s feminist bonafides. Michelle Travis of Unite Here, a hospitality workers union, told the House Health […]
Foreign victims should have right to sue Canadian companies, urges human rights group
A human rights group is calling on Canada’s political leaders to give victims of human rights abuses abroad the right to sue Canadian companies implicated in the wrongdoing, in Canadian courtrooms. The Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability (CNCA) released draft legislation last week that it hopes lawmakers will adopt and pass through Parliament in the […]
Politicos predict a September federal election, but if not, expect October 2023
Barring a fourth wave of COVID-19 hitting Canada in the coming weeks, the August-October window is the optimal time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to pull the plug and try to win a majority government, say political insiders, pollsters, and Liberal MPs. If the Liberals can’t capitalize on this opportunity, then the next election may […]
