‘They have interfered with the privileges of Parliament’: Foreign Affairs Committee calls on Global Affairs to provide non-redacted documents
MPs are once again calling for government documents requested by a House committee to not be blacked out in advance. For its study on arms exports, MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee supported a motion to have Global Affairs submit documents on behalf of itself, the office of the foreign affairs minister, the Prime Minister’s […]
New contract for freelance interpreters slated for April release
New contract terms for federal freelance interpreters will be published in April, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada. Contract terms proposed by the department last year led the International Association of Conference Interpreters’ (AIIC) Canadian branch to raise the alarm, with rep Nicole Gagnon, who herself works as a freelance interpreter on Parliament Hill, […]
Drug use isn’t an issue ‘we can arrest ourselves out of,’ says Senator Boniface
Drug use is not an issue “we can arrest ourselves out of,” says Ontario ISG Senator Gwen Boniface, who recently tabled a public bill aimed in part at decriminalizing the possession of illegal substances for personal use, echoing comments she heard from a front-line officer as part of her efforts on the file. Spurred on […]
Fight to save proposed Line 5 shutdown needs Team Canada approach, provinces say
Three provincial energy ministers are urging the federal government to intervene in a legal dispute between the state of Michigan and Enbridge Inc. and “keep all options on the table” to avoid the threatened shutdown of the Line 5 pipeline. The representatives for Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan told a parliamentary committee Tuesday there would be […]
Canadians should take whichever vaccine is offered to them first, says Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians should be prepared to take the COVID-19 vaccine that is offered to them first amid renewed concerns about the potential risks associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine for certain age groups. “The bottom line for Canadians is the right vaccine for you to take is the very first vaccine that […]
Rodriguez defends move to block political-staffer summons, says PMO aide ‘not involved’ in WE Charity approval
Government House Leader Pablo Rodriguez defended his choice to order political staffers not to appear before parliamentary committees studying two Liberal-related scandals, asserting that “nothing new” was coming out of the ongoing study into WE Charity. Mr. Rodriguez (Honoré-Mercier, Que.) told the House Ethics Committee on Sunday that he would appear instead of Rick Theis, […]
Facebook Canada suggests it reserves right to ‘exit the market’ if faced with ‘unworkable’ bill on paying for news
A Facebook Canada executive says he’s “confident” the federal government can create a workable legislative framework that supports local news publishers and holds tech giants to account, while suggesting the company may reserve the right to “exit the market” if forced to adapt to untenable regulations. Testifying before the House Heritage Committee on Monday, Kevin […]
Crunch coming for Liberals’ stacked legislative agenda
The Liberal government has loaded up the House of Commons with legislation, and 39 business days—or less—in which to debate and pass it before MPs break for the summer. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) has repeatedly denied that he wants an election any time soon, and so has NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, […]
Inside Grit caucus: Trudeau ‘emphatic’ no spring election unless opposition parties trigger one, say Liberal MPs
Barring a major surprise from opposition parties, a potential spring election is now off the table on the upcoming budget because of the spread of COVID variants in Canada, the slow and sluggish vaccination rollout, and the possibility of a third wave hitting Canada in the coming weeks, according to last week’s national Liberal caucus […]
Following ‘scathing’ AG report, Canadians still looking for answers about pandemic preparedness, says MP, experts
The federal government’s public health system was “substantially poorly prepared for a global pandemic”—and the government has to tell Canadians why early alerts surrounding COVID-19 weren’t issued, says NDP MP Don Davies, his party’s health critic, after the auditor general released a report last week. A closer examination of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s […]
