Government Corruption
A Commons committee yesterday acknowledged the Chinese Communist Party operated “police service stations” in Canada. Critics had ridiculed the suggestion “so-called Chinese police stations” were spying on local communities in three cities.
“To date no individuals have been arrested or had their diplomatic credentials removed in relation to the overseas police service stations,” wrote the Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations. The committee in a report to Parliament noted the police stations were the subject of an ongoing RCMP investigation and formal diplomatic protests to the Chinese Ambassador.
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Read MoreMPs have called in federal auditors to determine how and why $8 million was spent on a solar-powered warehouse at Rideau Hall. Members of the Commons public accounts committee called the expense extraordinary.
“We have record numbers of Canadians who are accessing food banks,” said Conservative MP Kelly McCauley (Edmonton West). “We’ve got people struggling with mortgage rates. To have $8 million on a luxury barn needs to be looked into so we can put a stop to this practice.”
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Read MoreThe federal Phoenix Pay System failure has cost taxpayers $3.5 billion and counting, the highest figure disclosed to date. The expense was reported to the Commons government operations committee.
“In terms of the overall cost, I think the estimates are still underway,” testified Arianne Reza, deputy public works minister. “You have seen the numbers we spent.”
“Last we heard it was $2.3 billion,” said New Democrat MP Gord Johns (Courtenay-Alberni, B.C.). “This is eight years in. Liberals have carried forward with this outsourcing privatization scheme.”
“How much has it cost us to date?” asked MP Johns. “The total investment in Phoenix to da
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Read MoreMPs on the Commons government operations committee yesterday were unable to identify who awarded a sweetheart contract to an ArriveCan consultant. They asked 32 times. “Nobody wants to take responsibility,” said Conservative MP Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.).
“While everything is broken nobody ever takes responsibility,” said MP Genuis. No official with the Canada Border Services Agency that awarded the contract has admitted to contacting the company.
MPs are investigating whistleblowers’ complaints over an $8.9 million ArriveCan sole-sourced contract to GC Strategies of Woodlawn, Ont., a two-man company operating from a private home. Evidence showed GC Strategies pocketed an undisclosed commission worth up to 30 percent or $2.7 million then assigned all work to subcontractors.
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Read MoreCabinet yesterday reneged on a 2022 vote pact with New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh. A written promise to pass pharmacare legislation by December 31 will not be met, said ministers.
Cabinet in a Notice Of Ways And Means Motion omitted all mention of pharmacare. Thirteen days remain on the House calendar before Parliament adjourns for Christmas.
Liberals in a 2022 Supply And Confidence Agreement promised New Democrats that in exchange for maintaining cabinet in power for three years they would be “passing a Canada Pharmacare Act by the end of 2023.” Government House Leader Karina Gould yesterday told reporters the commitment would not be met.
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Read MoreGoogle has agreed to pay approximately $74 million to Canadian news publishers for using their content, marking a significant shift in the tech giant’s approach to content compensation after a standoff resulted in the internet giant almost cutting off news in the country.
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Read MoreAfter the Soviet Union invaded Estonia and imposed socialism, living standards in Estonia plummeted—particularly compared to neighbouring Finland.
Estonia and Finland share much in common including geography and natural resources. And the two countries might have shared the same economic fate. But after the Second World War, while Finland continued to have a modestly market-oriented economy, Estonia was absorbed by the Soviet Union.
The effects of Soviet policies on Estonian living standards were profound.
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Read More‘Organizations mentioned the need for government funds dedicated to creators and journalists from Indigenous, racialized and religious minority communities in the media,’ reads the Heritage Department report.
The Canadian Department of Heritage is advising that Indigenous, Muslim, Black or LGBT identifying journalists be federally funded up to $45,000 per year to promote “diversity.”
According to a report titled Changing Narratives Fund Report On Consultations, published November 28 by Blacklock’s Reporter, the Department of Canadian Heritage has recommended that the Cabinet directly give individual reporters a salary of $45,000 annually.
“Organizations mentioned the need for government funds dedicated to creators and journalists from Indigenous, racialized and religious minority communities in the media,” said the report. “Funding should be stable and targeted.”
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Read MoreSources report that Benjamin Alldritt was placed on leave after his charge but later resumed his duties in an increased role following the resolution of the case. He was quoted in various media outlets as an NDP caucus spokesperson in April 2021 and assumed the role of Director of Communications the following year, marking a promotion.
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Read MoreIn the first week of a month-long petition calling for a vote of non-confidence, an electronic petition has already received over 100,000 signatures from Canadians.
This petition, initiated by Melissa Outwater from Peterborough, Ont., calls for a vote of no confidence and a federal election within 45 days should the vote pass. The petition is sponsored by Michelle Ferreri, the Conservative member of Parliament for Peterborough—Kawartha.
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