Government Corruption
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the opportunity to talk to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) troops stationed on a NATO mission in Latvia to lecture them about his government’s actions on fighting climate change and disinformation.
Trudeau was in the Eastern European nation ahead of the NATO Leaders’ Summit in Lithuania where allied forces will gather to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other pressing geopolitical issues.
…
Read MoreTwo Khalistani protesters were arrested after clashes broke out between pro-India and anti-India groups during a rally held in front of the Indian Consulate in Toronto on Saturday.
Violence broke out as 250 Khalistani supporters were confronted by a pro-India rally held at the same time. Toronto Police were forced to get involved by putting up barricades. One protester allegedly breached the barricade and was quickly arrested by police.
…
Read MoreIndian flag desecrated during Pro-#Khalistan protest outside Indian consulate in #Toronto
…
Read MoreAs NATO leaders meet this week in Vilnius, the alliance is faced with profound geostrategic challenges — primarily from Russia and China. These challenges amount to the greatest test to NATO since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Amidst this backdrop, we have seen profound shifts within the alliance.
…
Read MoreGermany has thrown out 83 million doses of coronavirus vaccines at a rough cost of €1.6 billion and has 120 million more doses sitting unused in stock, even as it is set to receive more jabs at a time when vaccination has flatlined.
According to data provided by the country’s health ministry, Germany scrapped 54 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by the end of 2022 and another 29 million in the first quarter of 2023.
However, the real tally is likely to be higher. The ministry didn’t provide waste figures for the second quarter of this year and also stressed that federal states and health care providers aren’t required to report vaccine waste. “Accordingly, a total volume of total disposed COVID-19 vaccine doses acquired by the Federal Republic of Germany cannot be quantified,” it said in an email to POLITICO.
…
Read MoreAn important and definitive “mainstream” government study done nearly a decade ago got little attention because the science came down on the wrong side. It found that after decades and billions of dollars spent promoting flu shots for the elderly, the mass vaccination program did not result in saving lives. In fact, the death rate among the elderly increased substantially.
The authors of the study admitted a bias going into the study. Here was the history as described to me: Public health experts long assumed flu shots were effective in the elderly. But, paradoxically, all the studies done failed to demonstrate a benefit. Instead of considering that they, the experts, could be wrong–instead of believing the scientific data–the public health experts assumed the studies were wrong. After all, flu shots have to work, right?
…
Read MoreThree times as many Department of Employment staff were investigated as were reported fired for defrauding pandemic relief programs, says a federal briefing note. The disclosure follows confirmation of widespread fraud investigations at the Canada Revenue Agency.
“We know in times of crisis the risk of fraud is heightened,” said the February 8 note Protecting The Integrity Of ESDC Programs. “The department has robust analytics capabilities that have been actively monitoring and identifying cases of potential fraud in our systems since the launch of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.”
The department last February 2 disclosed 49 employees were fired for posing as jobless taxpayers in claiming $2,000 Emergency Response Benefit cheques. “These employees will be required to pay back the funds,” said the note.
…
Read MoreMore than a quarter of Atlantic startups that receive federal subsidies fail within five years, says a federal briefing note. The disclosure follows a 2020 audit that faulted the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency for failing to conduct risk assessments on companies applying for taxpayers’ aid.
“The business survival rate for Agency-assisted startups is 73 percent,” said the briefing note Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Management said it compared favourably to a 33 percent survival rate “for unassisted firms after the crucial fifth year following startup.”
Subsidies averaged $230,135 in grants and loans per successful applicant, said the November 30 note. “On average each year the Agency assisted 971 businesses,” it said.
…
Read MoreSnooping by public employees is the worst kind of privacy breach, a Commissioner has ruled. The warning came in the case of an employee of the Town of Hafford, Sask. caught browsing through property records.
“My office views employee snooping files as the most egregious type of privacy breaches,” wrote Saskatchewan Privacy Commissioner Ronald Kruzeniski. “This is because the breach did not occur accidentally or through employee error. Employee snooping is an intentional act. Even worse is when an employee snoops and uses the information for potential personal gain.”
The Town of Hafford, population 400 northwest of Saskatoon, confirmed in a January 25 letter it caught an unnamed employee pulling property records for no apparent reason. “The incident was a result of employee snooping,” wrote the Town. “The employee confirmed they did not keep copies and will not use the information.”
…
Read More