Draft legislation introduced by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is designed to address soaring housing and grocery costs. Among other things, Bill C-56 as tabled September 21 would remove the federal portion of the Goods & Services Tax to incent construction of new rental housing and amend the Competition Act to address corporate concentration and its effect on the grocery sector.
Cameron Ortis, the former director general of the RCMP’s National Intelligence Co-ordination Centre accused of providing secrets to unauthorized persons, plans a is planning a constitutional challenge. The Public Prosecution Service has confirmed that Ortis’ lawyers will argue that a Security of Information Act section on communication about special operations violates his Charter rights.
Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton announced today that he is resigning to accept a job in the private sector. The third member of Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet to quit this month, McNaughton said his departure is unrelated to property development scandal which resulted in the resignations of the Housing and Public & Business Service ministers.
The Guantanamo Bay trial of one accused in the September 2011 terrorist attacks in the U.S. has been suspended after a military psychiatrist told the court that Ramzi bin al-Shibh is “unable to understand the nature of the proceedings against him or cooperate intelligently.” He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, associated psychotic features and a delusional disorder
Canada reportedly amassed domestic and foreign intelligence during a months-long investigation of the killing last June of a B.C. Sikh activist branded a “terrorist” by India. Prime Minister Trudeau’s suggestion that India was involved set off a diplomatic row but his National Security & Intelligence Adviser was in India in August and again this month ahead of the PM’s meeting with his Indian counterpart during which Trudeau shared his concerns.
A long-awaited report on the prospect of an Alberta pension plan says the province is entitled to have $334 billion in assets transferred from the Canada Pension Plan in 2027. The report released by Premier Danielle Smith states that the province’s contributions to CPP are disproportionately high compared with what Albertans’ benefits but that has been challenged.
Faced with the October 30 expiry of a federal firearms amnesty, a gun lobby plans to seek a Federal Court injunction February 22 on grounds that many owners worry about the prospect of being labelled criminals if they don’t comply. The federal cabinet directive initially issued in 2020, and since extended, reclassified as prohibited a number of common military-style firearms and while owners can still possess them, the directive prohibits transfer of ownership.
When it was noted by a moderator at a UN Climate Ambition Summit September 20 that Canada remains a major fossil fuel source, Prime Minister Trudeau replied that Canada is on track to address the industry’s methane emissions. Draft regulations due before year’s end would allow Canada to meet or exceed its goal of a 75% reduction from 2012 levels by 2030.
The opposition-controlled South Korean parliament has passed an unprecedented but non-binding motion for the country’s president to fire Prime Minister Han Duck-soo for having “consistently demonstrated incompetence, inaction and irresponsibility.”
Five Bulgarians accused of spying for Russia are scheduled to appear in a London courtroom September 26. Arrested after a police investigation, they are alleged to have worked for Russian security services by, among other things, conducting operations in the UK and Europe.
