Jul 29 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — A week after the U.S. government surprised many by announcing the land border with Canada would remain closed for the time being, the exact reasons for that decision remain shrouded in secrecy. Not even American members of Congress have been given a detailed explanation for the decision. New York State Rep. Brian Higgins said the […]
Jul 21 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — The U.S. land border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Aug. 21, according to a renewal order issued by the American government Wednesday. In a notice pre-published in the U.S. Federal Register, the government says while vaccination rates have improved, opening the land border to non-essential travel still poses too high a […]
Jul 20 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — Report warns extreme right-wing activity could rise as lockdown restrictions are lowered. Online activity by right-wing extremists in Canada rose last year during the pandemic, despite efforts by governments and social media companies to curb extremism and hate speech, according to a new report. The report also found that right-wing extremists in Canada are being […]
Jul 12 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals successfully blocked an opposition bid Monday to force one of the party’s chief campaign strategists to testify about IT contracts paid for out of the taxpayer-funded budgets of Liberal MPs. After dragging out a two-hour ethics committee meeting for more than five hours, Liberal MP Brenda Shanahan abruptly moved to […]
Jul 8 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — The former deputy prime minister who negotiated the NEXUS trusted traveller program with the United States says the Canadian government should ask the U.S. to examine the way the program’s rules are being enforced. John Manley said he was surprised to learn of how many NEXUS cards held by Canadians have been revoked by American […]
Jul 7 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — American authorities have revoked the NEXUS trusted traveller cards of thousands of Canadians over the past five years — more than three times the number revoked by Canadian officials, CBC News has learned. And experts say that if a Canadian’s NEXUS card is revoked by American officials, it’s difficult to appeal the decision or get […]
Jun 10 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — A House of Commons committee is proposing a sweeping series of reforms to the way the federal government makes decisions on contracts after releasing a report on the WE Charity scandal. Among the nearly two dozen recommendations in its 116-page report, tabled today, the standing committee on access to information, privacy and ethics is calling […]
Jun 7 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to drive an increase in immigration fraud and human smuggling as desperate migrants try to get into Canada, says a strategic intelligence report prepared by the Canada Border Service Agency. The report warns that economic downturns and increased poverty abroad caused by the pandemic will prompt more people to resort […]
May 25 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — A recent Federal Court decision could make it more difficult for Canadian government officials to cancel someone’s NEXUS trusted-traveller card for a minor infraction. Federal Court Justice John Norris ruled late last month that revoking a Montreal man’s membership in the NEXUS trusted traveller program for neglecting to declare some of the cash he was […]
May 14 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — The past year saw lobbyists set a record for the number of contacts with official Ottawa as they tried to influence how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government spent billions of dollars on pandemic aid, Canada’s lobbying commissioner said Friday. Testifying before members of the House of Commons ethics committee on her annual budget, Nancy Bélanger […]
May 13 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — He served for more than three decades with the armed forces reserves and cadets. He was an honorary colonel of an air force wing and an honorary aide-de-camp to one of Quebec’s lieutenant governors. Now, Jean-Charles Perreault has been stripped of one of the military’s highest honours after it was discovered that he had been […]
May 7 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — Affidavit was filed in connection with defamation suit against political strategist Warren Kinsella. People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier once discounted NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s chances of winning a seat in the House of Commons by saying he’d “never get elected with that rag on his head,” according to an affidavit filed recently in […]
May 6 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — Canada Revenue Agency officials are being “outgunned” by “tax giants” when it comes to cracking down on offshore tax cheats, the head of the union representing CRA auditors told members of Parliament Thursday. Debi Daviau, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), said her members are passionate about their jobs […]
Apr 14 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — Opposition critics are calling on Canada to follow the lead of countries like the United States and Australia by making work-related purchases of COVID-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) tax-deductible. Conservative revenue critic Philip Lawrence said making PPE tax-deductible would relieve the financial pressure on low-income workers who have to protect themselves on the job. “I […]
Apr 12 2021 — Elizabeth Thompson — CBC — A troubled Canadian military reserve unit failed to promptly address hateful conduct by two of its members who were associating with far-right extremist organizations, according to a military investigation report obtained by CBC News. It also found that the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (4CRPG) failed to be proactive in dealing with unit members associating […]