May 3 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The latest report from the federal auditor general urges Veterans Affairs to get a grip on its medical marijuana program for injured ex-soldiers, which is expected to cost taxpayers a startling $25 million this year. Michael Ferguson says it's just one of the programs where the federal government has critical data available to it that's […]
May 3 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — They were there to talk about foreign policy and defence, but three former political heavyweights ended up giving the Trudeau government some unsolicited advice on leadership and trade issues. John Manley, a Liberal former deputy prime minister, Jean Charest, the ex-Liberal premier of Quebec, and Bob Rae, a former NDP premier and interim federal Liberal […]
May 3 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — They were there to talk about foreign policy and defence, but three former political heavyweights ended up giving the Trudeau government some unsolicited advice on leadership and trade issues. John Manley, a Liberal former deputy prime minister, Jean Charest, the ex-Liberal premier of Quebec, and Bob Rae, a former NDP premier and interim federal Liberal […]
May 2 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The Trudeau government is drafting a letter of assurance it hopes will end a class-action lawsuit by Afghan veterans angry about a 10-year-old overhaul of their benefits and entitlements. The legal challenge, which became a lightning rod under the Conservative government, was put in abeyance over a year ago in the B.C. Supreme Court, where it was filed on behalf […]
May 2 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The Trudeau government is drafting a letter of assurance it hopes will end a class-action lawsuit by Afghan veterans angry about a 10-year-old overhaul of their benefits and entitlements. The legal challenge, which became a lightning rod under the Conservative government, was put in abeyance over a year ago in the B.C. Supreme Court, where it was filed on behalf […]
Apr 29 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The Trudeau Liberals may have promised to exclude the F-35 from the competition to replace the air force's aging CF-18 jet fighters, but federal officials meeting the day after last fall's election were singing a completely different tune, documents reveal. The records, obtained by The Canadian Press, show top Industry Canada bureaucrats met on Oct. 20 and […]
Apr 29 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The Trudeau Liberals may have promised to exclude the F-35 from the competition to replace the air force's aging CF-18 jet fighters, but federal officials meeting the day after last fall's election were singing a completely different tune, documents reveal. The records, obtained by The Canadian Press, show top Industry Canada bureaucrats met on Oct. 20 and […]
Apr 28 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — A retired admiral is telling the Trudeau government's defence review that National Defence is often paralyzed by timid bureaucrats and politicians who pass the buck on decisions. Retired vice-admiral Bruce Donaldson, who until a few years ago was second-in-command of the military, says in a written brief that the system is set up to avoid risk […]
Apr 28 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — A retired admiral is telling the Trudeau government's defence review that National Defence is often paralyzed by timid bureaucrats and politicians who pass the buck on decisions. Retired vice-admiral Bruce Donaldson, who until a few years ago was second-in-command of the military, says in a written brief that the system is set up to avoid risk […]
Apr 26 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals have been put on the spot by an e-petition demanding a federal inquiry into unresolved questions about the treatment of prisoners during the Afghan war, something that human rights groups support. Former New Democrat MP Craig Scott, who represented the riding of Toronto-Danforth up until the Oct. 19 election, has gathered 750 names for the digital […]
Apr 26 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals have been put on the spot by an e-petition demanding a federal inquiry into unresolved questions about the treatment of prisoners during the Afghan war, something that human rights groups support. Former New Democrat MP Craig Scott, who represented the riding of Toronto-Danforth up until the Oct. 19 election, has gathered 750 names for the digital […]
Apr 26 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The bureaucracy at National Defence helped scuttle two attempts by the Harper government to acquire helicopter landing ships over the last few years, documents show. The most high-profile of the cases involved the sale by France of two Mistral-class warships, which had originally been built for Russia, but were on the auction block after […]
Apr 26 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The bureaucracy at National Defence helped scuttle two attempts by the Harper government to acquire helicopter landing ships over the last few years, documents show. The most high-profile of the cases involved the sale by France of two Mistral-class warships, which had originally been built for Russia, but were on the auction block after […]
Apr 7 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The House of Commons defence committee will hold closed-door hearings on the state of security at Canadian military bases, The Canadian Press has learned. Conservative MP James Bezan, the party's defence critic, proposed the idea, which was recently accepted by the all-party committee, although a date for the investigation has yet to be scheduled. In the aftermath […]
Apr 7 2016 — Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — The House of Commons defence committee will hold closed-door hearings on the state of security at Canadian military bases, The Canadian Press has learned. Conservative MP James Bezan, the party's defence critic, proposed the idea, which was recently accepted by the all-party committee, although a date for the investigation has yet to be scheduled. In the aftermath […]