| MPs to debate bill to eliminate pensions for crooked politicians, finally Posted: 09 Dec 2013 10:24 AM PST  Here's a private member's bill that needs to get unanimous support. Continue reading →
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| Some in Canadian delegation being kept out of Mandela stadium ceremony Posted: 09 Dec 2013 10:57 PM PST JOHANNESBURG - Some members of Canada's delegation in South Africa to celebrate Nelson Mandela's life are being left out of today's memorial service for the former president. The prime minister's office says Opposition Leader Tom Mulcair, as well as four provincial premiers and several MPs who made the 18-hour journey for today's service, won't be allowed into the Soweto stadium for the event. A spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the decision was made last night by the South African protocol office. They include the prime minister and his wife, former governors general Adrienne Clarkson and Michaelle Jean, former prime ministers Brian Mulroney, Jean Chretien, Kim Campbell and Joe Clark, Assembly of First Nations national Chief Shawn Atleo and Canada's high commissioner to South Africa and his wife.  |
| Rob Ford suggests many of his troubles stem from differences with police chief Posted: 09 Dec 2013 10:43 PM PST  I think he was quite upset at that," Ford said in an interview recorded last week with ex-media mogul Conrad Black which aired Monday evening on Vision TV. I think that they use (Sandro) Lisi as a prop to get to me,'' Ford said. Lisi, 35, who is Ford's friend and occasional driver, was charged in October with trafficking in marijuana, possession of proceeds of crime, possession of marijuana and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. Those charges were laid as the result of a Toronto police investigation that was initially launched to look into reports of a video appearing to show Ford smoking crack cocaine.
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| Canada to make territorial claim for North Pole after mapping complete Posted: 09 Dec 2013 03:04 PM PST  OTTAWA - Canada says it will try to extend its territorial claims in the Arctic to include the North Pole, although it hasn't yet fully mapped the area, doesn't have the scientific evidence to back the claim and faces major diplomatic hurdles. A formal scientific submission was made to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf last week covering 1.2 million square kilometres of territorial claims in the Atlantic, but the government says material submitted for the Arctic Ocean is only preliminary. "That's why we've asked our officials and scientists to do additional and necessary work to ensure that a submission for the full extent of the continental shelf in the Arctic includes Canada's claim to the North Pole," Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Monday. Baird did not dispute published reports that Prime Minister Stephen Harper stepped in at the last minute to insist that the North Pole be included in Canada's claim after the scientific assessment put the boundary just south of the pole.
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| Public safety minister announces RCMP unit to fight human-trafficking Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:41 PM PST  MONTREAL - The federal public safety minister has announced the creation of an RCMP unit that will work closely with law-enforcement partners in Quebec to fight human-trafficking in Canada and abroad. Steven Blaney says significant progress has been made over the past year but that much work remains to be done on what he calls the despicable crime of modern-day slavery in Canada. The RCMP has also developed an information and awareness campaign aimed at youth and the aboriginal population entitled: "I'm Not for Sale", which the federal minister says is providing good results. A few hours after Blaney met reporters in Montreal, the RCMP announced the arrest of four more erotic massage parlour operators.
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| Mayor Rob Ford tells Conrad Black his closet is empty in chummy exclusive interview Posted: 09 Dec 2013 07:05 PM PST Toronto Mayor Rob Ford accused Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair of using his friend and occasional driver Alexander Lisi as a "prop" in a political attack against him, telling Conrad Black in an exclusive interview that investigators should charge him … Continue reading →  |
| Judges get creative to keep poor offenders from paying surcharge Posted: 09 Dec 2013 12:42 PM PST  The judicial insurrection is continuing against aspects of the Conservative government's tough-on-crime agenda. The Globe and Mail reports the backlash against recent federal legislation doubling the victim surcharge levied against convicted criminals and eliminating a judge's ability to waive it … Continue reading →
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| Neil Young to play benefit concerts for Alberta First Nation fighting oilsands Posted: 09 Dec 2013 02:16 PM PST  EDMONTON - Music legend Neil Young is playing four concerts in his native Canada to benefit a northern Alberta aboriginal band fighting oilsands development in its territory. Canadian jazz singer and pianist Diana Krall is to appear as a special guest. "The theme of the concerts is honour the treaties," said Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation spokeswoman Eriel Deranger. Young made his opinion of oilsands development clear when he visited the band and the region last fall.
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| Canada selling weapons to countries with dodgy rights records Posted: 09 Dec 2013 02:23 PM PST  When it comes to the international arms trade, Canada is not in the same league as the really big merchants of death, such as the United States, Russia and Germany. We're not even in the top 10, according to the … Continue reading →
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| Spy watchdog decries 'misinformation' flowing from recent document leaks Posted: 09 Dec 2013 05:03 PM PST  OTTAWA - The watchdog over the national eavesdropping agency says many recent leaks about the Five Eyes intelligence network are being taken out of context by the media. Jean-Pierre Plouffe, who keeps an eye on Communications Security Establishment Canada, or CSEC, says the leaked tidbits often then become misinformation. Edward Snowden, a former contractor with the National Security Agency, CSEC's American counterpart, is making almost daily headlines with a cache of leaked documents.
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| Olivia Chow picks up steam for possible Toronto mayoral run Posted: 09 Dec 2013 10:09 AM PST  Toronto's mayoral election hasn't even official begun, but the campaigning is well underway, with one name continually rising to the surface. Alright, two names. Because Mayor Rob Ford continues to look forward to the Oct. 27, 2014, election at every … Continue reading →
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| Manitoba MP upset after aboriginal women denied flight Posted: 09 Dec 2013 03:08 PM PST A Manitoba MP is crying discrimination after two aboriginal women were not allowed to board a plane with her, even though they had tickets.  |
| Toronto cop sentenced to 45 days in jail for G20 assault, intends to appeal Posted: 09 Dec 2013 02:30 PM PST  BRAMPTON, Ont. - A Toronto police officer convicted of assaulting a protester during the G20 summit was sentenced Monday to 45 days behind bars, though he was almost immediately granted bail pending an appeal. Babak Andalib-Goortani, 33, was convicted in September of assault with a weapon for using excessive force during the arrest of protester Adam Nobody on June 26, 2010, on the lawn of the Ontario legislature. His lawyer, Harry Black, urged the judge to give the officer an absolute discharge, saying his client has suffered enough with depression, anxiety and the break-up of his marriage after he was charged. Andalib-Goortani's "fragile" mental state has only worsened since his conviction, Black said.
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| Canadian delegation to South Africa has deep ties to Nelson Mandela Posted: 09 Dec 2013 08:20 AM PST  A Canadian delegation led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper travelled to South Africa to attend memorial services for former South African President Nelson Mandela. Continue reading →
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| Fate of resident unclear after house explosion Posted: 09 Dec 2013 02:02 PM PST  The house, on Wilson Street in central Hamilton at Victoria, collapsed about a half hour after the fire started and firefighters had to call off their search for the occupant. It is not known if she was home at the time. The fire marshal's office is investigating.
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| Toronto police, public honour Const. John Zivcic Posted: 09 Dec 2013 08:33 AM PST  Police from across Ontario gathered in Toronto today to honour Const. John Zivcic, who died last week after a tragic crash while responding to a call for service.
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| Treaty 8 Nations welcome Site C review panel with symbols of the land Posted: 09 Dec 2013 04:44 PM PST  FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. - Environmental review hearings into the massive Site C hydroelectric dam proposed by BC Hydro began Monday with a welcome to panel members from area First Nations and a reminder for them to listen with their hearts, not just their heads. Gary Oker, of the Doig River First Nation, said the assessment process has been all about the dam project and what it has to offer, but the "cultural feast" presented to the panel serves as a reminder of what the land already offers. "While you're here these are the things we want to talk about," Oker told the three members of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency panel that will conduct the joint federal and provincial review. The $7.9-billion hydroelectric dam would be built seven kilometres downstream from Fort St. John in northeastern British Columbia and flood an 83-kilometre stretch of the Peace River upstream.
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| B.C. pot advocate's petition to decriminalize marijuana comes up short Posted: 09 Dec 2013 06:06 PM PST  VICTORIA - Marijuana activist Dana Larsen says while a petition campaign to decriminalize pot fell short, it sparked a buzz across British Columbia and he's planning to fire up a second drive soon. Larsen said Monday his bid to use B.C.'s direct democracy laws to either prompt a vote in the provincial legislature or set off a non-binding referendum needed about 100,000 more signatures. Larsen's Sensible BC tour group arrived at Elections BC in its so-called "Cannabus," with "Light My Fire" by The Doors blaring in the background. This is over 200,000 signatures here, many tens-of-thousands of hours of volunteer labour from canvassers all across the province working on this important campaign."
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| Canada to lay claim to North Pole amid Arctic resources rush Posted: 09 Dec 2013 11:53 AM PST  Canada intends to lay claim to the North Pole as part of a bid to assert control over a large part of the resource-rich Arctic, Foreign Minister John Baird said on Monday. Baird said Canada had filed a preliminary submission to a special United Nations commission collecting competing claims and would be submitting more data later. The move could raise tensions with Denmark and Russia, both of which also look set to lay claim to the North Pole on the grounds it lies on a continental shelf they control. "We have asked our officials and scientists to do additional and necessary work to ensure that a submission for the full extent of the continental shelf in the Arctic includes Canada's claim to the North Pole," Baird told reporters.
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| Canadian employers to keep adding jobs in Q1 2014: Manpower Posted: 09 Dec 2013 09:22 PM PST ManpowerGroup Inc, the world's No. 3 staffing company, found in its latest quarterly national survey of more than 1,900 employers that 13 percent planned to increase their payrolls next quarter, while 8 percent expected to make staffing cuts. The survey, which measures the difference between employers foreseeing more hiring and those planning cuts, said the net employment outlook, adjusted for seasonal variations, was 12 percent, a two percentage point increase compared with the last survey. "Overall, definitely a solid and positive national hiring climate is projected in the upcoming quarter," said Michelle Dunnill, Manpower's Branch Manager in Toronto, Canada's most populous city. "Nationally ... many of the gains are expected to occur in the lower-paying sectors." More than three-quarters of those surveyed also expect to maintain current staffing levels, while 1 percent of employers were uncertain about their hiring plans.  |
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