Government House Leader Peter Van Loan invoked “time allocation” earlier today in the House of Commons, a parliamentary procedure which effectively limits parliamentary debate on a particular issue. The issue at hand this time is Bill C-25, legislation that would create registered pooled pension plans, a new kind of savings vehicle for those who are self-employed or whose employers do not offer company pension plans. Read more…
Archive for January, 2012
For the record: Industry Canada and lawful access (c. 2006)
On Sept. 11, 2007, I filed a request to Industry Canada under Canada’s Access to Information Act, asking that department for any memos, briefing notes or presentation decks that had the issue of “lawful access” as their main topic. [Here is a Justice Department FAQ page on the issue and here's a decent summary of where things stand about now on this issue] I got the response to this request — all 391 pages of it — more than four years or, to be precise, 1,578 days after asking. By law, departments are supposed to respond within 30 days. Read more…
Bad news for the deficit hawks: The storm clouds are parting
Some have observed that doom-and-gloom scenarios for our economy and the world economy provide the political cover for politicians to engage in initiatives, such as cutting public services, which might be politically unpopular. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s speech in Davos last week was a good example the kind of doom-and-gloom diagnosis for which the prescription is convincing enough Canadians they are no longer entitled to their entitlements. Read more…
Don’t be fooled: The Tories just raised your taxes
During daily Question Period in the House of Commons, the government is allowed to “ask questions” of itself. Usually, a backbench MP rises to tee up a softball which a Minister is supposed to hit out of the park. Sometimes, it’s a chance to bring up a topic a Minister wants to make a statement about. That happened today, for example, when a Conservative MP rose in QP to ask Justice Minister Rob Nicholson what he thought about the Shafia verdict.
But most times, it’s like the exchange below, when the Conservatives try to use their lob-ball to take play politics and take on the opposition. Read more…
NYT: In Davos, Europe Is Pressed for Debt Crisis Solution
At a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum:
The European Central Bank continued to draw praise for providing emergency cash to banks and avoiding a credit squeeze.
“There is not going to be a Lehman-style moment in Europe,” said Mark J. Carney, governor of the Canadian central bank, referring to the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers in 2008, which helped set in motion the financial crisis. But he added, “That is different than having a well, fully functioning banking system.”
via In Davos, Europe Is Pressed for Debt Crisis Solution – NYTimes.com.
