Liberals’ refusal, opposition’s demands over documents for spending scandal has created a government backlog

Wednesday was the eighth day of debate on the opposition’s demand for documents related to the now-defunct Sustainable Development Technology Canada agency, a standoff that’s led to a backlog of government bills and cross-partisan finger-pointing.

In 2022, whistle-blowers alleged government money flowing through SDTC was going to organizations with direct ties to management. That revelation prompted an internal government probe and SDTC’s work was suspended.

The federal ethics commissioner found the chair broke the rules and the Auditor-General also launched an investigation, concluding there were “significant lapses” in governance and stewardship of public money meant for bolstering green technology.

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🎓Canada’s rent growth slows as international student enrolment drops

Average asking rents for all property types across the country just saw their slowest rate of growth since October 2021 — largely due to falling international student enrolment, a new report says.

Last month, rents across Canada reached an average of $2,193 per month.

The report pointed to falling numbers of international student enrolments as being behind the trends.

#housing
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Ontario companies allegedly charging foreign workers tens of thousands of dollars for jobs

Thousands of firms across all sorts of industries in Ontario have been marketing administrative, retail, food service, trucking and other roles exclusively to foreign workers though the federal government stipulates that LMIAs are only to be used when "there is a need for a foreign worker" because "no Canadians or permanent residents are available to do the job."

New layers to what the government has now deemed "abuse and misuse" of the system have continued to come to light, including the fact that some of these foreign workers were duped into paying tens of thousands of dollars just to secure these positions.

Some jobs have even allegedly been auctioned off to the highest and most desperate bidder to be used as a bridge to a more long-term stay in Canada, and to gain points toward permanent residency.

#immigration #Ontario
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💸Corrected PBO report finds carbon tax leaves most Canadians worse off even as they get more back in rebates

Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux found the Liberals’ claim that most Canadians receive more in rebates than they pay in carbon taxes is accurate. Only people in the highest income brackets in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will pay more in taxes than they receive in rebates.

But Giroux also went further, examining the economic impact of the carbon tax, which his analysis found slightly reduces Canada’s overall GDP and adds other costs to the economy. He found in that case, taking in both the direct and indirect cost of the carbon tax, most households are worse off.

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Poilievre says he supports involuntary addiction treatment for minors, prisoners

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he supports involuntary drug addiction treatment for minors and prisoners when they are found to be incapable of making decisions for themselves — but is still looking into whether he can support it for non-incarcerated adults.

#Poilievre
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🏠 Rents could exceed $7.5K in Vancouver, $5.6K in Toronto without massive spike in building: Study

Average monthly rent could reach $7,500 in Vancouver and $5,600 in Toronto by 2032 if current trends in construction and population growth continue, a study by Concordia University and development company Equiton projects.

The research used machine learning to model growth in rents using housing and census data and immigration and population projections. The model suggests “rents will continue to grow rapidly” if both the addition of new supply and population growth remain at status quo levels, indicating the need for a massive increase in building.

It shows average rents in Toronto hitting $4,100 by 2027, up from $3,250 in March 2023, and reaching $5,600 by 2032. Average rents in Vancouver are projected to reach $5,200 by 2027 and $7,750 by 2032.

#housing #BritishColumbia #Ontario
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‘Enough is enough’: nervous Liberal MPs push for Trudeau’s exit before the next election

Liberal MPs have been holding discreet meetings in small groups over the past few weeks to come up with plans to urge Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to step down, according to multiple Liberal MPs sources.

👀🍿
#Trudeau
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📊If an election were held today, 43% of committed voters would vote Conservative, while 22% would vote for the Liberals, 19% for the NDP, and 4% for the Greens. The BQ has 36% of the vote in Quebec.

15% of Canadians are uncommitted at this point.

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🐢Woman who tried to smuggle 29 turtles into Canada by kayaking across lake pleads guilty

A woman from China pleaded guilty on Friday to attempting to smuggle 29 eastern box turtles, a protected species, across a Vermont lake into Canada by kayak.

Wan Yee Ng, 41, was arrested on June 28 at an Airbnb in Canaan as she prepared to board an inflatable kayak with a duffle bag on Lake Wallace, according to an affidavit filed by a US Border Patrol agent in federal court.

Eastern box turtles are reportedly sold on the Chinese black market for $1,000 each, the affidavit stated.

#US
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🇮🇳❗️Indian government officials allegedly linked to homicides, extortions and coercion in Canada, pose threat to public safety, says RCMP

Agents of the government of India are taking part in criminal activity in Canada that is leading to serious threats to the safety and security of Canadians, the RCMP alleged in a Monday press conference just hours after Canada expelled six Indian diplomats.

The Mounties, working with other Canadian police forces, have obtained evidence allegedly tying India government agents to homicides and violent acts in Canada, Commissioner Mike Duheme said. He did not provide information on the number of alleged slayings, or how many Indian officials were allegedly involved but said other criminal acts include extortion, intimidation, coercion and harassment.

Commissioner Duheme alleged that police investigations reveal that Indian diplomats and consular officials in Canada have leveraged their official positions to “engage in clandestine activities,” that include collecting information for the Indian government either directly or through proxies and that other individuals participated voluntarily or through coercion.

#India
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🇮🇳India withdraws envoy, diplomats named "persons of interest" in Canada probe

India withdrew its envoy to Canada on Monday along with other officials and diplomats whom Ottawa named as persons of interest in a matter related to an investigation in the country, the Indian foreign ministry said.

New Delhi rejected the "preposterous imputations" of the Canadian assertion, made in a diplomatic communication on Sunday, saying it was part of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "political agenda" centered around "vote bank politics."

#India
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📊Canadian support for Donald Trump higher than in last U.S. presidential election, poll finds

The Environics Institute research found Canadians three times more likely to prefer Democratic nominee and current Vice-President Kamala Harris to win the Nov. 5 presidential election over Mr. Trump – 60 per cent to 21 per cent.

But Mr. Trump’s total has risen from similar research conducted in 2020, when he had 15-per-cent support among Canadians surveyed compared with 67 per cent for the eventual winner, President Joe Biden.

#US
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Canadian court to consider when minors can be sentenced as adults

Canada's highest court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday on when a young person can be considered an adult for sentencing purposes.

At issue are the cases of I.M. and S.B., two young men who cannot be identified under Canadian law because the crimes they were convicted of took place when they were minors.

I.M. was convicted of first-degree murder following a 2011 stabbing, when he was 17. S.B. was convicted of first-degree murder following a 2010 shooting, when he was 16. Both were sentenced as adults, to life sentences with no parole eligibility for 10 years.

They are appealing their sentencings to Canada's Supreme Court, arguing prosecutors did not meet their obligation in rebutting the presumption of the accuseds' "diminished moral blameworthiness."

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The end goal of MAID.

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'The "defund" narrative has picked up momentum,' CBC president warns in email

The push to axe funding to CBC “has picked up momentum” especially when it comes to television, its CEO and president warned in a private email earlier this year.

In the January email from Catherine Tait, the CBC president asked two people to volunteer for a committee being set up by the heritage minister to develop a government plan for CBC/Radio-Canada.

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All-girls robotics team from Peel school wins Canada’s first championship noscript at world competition

This is the team in question.

#Ontario
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Foreign interference inquiry resumes after damning accusations levied against India

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc will testify at a federal inquiry into foreign interference, a day after revealing explosive allegations about murder, coercion, and extortion tied to Indian government agents in Canada.

He stated that expanding the inquiry's mandate isn't necessary, as it already covers India’s interference. Prime Minister Trudeau’s key staff, including Katie Telford, will also testify, with Trudeau set to appear again on Wednesday.

#India
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