Canada
column for Sunday, Dec. 2/12
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THE CANADIAN REPORT
By
Jim Fox
Conflicts
and scandals are taking their toll on Canadian politicians with the
court-ordered removal of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and demands that Alberta
Premier Alison Redford resign.
Parti
Quebecois politician Daniel Breton has left the Quebec cabinet for alleged “ethical
transgressions” and two Quebec mayors quit earlier in a corruption inquiry.
Ford is blaming a “left-wing conspiracy” as he appeals a ruling by
Superior Court Judge Charles Hackland that ousted him as mayor for violating
conflict of interest rules.
The issue involves Ford taking part in a council vote over repayment of
$3,150 in donations he solicited on city letterhead for his private football
foundation for disadvantaged youths.
Other mayors in the spotlight are Montreal’s Gerald Tremblay and Gilles Vaillancourt
of Laval who resigned during an ongoing inquiry into construction industry
kickbacks.
London,
Ontario Mayor Joe Fontana, a former Liberal Member of Parliament, is being
investigated for misusing public funds to pay for his son's wedding. He is
resisting calls for him to resign in the meantime.
Opposition parties in the Alberta Legislature are calling on Redford to
step down for an alleged conflict of interest.
Redford denies claims she was involved in a decision to give a multi-billion-dollar
tobacco litigation contract to her ex-husband's law firm.
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Mark Carney is leaving his job as governor of the Bank of Canada to head
the Bank of England.
Appointed to a five-year term beginning July 1, Carney said it will be a
tough job as it’s a “critical time for the British, European and global
economies.”
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said Canada’s central bank under Carney’s
leadership has helped to “lead the reform of the global financial system.”
It’s the first time a foreigner has headed Britain’s central bank that
was established in 1694, Flaherty said.
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News
in brief:
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Canada’s ruling Conservatives won two of three by-elections to fill vacancies
in the House of Commons but had to fight off tough challenges by Green Party
candidates. Elected in Calgary Center was Joan Crockatt while Erin O'Toole won
in Ontario’s Durham riding. The New Democratic Party kept its member in
Victoria with the election of Murray Rankin.
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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency denies there is a “two-tiered” system that
puts the quality of beef exports ahead of meat consumed in Canada. News reports
of an agency memo to its inspectors at the XL Foods processing plant in Alberta
called for heightened checks of meat destined for Japan over those for domestic
consumption. XL Foods recently reopened after being involved in one of Canada’s
largest beef recalls for meat contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
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Facts and figures:
Canada’s dollar is slightly lower at $1.0067 in U.S. funds while the
U.S. dollar returns 99.33 cents Canadian, before bank exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate remains at 1 percent while the
prime-lending rate is 3 percent.
Stock
markets are lower, with the Toronto exchange index at 12,207 points and the TSX
Venture index 1,218 points.
Lotto 6-49: (Nov. 28) 3, 6, 13, 29, 36 and 38; bonus 33. (Nov. 24) 6,
32, 35, 36, 40 and 45; bonus 48. Lotto Max: (Nov. 23) 6, 8, 10, 17, 28, 29 and
38; bonus 34.
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Regional briefs:
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Vancouver politician Joyce Murray and Montreal Member of Parliament Marc
Garneau, a former astronaut, are the latest contenders seeking to lead the
federal Liberal party. Murray, an advocate of legal marijuana and ardent
environmentalist, has criticized the party for its history of choosing leaders
only from Quebec and Ontario.
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Two men have been arrested for the theft of about 100,000 toys and items worth
$2 million from the Salvation Army in Toronto. Calling it an inside job over
two years, police recovered a massive stash of toys, food and donated goods in
a warehouse. The army’s former executive director David Rennie and businessman
Umaish Ramrattan were arrested for theft, possession of stolen property and
criminal breach of trust.
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Cold and snow are coming this winter, unlike what most of Canada experienced
last year, says the Weather Network. “We’ll get more winter this year than we
did last year,” said Chris Scott, director of meteorology. It will be a more
“typical” winter for much of the county with more cold air and storm systems
dumping “a bit more snow,” he said.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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