Canada
column for Sunday, Nov. 17/13
THE CANADIAN REPORT
(c) By
Jim Fox
The Canadian government’s bid to reform – or even abolish – the
non-elected Senate is being supported by two western provinces.
Alberta
and Saskatchewan have agreed at a hearing before the Supreme Court with the
federal government’s position that senators should be elected.
Both provinces also support that outright abolition of the
scandal-plagued upper chamber would require the approval of seven provinces
with 50 percent of the population.
And, Saskatchewan agrees the federal government could unilaterally
impose a term limit of least 10 years instead of senators serving now until age
75.
The historic ruling into how much or little approval by the provincial
governments is needed to make changes is expected to take up to a year.
There are concerns by the provinces that the prime minister would not be
bound to appoint the winners of Senate elections and that views of smaller
provinces would be overlooked in considering abolition.
The Conservative government has been embarrassed lately with the
suspension without pay of three former Conservative senators who were told to
repay “improper” expenses totaling about $278,000. A fourth Liberal senator
retired and repaid $231,649.
(For more news of the week, click Read more . . .)
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The Ontario government will consider assisting Toronto’s city council if
it can't function because of the scandal involving Mayor Rob Ford.
Premier Kathleen Wynne said the revelations about Ford’s admissions that
he's smoked crack cocaine and drove while drunk are “truly disturbing.”
Council overwhelmingly approved a motion Friday to strip Ford of his
powers after he refused to take a leave of absence or quit.
With more police surveillance records being released, Ford threatened to
sue former staff members for saying he was intoxicated at work, drank while
driving and associated with suspected prostitutes.
Ford has also apologized for using vulgar language in a TV interview and
said he is getting health-care help with his problems.
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News in brief:
-
A worldwide child-porn ring, alleged to be headquartered in Toronto, has been
broken up with the arrests of 348 people, 108 from Canada. Those arrested
include school teachers, doctors, nurses, pastors and foster parents, said police
inspector Joanna Beaven-Desjardins. The success of the investigation has been “extraordinary,”
she said, adding that at least 386 children have been rescued from sexual
exploitation.
- Police have visited Ontario Premier
Kathleen Wynne’s office investigating the destruction of documents involving
the canceled gas plant controversy. Wynne said her Liberals will “co-operate
completely" with the investigation. Opposition politicians accuse the
Liberals of destroying emails to hide the estimated $1.1 billion cost of stopping
construction of two unpopular gas plants to help win the last provincial
election.
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Facts and figures:
Canada’s
dollar has advanced to 95.64 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar is worth $1.0454 in
Canadian funds, before bank exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is steady at 1 percent while the
prime-lending rate is 3 percent.
Stock
markets are mixed, with the Toronto exchange index higher at 13,478 points and the
TSX Venture index lower at 931 points.
Lotto 6-49: (Nov. 13) 3, 8, 15, 17, 29 and 33; bonus 10. (Nov. 9) 4, 8,
30, 43, 46 and 48; bonus 44. Lotto Max: (Nov. 8) 7, 8, 10, 15, 24, 26 and 41;
bonus 12.
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Regional briefs:
-
Heinz Canada will close its century-old ketchup-making plant in Leamington,
Ontario with the loss of 740 jobs within eight months. The company is
“consolidating manufacturing across North America,” Heinz spokesman Michael
Mullen said. The company is also closing facilities in Florence, S.C. and
Pocatello, Idaho, affecting 610 jobs.
- Quebec's
Court of Appeal has ordered a new trial for former Quebec doctor Guy Turcotte
accused of murdering his five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter. The
court ruled that legal errors were committed when he was found not criminally
responsible due to his mental condition. The court was told Turcotte stabbed
his children as his marriage was falling apart in February 2009.
- Dennis
Oland, 45, has been arrested for the murder of his father, Richard, who was 69
and an Atlantic Canada business leader. The elder Oland was found beaten in his
St. John, New Brunswick office in 2011. He was a member of the family that owns
Moosehead Breweries and worked in the trucking and shipbuilding businesses.
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Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com
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