Supreme Court declares Canada's prostitution laws are unconstitutional

   Canada column for Sunday, Dec. 22/13

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Workers in the “world’s oldest profession” have won an historic victory as the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the country's prostitution laws.

   The landmark unanimous ruling Friday by the six men and three women judges dealt with prostitution-related prohibitions against brothels, living “off the avails of prostitution” and street soliciting.

   Canada’s social landscape has changed since the laws were last upheld by the court in 1990, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin said.

   The issue is “not about whether prostitution should be legal or not,” she added, but whether the laws are constitutional – and the judges concluded they are not.

   It upholds the case of sex-trade workers who are seeking safer working conditions.

   The court has given the Canadian government one year to produce new legislation while the existing laws remain in effect.

   The judges agreed with an Ontario Court of Appeal ruling that said outlawing brothels exposes sex workers to added danger by forcing them onto the streets.

   The Supreme Court appeared to acknowledge the case of Robert Pickton convicted of killing prostitutes in British Columbia.

   “A law that prevents street prostitutes from resorting to a safe haven such as grandma's house while a suspected serial killer prowls the streets, is a law that has lost sight of its purpose,” the ruling said.

 (For more Canadian news of the week, click "Read more")

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Door-to-door mail delivery to end in Canadian cities within five years

   Canada column for Sunday, Dec. 15/13

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The days of door-to-door mail delivery in urban areas across Canada are about to end.

   And, the declining number of people still using the mail will see substantial increases in domestic stamp prices – to 85 cents from 63 cents if bought in a booklet and to $1 individually – starting March 31.

   It’s part of a plan by Canada Post to cut its operating costs by up to $900 million a year based on the reality that fewer people use the service in these days of e-mail, courier deliveries and bills received and paid online.

   As well, the “average Canadian household” now buys fewer than two stamps a month.

   Thirty years ago, the post office began installing group mail boxes in newly built subdivisions and that will be implemented in all city areas over the next five years, said spokesman Jon Hamilton.

   Canada Post said up to 8,000 jobs would be eliminated while nearly 15,000 employees will retire or leave the government agency within that time.

   This will be a hardship for seniors with mobility issues who still want five-day-a-week home delivery of their mail, said Susan Eng of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons.

   “In cases where there are mobility issues, we will ensure a box can be accessed that isn't too high and we will provide additional keys (for caregivers to pick up the mail),” Hamilton said.

(For more Canadian news of the week, click on "Read more")

Lottery officials track down $50-million jackpot winner who lost ticket

   Canada column for Sunday, Dec. 8/13

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   When investigators came knocking at Kathryn Jones’ door in Hamilton, Ontario she at first hesitated at letting them in.

   It turns out they were really from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) trying to find the winner of an unclaimed ticket worth $50 million, tax free.

   And, as luck would have it, Jones, a 55-year-old engineer, was determined to be the winner of the prize paid all at once – even though she lost the ticket that was about to expire and didn’t know it was the winner.

  The investigation that led to Jones resulted from looking into the case of one of 435 people who tried to claim the Lotto Max prize from the Nov. 30, 2012 draw.

   The trail led to Jones based on a surveillance video from a store near her office and credit card records showing she bought a lottery ticket there at the time the winner was sold.

   Had she paid cash for the ticket, she might not have been found, said Mike Hamel of OLG's corporate investigations.

 (For more Canadian news of the week, click "Read more . . .")

Senate scandal plays role in outcome of Canadian byelections

   Canada column for Sunday, Dec. 1/13

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The Senate expenses scandal is viewed as a major factor in the Liberals emerging as the overall victor in recent federal by-elections and taking a lead in opinion polls.

   Notable in the mid-term elections to fill vacancies in the House of Commons was the increased share of the votes for the Liberals.

   They were expected to win those districts in Toronto and Montreal while the ruling Conservatives won, as expected, in Manitoba’s Brandon-Souris and Provencher but with diminished support.

   “Canadians grow weary of the deceit, the mistrust and the cover-ups of the Conservatives,” a jubilant Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said.

   He was referring to the suspension of three Conservative senators appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper for making inappropriate expense claims amounting to about $278,000.

   Public opinion polls also show growing Liberal support at the expense of the Conservatives and the socialist New Democratic Party (NDP).

   The latest polling averages give the Liberals 35.7-percent support, the Conservatives 28.9 percent and the NDP, 23 percent.

 (For more Canadian news of the week, click "Read more)

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Prime minister's office involved in senator's expenses payback: police report

   Canada column for Sunday, Nov. 24/13

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   What did Prime Minister Stephen Harper know about a Conservative senator’s improper expenses and when did he know it?

   That’s the question politicians and the public are asking about a police investigator’s preliminary report into Senator Mike Duffy’s expenses claims.

   Police found there was “no evidence” Harper had detailed knowledge of an elaborate plan within his office to repay Duffy’s questionable housing and travel expenses.

   The investigation into fraud and bribery allegations suggested that former chief of staff Nigel Wright received Harper’s approval for an initial plan to have the Conservative party cover about $32,000 of the expenses.

   When the amount escalated to $90,000, the plan was dropped, the report said.

   Police suggest the prime minister’s office tried to contain the “embarrassing” scandal and halt the audit into Duffy’s expenses.

   Harper continues to insist he knew nothing of the arrangement in which Wright gave Duffy the money to pay back the expenses.

   The Senate has suspended without pay Duffy and two other Conservative senators appointed by Harper who have repaid expenses of about $278,000 while a fourth Liberal senator retired and paid back $231,649.

 (For more Canadian news of the week, click "Read more . . .")

Bid to reform or abolish Canada's Senate gains support from western provinces

   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 . . .)

Political scandal scoreboard: Three Senators suspended; Toronto Mayor in holding pattern

   Canada column for Sunday, Nov. 10/13

   THE CANADIAN REPORT

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Canada’s political scandal update has three disgraced senators suspended without pay and Toronto’s embattled crack-smoking mayor considering his options.

   The Senate voted to suspend for the balance of the term – about two years – Sens. Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin for inappropriate expense claims.

   Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who appointed the trio in 2009 and has since had them lose their Conservative party affiliation, said they had to pay a price for their actions.

   The three were ordered to repay expenses totaling about $278,000 while a fourth senator, former Liberal Mac Harb, retired and repaid $231,649.

   They will not be able to collect their salaries of $135,200 a year but continue to receive extended health benefits during their time-out.

   A police investigation continues into possible fraud and breach of trust by the three.

   “I think it's an extremely sad day for democracy if we can't expect the rule of law in Canada, then where on earth can we expect it,” Wallin said after being suspended.

   In Toronto, Mayor Rob Ford has apologized as a “drunken mistake,” a profanity-laced video in which he threatened to kill someone a week after admitting to having smoked crack cocaine as purported in an earlier video.

   Attorney Dennis Morris said the mounting pressure on Ford to resign has him considering his options including taking time off and going into rehab.

   (For more Canadian news of the week, click "Read more.")