Jolson Lim
Toronto
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Articles by Jolson Lim
Over 4,000 access-to-information complaints still backlogged
The backlog of complaints about the access-to-information system has barely shrunk since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Canada’s information commissioner. The office received 4,000 new complaints in the last year, and has been able to process 4,060 files in that time, Information Commissioner Caroline Mayrand said Thursday, But those are on top of the 4,004 complaints that were still backlogged in April, said James Ellard, Mayrand’s spokesman, said in an email to iPolitics.
Foreign-homeowners tax would net less revenue than expected: PBO
A proposed tax on foreign, non-resident homeowners would generate less revenue than what the federal government anticipates, says Canada’s spending watchdog. The 2021 federal budget proposes a national one per cent tax on the value of foreign, non-resident-owned residential homes considered to be vacant or underused.
Bill C-11 needs an overhaul, says privacy commissioner
A bill designed to modernize privacy laws for Canada’s private sector would give consumers less control of their personal data and organizations more power to use it to make money, Canada’s privacy commissioner says. Bill C-11 would be “a step back overall” from current privacy laws, Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien said in a submission to the House of Commons committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.
Canadians are unfamiliar with Ottawa's 'net-zero emissions' plan: poll
Not many Canadians understand the term “net-zero emissions,” or Ottawa’s plan to reach the target by 2050, suggests new research.
The pandemic has left many Canadians jobless for more than a year
A growing number of Canadians have been without work for a long time, prompting concerns that the pandemic will cause long-term “scarring” of the labour market. The number of workers categorized as being long-term unemployed reached 486,000 in April, according to Statistics Canada’s labour-force survey released Friday. People are considered long-term unemployed if they’ve been out of work for 27 weeks or longer.
Slow verification of CRB claims is delaying payments: ombudsperson
The ombudsperson for Canadian taxpayers says some people who applied for the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) are waiting more than a month for the Canada Revenue Agency to confirm their eligibility, delaying payments to many who urgently need it. Ombudsperson François Boileau says he’s hearing complaints that the agency is taking much longer to process CRB applications than the four weeks originally stated on its website.
Spending watchdog questions stimulus plan in Freeland's budget
Ottawa’s stimulus plan could be “mis-calibrated” if the focus is solely on returning Canada’s labour market to pre-pandemic levels, Canada’s spending watchdog reiterated in a new report published Wednesday. Parliamentary budget officer (PBO) Yves Giroux has maintained that view since Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced a plan to spend between $70- to $100-billion to kickstart the economy in last November’s fall economic statement.
More automated tax filing will ensure Canadians get benefits they need: CRA
The Canada Revenue Agency is considering ways to expand its system of automated tax filing so more Canadians get the benefits they’re entitled to, MPs heard Tuesday. In last September’s throne speech, the federal government promised to “introduce free, automatic tax filing for simple returns to ensure citizens receive the benefits they need.” Doing so would mean that fewer Canadians miss out on hundreds of dollars in government benefits, such as the Canada Child Benefit (CCB).
Hill staff must be equally compensated for Phoenix pay problems: union
The Public Sector Alliance of Canada wants parliamentarians to ensure that workers on Parliament Hill get compensation for the Phoenix pay fiasco that’s equal to what other public servants have received. In March, more than 140,000 public servants received lump-sum payments of $2,500 before taxes, to compensate for missed, delayed, or erroneous payments made through the Phoenix pay system since 2016.
Small businesses plead for last-minute extension of tax deadline
Small businesses are pleading with the Canada Revenue Agency to extend Friday’s deadline to file their 2020 tax returns. “This has been anything but a usual year for so many Canadians, and especially for small-businesspeople who’ve been put through the wringer,” Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), told iPolitics on Thursday.
Ontario must make employers pay for sick days, Ottawa says
The federal government is insisting that Ontario mandate employer-paid sick leave, after rejecting the Ford government’s proposal that the province pay for a doubled federal sickness benefit if Ottawa administered it. “Provinces need to look at the way to deliver sick leave directly through employers, which the federal government can’t do,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a news conference on Tuesday. But Ottawa hinted it would help pay for it.
Tax on excess profits in 2020 would net $7.9 billion in revenues: PBO
A pandemic excess profits tax would generate $7.9 billion in corporate tax revenues in 2020, according to Canada’s spending watchdog. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh proposed last October a 15 per cent tax rate on the profits of larger corporations making more money than normal during COVID-19. The parliamentary budget officer interpreted that as a tax on profits generated in 2020 for companies that earned more than $10 million in revenues in at least one year between 2016 and 2020.
Taxpayers on the hook for $11 million to fix Trudeau's plane
A hangar mishap in October 2019 that damaged the plane normally used to fly the prime minister to foreign summits has cost Canadian taxpayers nearly $11 million. The total cost of fixing the damaged Royal Canadian Air Force CC-150 Polaris aircraft, known as “01,” comes to $10,940,170, according to figures tabled in Parliament last week. That includes labour, repairs, spare parts, and the travel and living costs of personnel, according to the Department of National Defence.
Federal oversight of natural health products full of holes: commissioner
Health Canada is failing to ensure natural health productsare safe, effective, and accurately represented to consumers, a federal watchdog warned Thursday. Because of a lack of oversight of manufacturing facilities and inadequate monitoring of products on store shelves, the department has left consumers exposed to health and safety risks, according to a damning audit from Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner Jerry DeMarco.
Ottawa needs to be more collaborative to achieve UN sustainable goals: audit
Federal departments and agencies aren’t working together adequately to implement the United Nations’ 2030 sustainable development goals, says Canada’s environment commissioner. Canada signed onto the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015 along with 192 other nations. The agenda calls for actions to end poverty, protect the planet and improve prosperity, among 17 broad-ranging goals and 169 global targets to get there.
Ottawa must collaborate more to reach UN's sustainability goals: audit
Federal departments and agencies aren’t co-operating enough to implement the United Nations’ 2030 sustainable development goals, says Canada’s environment commissioner. Canada signed on to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, along with 192 other nations. The agenda calls for actions to: end poverty; protect the planet; and improve prosperity; among 17 wide-ranging goals and 169 global targets to get there.
Ottawa considers taking action against 'predatory lenders'
Ottawa will consider lowering the maximum interest rate to stop the “predatory lending” of outfits that make high-interest loans, which anti-poverty advocates say have exploited Canadians during the pandemic. In Monday’s budget, the federal government announced plans to launch consultations on lowering the “criminal rate of interest,” the maximum annualized interest rate for credit allowed under the federal Criminal Code.
Federal budget gives indebted students a break
The way hundreds of thousands of Canadians repay their post-secondary student loans could soon change in a big way. The federal budget released Monday proposes giving more Canadians the ability to postpone or make lower monthly debt repayments. Currently, borrowers who live alone and earn $25,000 or less a year can qualify to postpone full monthly payments for six months after graduation under the Repayment Assistance Plan, after which borrowers reapply.
Feds to spend billions fighting COVID and kick-starting the economy
The federal government plans to spend tens of billions of dollars on battling COVID-19, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs to help the economy recover, and providing affordable child care across Canada, according to the 2021 budget released Monday. Ottawa also expects to post a record $354.2-billion deficit for the 2020-21 year, but with a drop in spending in following years as temporary programs wind down.
Ottawa to prolong COVID support for workers, businesses: budget
Ottawa plans to lengthen the time that workers and businesses can receive pandemic support — although Canadians should expect to receive less, come summer. The extension of the government’s slate of temporary relief programs was part of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s budget, which was unveiled on Monday. Worker support The budget proposes to provide up to 12 additional weeks of the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) for workers who aren’t eligible for employment insurance.
Federal budget caught between third wave and post-COVID plans
In Monday’s budget, the Liberals will try to balance what they must urgently do to stop COVID-19’s third wave with future plans to support the economy and tackle the societal problems exposed by the pandemic. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is tabling her government’s first budget in more than two years. It’s also the first for the minority government and the first during the pandemic.
Few first-time homebuyers have qualified for federal incentive
Nearly halfway through a three-year program to help first-time homebuyers, far fewer Canadians have taken advantage of it than what the government budgeted for. Figures tabled in Parliament on Monday show that, as of Jan. 31, only 9,108 approved applicants had received the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive, which is in the form of a shared-equity mortgage. Just $170 million has been disbursed in incentives, out of $1.25 billion the three-year program is worth. It began on Sept.
NAFTA-investor lawsuits cost Canada at least $376 million: report
NAFTA-investor lawsuits have cost Canadian taxpayers more than $376 million over the last 25 years, and could cost even more in the years ahead, according to a new report on the dispute-resolution system that allows companies to sue governments. The report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) is urging Ottawa to remove the investor-state dispute-settlement (ISDS) regime from international agreements, and to refuse to implement new ones in future trade deals.
To boost competition in Canada, reform laws and cut red tape, MPs hear
To increase competition in Canada’s economy, federal competition laws should be revised, and Ottawa should cut red tape for startups that compete with larger firms, MPs heard on Tuesday. The House of Commons Industry committee kicked off its study of competitiveness in Canada by hearing from experts and representatives of business groups.
New regulator of online content would go after illegal porn, Blair says
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair attends a news conference in Ottawa in April 2020. (Andrew Meade/iPolitics) Public Safety Minister Bill Blair says a new regulator is coming that will crack down on illegal pornography and ensure websites remove harmful content. “We recognize there is much more work to do,” Blair told the House of Commons Ethics committee on Monday.
More work needed to improve access to disability tax credit, says panel
Ottawa must improve how it provides the disability tax credit to Canadians with mental impairments, says a government advisory panel whose job is to conduct an annual study of how easily people with disabilities can access financial support. “Significant challenges” remain to accessing the disability tax credit (DTC) and other tax measures, said the agency’s disability advisory committee in its second annual report, which was delayed by a year due to COVID-19.
Three federal regulators will review the Rogers-Shaw deal. Here's how.
Rogers Communications’ pitch to buy Shaw Communications for $26 billion has shaken up Canada’s telecommunications landscape. The merger could have big implications for how Canadians get their phone, cable, and internet services. But first, the Rogers-Shaw deal must be reviewed by three federal regulatory bodies, which have the power to alter the deal, or prevent it from happening entirely. Here’s more about each body, and its role in the process.
National basic income could quickly cut poverty in half: budget watchdog
A national guaranteed basic income modelled after a pilot program that once existed in Ontario could cut poverty levels nearly in half, according to Canada’s spending watchdog. The overall cost of the program would be $85 billion in 2021-22, increasing to $93 billion in its fourth year, although eliminating a wide array of federal and provincial tax credits no longer needed could fund much of the project through new personal income-tax revenues.
Don't let Rogers buy Freedom Mobile, telecom experts tell MPs
Rogers Communications shouldn’t be allowed to buy Shaw Communications’ Freedom Mobile as part of a proposed $26-billion merger, telecom experts told MPs on Tuesday. The House of Commons Industry committee heard that a takeover of Freedom Mobile by Rogers would eliminate Canada’s fourth-largest competitor, leading to high prices for consumers and less competition.
Ford announces province-wide four-week ‘emergency brake shutdown’
Ontario is imposing stricter province-wide COVID-19 restrictions for at least 28 days as the number of new cases of highly contagious variants increase, threatening to overwhelm hospitals in the coming weeks. The government will impose an “emergency brake shutdown” across the province, effective 12:01 a.m. on April 3, Premier Doug Ford announced on Thursday afternoon. “We’re into a third wave of COVID-19,” Ford said. “The variants of concern are spreading rapidly. This is a new pandemic.
Rogers-Shaw deal must include sale of Freedom, says Quebecor exec
Executives of smaller telecom companies are opposed to the proposed $26-billion sale of Shaw Communications to Rogers Communications, saying it could jeopardize efforts to establish a fourth wireless competitor in Canada. They told the House of Commons Industry committee on Wednesday that the merger would decrease competition.
PBO projects $363.4B federal deficit, faster economic recovery
Ottawa will run a deficit of $363.4-billion this year, ahead of the Liberal government’s first budget in more than two years, according to Canada’s spending watchdog. The federal government will post that deficit amount in the 2020-21 fiscal year, which ends on March 31, and a $121.1-billion deficit in 2021-22, estimated the parliamentary budget officer (PBO) in a new report released on Wednesday.
Provinces urge Ottawa to fight hard to keep Line 5 pipeline open
Energy ministers from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario say Ottawa must ensure Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline doesn’t shut down, warning of job losses, supply shortages, and harm to Canadian producers if it does. The ministers were testifying before the special House of Commons committee on the relationship between Canada and the U.S. “It certainly will devastate Alberta,” said Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage. “A shutdown would create a bottleneck in the Midwest, negatively impacting oil prices.
MPs grill Rogers and Shaw execs about proposed merger
Executives with both Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications say their companies’ proposed $26-billion merger would benefit Canadians by speeding up delivery of new and faster networks. Some MPs don’t seem to buy their arguments, however. The executives were making the case for the purchase of Shaw by Rogers on Monday to the House of Commons industry committee, which is studying the deal.
Canada in a 'race between vaccines and variants,' Dr. Tam says
New federal modelling suggests stronger public health measures are needed to stem the rise of new, more-infectious COVID-19 variants in Canada, with officials saying the country is now in a “tight race between vaccines and variants.” Canada could see a dramatic spike in new COVID cases in the coming weeks without stricter measures that help reduce the number of people Canadians come into contact with, according to new modelling from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
CERB rollout was quick despite circumstances: auditor general
Canada’s auditor general has given the federal government a passing grade for quickly creating and launching the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public servants were able to design and deliver the emergency benefit quickly despite “extraordinarily challenging circumstances,” auditor general Karen Hogan concluded in a report released on Thursday. “Turnaround time for key steps was often a few hours or overnight,” the report says.
Ottawa should plan for heavy industry's role in a green future: report
A new report from Clean Energy Canada says Ottawa should develop a plan to help heavy industry reduce its emissions while boosting its ability to supply the world’s growing demand for valuable materials used in clean technologies. The paper, released on Wednesday by the think tank at B.C.’s Simon Fraser University, says turning heavy industries into clean-tech ones is the “next frontier” in the fight against climate change.
Singh’s student-debt plan could push other parties to offer more for youth
Post-secondary groups are welcoming NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s proposal to cancel up to $20,000 in new graduates’ student debt, saying it could push other federal parties to offer young Canadians more in the next election. Singh announced the partial debt forgiveness on Saturday as part of a series of election-style promises for youth that also included eliminating interest on student debt, and a moratorium on student-loan repayments until the pandemic is over.
House condemns rise in anti-Asian racism in wake of Atlanta shootings
The House of Commons has passed a motion condemning the increase in anti-Asian racism following shootings in Atlanta last Tuesday that killed eight people, six of them Asian women. The motion, presented Monday by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, also urges the federal government to take further action to tackle hate crimes by meeting with provincial-territorial counterparts to coordinate measures to fight the increase in racist acts across Canada.
Committee to gauge whether Rogers-Shaw deal would benefit Canadians
A parliamentary committee will examine Rogers Communications’ proposed purchase of Shaw Communications, although the federal Industry minister won’t be called to testify. The House of Commons Industry committee voted on Friday to study the proposed $26-billion acquisition in at least eight hours’ worth of meetings over the Easter break week in early April. Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre had requested the study to determine whether the deal would benefit Canadians.
Extending federal relief benefits to cost $5.9B, PBO says
Extending the length of time that jobless Canadians can claim three federal recovery benefits will cost taxpayers $5.9 billion, according to Canada’s spending watchdog. The estimate from the parliamentary budget officer (PBO) is below the $6.7-billion price tag offered by Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough last month, when she announced the extension of the three COVID benefits and regular employment insurance benefits.
Extending federal relief benefits will cost $5.9B, says fiscal watchdog
Extending the length of time that jobless Canadians can claim three federal recovery benefits will cost taxpayers $5.9 billion, according to Canada’s spending watchdog. The estimate from the parliamentary budget officer (PBO) is below the $6.7-billion price tag offered by Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough last month, when she announced that three COVID benefits and regular employment-insurance benefits would be extended.
U.S. plastic-waste deal was needed to ratify Basel amendments: officials
Canada had to sign a controversial agreement with the United States before it could ratify new amendments to a global treaty meant to limit exports of plastic waste to developing countries, federal officials say. Last October, Canada quietly signed a bilateral agreement with the U.S. to export non-hazardous plastic-waste so that trading could continue without stricter controls required under the United Nations’ Basel Convention.
It should be illegal to export most plastic waste, say environmental groups
Canada could stop dumping its garbage on developing countries by initiating an export ban on most categories of plastic waste, including certain recyclables, environmental groups say. The groups were testifying on Monday before the House of Commons Environment committee about Conservative MP Scot Davidson’s private member’s bill.
Ombudsperson needs more powers, say MPs studying Uighurs' rights
A new office set up to review allegations of human-rights abuses perpetrated by Canadian companies abroad should have the power to compel documents and testimony, say MPs studying the rights of Uighurs in China.
Women are left out of government's outsourcing of IT work: union
Ottawa’s outsourcing of information technology (IT) services is fuelling a gender-pay gap, says the union of federal public-sector professionals. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) released a report on Thursday on the “shadow public service” — companies and workers in the National Capital Region that regularly get contract work from government. IT consultants accounted for more than 70 per cent of the $11.9 billion spent from 2011 to 2018 on personnel outsourcing.
A wealth tax in Canada could net more revenues than expected
A one per cent tax on personal wealth of over $20 million would add about $10 billion to government coffers in the tax’s first year, according to new research from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). That’s nearly double the $5.6 billion the parliamentary budget officer (PBO) estimated last July.
Women left out of government's outsourcing of IT work: union
Ottawa’s outsourcing of information technology (IT) services is fuelling a gender-pay gap, says the union of federal public-sector professionals. The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) released a report on Thursday on the “shadow public service” — companies and workers in the National Capital Region that regularly get contract work from government. IT consultants accounted for more than 70 per cent of the $11.9 billion spent from 2011 to 2018 on personnel outsourcing.
Don’t introduce tax credit for carbon capture, eco groups tell Ottawa
A coalition of environmental and social-justice groups is urging Ottawa not to adopt a tax credit for companies that engage in carbon capture and storage, calling it “yet another inefficient fossil-fuel subsidy.” Forty-seven organizations have signed a letter to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and other ministers on Thursday, asking them not to implement the tax credit, a version of which already exists south of the border, where it’s called the 45Q.
Ottawa open to working with Alberta on carbon capture
Federal ministers say they’re open to working with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney to capture more carbon, as he presses Ottawa for $30 billion to pay for large-scale industrial carbon-capture projects. “This is exactly the right direction we should be heading,” federal Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan told reporters on Tuesday during an event to celebrate the milestone of a carbon-capture project attended by ministers from both governments.
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