As the House of Commons Returns Monday, Jason Fekete of Postmedia News outlines the issues expected to dominate this sitting and what they'll mean for each party Budgeting blues: Oil prices, which have shrunk by more than half since June 2014, are gobbling billions in tax revenue from the federal treasury and jeopardizing the Conservative government's promise to balance the books in 2015. Finance Minister Joe Oliver has delayed the budget until at least April so the government can get a better handle on what depressed oil prices will mean to the Canadian economy. [continues 2745 words]
Whopping 95 Per Cent of Public Believe Ottawa Has Little or Nothing in Common With Them OTTAWA - An overwhelming majority of Canadians feel politicians in Ottawa have little or nothing in common with them and don't believe those in the nation's capital understand the values and aspirations of average people, a new poll conducted for Postmedia News reveals. The survey also found Canadians generally don't trust politicians - especially at the federal and provincial levels - and believe there's too much government interference in their lives. Furthermore, people across the country believe we pay too much in taxes and don't receive good value for the services delivered in return. [continues 687 words]
The RCMP is preparing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to send police officers to Phoenix for three weeks of training where alcohol and drugs feature prominently and a bar is a hotel requirement. The Mounties are planning six workshops - each three weeks long - in the sun-soaked Arizona city between April 2012 and March 2013 to train a few hundred RCMP, provincial and municipal police officers from across the country on recognizing and testing drug-impaired drivers. Police say there's currently a dearth of officers in Canada with expertise in spotting and catching drug-impaired drivers. The RCMP, which administers the training of all Canadian police officers on drug recognition, says Phoenix is the teaching hot spot and best place to find high drivers in mass quantity. [continues 171 words]
Phoenix The Best Place To Learn About High Drivers, Force Says The RCMP is preparing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to send police officers to Phoenix for three weeks of training where alcohol and drugs feature prominently and a bar is a hotel requirement. The Mounties are planning six workshops - each three weeks long - in the Arizona city between April 2012 and March 2013 to train a few hundred RCMP, provincial and municipal police officers from across the country on recognizing and testing drug-impaired drivers. [continues 482 words]
OTTAWA - The RCMP is preparing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to send police officers to Phoenix for three weeks of training where alcohol and drugs feature prominently and a bar is a hotel requirement. The Mounties are planning six workshops - each three weeks long - in the sun-soaked Arizona city between April 2012 and March 2013 to train a few hundred RCMP, provincial and municipal police officers from across the country on recognizing and testing drug-impaired drivers. Police say there's currently a dearth of officers in Canada with expertise in spotting and catching drug-impaired drivers. The RCMP, which administers the training of all Canadian police officers on drug recognition, says Phoenix is the teaching hot spot and best place to find high drivers in mass quantity. [continues 271 words]
Criminologist Calls Stelmach's Tough Talk Rhetoric With gun and gang violence sparking public anxiety, Premier Ed Stelmach vowed Saturday at his party's annual convention he'll "push the envelope" on fighting crime -- including pressuring Ottawa and the Supreme Court to act more decisively. However, the tough talk was denounced by a criminal law expert who said Stelmach's warning is "rhetoric" and part of a "disturbing" trend by politicians at all levels of government to deflect the blame on the important public issue. [continues 451 words]
Premier vows to 'push envelope' on crime; dares courts to stop him JASPER -- With gun and gang violence causing anxiety across Alberta, Premier Ed Stelmach vowed Saturday to "push the envelope" to fight crime, including pressuring Ottawa and the Supreme Court to act decisively. Tired of what he describes as legal impediments to fighting crime, Stelmach told the Conservative party's annual convention his government is looking at bail reform and will introduce anti-crime legislation by the spring. Alberta Justice Minister Alison Redford argued the federal Criminal Code must be updated to prevent any real or perceived revolving-door justice. [continues 971 words]
Calgary Set To Break Annual Homicide Record; Opposition Doubts Government's Resolve With Calgary on pace this year to break its annual homicide record, the provincial government is vowing to get tough on crime and is turning to a landmark study for the tools it needs. The newly released 77-page report from the Crime Reduction and Safe Communities task force offers potentially the most in-depth look ever at the roots of crime in the province and the fallout it has on all Albertans. [continues 1328 words]
More Police, Prosecutors On The Way As Calgary police investigated another shooting death on city streets Tuesday, Chief Rick Hanson welcomed the Stelmach government's new $470-million crime-reduction strategy. But he said it won't deliver the number of officers he needs. The province's response Tuesday to the Crime Reduction and Safe Communities task force report also garnered support from victims of crime, although opposition parties labelled it empty pre-election rhetoric. The government blueprint, which is short on specifics, pledges to put more police officers on the streets, target repeat offenders and enforce grittier prevention and treatment efforts. [continues 599 words]
Law Would Be First In Canada The Klein government launched an offensive Thursday against illegal drug activity, announcing it will introduce legislation this spring to "rescue, defend and shelter" youth ensnared in drug-afflicted homes. The legislation -- which would be the first of its kind in Canada -- is to protect children exposed to parents participating in illegal drug activity, including abuse, production and trafficking. It would give the province the power to scoop youths from parents or guardians tied to drugs and allow the government to lay what's essentially child abuse charges under child welfare legislation. [continues 601 words]
Drug Investigation Spreads As Far As Hong Kong A raid earlier this week at a large-scale ecstasy production lab in east Ottawa has uncovered a massive drug operation that stretches overseas, police say. "The present investigation is going to spread outside of Ottawa. We know of connections in Toronto, Vancouver and Hong Kong," said Ottawa police Staff Sgt. Monique Ackland. "We're talking about a much, much bigger organization. The production here covered way bigger than the Ottawa demand." Drug unit investigators are examining documentation found yesterday in the lab and are trying to determine who was the proposed buyer for the million or more pills that could have been produced from the chemicals found in the lab. [continues 544 words]
One of the Largest Busts Involving the Drug in Canadian History. Chemicals Could Have Produced a Million Pills Ottawa police are trying to determine where potentially millions of ecstasy pills were headed after one of the largest Canadian busts involving the drug. Police last night were examining the contents of a two-storey warehouse on Canotek Road in east Ottawa they allege contained the city's first ecstasy lab. Police raided the warehouse and a self-storage container across the street Sunday after a lengthy investigation. [continues 521 words]
