Joe Oliver announced cuts to EI premiums for small businesses yesterday – but it’s not quite as easy as it sounds. It’s actually more of a tax credit only on the employer side, and only for two years, which Oliver insists is not a sign of worry, but “confidence” that they’re on the right path. Um, okay. Economist Stephen Gordon, meanwhile, shows that this kind of tax credit is actually more counterproductive because it encourages these businesses to stay small for tax reasons, and that by not actually cutting payroll taxes, they are not actually creating the right conditions for all small businesses to hire.
The NDP have wrapped up their caucus retreat – err, “strategy session” in Edmonton – and launched some new attack lines, including that Justin Trudeau “isn’t ready to govern” (without mentioning Trudeau’s name directly), because being prime minister “isn’t an entry level job.” Because his caucus has so much bench strength when it comes to government experience. Oh, wait… (The Liberals meanwhile responded with this snarky infographic – because that’s mature). Among their promises were Quebec-style childcare nationwide, which a) is provincial jurisdiction and would require years of negotiation on top of billions of dollars with no real surplus to draw from, and b) they decided to topple the Liberal government the last time a national childcare agreement happened, so it’s kind of their fault that it doesn’t exist today. So there’s that “concrete proposal” at least.
Speaking of the NDP, they have launched a Federal Court challenge to the Board of Internal Economy ruling against them on the issue of “satellite offices.” This joins the challenge they have already undertaken on the decision against them with regards to the partisan mailings using franking privileges.
Michael Chong has said that he’ll be moving a couple of new amendments to the Reform Act to respond to party concerns – in particular the NDP wanting the ability to keep candidate quotas and the concerns that small caucuses could be thrown into too much chaos with prescriptive leadership review levels. Cabinet hasn’t said if they’ll support it or not, nor has Justin Trudeau, for what it’s worth.
The Senate pre-study hearings into the prostitution bill have wrapped up for this week, but it sounds like they are eager to hold some more hearings, in particular to bring Justice officials back to the committee to test what they heard from witnesses about the bill and the criminalization elements.
Documents show that former AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo signed off on significant amendments to the First Nations Education Act, and had room to make further tweaks after the various chiefs gave the first draft a definite no. The bizarre Federal Court case seeking judicial review to overturn the tabling of the bill (which, I will remind you, is never going to happen because of a little thing called parliamentary privilege) is going to be heard in a couple of weeks.
Tony Clement is proposing to reduce civil servant sick days to five unbankable days per year, but with a short-term disability programme that kicks in after seven unpaid days. Currently they get 15 bankable days and the disability programme that kicks in after 13 weeks. The unions aren’t too keen.
The North South institute, an international development NGO in Ottawa, is closing its doors because their funding has been cut by the government.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum was shuttered yesterday because of mould problems. The building was never supposed to be a permanent home, but they quietly stopped looking for one last year. It looks like the search will have to be back on.
The Canadian Press takes their Baloney Meter™ to the claim that the Conservatives are spending more on the military than ever, and finds it to be some baloney – that yes, they started spending more, but cuts since 2010 plus inflation mean that it’s no longer the case, and operational readiness is suffering.
Here’s a look at a gay Syrian refugee couple who are resettling in Vancouver thanks to private sponsors, which the government is encouraging.
The Senate doesn’t publish how much Senators and their spouses can spend of official language training. Everybody freak out!
In Southern Alberta, incumbent MP Jim Hillyer debated with his nomination rival about all manner of socially conservative policies like abortion and gays flaunting their sexuality. But hey, Hillyer can apparently debate and not just run away from them like he did during the previous election.
Aaron Wherry talks about why everyone should watch Question Period, and gives a couple of interesting observations about leaders’ performances.
And here’s a look at some of the decorum issues in the House in the 1860s and 70s – and how it really wasn’t the golden age of sober debate that everyone seems to think that it was.