Changes on books for controversial Temporary Foreign Worker program

The federal government plans to make it tougher for employers to use the controversial - though popular - Temporary Foreign Worker program.

The program has been heavily criticized after a consortium of Chinese companies announced plans last fall to use only Chinese nationals for proposed underground coal mines in B.C.

Employers will have to make a greater effort to hire Canadians before they can apply for TFW permits, "including increasing the length and reach of advertising," according to Thursday's federal budget.

The Harper government is radicalizing First Nations

Brace yourself for the Indian Wars, Stephen Harper style.

This federal government doesn’t give a flying fornication about indigenous issues, and the way the stars are lining up, there will be a price to pay for their disdain.

The Indian Wars of history were actually comprised of 40 major military actions against American aboriginals under the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Dropping the John Wayne factor from the chronicle, they amounted to a continental eviction notice. It was served on indigenous peoples by wave after wave of European settlers and squatters backed up by the U.S. Cavalry.

All rights, including speech rights, are subject to limits

It is with consternation that we read commentary condemning the Supreme Court of Canada’s unanimous decision in the William Whatcott case. The media are not disinterested parties and have a pressing and substantial interest in their own position. It is also disturbing to see the misinformation that has been circulating for years about human rights laws and human rights commissions now being recycled.

First, several comments suggest that the case poses a “danger” to free speech, and that the court failed to consider meaningfully the interests of free speech. The reality is that the court held that portions of the hate speech provisions in Saskatchewan’s human rights code did violate free speech rights, and that the violation was an infringement of Charter rights.

Jim Flaherty’s wishful thinking budget

There were no surprises in Budget 2013. Minister Flaherty did an excellent job of pre-conditioning everyone on what to expect: a commitment to eliminate the deficit by 2015-16, no new ‘risky’ spending, some funding for infrastructure and skills training and further restraint measures to offset revenue losses due to slower economic growth in 2013.

But is this the right budget for the current economic circumstances and is the plan to eliminate the deficit in 2015-16 credible? The answer to both these questions is no.

Federal budget 2013 points to Conservatives’ tax-and-spend strategy

OTTAWA — Jim Flaherty is the Conservatives’ conservative. His enemies know him as Stephen Harper’s hit man. His friends see in him a paragon of fiscal virtue.

That’s why it is so interesting, and not a little odd, that the federal finance minister has just come up with something conservatives should hate — a tax-and-spend budget.

A tax-and-spend budget with an eye to the next election.

Federal budget signals major public service workforce overhaul on the way

OTTAWA — Finance Minister Jim Flaherty signalled plans in his budget Thursday for a major review of the way the federal government pays and manages its $43-billion-a-year workforce to make overall compensation “affordable” and bring it more in line with the private sector.

The review will examine policies, practices and laws governing the management of the public service, including pensioner benefits and the way it negotiates with the 18 unions representing Canada’s bureaucrats. The budget provided no details on the review other than to signal that everything is on the table for discussion with unions and employees.

Jim Flaherty's wish-list budget

Canadians hoping the federal budget would explain exactly how the Harper government is planning to spend all the money it filches from their weekly paycheques might as well hit themselves over the head with a duty-free cricket bat.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's eighth (and possibly last) budget eliminates the import duties on baby clothes and a wide range of sporting goods from skates and skis to cricket bats.

New $49M Guantanamo Prison Proposed By Pentagon Official

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is weighing a proposal to build a new $49 million prison for special detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- another sign that the base President Barack Obama promised to shut down will remain open indefinitely.

The new prison proposal is in an early stage, unlike proposed upgrades that include a new dining hall, hospital and barracks for prison guards, which are more advanced. A spokesman said all of the facilities proposed for replacement are deteriorating because they were never intended to be permanent.

Government favours traditional ‘war memorial’ for 1812 monument, artist says

OTTAWA — The federal government wants its new War of 1812 monument to be a traditional 19th century war memorial rather than a piece of contemporary public art with a message of peace, says a Toronto sculptor who entered the design competition.

Eldon Garnet was of the six finalists chosen last December by the competition jury. But his design and those of three other artists were eliminated last week when the jury abruptly cut the number of finalists to two.

The story behind Ezra Levant's 11th hour 'apology' for Roma rant

Apologies are coming fast and furious from Ezra Levant and Sun News Network. Just this week, there have been apologies for comments made about the publication Vancouver Observer and for a rant directed against the Roma people. Our parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg, who has been closely following the story of Roma refugees in Canada, has uncovered information about just how close Levant actually came to facing prosecution for hate crimes over his comments about the Roma. The office of the Attorney General of Ontario was contacted for comment on this story, but did not reply by deadline.

And so, Sun News' resident bad boy and low-rent, ersatz Rush Limbaugh, Ezra Levant, has apologized.