Category
Legislation
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Manitoba wants to attract Quebec civil servants worried about clothing law
WINNIPEG – The Manitoba government is planning to recruit civil servants from Quebec who are concerned about a new law in the province banning religious symbols. Manitoba has a shortage of bilingual civil servants, Premier Brian Pallister says, and will…
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B.C. on right road with tougher ride hailing driver rules, says expert
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government’s firm position on tougher driver’s licence requirements for ride-hailing is a move in the right direction, given the experiences from other jurisdictions, a transportation expert says. “I would applaud the B.C. government for standing…
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New immigration pilot will offer permanent residency to migrant farm workers
OTTAWA – The Liberal government is launching a new three-year immigration experiment that aims to help fill labour shortages in Canada’s agri-food sector. Over the last several years, industries such as meat processing and mushroom farming have relied on seasonal…
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Federal government commits $2.8 million to anti workplace harassment project
OTTAWA – The federal government is committing nearly $2.8 million to a project aimed at reducing workplace harassment and promoting accountable work environments. The funding will go to a project called Roadmap to Future Workplaces, which will provide training on…
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Manitoba premier to raise Quebec religious symbol law with western premiers
EDMONTON – Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister says he will be seeking a joint response to Quebec’s new religious symbols law when western premiers meet on Thursday in Edmonton. “That is, certainly to my mind, dangerous and un-Canadian and deserves to…
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Deals on paid time off for domestic violence ‘beginning of a wave,’ says expert
OTTAWA – Several new deals reached between the federal government and one of its biggest civil-service unions that allow paid time off for victims of domestic violence are the start of a trend, says an academic expert on violence against…
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Commercial fishers in B.C. now required to wear life jackets on deck: WorkSafeBC
RICHMOND, B.C. – The organization that oversees worker safety in British Columbia is taking steps to reduce risks faced by commercial fishing crews. WorkSafeBC says all crew members on the deck of a fishing vessel must now wear a life-jacket…
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Quebec adopts secularism bill that bans religious symbols for state workers
Quebec’s contentious secularism bill banning religious symbols for teachers, police officers and other public servants in positions of authority was voted into law late Sunday. Premier Francois Legault’s government used its majority to push through Bill 21 by a vote…
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Government wins last ditch reprieve for law allowing inmate segregation
TORONTO – Prisoner isolation, declared unconstitutional 18 months ago, will remain legal for now after Canada’s top court granted Ottawa’s urgent request to allow the current law to stay in force for the time being. The reprieve from the Supreme…
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House of Commons unanimously adopts new parental leave policy for MPs
OTTAWA – For the first time ever, members of Parliament will have the right to take paid parental leave from their jobs on Parliament Hill when they adopt or give birth. The House of Commons unanimously agreed to new rules…
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How one province got 80 per cent of fathers to take paternity leave
Quebec’s provincial insurance plan that provides fathers with paternity leave has had a major impact on fatherhood. Until 2006, only one in five Quebec fathers took a few days of parental leave, compared with 10 to 15 per cent of…
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Federal government making electronic logs mandatory for truck, bus drivers
ETOBICOKE, Ont. – Transport Canada says it will require all commercial drivers to have electronic logging devices – one of the recommendations out of a coroner’s report into the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. The federal department says it will make…
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Sentence expires for man convicted in Mayerthorpe Mountie killings
EDMONTON – A man convicted for his role in the shooting deaths of four Mounties in rural Alberta is no longer subject to parole conditions. Shawn Hennessey pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years for the killings…
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New rules governing unpaid interns in federally regulated sectors released
OTTAWA – Unpaid interns in federally regulated industries are getting closer to having some of the same labour protections paid employees get. They include standard protections like 40-hour work weeks, holidays, maternity-related reassignments and leave. On top of that, the…
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Alberta legislators in marathon debate over workplace rules
EDMONTON – Alberta politicians talked around the clock into the afternoon Thursday in a marathon debate over a bill that would cut the minimum wage for young people and change rules on calculating overtime pay. Opposition NDP members began delivering…
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Liberals rolling out new measures to protect migrant workers, newcomers
OTTAWA – The Liberal government is rolling out several new measures to protect vulnerable migrant workers and immigrants living in Canada. Starting next week, temporary foreign workers who find themselves in abusive job situations in Canada will be able to…
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Senate committee approves changes to solitary confinement bill
OTTAWA – A committee of senators has approved changes to a bill that aims to end solitary confinement in Canadian prisons – including one key change that would place a 48-hour maximum on the time an inmate can be kept…
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Feds lay out proposed new rules for voice, video recorders in locomotives
OTTAWA – The federal Liberals have laid out their proposal for rules around voice and data recorders on locomotives, specifying when companies can use the devices to address safety concerns and how workers’ privacy will be protected. Legislation passed by…
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Alberta introduces bill to change overtime pay, reduce youth minimum wage
EDMONTON – Alberta is cutting the minimum wage for young workers and making other changes to overtime, holiday pay and votes for union certification. Premier Jason Kenney’s United Conservative government has introduced a bill, which if passed would reduce the…
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Experts say Canada lacks laws to tackle life and death problems posed by AI
TORONTO – The role of artificial intelligence in Netflix’s movie suggestions and Alexa’s voice commands is commonly understood, but less known is the shadowy role AI now plays in law enforcement, immigration assessment, military programs and other areas. Despite its…