National

Bains appointment to Rogers prompts House committee to invite lobbying commissioner

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 26 Apr, 2023 11:15 AM

OTTAWA — The lobbying commissioner is being asked to appear at a House of Commons committee to explain why the appointment of a former industry minister to an executive role at Rogers doesn't break the lobbying code.

The House of Commons ethics committee agreed Tuesday to invite the commissioner to a future meeting following a motion moved by Conservative Michael Barrett.

Former Liberal MP Navdeep Bains was the minister of industry for more than five years until he left government for the private sector in 2021.

He was among several new appointments made to Rogers executive leadership team last week after Bains cleared his new job with both the lobbying and ethics commissioners in Ottawa.

The industry minister is responsible for overseeing Canada's industrial strategy, including regulating national sectors such as telecommunications.

The motion passed in committee on Tuesday as critics warn about the optics of the appointment.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Across the continent, eyes on the sky — and Norad

Three separate objects were blown out of the sky in as many days over the weekend, a flurry of close encounters that followed what U.S. officials say was a Chinese surveillance balloon that floated across the continent two weeks ago.

Across the continent, eyes on the sky — and Norad

Big grocery store CEOs called to testify in Ottawa

The proposal to hear from the grocery leaders came from NDP MP Alistair MacGregor, and it received unanimous support from Liberal, Conservative and Bloc Québécois MPs. Executives from all three companies, as well as Save-On-Foods, have testified at past committee meetings focused on the rising cost of food — but not their CEOs.

Big grocery store CEOs called to testify in Ottawa

Photojournalist, news outlet sue RCMP over arrest

The claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday argues Bracken didn't breach the injunction because she was there as a journalist and the RCMP were notified that she was a member of the media before, during and after her arrest.

Photojournalist, news outlet sue RCMP over arrest

Provinces to accept new federal health deal

The deal amounts to an additional $46 billion from Ottawa over a decade, as long as the provinces meet some conditions on how the money is spent and report data to demonstrate whether and how the money is making a difference in the health-care system.

Provinces to accept new federal health deal

Federal money to come for Vancouver's Chinatown

The Vancouver Chinatown Foundation says more than $1.3 million of the funding will be used modernize buildings, including the Chinese Cultural Centre, Chinatown Storytelling Centre and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Gardens, with new lighting, signage and awnings.

Federal money to come for Vancouver's Chinatown

Repatriation ceremony at B.C. museum for totem

Drummers and singers from the Nuxalk Nation participated in a ceremony today with the goal to reawaken the spirit of the totem by Louie Snow, an Indigenous carver who lost many works to the Royal B.C. Museum and other institutions.