Liberals are breaking their own climate change commitments
New Democrat Leader John Horgan explains how the Liberal government promised the cleanest liquefied natural gas industry in the world, but are ignoring 70 pe...
By: BCNDPCaucus
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Liberals are breaking their own climate change commitments - Video
Stymied: Rockdale Mayor Shane O'Brien says the money from the car park sale will be used to pay for a $35 million aquatic centre and a $17 million library. Photo: John Veage
A mayor has accused his political opponents of holding him to political ransom, after they have repeatedly walked out of meetings in an attempt to stop a $50-million carpark sale.
Rockdale Council has received an offer of $48 million for its Chapel Street car park, significantly more than its book value of $12 million, mayor Shane O'Brien said.
But on Wednesday night, council's six Liberals and one independent did not attend the meeting to approve the sale. It was abandoned due to a lack of quorum.
It is the sixth time that this has happened since September, councillors said and every time it has coincided with the car park sale being on the agenda.
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"I wouldn't mind if they just voted it down," Cr O'Brien said. "But for some reason they're walking out or not showing up. They're trying to create a sense of crisis and holding ratepayers to ransom."
The mayor says the money worth about two-thirds of council's yearly income would be used to pay for two major planned pieces of infrastructure: a $35 million aquatic centre and a $17 million library.
Council voted unanimously for the library, construction of which will soon be underway, and a motion to invite businesses to tender for a new aquatic centre passed without opposition in May.
The old, leaking Bexley pool has been closed.
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Rockdale Council: Liberals 'holding ratepayers to ransom'
By The Canadian Press
CONCEPTION BAY SOUTH, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador's Tory premier has lost his first major test in a byelection, with the defeat of his party's candidate in a Progressive Conservative stronghold.
Liberal Rex Hillier took a narrow victory in the district of Conception Bay South, west of St. John's, on Wednesday evening, defeating Tory candidate Barry Petten.
Unofficial results from Elections Newfoundland and Labrador had Hillier with 2102 votes and Petten at 2026 after all 44 polls were counted.
The NDP's Cameron Mercer-Maillet ran a distant third, with just 130 votes.
The district is next door to the riding held by Paul Davis, who was sworn in as premier on Sept. 26.
The Tory government has now lost five straight byelection to the Opposition Liberals in the last 16 months, four of them in districts held by former cabinet ministers.
With the Liberal win, there are 29 Progressive Conservative members, 14 Liberals, three N-D-P and two vacant seats.
Political scientists have said Conception Bay South was a must-win for a government that has seen a series of cabinet ministers depart politics over the last year amid leadership struggles and a slide in the polls.
The riding was held by former justice minister Terry French, who retired from politics in September.
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Liberals take Newfoundland byelection
Two Liberal Members of Parliament have been kicked out of their partys caucus over what Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau describes as allegations of personal misconduct that were made by two MPs from another party.
After nearly a week of internal reviews, the Liberals sent a letter to House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer requesting an independent investigation. (Read the Liberal letter to the Speaker)
CP Video Nov. 05 2014, 3:01 PM EST
The allegations involve two New Democrat MPs, according to sources. NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair declined to identify which MPs made the allegations or what party they were members of.
In a brief statement to the media, Mr. Mulcair said MPs should be able to work free from harassment in Parliament.
Were deeply saddened by these serious allegations, Mr. Mulcair told reporters, flanked by four fellow MPs, including the partys two caucus chairs, its status of women critic and its womens caucus chair.
Members of Parliament from all parties have to take these matters seriously. Here on Parliament Hill and in any workplace, women have a right to be in a secure work environment. Everyone who works in these places has a right to be in a secure work environment free of harassment, he said.
Mr. Mulcair said he wouldnt comment further to respect the privacy of those involved.
MPs Scott Andrews and Massimo Pacetti, who Mr. Trudeau said deny the allegations, will now sit as independents.
Mr. Andrews, 39, has represented Avalon, a riding in eastern Newfoundland, since 2008. Mr. Pacetti, 52, has represented the Montreal riding Saint-LonardSaint-Michel since 2002.
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Liberals suspend two MPs over personal misconduct allegations
A week after introducing legislation trumpeted as one of the most comprehensive and aggressive laws to help keep young people from using tobacco, the Liberals are supporting amendments that gut the essence of the bill and have opposition members declaring victory for Big Tobacco.
When Bill 60 was originally introduced, it called for a ban on all flavoured tobacco products as well as the flavoured e-juice used in e-cigarettes, but maintained an exemption for menthol. The bill would also ban the use of e-cigarettes anywhere traditional cigarettes are banned, enforce display and advertising restrictions on the products and ban the use of hookah pipes in public places.
Dozens of witnesses at a law amendments committee meeting on Monday testified that e-cigarettes have helped them quit smoking and they called for e-juices to be exempted from the flavour ban. A number of people spoke about the culture significance of the hookah. Only tobacco industry lobbyists spoke against the proposed ban on flavoured tobacco products.
Kelly Cull of the Canadian Cancer Society said that while she wouldnt have been surprised to see an exemption for e-juices, she was shocked by the Liberals backtracking on flavoured tobacco.
Its completely disheartening, she said. This was a component of the legislation that was entirely rooted in fact. The science has consistently told us that 50 per cent of teen tobacco users in this province use flavoured tobacco.
So the flip flop on this is astonishing . . . I wish I had a better understanding of the rationale.
Liberal committee members were unable to provide that rational.
Sackville-Beaver Bank MLA Stephen Gough said youth smoking is a major concern of the government. Pressed on how that view mixes with removing the ban on flavoured tobacco, Gough said he wasnt 100 per cent sure on why the decision was made.
East Hants MLA Margaret Miller said she was comfortable with the governments decision because it shows they are listening to the people. Although it was pointed out that only industry lobbyists spoke against the flavoured tobacco ban, Miller rejected the idea the government was caving to industry.
As Liberal MLAs attempted to duck away from TV cameras and reporters, a Health and Wellness Department staffer hurriedly handled out a news release saying the government would spend the next year consulting with the public about the question of flavoured tobacco and e-juices.
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Liberals choke when faced with flavoured tobacco, e-juice ban