Good evening, let’s start with today’s top stories:
Twelve minutes.
That’s how long the 39th sitting of the minority Parliament lasted on Wednesday, as the Liberal government failed to secure opposition support for legislation imposing new fines and jail time for people who file fraudulent claims for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
The Liberal government, already under fire for holding just 38 regular sitting days since June 22, 2019, recalled Parliament in order to introduce a bill that had been circulated in advance to opposition parties.
With House of Commons sittings suspended until September, the Trudeau government was seeking unanimous consent to allow the bill to be debated and put to a final vote in one day. After several days of behind-the-scenes talks, the government was not able to secure the support of any of the opposition parties in the House to allow that debate and vote to occur.
A public version of the bill was not immediately available. A draft version of the bill obtained by The Globe and Mail this week included new penalties for fraudulent CERB claims. One section would impose retroactive fines. Another section that is not retroactive includes harsher penalties, such as up to six months in jail.
The bill also includes changes to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy which the government said Wednesday are related to support for seasonal workers. Another section temporarily suspends various court-related deadlines in response to pandemic-related delays in the justice system. The legislation also authorizes a one-time payment of $600 related to COVID-19 to people who are eligible for the Disability Tax Credit, a payment the government announced last week.
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Systemic racism not present in RCMP, commissioner says: RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki is disputing the existence of systemic racism in her organization, saying the real problem is unconscious bias on the part of a minority of officers who fail to abide by the police force’s core values. In an interview with The Globe and Mail on Wednesday afternoon, Lucki said "if systemic racism is meaning that racism is entrenched in our policies and procedures, I would say that we don’t have systemic racism.” She said the RCMP is focused on improving its policies and procedures to ensure that they don’t “disadvantage some groups.”
New Brunswick doctor wants apology from Premier over coronavirus accusations: A doctor who has been blamed for sparking New Brunswick’s recent COVID-19 outbreak wants an apology from Premier Blaine Higgs. Jean Robert Ngola Monzinga says the accusation that he seeded the virus led to threats and racist abuse that have “destroyed” his life. Not long after Higgs suggested an “irresponsible” health care professional had travelled outside the province without self-isolating, the doctor’s identity was soon leaked online – something he blames on public-health authorities – causing an online backlash.
Premier Doug Ford, Health Minister to be tested for COVID-19; Education Minister tests negative: Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott are being tested for COVID-19, after Education Minister Stephen Lecce was tested for the virus, although his results have since come back negative. “Both will continue to monitor for symptoms and take appropriate action as necessary,” the Premier’s Office said Wednesday.
Windsor-Essex region sees recent spike in COVID-19 cases among agri-food workers: The top doctor in Windsor-Essex says the region has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases among agri-food workers in recent days. Dr. Wajid Ahmed said Wednesday that 38 more workers had tested positive for the virus. On Tuesday, the health unit reported 34 new cases among workers. He says more than 200 agri-food workers in the region have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
Freeland says police must acknowledge racism after senior RCMP officer’s denial: Chrystia Freeland says all federal agencies, including the police, must understand that systemic racism is a problem in Canada. The Deputy Prime Minister made the comments at a media briefing today upon being asked about a denial from the RCMP’s commanding officer in Alberta, Curtis Zablocki, that there is entrenched racism in Canadian policing.
George Floyd’s brother urges U.S. Congress to not let brother’s death be in vain: Just a day after he buried his brother in Houston, Philonise Floyd asked Congress not to let the death be in vain. The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee held the first congressional hearing to examine issues underlying civil unrest in the U.S. that erupted following George Floyd’s death last month after a Minneapolis policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Quebec dentists to charge patient fees for PPE, infection control measures related to COVID-19: Quebec’s dentists are charging the first set of patient fees in the country aimed at recouping the extra costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, dentists began charging up to $30 per visit extra for personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to meet new provincial standards. The dentists’ professional association is also recommending dentists charge another $84 for the “time and liability” needed to deliver extra care.
Potential COVID-19 vaccine from China shows promise in animal tests, researchers say: A potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Chinese researchers showed promise in trials in monkeys, triggering antibodies and raising no safety issues, researchers said, and a human trial with more than 1,000 participants is under way. BBIBP-CorV, developed by Beijing Institute of Biological Products affiliated to state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm), is among five candidates China is testing in humans.
MARKET WATCH
Canada’s main stock index ended lower on Wednesday after losses in the energy and financials sectors. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 0.28% to 15,701.33.
On Wall Street, U.S. stocks ended an up-and-down session after the Federal Reserve projected slower economic growth for the year ahead. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.04% to 26,989.44, the S&P 500 lost 0.53% to 3,190.06 and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.67% to 10,020.35.
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TALKING POINTS
Cut fraud, yes, but don’t punish CERB recipients for going back to work
“God knows the costs of the program need to be reined in. And certainly a gentler clawback would take things in the other direction. Fine – cut the basic benefit, then. At $500 a week, many former employees have been earning more on CERB than they did on the job. But if the point is to nudge workers back into the labour force, it makes no sense to hit them over the head for doing so, through the total loss of benefit.” – Andrew Coyne, columnist
Amid stormy waters, Toronto’s police chief drifts away
“It’s tempting to think of the chief as a man who wasn’t allowed to be bold, as a man whose hopes to bring about substantive change were thwarted. But in the end, at Monday’s press conference, Mr. Saunders had the look of a man who realized the sea was only going to get rougher from here on in. Stepping up to meet the current challenges surrounding policing was more than he asked for. So now, a fish out of water prepares to leave it altogether.” – Neil Price, writer and educator
Fewer guns. More cameras. Better police
“Put cameras on all police: From the beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles to the death of Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International Airport, cameras have revealed wrongdoing that otherwise would have remained hidden. And when there is no video evidence, many people will view that absence as itself evidence of wrongdoing. Disarm the police: In Britain, police must practise de-escalation and minimal use of force, because it may take a few minutes for armed officers to be called in. As a result, police there shoot at other human beings an average of just six times a year.” – Globe editorial
William Barr: The second-most dangerous man in America
“To be an autocratic authoritarian leader of the type Mr. Trump appears to admire, it’s necessary to have your judicial branch on bended knee. He can only be delighted with what his DOJ appendage has done so far and what he might do in the months before the election and, should he lose, in the days following.” – Lawrence Martin, public affairs columnist
LIVING BETTER
Bruno Feldeisen’s raspberry mousse: A simple treat that celebrates summer fruit
Chef Bruno Feldeisen is trying to take the complexity out of baking and get people to “go back to the basics.” His recipe for raspberry mousse is a perfect example. With only a few ingredients, it’s easy to make and a perfect treat for the summer.
TODAY’S LONG READ
Archaeology without digging: How ground-penetrating radar mapped out an entire ancient Roman city
The future of archaeology may be here. Archaeologists from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom and Ghent University in Belgium are using a new technology that takes the years out of excavating a historical site – ground-penetrating radar, or GPR. The technology collects massive amounts of data and can map out entire ancient cities laying beneath the ground.
Evening Update is written by Rob Gilroy and Omair Quadri. If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday evening, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.