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Bureaucrats forced into last-minute pitch to save some refugee health benefits

OTTAWA - Newly released documents show Citizenship and Immigration staff had to scramble to make the case for preserving some refugee health-care benefits that were on the chopping block earlier this year. Read more…

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Do you think Trudeau will survive the next election? Read the results of that poll here.


Chief says she'll continue hunger strike until PM and native leaders meet

OTTAWA - Chief Theresa Spence says she's overjoyed that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has agreed to meet First Nations leaders, but she says she won't end her hunger strike until the meeting actually takes place next Friday. Read more…

'This is our future we have to fight for': Idle No More movement launches weekend of protests

Warrior flags, hand drums and a round dance in the middle of the street marked the solstice today in downtown Vancouver, where Indigenous people and supporters rallied as part of cross-country Idle No More events. Read more…

Federal Minister Finley could face contempt of court charges in HD Mining court case

Federal Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Diane Finley could be facing a contempt of court charge tomorrow if documents related to a court case involving HD Mining and two unions are not released. Read more…


Privacy rights advocates worried about Canada's 'biometric' data requirements

Canada will soon start collecting fingerprints and photographs from citizens of certain nations trying to enter the country. Critics raise concerns about how the government will safeguard the privacy of those whose data it has collected. Read more…

Anti-choice group wants 'heretic' Justin Trudeau banned from speaking

A national group dedicated to eliminating all abortion in Canada has called for a Catholic school in Sudbury, Ontario to cancel a scheduled speech on Dec. 21 by Liberal Party leadership hopeful Justin Trudeau because of his support for abortion and same sex marriage. Read more…

First Nations to protest omnibus budget bill Sunday

Vancouver First Nations are planning to protest the Harper government's recently passed omnibus budget bill Sunday. The protest is part of Idle No More, an indigenous movement that is utilizing social media to organize across the country. Read more…

Progressive Liberals alarmed as federal leadership contenders tilt right

With one lonely exception, the top tier of contenders for the Liberal helm has veered sharply to the right, much to the private consternation of some of the stalwarts of the party's once-influential left wing. Read more…

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Days after Nexen approval, PetroChina invests big in AB natural gas

Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared last week he didn’t want to see Canada’s economy “bought and controlled by foreign governments.” But he apparently has no problem with PetroChina’s $2.18 billion entry into Alberta’s natural gas sector. Read more…

After teen death, calls for national inquiry into missing and murdered women

"The violence all has to stop," Matilda Fowler says, glancing at her daughter's framed photograph. "For all families -- no matter where we're from, who we're with -- we're all family. I just want to take her home; but right now, I just want to know who took her, and why." Read more…

Ottawa 'hits reset' on plan for new jet fighters; report warns of soaring costs

OTTAWA - Canada's public works minister says the federal government has "hit the reset button" on its controversial efforts to replace Canada's aging fighter-jet fleet. Read more…

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Canada could be next for right-to-work legislation, opposition parties warn

OTTAWA - The federal opposition parties are warning that so-called "right-to-work" legislation that has passed in Michigan could soon come to Canada. Read more…

Chief vows to 'die' if necessary to improve the lot of aboriginal people

OTTAWA - Aboriginal protests against recent federal legislation are gaining momentum, with at least one prominent chief vowing to die for her people. Read more…

Tory party lawyer says Federal Court robocalls suit is frivolous

OTTAWA - Lawyers for eight Canadians challenging the outcomes of the last federal election in six closely contested ridings are in Federal Court today arguing that the results should be overturned because of alleged voter-suppression tactics. Read more…

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Harper OKs Nexen deal; says takeover marks 'end of a trend'

The Canadian government has approved CNOOC’s $15.1 billion bid to acquire Alberta oil sands producer Nexen, the largest foreign takeover in Canada's history. Read more…

EU gives OK to CNOOC-Nexen deal

The European Commission has given its OK to China National Offshore Oil Co.'s $15.1-billion bid for Calgary's Nexen Inc. Read more…

Ottawa's CETA concessions limit options for provinces and municipalities

Meeting European Union demands for a trade agreement would mean giving up the power to do things like insist Okanagan apples be available in Okanagan hospitals, said British Columbia NDP leader Adrian Dix. Read more…

Facing growing energy demands, Middle East embracing solar energy

With its vast deserts and long stretches of sunny days, the Middle East would seem to be an ideal place to harness solar energy. But until now, the region has largely shunned solar because it has cost about three times more than heavily-subsidized fossil fuels. Read more…

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UN chief says rich countries must take lead in fixing climate

Rich countries are to blame for climate change and should take the lead in forging a global climate pact by 2015, a deadline that "must be met," the head of the United Nations said Wednesday. Read more…

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2013 could be rough year for cleantech, insider predicts

The amount of venture capital available for clean technology, a key indicator of the industry's health, will seriously decline in 2013, predicts an international cleantech consultancy with offices in Vancouver. Read more…