The Hook: Political news, freshly caught
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…
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Do you think Naheed Nenshi will win the Alberta NDP leadership race? Read the results of that poll here.
With co-operative gains unions risk taking blame for cuts
The co-operative gains mandate creates a dynamic where public sector unions risk being blamed for cuts, says the president of a local that recently completed an agreement. 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…
Health ministry shakes up access to drug data
The British Columbia health ministry has outsourced access to prescription drug data at a time when the system is under scrutiny due to an investigation that saw seven people fired or suspended without pay. 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…
Health ministry employee made complaint that led to firings
The complaint that led to the firing of seven British Columbia health ministry employees came from somebody within the ministry, according to an auditor general's report released today. Read more…
UBC challenged to fund wage increases through operational efficiencies
The University of British Columbia is drawing on savings found in the past two years to fund wage increases for union members, but finding the money is a challenge, a university spokesperson said. Read more…
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…
Nebraska gets final say in new Keystone XL route
A tiny town in rural Nebraska is expected to draw a big crowd on Tuesday for a public hearing into TransCanada's new Keystone XL pipeline route. Read more…
Report ranks Canada 3rd on planet for 'sustainable energy'
Canada is better equipped than almost every other country on the planet to address the twin challenges of a warming climate and strained global energy supplies, a new World Energy Council report has decided. Read more…
BC premier's office announces more staffing changes
There has been another round of changes in British Columbia Premier Christy Clark's office. Read more…
BC backing down on flu shot requirement, says BCNU
The British Columbia Nurses' Union is claiming victory in a battle it and other unions waged with the provincial government over mandatory flu shots for health care workers. Read more…
Crown to consider charges related to two sawmill fires
Having completed investigation reports into sawmill fires earlier this year in Prince George and Burns Lake, WorkSafe BC has referred both matters to Crown counsel for further consideration. Read more…
BC deficit half a billion dollars bigger than budgeted for 2012-13
British Columbia's projected deficit for the 2012-13 fiscal year has grown by $328 million since September and half a billion dollars since last February's budget. Read more…
Unions strike deal on temporary coal miner records review
Unions trying to get a judicial review of a coal mine project using miners from China reluctantly accepted a deal to see some of the records they want released Monday, but say their overall goal is to have many more documents released. Read more…
Europe pleased with access to local contracts in Canada, wants more
European negotiators have been pleased with the Canadian government's concessions on public procurement but want more, according to a leaked European Union document. Read more…
TransCanada to ambassador Doer: 'Thank you'
The Canadian government has worked so hard to promote the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington, DC, that TransCanada, the company proposing to build it, sent a "thank you" note last year to Canada's U.S. ambassador, Gary Doer.
That exchange was included in several pages of email correspondence between Doer and a TransCanada official (whose name was blacked out), obtained by The Tyee through an Access to Information request. Read more…
Company behind BC mine shuts separate project over temporary worker concerns
One of the companies behind a plan to bring Chinese workers to a coal mine in B.C. has shut down a separate project due to a legal challenge over foreign worker permits. Canadian Dehua International Mines Group is among a pair of companies fighting a court battle to bring 200 Chinese miners to the proposed Murray River underground coal mine near Tumbler Ridge, B.C. Read more…
UBC, SFU helping CIDA to promote mining overseas
The federal government has announced that the University of B.C. and Simon Fraser University will operate a new institute aimed at furthering the Canadian mining industry's role in the country’s overseas development strategy. Read more…
Regulations drop price BC will pay for generic drugs
Starting in April, 2013, the British Columbia government will drop what it will pay for generic drugs to match the price set in Ontario three years earlier. Read more…
